Lovely, Dark, and Deep (The Collectors, #1)

by Susannah Sandlin

[kimbacaffeinate]

Sandlin gave us a great cast of characters with their own unique voices. From the unseen villain to his thugs I became swept up in their diabolical game. Gillian is smart, an animal lover and one tough, tenacious cookie. Shane is an expert at what he does, but an accident has left him damaged and unsure of himself. Getting caught up in this dangerous game was horrid for Shane but in many ways it is his salvation. Shane and Gillian’s interactions were heated, humorous and at times sexy. The romance that developed felt genuine, and I found myself rooting for this couple. Secondary characters were fairly fleshed out and unique as they added their own voice to the tale.

Lovely, Dark, and Deep had all the elements I love in romantic suspense. There was tension, danger, a villain, mystery and a quest. Each week as the tale unfolded I became more engaged. Tonks the dog made me giggle and the slow building romance had moments of delicious heat that made me swoon. Our characters are slightly flawed and seeing them grow, trust and overcome was wonderful. I loved reading this each Tuesday when the next episode appeared on my reader. It reminded me of the weekly stories that would appear in the Sunday paper when I was a child. Each week I was eager to find out what happened next. The flow was well done as each week the plot advanced, and I became more connected to the characters. Sandlin killed me with her cliff-hanger endings, and it made my anticipation of the next episode all the sweeter. I enjoyed that sense of anticipation. The overall plot was well done and the ending satisfying.