Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

Thicker Than Water

by Brigid Kemmerer

"Kemmerer will melt your heart and blow your mind." --#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout

On his own

Thomas Bellweather hasn't been in town long. Just long enough for his newlywed mother to be murdered, and for his new stepdad's cop colleagues to decide Thomas is the primary suspect.

Not that there's any evidence. But before Thomas got to Frederick there had only been one other murder in twenty years.

The only person who believes him is Charlotte Rooker, little sister to three cops and, with her soft hands and sweet curves, straight-up dangerous to Thomas. Her friend was the other murder vic. And she’d like a couple answers….Answers that could get them both killed, and reveal a truth Thomas would die to keep hidden.

The more they dig, the more it seems the only way they'll hear the real story is from the source--the killer.

Not the kind of future plan a college recruiter likes to hear. But then, the better it works, the less likely either of them is going to have a future. . .

Reviewed by Kelly on

3 of 5 stars

Share
3.5 Stars.
Thicker Than Water wasn't at all what I had expected. Intense, sultry and enjoyable for the most part. From the first few pages I gathered it was little more than a typical young adult contemporary but of course well written and engaging. Sweet, small town girl falls for the new bad boy in town, he's the town pariah and she wants to rescue his soul. They fall in love, he changes his ways and they live happily ever after. Thicker Than Water isn't that book. It's a complex contemporary blended with a paranormal romance that felt darker than another teen read, Although certain aspects left me a little underwhelmed, I enjoyed it.

Thomas isn't a bad boy but he's the only suspect in a murder investigation after his mother is found slain in her bed. Having been married to the quiet and awkward Stan only a week prior, Thomas and his new stepfather are both at odds without the woman who was both their common link. While Stan isn't sure how to relate to a teenage boy, he's patient and kind which is more than Thomas and his attitude deserve at the moment. The relationship between Thomas and Charlotte was incredibly intense and both clearly attracted to the other but not willing to act on those feelings. Due to her overbearing family, Thomas felt that Charlotte couldn't be trusted and luring him into a confession on behalf of her brothers while Charlotte continued to second guess Thomas and whether or not he killed his own mother.

Although I did enjoy the romance somewhat, their connection didn't feel genuine beyond their physical attraction. I found Charlotte's character unremarkable and bland, her feelings towards Thomas felt more as though he was little more than a stage of her teen rebellion. She was determined to seek out Thomas at every opportunity, knowing her older siblings had threatened Thomas, Charlotte is still willing to endanger his life. The paranormal twist did explain the reasoning behind why Charlotte was drawn to Thomas, it was introduced far too late within the storyline to try to reconnect to the characters.

The paranormal element was surprising and felt almost like a quick fix to wrap up the storyline sadly. It flowed wonderfully as a contemporary and despite not being able to connect to the characters, the reveal left me feeling annoyed and frustrated.

Although enjoyable, Thicker Than Water felt as though something was missing. It lacked an emotional connection and the paranormal elements were awkward and felt more like an afterthought than part of the storyline. Readers desperately need a sequel to understand the paranormal aspect of Thomas' life and not a bizarre solution to wrap up the storyline. It was wonderfully written but would have preferred a contemporary, rather than the strange paranormal it ended up being.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 15 December, 2015: Finished reading
  • 15 December, 2015: Reviewed