Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a great week! I can’t believe it’s already time for another First Line Friday linkup hosted by Hoarding Books, but I’m so excited to feature Patricia Bradley’s newest release, Obsession.

“The January warm spell had definitely ended in South Mississippi.”

Obsession by Patricia Bradley

The Basics

Title: Obsession

Author: Patricia Bradley

Release Date: February 2, 2021

Series: Natchez Trace Park Rangers (Book 2)

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover: Natchez Trace Ranger and historian Emma Winters hoped never to see Sam Ryker again after she broke off her engagement to him. But when shots are fired at her at a historical landmark just off the Natchez Trace, she’s forced to work alongside Sam as the Natchez Trace law enforcement district ranger in the ensuing investigation. To complicate matters, Emma has acquired a delusional secret admirer who is determined to have her as his own. Sam is merely an obstruction, one which must be removed.

Sam knows that he has failed Emma in the past and he doesn’t intend to let her down again. Especially since her life is on the line. As the threads of the investigation cross and tangle with their own personal history, Sam and Emma have a chance to discover the truth, not only about the victim but about what went wrong in their relationship.

My Thoughts

This book kept me guessing all the way through – I couldn’t put it down! Sam and Emma are forced to reconcile after a rocky past when they are thrown together to investigate two crimes: someone shooting at Emma seemingly to disrupt her work, and someone stalking her. As they are drawn deeper into the web of danger and secrets, it appears that the two crimes are connected, and may also be linked to Emma’s twin brother’s disappearance ten years ago.

I love the unique setting of Natchez Trace National Park! It lends itself to unique situations and puts the spotlight on park rangers, a lesser-known branch of law enforcement. I really enjoyed Emma and Sam’s relationship; the pacing felt authentic and developed naturally as they began to trust each other again after a broken engagement. It was just the right amount of romance to complement the suspense. The way the chapters from the stalker’s perspective were woven in made it hard to guess his identity at first, but gave enough insight to keep me on edge wondering how he would pull off his plans. I highly recommend this book to fans of romantic suspense, especially to readers who enjoy authors such as Natalie Walters, Lynette Eason, and Lisa Harris.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!