Book Review - Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand caught my eye because it's set in my adopted city, Charleston, SC and uses landmarks and street names that are very familiar to me... I was intrigued to read that this was a writing collaboration between two authors who write in different genres!  Read on to see what else I found out by reading this book:

From the Publisher:

In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her

Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.
Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything.
As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?

 My review:

This book is an intriguing combination of romance, mystery and suspense... the premise is simple... Girl meets guy and they need to work through their attraction and also figure out who is targeting Rylee and why... I have to say that I figured out whodunnit fairly early in the book, but the why was the more interesting story and that unfolded like a blooming onion page after page until finally being wrapped up nicely in the end...  I think the book's ability to bring the romance and beauty of Charleston together with being able to unravel the reason behind the thefts and how they connect both to Rylee and the history of Charleston was interesting and inventive...

As a character, Rylee was a puzzle in herself - fresh faced naivete with a blend of smarts, understanding and a focus of purpose.. not just a simple dog walke.  Logan, was a little more traditional and written as a good 'any man' whose life just happened to meet up with Rylee.

I have to say that I enjoyed both the Charleston references and the twists and turns that the story took and would recommend it as a good summer read for anyone who likes a good suspenseful romance.  Beguiled is an excellent pairing of authors!

About the authors:

Deeanne Gist has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, and the Houston Chronicle and she has a degree from Texas A&M. Dee is the author of five previous bestselling novels including A Bride in the Bargain and lives in Houston, Texas. Visit Deeanne's Web site at www.deeannegist.com

J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota. For more information, visit www.jmarkbertrand.com