A steadfast believer in "never again," the only relationship parole officer Alayna Baron wants is with her job. When her roommate surprises her with a long weekend in the mountains, she reluctantly agrees—completely unaware it’s a singles matchmaking event.
Widowed at a young age, Detective Evan Marshall thought he'd had his one chance at love. When his brothers send him away for the weekend, the thought of romance never crosses his mind. At least, not until he finds the intriguing Alayna stranded on the side of the road.
When an intense snowstorm closes the roads and bodies start piling up at the inn where they are staying, Evan and Alayna join forces in an attempt to keep the other guests safe. But even with a murderer hidden amongst them, Evan and Alayna find a spark neither are looking for. If only they can stay alive long enough to explore it.
Carolyn LaRoche grew up in snow country but fled the cold and ice several years ago. She now lives near the beach with her husband, their two boys, two finicky cats and one old dog. When she is not at the baseball field cheering on big hits and home runs, she is busy teaching science to unwilling teenagers.
A beautiful lodge over a scenic location, filled with white snow everywhere. Just the perfect place to spend the valentine's weekend. What could possibly go wrong? Well, EVERYTHING!
When Parol officer Alayna Baron and Detective Evan Marshall are forced by their family and friends (separately!) to spend their valentine's weekend on a singles trip at the picturesque Blue Ridge Lodge, they weren't expecting a chaos. Certainly not a murder!
First the roads are blocked, then one by one bodies start piling and suddenly the white wilderness that offered solitude and peace becomes dangerous and trapped. Alayna and Evan are racing against time to stop the body count before its too late.
This was a suspense thriller with twists and two lovely characters to fall in love with. Sensational and thrilling, I loved this romantic suspense. This is my first of Carolyn LaRoche but I'll look forward to reading more from the author. All opinions mine.
Wow, I couldn't put this book down I had to know who the killer was, and their motives. I was on edge of my seat all way through. And I couldn't guess who it was until revealed.
I loved Evan and Alayna together, they may of been deceived into their holiday and was thrown together. They had a connection and both fought it because of their past hurts or grief. They work together whilst all that happened at the lodge happening and they couldn't deny any more. They was amazing together.
With a well-developed plot and gripping suspense, it's impossible not to get drawn into the fast-paced action of Blue Ridge Murder. And with the added romantic connection being beautifully weaved through this story in a lovely, wholesome way, this book offers the perfect romantic, suspense-fueled escapism.
A definite must-read for romantic suspense readers.
This second book in the series is another fabulous cozy mystery with a second chance at love romance. The lead characters, Alayna and Evan are both in law enforcement, just in different areas. It’s a good thing too given the chaos they end up in at Blue Ridge Lodge.
I really liked the lead characters and could easily relate to them. Both are very caring and hardworking, perhaps to the point of overworked in Alayna’s case. Both have suffered loss and trauma in their pasts and been severely affected by it. I loved the passion Alayna had for her job which definitely would be a hard one at the best of times. Evan had a great sense of humor, actually, they both did at times.
Nearly as soon as the weekend started for Alayna things went wrong and then, oh boy, things sure became chaotic and drama-filled to the max. In saying that, it did but it wasn’t over-the-top drama queen style. Things evolved like dominoes falling one after the other. Each one is more shocking than the other where you are fearful of what is going to happen next. I had a sneaky suspicion about the killer but decided I was wrong so did get a surprise in the end. There were a few twists actually, I love a good twist in the story.
I enjoyed this romantic suspense/cozy mystery story, it was very entertaining and at a time when I needed to escape some worries of my own, it fits the bill perfectly. I look forward to the next book in this series.
This second book in the series is another fabulous cozy mystery with a second chance at love romance. The lead characters, Alayna and Evan are both in law enforcement, just different areas. It’s a good thing too given the chaos they end up in at Blue Ridge Lodge.
I really liked the lead characters and could easily relate to them. Both are very caring and hardworking, perhaps to the point of overworked in Alayna’s case. Both have suffered loss and trauma in their pasts and been severely affected by it. I loved the passion Alayna had for her job which definitely would be a hard one at the best of times. Evan had a great sense of humour, actually they both did at times.
Nearly as soon as the weekend started for Alayna things went wrong and then, oh boy, things sure became chaotic and drama filled to the max. In saying that, it did but it wasn’t over-the-top drama queen style. Things evolved like dominoes falling one after the other. Each one more shocking than the other where you are fearful of what is going to happen next. I had a sneaky suspicion about the killer but decided I was wrong so did get a surprise in the end. There were a few twists actually, I love a good twist in the story.
I enjoyed this romantic suspense/cozy mystery story, it was very entertaining and at a time when I needed to escape some worries of my own it fit the bill perfectly. I look forward to the next book in this series.
Parole officer, Alayna Baron, is determined to never have another relationship except with her job so her roommate steps in to talk her into going on a long weekend in the mountains but doesn't tell her it's a singles event. Detective Evan Marshall lost his wife too soon, and he truly believes he'll never find love again, so his brothers send him to the same place that Alayna is heading to. It sure does feel like fate doesn't it?! Well they have sparks but there's no time for romance when bodies start piling up at the inn they're staying at, and everyone wants them to solve it because a snow storm has shut things down including the roads so it's up to Alayna & Evan to keep everyone safe. Obviously that means the twists are coming in hot, and while I thought I knew what I believed to be true, I knew nothing which is the brilliance of Carolyn LaRoche's mysteries, and I've become very addicted to her stories. I'm not going to say anymore because I promise, it's so much better just to experience all of this goodness for yourselves! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ALL!
This is the second book in the series. They can be read as stand-alone books. Evan is a detective meets Alayna while arresting one of her parolees. Then they meet again when her roommate and Evan’s brothers send them on the same singles weekend in the mountains. Evan sees her again when he finds her on the side of the side next to her wrecked vehicle. The inn is beautiful. But things quickly start to go sideways. A stuffed bear in the lobby is vandalized then a young female employee is found dead. Are they connected? Things begin happening and piling up. Add to that the snow storm that has the roads closed and they could be in for one interesting weekend. This book had me hooked from the start. The book is full of suspense and mystery with a bit of romance. The ending took me by surprise. The bad guy wasn’t who I suspected at all. I loved the first book and this one didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait for the next book. Great job Carolyn.
An unlikely romance. Both have histories that have them convinced romance is not in their future. Their first meeting was not encouraging. Their second meeting began a weekend that was supposed to be a fun getaway sponsored by their friends and family. Little did any know this weekend would be a doozy.
Accidental deaths or are they? Threats, storms, and so much more. They are stuck on the mountain with power outages, other couples, and a mysterious killer and arsonist. Since he's a detective and she's a parole officer they are expected to find the perp. Meanwhile, both find maybe their hearts aren't sealed after all.
A good mystery with a hard time figuring out who the culprit is. They have chemistry but this is not a steamy story the mystery and building romance is more than enough. Reviewed for Words Turn Me On
I really like this author I read the first book from her from this series and I thought the first book got me, but man this one threw me for a loop. Never take your eyes off the murderer, because you won't know who it is until it hits you. Both Cops for different departments Evan and Alayna run into each other by chance from the noisy ones they love. Both sent on a retreat they think it's going to be relaxing, but when dead bodies start to show up well it's anything but. Now with no outside help these two have to protect those at the retreat as well as themselves, and solve a murder. When I said you won't believe who it is I am so right. Never saw it come, but so glad I got to read this story. You won't be sorry. Intrigue is what you will feel when reading it. You won't be able to put it down until the end.
Murder mystery with a side of romance? Yes please! Blue Ridge Murder is an amazing novel with intrigue and heat. I absolutely fell in love with these characters. There is just something about a well written story with a clear and concise plot adding some twists and turns that hits a different way. If you are a fan of mystery and like a little heat in your books, then this is the book for you. Come fall in love with Alayna and Evan just like I did!
A great suspense that kept me on the edge. I didn't want to put it down but real life stuff made me like work and appointments. What was supposed to be a relaxing vacation ended up being anything but that.
I loves all the twist and turns. Once I thought I figured it out that character was very obvious proven I was wrong. I look forward to more of this series.
You do not need to read book 1 to read and enjoy this one.
A love story between two police officers who have experienced personal trauma and withdrawn from people .... until a singles vacation at The Blue Ridge Lodge. An expected killer creates a tragic weekend and, even though it was pretty obvious who the villain would be, it was fun getting to the finish!
I really liked the 2 MCs and their interactions with each other. Really good love story with some suspense. The motive in this one was a little different, but doesn't change the rating of this book. Still a good, enjoyable read.
The characters in this book are so well developed. I spent a whole day following the plot and expecting the ending, but never being sure. Sad to leave these people.