☆☆☆ Exquisite Romantic Mystery☆☆☆

Kristen Ashley's fourth book in the Misted Pines Series, The Woman Left Behind is absolutely EXQUISITE. Harry and Lillian are an example of what so many of us want in a relationship. Loving, protective, smart, and kind.

Lillian is the daughter of two beautiful parents who disappeared sixteen years ago, and the ex-wife of some joker that tried to use her, and let his family use her for their nefarious purposes twenty-four/seven for the year and a half they were married. When Harry comes to talk to her he's stunned that in the eight years since his wife passed (and even before) he never noticed her in town. Lilly is beautiful, complex but straightforward with communication (mostly), and even worried about her parents she's still kept going with her life. 

(Handsome) Harry Moran - Lillian's nickname for Harry, is the Sheriff  of Misted Pines after ousting Leland Dern a few years ago during some of the original craziness with the town. Harry is a stand up man with good morals, but even better than that he's an all around good guy. He has three dogs, including a rescued pit bull named Storm that both Lillian and I fell in love with!! He comes back the morning after his chat with Lillian, and after he drove out to see her ex's mother in an effort to find him, to take her to breakfast. While this just might be a small town Sheriff helping ensure his citizens were doing ok, the people of MP did not see it that way! 

I love that there's no third act break up with Harry and Lilly, even though it is very much a sloooow burn. What you see is what you get. They are deeply in love from the very beginning, and the only thing slowing them down is the craziness, Audits, and maybe a murder or three coming out of nowhere. This Romantic Suspense did what many do not these days, it kept me up until 3 am finishing the book!! 

I am also a BIG FAN of all the secondary characters in The Woman Left Behind. Lillian's additional family, though not by blood (does that really even matter anymore??), are FABULOUS! Ronetta and George had been friends with Lilly's parents, and just continued to parent Lilly after their friends up and vanished one day. Harry's family, and his friends, and Lilly's girlfriends show up later on in the book in a big way, right when Lillian needs them, offering the kind of comfort only these kind of found family can bring.

One of the main reasons I love MP, the series, so much is that Kristen Ashley has made sure these couples are in their thirties and forties which is always so nice to see. It's beautiful to see couples growing past their early to mid-twenties, and understanding that Romance Readers age as well. I also found myself trying to deliberate throughout the book and determine who the next book who the next book would be about, but unfortunately I could not! So Kristen Ashley still has one secret left over from this book! 

The Woman Left Behind is worth at least 5 stars, if not more! I absolutely loved Harry, Lillian, Ronetta, George and their found families!! This is the kind of Romantic Suspense, Thriller that I'm living for lately!! 

Start reading today!

Available in Ebook, Print & Audio→ https://bit.ly/4jJGR2r

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