Review: Compelling Debut!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 14, 2013
This is the first installment in Ms. Elks' Halfway Hidden series and it was a good introduction to the characters, the world they inhabit, and Ms. Elks' writing.Rachel is a young woman hiding a few secrets. She's been living in West Virginia now for about a year. She has a job and people who care for her. She's almost feeling safe. So when a handsome stranger begins frequenting the bar - and flirting with her - she thinks maybe life might be looking up. Murphy, the handsome stranger, is an enigma. He seems willing to flirt and share a little about himself but he's keeping secrets himself. These two have a connection. And it seems more than just physical. But when his true reason for being in town is revealed, it felt like a sucker punch.Halfway Hidden  is well-written and evenly paced. I liked the way in which Ms. Elks laid out Rachel's story for us. Rachel is a strong young woman. She's experienced horrible trauma, but she's a survivor. I really enjoyed the interactions between Rachel and Murphy. Once Murphy learns of Rachel's ordeal, his protective instincts kicked in. I liked that Ms. Elks made us aware of some of his backstory so that his actions were more genuine. And the sex scenes - well, let's just say Rachel and Murphy were definitely keeping one another warm during that snow storm! They both seemed to enjoy a little kink but it's relatively mild. The sexual chemistry between them though, was not! Although there was some suspense in figuring out Murphy's motives, the suspense is really just building towards the end of the book. I'm anxious to see what comes next for Rachel and Murphy.Ms. Elks has written a compelling beginning to a series. I was drawn into Rachel's story - wanted to know more. The ending isn't a cliffhanger - but it did its job. It left me wanting to know where Rachel and Murphy will go from here.**Complimentary copy provided by the author for an honest review.