Title: Finders Keep Her
Author: H.B. Stumbo
Series: "H.A.S.H." #2
Genre: Adult Romantic Suspense/Thriller
Page Length: 356
Publication Date: November 25, 2015
Date Started: February 14, 2016
Date Finished: February 15, 2016
Rating: Infinity
*Spoiler-free until stated otherwise*
*Not endorsed or paid for*
Holy crap. This book SLAYED me. I am dead. Consider me officially pronounced dead; cause of death: too many book feels.
*Not endorsed or paid for*
Holy crap. This book SLAYED me. I am dead. Consider me officially pronounced dead; cause of death: too many book feels.
This book was SO much better than book 1, which I loved to death! I was so emotional during this whole thing, and there was not one boring moment in my opinion. Let's just leave it at I cried for a solid 10 minutes after I finished this book, not to mention how long I cried DURING the book.
For the actual review, I can't really talk about much without spoiling book 1. One of the main things is that this book was a lot faster and a lot darker than book 1. Book 1 was creepy, thrilling, and enigmatic...meaning it was awesome! This book was one...two...five million times more! It was so good!
For lovers of creepy romance, you've gotta pick this up! Right now! Don't wait. In fact, here are the links to Amazon: Hide and Seek Her (currently $0.99 on Kindle) & Finders Keep Her!!!! When you've finished them come back so we can fangirl together!!!!
INFINITY STARS!!!!!
*From here on out there are spoilers*
Okay! So let's just jump right on in! This might be a little out of order at some parts, but it all weaves together. I'm so excited, are you excited?!
We start off with a perspective from Riley. RILEY! I love Riley. I've loved him since chapter 1. I knew he was never going to be with Charlotte, and I was happy about that. Vance and Char had too much chemistry for Riley to ever be considered for a love triangle. AND I LOVE THAT!
The prologue was basically what had gone on in the two months that had passed since the end of book 1. TWO MONTHS! I thought Vance and Char were inseparable, so this was a surprise that they hadn't had any contact in two months. Wow, just wow.
And Riley was being all worried about Vance and Char and then he was protective. It was just perfect! I loved that side of Riley we didn't get to see in the last book. This whole book he was protective and sweet and even when he was almost dead he was still trying to keep Jackson away from Char. Just perfection.
Then we get a chapter from Jackson. The first chapter of the book is from Jackson! We saw only a little of Jackson's mind in the first book which was through the prologue and epilogue. But those were more like letters or journal entries. This chapter was all about Jackson's past and present and what he wants. It was so insightful. I was very excited to get multiple chapters from his point of view.
Seeing some of Jackson's past made me sympathize with him, but then he had this whole "better than you" complex going on, so it kind of ruined that. Really, Jackson is just a fun twisted character to read from. And he wants Charlotte. He said that he took back his original plan of killing her in favor of just making her his again.
Then we went to Charlotte. And we also had a chapter of Vance that ties into what I'm about to rant about. So Char and Vance haven't talked since she ran out of his house crying and betrayed. She's all disappointed and sad that he hasn't tried to contact her or come after her since she left. He's all "I'll respect your wishes and stay away". I'm all...
Just get together and bang already.
But seriously, it took so freaking long for them to finally talk again. And even then it was in extraneous circumstances. The bad part is I can't even get too mad about this because it's just something that those characters do. It's just their personalities.
...
We get a new character!!!! His name's Sterling. I imagine him to be kind of like a puppy, but in his 20s. He just seems so nice and I really hope we get to see more of him in book 3. I can definitely see a friendship blooming between Char and Sterling (except that she was kidnapped and shit).
And Sterling brings us around to Drew. Drew isn't a bad guy, and he doesn't play a big role at all in this book. In book 1, I'm sure we all remember Char dancing with a guy and then that guy handing her a drugged drink. Well, that guy was Drew (but he's gay hehe). It was revealed by Drew--when Riley and Alex and Kim looked ready to smash his face in--that some random guy handed him that drink to give to Char. And lo and behold, that guy is Jackson. I can't say I'm surprised--I always thought he had something to do with it...
This leads us into Riley and Char's amazing friendship. So Riley and Alex meet up with Kim and Char at the bar on Halloween. I was so excited that Riley and Char were talking and hanging out (because without Vance or Riley I was getting depressed too). When Riley gets all protective of Char, oh my gosh the dams burst.
I LOVE his protective friendship! It's just so perfect! And after she finds out it was Jackson he just takes her home immediately and doesn't let her be home alone...ah! The feels man!
They have this little heart to heart where she finally realizes that the Emily that Jackson killed was the Emily that was Riley and Vance's cousin. And he tells the story and my heart just breaks for Riley!
And onto the topic of Emily...one of the chapters we see from Jackson's POV has Emily's death scene in it! I was so shocked when I realized what was happening. Honestly, I probably would have done the same thing in her situation...and ended up dead as well...but that's beside the point. I truly believe that Emily's death was an accident, but I don't believe that Jackson should have gotten a not-guilty bargain. He should have gone to prison.
The next thing he did in the book proves that! I was literally screaming when I realized what was about to happen. I was sitting in my room at 11 pm screaming into my pillow because I was so scared for Riley. Basically, Jackson pulls a creepy stalker move and hides in the Wait Plantation's backyard and while Riley is working, he goes up and attacks him. WTH!!!!
Me when I read that ^
Riley was in so much pain and what Jackson had done to him was so terrible, but he was still all "Stay away from Charlotte" and "Don't f*cking touch her" and stuff. Oh my god, my heart!
Once Jackson made the first move with the scythe, I was all tears. Gross sobbing that is not attractive at all. For 10 solid minutes! I couldn't read for 10 minutes because I was just crying! And he wasn't even dead (that we knew of) yet!
I texted my friends to come and hug me and nobody responded...ugh...where's my Riley?
And then Charlotte found him--bleeding to death and almost dead on his back porch.
Oh my feels. Char was all breaking down and crying and worrying and I was all breaking down and crying and worrying. It was such a good scene!
Finally, Charlotte and Vance speak again. Basically, she just calls him up on Riley's phone to tell him Riley's in the hospital. He's all "stay at the hospital. Wait for me there." And he takes 12(?) hours to get to her? No, no...don't go eat something or change clothes...just wait in the hallway for me. Then again, I probably wouldn't have left if I were in that predicament...
So Vance finally gets there and he and Charlotte have this whole reunion hug thing that makes me go aw!!! and then it's all about Riley again. Char and Vance kind of provide each other comfort and help each other not break down when they meet with the doctor. Because RILEY'S IN AN INDUCED COMA IN THE ICU!!!! I was crying then...
To summarize a lot of what happened after that, basically Vance goes to stay at Char's house, which is to be expected considering they need each other for moral support while Riley's in the hospital. He eventually tells her (most of) the truth, which is a good thing. But he doesn't tell her it all.
One day he goes back to the hospital because they're supposed to be bringing Riley out of his coma. I was yelling at the book (I'm not kidding) when Riley woke up and said Jackson's name and that Vance needed to go get Charlotte. Guess what Vance did? Just guess?!
He doesn't go to her. He's all "no she'll be fine" and "Riley's just had a nightmare or something...that's the ONLY reason he would have said Jackson's name because Jackson isn't a threat. He's about as harmless as a puppy." Instead he just texts Char that he's got good news for her...
While all of that hospital goodness is going on, Diane shows up at Char's house. Diane, the cop who's been looking for Jackson. She's got a lead. A breakthrough in the case. Basically, she shares everything with Char, not with her police chief, and tells Char she's the only person who knows this. Pity, because then Jackson comes and kills her. FML.
And what does Jackson do? He freaking kidnaps Charlotte. The book ends with her laying unconscious on his hotel bed and Vance sitting on his unknowing ass. I'm pretty sure I almost died.
^ Me (except I couldn't bear to throw out such a beautiful book)
I've come to the realization that I NEED BOOK 3!!!! RIGHT THIS INSTANCE!!! We don't have a date on when the 3rd and final book is going to come out, but hopefully soon. This is going to kill me...it's already killing me.
This is where I have to end it. I've been working on this review throughout the afternoon and Teen Wolf, and am thoroughly exhausted from binge-reading it last night and then getting up early. All I have left to say is that this series is a masterpiece, and this book was just perfect. It went in ways I did not expect, but it was sooo good.
There aren't YouTube reviews that I could find on this book, so I did have to (it was required--a need for my survival) write an ENTIRE spoiler-y review as well as my typical non-spoiler review. If you read my full review, you've probably already read the book. But if you haven't, you NEED to read it.
Once again, this book fully deserves its INFINITY STARS rating. I can't wait to see what book 3 has in store.
~
xoxo
Lauren
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