Known is the fifth book in Bone Secrets, the multimillion-copy bestselling series.
After a brutal snowstorm in the Cascade Mountains, Chris Jacobs discovers two things he never expected to the charred shell of a cabin, and Gianna Trask and her sixteen-year-old daughter huddled in an SUV, having barely escaped from their burning vacation rental.
Still scarred from a childhood ordeal, Chris knows there’s something sinister about the scene—it’s the stench of burned flesh.
Forced to wait out the blizzard in their rescuer’s retreat, medical examiner Gianna Trask wonders if her hidden past has finally caught up with her. When a body is found in the destroyed cabin’s ashes and a forest ranger is brutally murdered, both Gianna and Chris must confront their secrets if they want to escape the violent threat lurking outside.
In the fifth book in the Bone Secrets series, Kendra Elliot leads readers on a dangerous, twisting journey of two lives forever changed by a fiery snowstorm in the mountains.
An Amazon #1 selling author, Kendra Elliot has sold over 12 Million books and been on the WSJ best seller over a dozen times.
She grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest and still lives there with her family and two cats. She's fascinated with forensics, refuses to eat anything green, and dreams of living every day in flip flops. UPDATE: She now lives in flip flops and watches the sun rise over the ocean every day.
The MERCY KILPATRICK series: A MERCIFUL DEATH, A MERCIFUL TRUTH, A MERCIFUL SECRET, A MERCIFUL SILENCE, A MERCIFUL FATE, and A MERCIFUL PROMISE. IN THE PINES and AT THE RIVER are continuations of Mercy's and Truman's story.
THE COLUMBIA RIVER series. THE LAST SISTER. THE SILENCE, IN THE PINES, AT THE RIVER, and THE FIRST DEATH
The BONE SECRETS NOVELS: HIDDEN, CHILLED, BURIED, ALONE, KNOWN and VEILED (a novella)
The CALLAHAN & McLANE novels: VANISHED, BRIDGED, SPIRALED, and TARGETED. THE SILENCE continues Ava and Mason's story. THE LAST SISTER is Zander's story
She also writes the Widow's Island and Rogue River novellas with Melinda Leigh.
International Thriller Writers finalist, a three time Daphne Du Maurier winner, and a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice finalist.
Known by Kendra Elliot is a 2016 Montlake publication.
This fifth installment in the 'Bone Secrets' series gives Chris Jacobs top billing, when he meets Gianna Trask and her teenage daughter, Violet, under extreme circumstances.
When Gianna’s cabin retreat catches fire, she and her daughter barely make it out alive. Chris also happens to be at his cabin at that time and brings the ladies to safety. But, he knows right away the burned-out shell of the cabin will reveal a very serious crime and that Gianna and Violet could be in danger.
Sure enough, it quickly becomes crystal clear that Gianna is a target…. But why?
I always enjoy Kendra Elliot’s romantic suspense novels, and this one is no exception. I love Chris Jacobs and was pleased to see him meet a kindred spirit in Gianna.
The story is fast paced, intense, suspenseful and emotional. The plotting is tight and unfortunately it captures the underbelly and greed of human nature all too well. It’s also a poignant family drama, with a bittersweet tone to it.
The action grabbed my attention right away and kept me riveted by building the suspense with perfect pacing, until it reaches a race against time drama that kept me glued to the pages.
The author did a terrific job of creating characters I could care about, and balanced the romance with the suspense exactly the way I like it.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will keep my eyes peeled for the next installment in this series!!
Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Known begins with a man, Chris, enjoying a solitary weekend at his cabin in the mountains while his son is visiting his Grandmother. While Chris is out enjoying the winter day in the mountains, he comes across a teenager and her unconscious Mother in a SUV. Their burned cabin has a dead body inside. Chris instantly recognizes the smell of burnt human flesh from his childhood and we learn that he has a tragic past that he struggles to bury. So begins the tale of people brought together under mysterious circumstances in the dead of winter.
Chris, Gianna (the Mother and medical examiner), and her daughter Violet take refuge in Chris's cabin while a winter storm makes it difficult to get to safety. A killer is nearby watching and waiting for a chance to strike.Both Chris and Gianna have secret tragedies in their past and recognize that each other has secrets. How did Chris get his scars and why is someone targeting a woman and her teenage daughter.
This book is part mystery and part love story. It was the perfect blend of both genres. As the body count adds up and secrets are revealed, the story unfolds. I really liked the pacing of this book. Nothing felt rushed. The story moved along and there were no dull parts.
I really enjoyed this book. This is one where the reader is given some information but, at least for me, not enough initially to figure things out. The story unfolds at a very nice pace and soon, we learn the identity of the murderer. I enjoyed this mystery and the characters in it. For me Chris was the most sympathetic and likable character.
Great book to curl up and read on a cold winter night or over a weekend. Very nice modern mystery. I would definitely read more in this series and more books by this Author.
A Bone Secrets Novel Hidden (Book 1) Chilled (Book 2) Buried (Book 3) Veiled *novella* Alone (Book 4) Known (Book 5)
Known by Kendra Elliot is the fifth book in her Bone Secrets series. While each book focuses on a new "couple", and can be read as a standalone, I fully recommend reading these in order so you really get the backstory of certain characters.
We first met Chris Jacobs in Buried. And since then, Chris (with his son Brian) has been trying to move forward with his life and become a more active part of society. But Chris is still a work-in-progress, which leads him to his cabin in the Cascade Range where he isn't bothered by people (his closest neighbor was about a mile away) or technology (NO WI-FI or cell service!!!). Early one morning, Chris is awoken by the smell of heavy smoke and goes to see if anyone needs help. What he discovers is a shell of a cabin and a sick Gianna and her scared teenage daughter, Violet, stuck in her SVU.
From that moment on, Known takes you on a continual action-packed ride full of surprises, murder, and a growing relationship between Chris and Gianna. I thought this story was fast paced and kept me guessing as to who and why someone was targeting Gianna.
Rating: 4 out of 5
**I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**
While on vacation in the Cascade Mountains, Chris Jacobs finds a burned-out cabin. He also finds Gianna Trask and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Violet, trying to stay warm in their SUV. Since the roads are impassable after last night's snowstorm, Chris guides the women to his cabin to keep warm. Not wanting to alarm the women, he doesn't mention the odor of charred flesh that he smells near the cabin. The next day a Forest Ranger finds the remains of the cabin, but he is gunned down before he can go for help. At that time, Chris decides he has to get Gianna and Violet to safety before the killer comes gunning for them.
Chris Jacobs first appeared in Book #3 of the Bone Secrets series. After reading all of the things his character went through, I would recommend that you read that book before reading this one.
This book starts off with a fast-moving story in the icy mountains where most of the communication has been cut off. I loved the first half of the book. The second half was a bit slower. There is a lot of the killer's point-of-view, which really didn't help pull me into the story. We also never really got a read "happily ever after" in this book. It was just assumed that Chris and Gianna would eventually marry. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
Known's heroine's name is Gianna Trask.The book I read before this is You Belong to Me and the heroine's name in that book is Lucy Trask.
○Both are doctors.Specifically, forensic pathologist.
I think they're lost lost twins.. Idk, man.This is weird.
Anyway this is probably my least favorite Kendra Elliot book, mainly because there's no litany of medical terms in this book. I was hoping for the fountain of knowledge about dead bodies and shits but alas, no.
What we have is a deranged killer who burns a person in a cabin house where Gianna and her daughter Violet is staying.
4 "Past Tragedies Unite" Stars for the story and narration!
If you're like me, and love a good old-fashioned style suspense story with an overlay of romance to throw a little spice into the mystery, then you will not want to miss Known. Although this is the 5th book in the Bone Secrets Series, there is no need to have read or listened to the prior books as both the suspense and romantic sub-plots are fully contained within this audiobook. Further complementing this thought provoking suspense title is the above-average narration rendered by Tanya Eby, making this title a natural choice to choose in audiobook format.
Chris Jacobs knows what it is like to survive in the cross hairs of a killer. Having survived two horrific years at the hands of a serial killer, he learned many tricks to stay alive in unfathomable circumstances. So when Chris comes across Gianna Trask and her teenage daughter in the Cascade Mountains having just nearly escaped death under what appears to be suspicious circumstances, he knows he's stumbled onto a dangerous situation and is determined to see them to safety.
Gianna is no stranger to death (being a medical examiner) or tragedy (having lost her parents in a terrible accident when she was a child). She grew up with her uncle and he raised her to be tenacious and strong woman--personality traits that will come in handy as this story evolves.
As Chris and Gianna are forced to first wait out the storm in his cabin and then flee imminent perile they begin to bond and their shared tragic pasts as well as their individual synergistic natures draw each to the other. But will Chris be able to keep Gianna safe, much less pursue a happily ever after with her, with all the scars that no doubt remain from each of their terrible pasts?
Tanya Eby delivers a talented performance in Known. Although Ms. Eby generally produces only slightly nuanced differences between her characters of the same age and gender, this style worked well for this story which had few overlapping characters of a similar gender or age. I also had no trouble distinguishing Chris from Gianna, and didn't need to rely on dialogue tags. In fact, I was pleasantly pleased that Ms. Eby's voice for Chris sounded genuinely masculine, a feat that sometimes is difficult for female narrators.
Ms. Eby is also a well seasoned narrator with many titles under her belt leading to her natural affinity with delivery at an adequate pace to suit the mood of the scene being enacted. From the fast-paced action scenes, to the more introspective ones and suspense-filled moments, Ms. Eby adequately brought the scene to life in such a way that her portrayal enhanced the story's effect.
All in all, if you're looking for an action-filled, suspense title with a mild romance overlay, then I highly recommend giving Known a listen.
Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
This is the fifth and final book in Elliot's Bone Secret series. It is a strikingly bad book. I cannot imagine anyone except an established author getting this book published. The plot is totally not credible, the characters are weak and the ending is absurd. It is the equivalent of a bad comic book, without any pictures. Of course, it does have the Elliot trademark of a cheesy sex scene. I guess it's to calm the two main characters down in the middle of multiple murders and kidnappings. The only good thing I can say about this book is that it was free on Kindle Unlimited.
At first I thought, oh no, not another predictable story line. But I was thoroughly fooled. No insta love, but it was a close call. Nice story. Kept me interested. I One hanging Chad and that was Lee. But everything else wrapped up nicely.
A twisted case, wild plotline and crazy characters carried this one through to the end. I enjoyed getting Chris story and was happy to see him connect to someone. Nice hea. Good addition to the series.
Kendra Elliot's books seem to get rave reviews. I promised myself I would read one to see what it is all about. So here is my dissenting opinion.
The story was fast-paced and the mystery was nice and mysterious, if not believable. But the plot was far from original - gorgeous woman is rescued by gorgeous, muscular man and they fall in lust and love. Are there no ordinary or unattractive people in fiction land? Both have tragic pasts yada yada. Oh, and then the guy gets to rescue the damsel in distress (and her daughter) again. He deals with the very bad man who has been chasing the woman for once and for all and then they all live happily ever after. And don't tell me off about spoilers, these things always end the same way.
A good aeroplane read. So that's me done and dusted with romantic thrillers for the time being. I don't think I'll read any more Kendra Elliot.
Pues esta historia ha sido un poco decepcionante. Después de leer Vanished esperaba más de esta autora.
Una de las cosas que no ha funcionado bien ha sido la variedad de puntos de vista que hay en la historia. Aunque está bien hecho, no es confuso y realmente no me molesta, aquí no ha aportado nada. No le he visto el sentido, ha sobrado, y sobre todo, lo que ha sobrado es el punto de vista del malo. Ha sido un personaje de cartón-piedra, un malo muy malo, malísimo, que sólo piensa en someter a la protagonista a sus deseos más bajos, un argumento muy manido que si no se desarrolla bien puede llegar a resultar ridículo, como ha sido el caso.
El romance tampoco ha funcionado. Lo que más me gusta de esta autora es que es capaz de casar romance y suspense de una manera muy real y sutil que hace que funcione, frente a las hordas de insta-lust entre tiro y tiro a las que nos tiene acostumbrado este género. Pero aquí ha sido tan sutil que no lo vi venir. El primer beso me cogió desprevenida y después de eso no sentí la química o la tensión. El romance me ha parecido muy flojo.
El suspense, aunque empezó muy bien, acabó fatal… Para no dar demasiadas explicaciones ni spoilers diré que en esta historia ninguno de los protagonistas es policía, pero tanto el prota como su hermano actúan como tal. No me pareció creíble que dos ciudadanos de a pie dirigiesen una operación policial. Este ha sido un fallo imperdonable.
Y por último, aunque este libro se pueda leer como una historia por sí misma, al final de la misma la autora nos comenta que todos los personajes aparecen en una historia anterior Buried. De ahí que el protagonista no me haya parecido un personaje trabajado y completo…quizás conociendo un poco más de su pasado lo hubiese entendido mejor, aunque es algo que de verdad dudo.
En fin, esta historia no me ha gustado, aunque al principio me tuvo enganchadísma . Pero no por ello voy a tirar la toalla. Por menos de un euro por libro voy a seguir leyendo esta serie esta serie.
***
This story has been a little disappointing. After reading Vanished I expected more from this author.
One of the things that has not worked well has been the variety of POV that exist in the story. Although it is well done, is not confusing and really does not bother me, here it has added nothing to the story. I have not seen the need of them, and above all, what I have failed to understand is why the baddie has a POV too. His character had been a cartoon, a very very bad baddie, which only goal was to submit the heroine to the lowest of his desires, a very trite argument that if it is not well developed can be ridiculous, as it has been the case.
The romance has not worked either. What I like most about this author is that she is capable to blend romance and suspense in a very real and subtle way that makes it works, against the hordes of insta-lust between gunshot and gunshot that this genre has us used to. But here it has been so subtle that I didn't see it coming. The first kiss caught me off-guard and after that I didn't feel the chemistry or the tension. The romance had felt too weak.
The suspense started very well but ended badly... To not give too many explanations or spoilers I will say that in this story, none of the protagonists is a policeman, but both the main character and his brother acting as such. It did not seem credible that two common men directed a police operation. This has been an unforgivable failure.
And finally, although this book can be read as a stand-alone, at its end the author explains that all the characters appear in a previous story Buried. Hence the protagonist hadn´t seemed well developed... perhaps knowing a little more from his past I had understood him better, although is something that I really doubt.
In short, I didn´t like this story, although at the beginning it got me hooked. But I am not going to throw in the towel. For less than one euro per book, I am going to continue reading this series.
Chris Jacobs has finally found some peace after years of living in fear. When he stumbles across a burned out cabin in the woods and rescues Gianna Trask and her teenage daughter, Chris realizes that something sinister is at work. Can he and Gianna confront their darkest secrets in order to survive?
Series note: It is not necessary to read the entire series prior to this book as most of the stories are standalone. However, book #3, Buried, should be read first for the backstory on Chris's traumatic past.
The first half of the story is well constructed with several compelling twists and a sweet slow burn romance. Unfortunately, the initial build up ultimately devolves, and the last few chapters are rushed and anti-climactic as if Elliot needed to wrap it all up quickly.
While not all that original, the mystery is intriguing and the chapters from the villain's POV set a suitably malicious and creepy tone. This does not last, however, as his actions at the end are not consistent with his characterization throughout.
Similarly, the romance begins well as Chris and Gianna have lovely chemistry and the emotion between them builds slowly but surely. Then it all comes to a jarring halt and their HEA is presented as fait accompli with no connection between the beginning and the end.
In sum, Known is a solid ending to the Bone Secrets series, which has been entertaining overall. Looking forward to continuing with the spin-off series focusing on Detective Mason Callahan (who was sorely missed in this installment).
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Net Galley, Montlake Romance publishers and Ms. Elliot for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Known is the fifth book in the Bone Secret series and although they stand alone, I think you get more out of some of the characters if you have read the prior books in the series. I've read books 1 and 2, but somehow I missed books 3 and 4, but I still really enjoyed this story.
For most of the book I was pulled in and riveted by the plot. This book focused more on the suspense elements of the plot which is my personal preference. There was still the development of the romance between Gianna and Chris; it just didn't over power the suspense. I also felt that the characters were really falling for the other person and it didn't feel like insta-lust/love.
Gianna, Chris and Violet (Gianna's daughter) made a good mix of characters to try to escape a killer that was determined to kill Gianni. I thought Chris's character was a really good tortured hero. Although towards the end I felt the plot started to unravel a little, I still feel that this was one of Ms. Elliot's best efforts.
Some spoilers that were why I reduced this from 5 stars down to 4 stars:
I really enjoyed this romantic suspense with continuous fast paced exciting action that kept my attention from beginning to end. Lots of sad history was revealed for both hero and heroine in addition to some interesting plot twists. Chris rescues Gianna and her teenage daughter when they are caught in a snow storm.
I have to admit when it comes to mysteries, Kendra Elliot is one of my go-to authors as I normally love her books, but this one I wasn't feeling it overall. It just felt like too many secrets and unanswered questions for me and things were left hanging a bit. The novel starts with Chris out having some time alone in his cabin whilst his son Brian is at Disneyland with his grandparents. During his stay, he comes across a crashed SUV stuck in the snow - inside is a mother/daughter duo, Gianna and Violet Trask. Chris learns that they fled their cabin as it caught fire and later we discover Gianna was also drugged. Was the fire deliberate or an accident? Upon re-checking the cabin, we learn that there is the smell of burned flesh and things start to get a bit more suspenseful. During this time, the roads are closed as well due to a really bad snowstorm and car crash. Over the next course of the novel, more dead bodies will pile up and it looks like Gianna is the target but we aren't sure what for exactly. For me, when we discovered the reason behind the target on Gianna's back and the events surrounding everything it felt a tad weak for me. I had hoped we would read more about Chris's experience with the GhostMan as that sounded more fascinating. If you are in the mood for romantic suspense and wish to reunite with the characters of the Bone Secrets series, then check out Book #5 - Known, if not then I am on borderline in the mindset of giving this one a miss.
Known was a great conclusion to the Bone Secrets series with an intriguing mystery centered on our character's past.
After a heavy snowstorm in the Cascade Mountains, Chris Jacobs leaves his cabin after being awoken to the smell of smoke where he comes across the burnt out shell of a cabin and Gianna Trask and her sixteen-year-old daughter huddled in an SUV after barely escaping the flames. But when Chris investigates the cabin, he finds a body despite Gianna claiming no one else was with them. After a forest ranger who arrives to help is brutally murdered, Gianna and Chris must use every skill at their disposal to escape the violent predator lurking outside.
The premise of this one was interesting and I wondered what happened in Gianna's past that someone would be trying to kill her. And with several attempts on her life in the first section of the book, it's clear someone desperately wants her dead. For a large portion of this book, we don't actually know why someone is after Gianna which definitely ups the tension as it could be anyone. The group actually spends less time at the cabin/escaping the cabin than I expected but I actually appreciated that as the change of setting upped the potential for someone to get to Gianna. Once we get Gianna's background, the plot went in a direction I wasn't expecting. The ending of the book is very well done with the perfect amount of suspense to keep you guessing.
Chris's character intrigued me in Buried so I was excited to get a book following his character. After what he went through I was happy he was going to finally get his happily ever after and Gianna was an excellent match for him. I liked the quick connection that forms between the two and thought they had great chemistry right from the start. Gianna is a fantastic character in her own right and I liked how strong she was despite what was going on. She knows how to handle herself and doesn't fall apart easily, a trait she shares with Chris. Their relationship develops nicely over the course of the book and I was very happy with the direction their romance went.
Overall Known was a fantastic read and I would highly recommend the series if you're looking for some great romantic suspense.
In the 5th installment of the Bone Secrets series, we revisit Chris, who we met in the book "Buried", book 3 of the series. Chris is looking forward to some quiet time when he smells smoke and goes to investigate. He finds Gianna and her daughter huddled in their truck while they cabin they were staying in goes up in flames.
Chris was a good character in Buried and continues to be a good character in this story. He's still got his demons and is a recluse so it's nice to see him having to interact with others and you see how he could be hand he not been so damaged.
Gianna is a pretty good character. While her daughter is perhaps a typical teen, and therefore hard to really like, Gianna is doing what she can and staying strong in the face of everything. She's a character you can't help but root for as things keep piling onto her.
It story was engaging and kept me interested. It kept me guessing and I was actually a little surprised by some things. I like it when books are able to surprise me, it's not all that often. The romance wasn't central to the story and instead of a typical "insta-love" it was almost slow growing and tentative, which was a nice change of pace. It was still fast, in terms of the story, but it seemed slower as they talked and were shy around each other for a little while. It was nice.
I highly recommend the Bone Secrets series to any romantic suspense fans, I basically just recommend Kendra Elliot. She's an enjoyable author and I've enjoyed most of what I have read by her. The books could be read as a stand-alone, but definitely would be better enjoyed as a series. Check them out! :)
Setting = B+ Plot = A Conflict = A Characters = B+ Theme = A
Welcome back to Chris from Buried, #3. Chris is at his remote cabin in the Cascade Mountains during a brutal snowstorm. During his stay, he discovers Gianna and her 16-year-old daughter, Violet, huddled in an SUV. Having escaped from the harrowing ordeal of their vacation rental cabin burning down, Violet is found nursing her mother, who was violently ill all night.
As we know from Buried, Chris knows what burnt flesh smells like. And there was a strong odor of burnt flesh in that cabin. Low and behold, a charred body was found.
Was someone trying to kill Gianna and Violet? Well, they do see another set of footprints around the side of the house, which they know aren't theirs or Chris'. And how did a body get in there? As is typical in a Kendra Elliot book, Gianna must face her past to figure out the present.
I really enjoyed Known. While it wasn't my favorite in the series, it still deserves five stars in its own right. Chris is one of my favorite characters from the series.
Additionally, we got an excellent introduction to new characters, Gianna and Violet. They were very likable characters, whom I enjoyed getting to know. And as always, I enjoyed the budding romance that is another familiar element in Kendra Elliot novels.
Again, if you haven't read the Bone Secrets series, and you enjoy murder mysteries with a splash of romance, you may very well love these! Five Stars!
I have loved this series and am so glad to have closure for Chris. His story was heartrending and I'm so happy he gets his own HEA. Although there was a lot of rehash about his story and trauma, it helped for us to hear about it from Chris, and to see how he has tried to heal himself and take care of his son. It was a fast, absorbing read. I do have to say that I really missed Mason Callahan, a lot.
Taking a few days of solitude at his cabin in the Cascade Mountains on Oregon, Chris awakens to an ice storm and the smell of smoke in the air. When he investigates he finds a 16 year old girl and her sick mother, Gianna Trask, huddled in their SUV onside their burned out cabin. The why is very much an issue when a burned body is found inside the rented cabin with direct ties to Gianna. And the bodies just keep appearing.
This is not a review but rather a note for myself. I can't bring myself to read a book that features a victim of a heinous crime. I admire his survival and willingness to still be a kind and decent human being, but I just can't.
I RECEIVED AN ADVANCE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER THROUGH NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW!!
I've been eagerly waiting for this book a long time, so when my New Year's Book Resolution took me to Net Galley to look for books to review and I found this one, I knew I had to read it quick and review it! For me, this goes back to the success that was the author's third book, Buried.
Chris Jacobs is a man still haunted by a violent past. (See Buried for more detail.) While his biological parents take his young son on a trip to Disneyland, he retreats to a remote cabin for solitude and peace. His retreat is anything but peaceful though, as he encounters Gianna Trask and her daughter, Violet and the danger stalking them.
Chris's survival skills and instincts are showcased here, but also his vulnerability. His disturbing past is never far away from him, and that is highlighted well in this book. I liked how we saw his relationship with Gianna evolve from just being protective of her and her daughter into what passed for love in his world. It was a slow and natural feeling evolution.
Gianna was a strong woman in her own right, but she too had demons in her past. However, that didn't translate into vulnerability for her as much. She had a lot of shocks in a short amount of time, yet held up amazingly well in the face of them. I grew to really admire her resilience.
There was much I didn't see coming in this book, and it kept me up until the wee hours of the morning reading, until I finally had to pass out and continue it the following morning. I was able to easily connect to the main characters and cheered at the end when the bad guy got his due. While I have a feeling that this book heralds the end of the series, I find that it is one I would highly recommend to others!
"They'd both been balancing on the edge of violent memories, and she'd saved them from a plunge to the bottom." ~ Ch. 15
Since Buried I've always thought of Chris and his incrediblly disturbing and sad story. I hoped he'd get his own book and HEA. I admire him so much, he got a soft spot in my heart.
It was with happiness I received the news that Known was his book. I had high expectations for it and I must say I’m not disappointed. Kendra Elliot made Chris justice! It was such an emotion to see Chris trusting another person, developing a special complicity with Gianna.
Gianna also went through a traumatic event when she was a little girl, although not as awful as Chris and now life, or fate, has reserved her a surprise that comes from the past.
Besides this beautiful romance, Known kept me deeply engrossed in the reading, a mystery that starts with a burned cabin where they find a dead body and ends in a dangerous situation that threatens Chris’s, Gianna’s and her daughter’s lives.
I was excited when I realized this was Chris Jacobs story. I so wanted to see him get his HEA. A lot of things were alluded to but not graphically described which was great since I get tired of reading of blood and guts. Though a violent killer was on the loose chasing Gianna Trask and her daughter Violet, the story focused on Chris's and Gianna's torturous pasts and how they got past them and made successful careers for themselves. I loved seeing them fall in love in spite of all their various issues.
This is a well-written story with extremely well-developed characters and a suspenseful plot that keeps the reader guessing. Excellent.
I think this has been one of my favorites among this great series so it was interesting in the end notes to see that the author struggled with it. Great emotion, suspense, characters.
A fast-paced and entertaining romantic-suspense. Right from page 1, there is action and suspense. The romance between Chris and Gianna was well developed, I thought it moved at a good pace. I did find some of the plot-lines a little weak, that left me more with questions than answers.
Amazon Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Known is book six in the Bone Secret series written by Kendra Elliot. Near his cabin in the Cascade Mountains, Chris Jacobs followed the scent of smoke, not expecting to stumble upon a burned out cabin. After dragging her unresponsive mother from the building, Violet and her mother Gianna spent the night in their SUV. Finding footprints in the snow and a body inside, Chris has the feeling that Gianna or her daughter are the target of a killer. After yet another death, the police are in a race against time to figure out the who and the why before the killer strikes again.
I did not realize, when I requested Known from NetGalley, that it is part of a larger series. However, the author does a great job of giving enough background information that I did not feel lost. A relatively quick read, this book features a fast paced plot and interesting main characters. Chris Jacobs seems to have a backstory that I would like to know more about, so I might take the time to read the previous books in the series. As Known operates more like a standalone novel, readers new to author Kendra Elliot should not be afraid to start with this one. A good, solid suspense/thriller, I would recommend this book to those who like novels in this genre.
As always Kendra Elliot does not disappoint. Chris has retreated to his cabin in the woods to unplug and recharge when he smells smoke and not the good kind. At first daylight he sets off to try and find the source only to discover a woman and her daughter in her vehicle outside the burned shell of their rental cabin. He takes them back to his cabin to wait out the storm. But things are not as they seem and the fire was no accident. Now bodies are piling up and Chris finds he's attracted to this woman something he has not experienced in a long time. He was kidnapped as a teenager and barely escaped with his life which has made him standoffish to others but he is drawn to this woman and her daughter. Can he save them and ultimately himself in the process. Great Read!! I would like to thank the publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
In this book we again meet Chris Jacobs whom we met in book 3, Buried. He was a deeply troubled and scarred character in Buried and continues to be haunted by his past so it's nice to see him develop a relationship with someone. Gianna has her own past to contend with as well as a typical teenage daughter who thinks the world revolves around her. The story was engaging and kept me interested and it was nice to see the relationship develop on an adult level. Chris goes to his isolated cabin to regroup and recharge and smells smoke and realizes it's coming from the cabin next door. He finds Gianna and her daughter, Violet, unconscious in her SUV. They take shelter in Chris's cabin and it soon becomes apparent they are being targeted by a killer. The story moves along and draws you in as you root for the characters to find the killer(s) and make it out safely.