March is a busy month for me when it comes to blog tours, and I'm excited to have another stop. Today it's Before He Vanished by Debra Webb, a new release for the Harlequin Intrigue imprint.
Here's the thing with Harlequin y'all (and I'm new to the imprint), you know you're going to get a good story. Whether it's love or suspense or a combination of the two, what you find in the pages will keep you reading.
This one is about Halle Lane, a reporter where her own story she just can't forget. Twenty five years ago, her best friend Andy vanished. She's never forgotten that friendship, and all these years later she still longs for answers as to where her friend has gone. She decides to write an article about the mystery.
And then Liam shows up. The resemblance to her friend Andy is uncanny. It just has to be him! Only problem is Liam has absolutely no idea who/what Halle is talking about. Liam has his own recollections of the past, and that certainly doesn't involve a childhood as Andy.
The story is then Halle and Liam trying to figure out their connection. Halle remains convinced Liam might be the answer to Andy's disappearance. With time, Liam starts to wonder if their childhood connection is true as outlandish as that seems.
This is a quick, easy read. The twists and turns are well-paced, and it keeps you turning the pages. The intrigue about Liam's identity also kept me guessing as it seemed like he had to be Andy, but also, how could he be Andy? The way this connects to Halle's past and present was also really well done as the two parts of her story were also an important driving force.
Overall, this one just met that need for a good suspenseful read. It was well-written and and gave me that hit of intrigue and mystery I'm perpetually craving.
Oh, and as an extra bonus, here's a Q&A with the author!
What was the romance novel that got you hooked on the genre (or: What was the romance novel that inspired you to become a romance author?)
A: I’ve always written stories, but it wasn’t until about a year after I started writing with a goal of actually being published that I understood what I wanted to do. A friend who had a home library that looked much like a small Barnes & Noble store read my newest completed manuscript and announced that I was writing romance. She thrust a book from her extensive library at me and said, “read this.” The book was Perfect Partners by Jayne Ann Krentz! I was hooked!
Please share in your own words what it means to experience That Harlequin Feeling
A: Sometimes life can throw some really tough times your way. There is nothing like a great book to give you a mini-vacation away from those less pleasant times. Harlequin has published about 60 books in my Colby Agency series. I’ve received a great deal of fan mail about Victoria Colby and her team. One I remember well was from a lady who needed extensive eye surgery and would literally be unable to read for an entire year. At the end of her ordeal once her eyes started to recover, she wrote to me and said that one thing that helped her get through that dark period was the four Colby books that were released during that time. She couldn’t wait to see what would happen next with the Colby Agency.
What was the name of your first published novel, and tell us a bit about that experience?
A: Safe By His Side, a Harlequin Intrigue! When I received “the call,” I was in the middle of preparing for my local school’s annual harvest festival. I was the PTA president and in charge of the event! I was so overwhelmed by emotion that I couldn’t stop crying during the call. The editor said she would call me the next day. The rest of that day all I wanted to do was tell everyone and celebrate, but I couldn’t! Not to worry, I celebrated plenty later!
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