Seventeen Days

Jenna Scott has moved into the house left to her by her grandpa after his death. She is still trying to put the pieces of her life back together after her divorce and is starting a new chapter. She meets a few of the locals who recommend a carpenter and neighbor, Rick Alverez, for some of the necessary renovations. When a murder happens shortly after, the town's opinion of Rick changes from acceptance to suspicion, and she is one of the only people who believes in his innocence. Is she right to believe in him, or could this man she is becoming fond of be a killer? 

The story seems somewhat mundane until the unexpected happens. A murder brings in all kinds of surprises and a lot of needed interest. Jenna is likeable to a fault but dwells too much on the past and lives much of the time in her mind, battling her own demons while being too quick to jump to conclusions. This said, she still finds ways to pull on the reader’s heart strings. Rick takes a little longer to warm up to, but when we learn more about him, he is a great match for Jenna. The romance begins to shine in the later part of the book, making Rick and Jenna a couple that readers will grow to like. The writing provides good insights into all the characters and overall makes them easy to get to know. “Seventeen Days” quickly develops into a pleasant nicely paced story.

Maggie Faria