Creating Fate (Role of Fate Series # 3)

Tamra
Lassiter
Genre: 
Suspense-Thriller

After avoiding his family for years Justin Simms finally decides to return home for his brother’s wedding.  To help buffer his interactions with his family, he asks Annie to accompany him.  Annie has just been dumped by her boyfriend. Deciding she needs a change of scenery, she accompanies Justin to his brother’s wedding thousands of miles away, immediately leaving the impression they are a happy couple.  Trouble ensues when Justin and Annie attempt to fool his family and sudden threats have everyone wondering who the target is.  Can Justin and Annie’s friendship turn into stronger feelings and survive a stalker?

The vibrant countryside of Virginia is the setting for this quaint tale.  Justin had a tough life and while he’s worked hard to overcome his upbringing, he is still unhappy with his military life. This demonstrates his ability to adapt but he’s still hindered by what he thinks was a disaster that he created.  Even as a successful adult, Annie has led a sheltered life and comes across as a bit naïve.  Annie and Justin's travels are told from the main protagonist's points of view, but the storyline's irregular flow, along with the choppy transitions, may cause the reader to lose focus.  The fact that Annie agrees to accompany Justin on a trip just hours after meeting him may leave readers wondering, "Who actually does this?"  On the other hand, the suspense is well developed around the stalker element of this tale. While this is a standalone installment of an existing series, the overall pacing and believability factors may leave readers in a state of angst..

Roberta Gordon