Colton’s Mistaken Identity

Very good book that caught my attention from the beginning and kept it to the very end. This is the seventh in the Coltons of Roaring Springs series. There is an overarching mystery in the series dealing with a serial killer labeled “The Avalanche Killer” plus a separate mystery unique to this book. Though I haven’t yet read the earlier books in the series, I was not lost. There is enough background given to fill in the essential points.

The Colton resort is about to host the annual film festival. With a serial killer on the loose, the resort has experienced some loss of business and needs everything to go smoothly. As the story opens, Phoebe is out for a run and wondering where her sister Skye is. As the marketing director, Skye is the public face of the festival, and her absence would be a blow. Skye took off after a bad breakup, claiming she needed time, but it is unlike her to not return for a professional commitment. When Phoebe returns to the Chateau, her mother insists that Phoebe impersonate Skye for the upcoming events until Skye returns. Phoebe isn’t happy about it, as she and Skye are very different, but she will do anything for the family.

While out for an early morning hike away from fans and press, Prescott saw Phoebe on her run. Though initially suspicious that she was stalking him, he quickly realized his mistake. Having recently been burned by a bad relationship, Prescott has become wary of trusting another woman. At the same time, he was intrigued by Phoebe, and when he saw her later at the hotel, he decided to get to know her better.

I liked the first encounter between Prescott and Phoebe. It was fun to see a confident and talented man like him stumbling over his words, “behaving like a sixteen-year-old asking a date to the prom.” Even though she knows that getting involved with him, especially while pretending to be Skye, is a bad idea, Phoebe found herself saying yes. It’s evident that there is already a connection between them. What neither of them knows is that Prescott’s fascination was observed by his ex, Ariella, who is not pleased about it. She wants Prescott back and will do anything to make it happen.

I was glued to the pages as the chemistry between Phoebe and Prescott burned hotter each time they were together. But more than the chemistry, there was something deeper that grew even faster. I loved seeing them together, getting to know each other. However, the more she gets to know Prescott and seeing what a good man he is, the more she feels guilty about her deception. She wants to tell him the truth, but she also needs to do what is right for her family. I ached for Phoebe as she wrestled with her dilemma. I liked when she came clean, and hurt for both of them as Prescott dealt with his feelings of betrayal. But when Ariella’s obsession escalates into violence against Phoebe, Prescott realizes that Phoebe is more important to him than he had suspected. I also liked his maturity in accepting that her deception was not personal against him and that he wanted to spend more time with her.

I loved the protectiveness that Prescott felt toward Phoebe and his determination to keep her safe. His plans to do so were fantastic, and I liked the way he stood up to her parents to make them happen. I also liked how Phoebe broke out of her comfort zone/good girl reputation to go after what she wanted – him. Their trip to his hometown reinforced what a good, grounded man Prescott was. His interactions with his parents and his old friends were refreshing, being warm and loving instead of arrogant and entitled. Though both Prescott and Phoebe realize the depth of their feelings, there are still some obstacles to overcome. Phoebe especially has trouble believing that Prescott could love her after the way she lied to him.

Though Prescott hoped that leaving Colorado behind would throw Ariella off his trail, we soon see that it didn’t. The buildup to the final confrontation was intense. The more I saw of Ariella, the creepier and more unbalanced she seemed. The escalation of the attacks had me on the edge of my seat as I wondered what she would do next. The final showdown was a nail-biter, requiring both Prescott and Phoebe to keep cool heads. I especially enjoyed how Ariella’s intentions were thwarted. I loved the ending, with their return to Roaring Springs, and Preston’s determination to be there to support Phoebe. His big moment at the end was great.

There wasn’t much progress on the serial killer story, as it mainly took a back seat to the stalker side of the book. There is also now the question of what has happened to Skye. Is she still missing of her own volition, or is her disappearance linked the Avalanche killer? I can’t wait to see how this series is going to turn out.