She may not be who she thinks she is…Following her parents’ deaths, Elle Devereaux’s world crumbles. With their company bankrupt and under Federal investigation, Elle is forced to pack up a few personal mementos from her happy childhood home and discovers something that triggers a disturbing memory. Research leads her to a Facebook plea from a woman looking for her long ago abducted sister, and … abducted sister, and Elle’s door to the past cracks open. She needs answers, but will the strong, serious and far too sexy PI who takes her case lead her to her sister or to heartbreak?
Police detective turned private investigator Gabe Sandoval is skeptical when a woman claiming to possibly be his partner’s abducted sister arrives at their firm. He’s protective of his partner, who’s about to be married, and has run interference with imposters too many times to count. His years as a big city cop bathed him in cynicism, but Elle is filled with a light that he lost long ago. As they search for answers, Gabe worries he may lose more than he finds. And the case takes a dangerous turn.
Can they find the answers before the past steals their happily ever after?
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Discovering that you are not who you think you are is bad enough but to discover it after your parents’ tragic deaths is even worse.
Elle Devereaux grew up always thinking she knew who she was and where she belonged in the world. But that changed after her parents death. She found papers that said she was adopted. And she started to have nightmares. Unexplained dreams that scare her. Elle sees a video that leads her to contact someone who is looking for her long lost missing sister. This leads Elle to meeting Gabe Sandoval who is a retired police detective who works with the detective agency. Gabe is very much a skeptic and tends to not trust nor believe people. Yet something about Elle tugs at Gabe and he wants to believe her.
This story is one that will pull at your heart strings and pull you in. It is a wonderful love story with a twist of mystery. The characters are wonderful and believable which is key for me to enjoying a story. I do like most of what this author writes so it is always fine to read her new stuff.
I did receive a copy of this novel in advance from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
I received this arc from Tule Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This is a terrific series. I hadn’t read the first 2 books so I got them and read them first. I loved all the characters in the series. They made themselves into a family of friends. The suspense in each book was a great touch and added to the appeal of the storyline. In Dangerous Water, we finally meet Alex’s long lost sister, Elle. We watch as she and Gabe meet and experience a range of emotions during the book.
Elle was Alex’s little sister who was snatched off their porch under Alex’s watch when she was 5 and Alex 8. Their grandmother and parents made Alex’s life miserable while growing up. They blamed her and it ruined her relationships. Ella fka Stephanie knew she was adopted and grew up in a very affluent home across the country in Nevada. A couple months prior, her parents died in a plane crash and it was discovered they were being investigated and all their assets were seized. When cleaning out the house she found some items that brought out some partial memories, a stuffed elephant and a checkered dress. She searches on line and discovers that a PI, Alex, made a recent plea about her missing sister using a portrait that had been painted of the two sisters. After thinking about it she decides to head to Boston to see if she’s the missing sister.
Elle goes to Alex’s office to find out she’s not there. Instead, she meets her partner Gabe. He is very protective of Alex and doesn’t let Elle see her immediately as he is suspicious of her story. Elle gives him the stuffed elephant and the dress to run tests on. Initially he is gruff with her but both later realize there is some chemistry between them. Gabe sets up a meeting with Alex. She shares her story as best as she knows and her sister does the same. A DNA test is taken. Both women believe they are sisters already. Then the results are confirmed.
The group of friends are busy with Alex’s wedding plans. Elle becomes a bridesmaid and she and Gabe spend time together at his apartment. He travels to Nevada with her to pack up moments from her parents home. They find a flash drive and her birth certificate. Someone had tossed the contents of her parents room, damaging the mementos she planned to keep. They return to Boston and danger seemed to follow them. The romance continues to grow between Gabe and Elle and he shares his story with her.There is a lot of suspense and angst. It is a 5 star read I highly recommend.
‘Dangerous Water‘ is the third title in the ‘Cape Cod Shores‘ series, and what an emotional roller coaster ride it turned out to be. It’s been about two years since the previous book was released, long enough that I did a quick, skim reread of ‘Caught In The Current‘ to bring myself up to speed on the series. I don’t often do that, yet the subject of Gabe and Elle’s romance ties in so closely with Alex and Jay’s lives that I really wanted to refresh my memory. There are readers who feel you could read this one as a standalone, I don’t agree for the background of the previous stories really makes this one more intense – but it’s not always possible to go back to the beginning. I would suggest reading in order, yet that’s my opinion – you do what works for you.
Elle’s life was simply crumbling to pieces before her eyes. Her loving parents killed in a plane crash that is strongly suspected to be suicide, her family business is now under Federal investigation for things it’s hard to believe her father would have done… but most devastating of all are the memories that going through her parent’s belongings have brought back to the surface. A suspicion that she hadn’t really been adopted but kidnapped is growing stronger each day – to the point where Elle has to know the truth and sets out in search of a woman who could be her sister, and the life she never got to live because of another’s actions.
If you looked up the word ‘cynical’ in the dictionary you’d probably find Gabe Sandoval’s picture in the description. A former cop, now a private investigator, Gabe believes in little and trusts even less. He has his close circle of friends, one of which is his partner and best friend, Alex who has been searching for her kidnapped sister for years. Gabe’s diverted so many fakes, disproven claims that were paper-thin with ease, but there’s something about Elle that even though he doesn’t want to believe in her… he’s starting to. He’ll do anything to protect his friend, but one intelligent, vulnerable, and desperate woman is about to change his world forever.
There is danger ahead for Elle and Gabe before their happy ending can begin. The journey to get to that place is full of secrets, discoveries, danger, and finding love in the most unexpected place. ‘Dangerous Water‘ kept me flipping pages throughout and I was completely satisfied with the answers I found and the couple who discover their own future happiness. If you enjoy a really good Romantic Suspense element in your Romances then you’ll want to pick up not only this story but the entire series. I was easily caught up in the mystery and the danger, as well as falling for two people who fit together so well… eventually.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Tule Publishing. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Elle’s life is in turmoil, her parents suspected suicide in a small plane crash and she is going through things in the attic and finds a blood stained stuffed elephant. This starts triggering her memory and discovers a girl looking for her missing sister. Gabe, an ex police detective now PI, who is working for Elle’s sister, is skeptical of Elle until the DNA test comes back. Gabe has had his heart breaks in life and is a recovering alcoholic. As Elle and Gabe work together and try to stay out of harms way to figure out this illegal adoption ring, they can’t resist the feeling that develop between them.
This is more than a romance, you have plenty of mystery and suspense that will keep you turning the pages. Loved the characters. This is the third book in the series but can be read as a stand alone. The perfect weekend read.
While i enjoyed this book I feel I would have had a better grasp of it if I had of read earlier books in this series as sometimes IO was left a little confused While the book flowed well I wouldn’t say it was one of the best reads I have had this year
Elle Devereaux has questions first her parents appear to commit suicide in a plane accident then the comapny they built is under investigation Then when clearing the attic she finds a blood stained elephant all leading to memories she has submerged for years Soon she is beginning to believe that she could be the missing sister of a woman searching for her abducted sister Her quest leads her to Gabe Sandoval the PI who is searching for the missing woman and running blockage for his partner as many try to scam, her. He is concerned that Elle may bring a more than change to their lives. Soon he and Ella are placed in danger by their enquiries and he will need to step up to protect the women he is beginning to have feelings for.
Dangerous Water by Charlee James is the third book in the Cape Cod Shore Series. It has been two years since book two was released so I had to refresh my memory of the supporting characters. Not because I could enjoy or follow this story without confusion because it reads well on its own. Mostly it was because I knew I should know the supporting characters. The two couples were the focus of the first two books.
This story centers around Elle Devereaux who fears she was kidnapped as a child and Gabe Sandoval who is skeptical of her claim. In his defense, he is cynical about most things having been a police detective before becoming a PI since he has seen some bad things in this world. After the cynicism is dealt with in the story I appreciate that their relationship was based on mutual attraction and respect. There is just enough suspense and danger in the story to keep it interesting along with the romance.
Recommend this story to all those who enjoy a romance with some suspense and danger along the way to a Happily-ever-after.
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is book three of Cape Cod Shore, and I was given an advance reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my review.
Loved Elle and Gabe’s story and really liked how the author gave you his side and her side it just gave the characters their own personal souls that you were given a peek into.
The story line of a young girl being kidnapped had so many twists and things I never guessed were coming . And there was some danger that had me scared, but oh how the book came to an end was just so heartwarming and so well written, it’s getting my recommendation.
2.5
What I liked:
The writing style
Part of a series: Cape Cod Shores
Standalone
HEA
The story started strong, but then I had a hard time staying interested in it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from Tule Publishing.
Dangerous Water by Charlee James
She may not be who she thinks she is…
Following her parents’ deaths, Elle Devereaux’s world crumbles. With their company bankrupt and under Federal investigation, Elle is forced to pack up a few personal mementos from her happy childhood home and discovers something that triggers a disturbing memory. Research leads her to a Facebook plea from a woman looking for her long ago abducted sister, and Elle’s door to the past cracks open. She needs answers, but will the strong, serious and far too sexy PI who takes her case lead her to her sister or to heartbreak?
Police detective turned private investigator Gabe Sandoval is skeptical when a woman claiming to possibly be his partner’s abducted sister arrives at their firm. He’s protective of his partner, who’s about to be married, and has run interference with imposters too many times to count. His years as a big city cop bathed him in cynicism, but Elle is filled with a light that he lost long ago. As they search for answers, Gabe worries he may lose more than he finds. And the case takes a dangerous turn.
Can they find the answers before the past steals their happily ever after?
This is Elle Devereaux and Gabe Sandoval’s story.
The next day, Elle feared she was having a psychotic break brought on by the trauma of losing her parents. She was sitting at the empty dining room table, laptop open, scrolling through missing and exploited children. How she mustered the strength to go back up to the attic after her extraordinary panic attack, she’d never know. Even though she hated the sight of them, she brought the elephant and the dress downstairs along with every photo album she could find. There were no baby pictures of her. She’d been adopted, so it made sense, yet something about the forlorn, terrified-looking child in the earlier images jarred her.
What was she even looking for? She should book an appointment with a therapist. Physical and emotional exhaustion from the panic attack made all her muscles limp, drained. One more internet search and she’d shut down the computer, load the final boxes in her car, and drive back to her apartment. She looked at the tag on the elephant, trying to ignore the rusty stain that had dried over its middle, and typed it into the search bar along with a few other keywords, like Stephanie and White Van. Had she somehow had a nightmare while awake, or was she remembering a horrifying clip from her past?
Results popped up on the computer, including a news interview. Something about the redhead frozen midsentence made her stop and inhale a long breath. She opened the video clip, pressed play, and couldn’t help but feel as though something was terribly, terribly wrong. Her stomach clenched as the camera panned to a woman in a Prologue
This isn’t real. This can’t be real. Elle Devereaux clenched her teeth so hard her jaw hurt. Her life as she knew it was unrecognizable. Three weeks ago, two police officers had knocked on her apartment door and delivered news that had suctioned every bit of oxygen from her lungs. Her parents, her vibrant, caring parents—dead in their early sixties. Their private plane, one her father had flown hundreds of times, had crashed, killing both the pilot and the passenger instantly. In the days that followed, the nightmare spiraled as words like suspected suicide, crumbled business empire, and mounting debt circulated in whispers through their wealthy community of friends and neighbors.
The muscles in his neck seemed to cord, and his jaw clenched. “No.” His voice was all grit, and there was a flutter in her belly at the low vibration of his tone as it resonated across the office. He opened the door in one quick jerk and disappeared into the hallway. The framed glass shut with a hard smack, and suddenly the office seemed empty without his overwhelming presence. She glanced down at the cream-colored card in her hand, printed with bold gray lettering.
Gabe Sandoval
Private Investigator, Partner.
Fantastic. This man wasn’t only one of Alex’s bridesmaids but a stakeholder in her business.
Dangerous Water by Charlee James is a 4 star book.
Charlee’s Books with Tule:
In With the Tide
Cape Cod Shore
Caught in the Current
Cape Cod Shore
Dangerous Water
Cape Cod Shore
Home Sweet Christmas
Once again, this author delivers an entertaining, touching, at times heartbreaking but also heartwarming story.
Elle Devereaux’s life has been turned upside down. She grew up in luxury and now after her parents died in an airplane accident (or was it?), she discovers their business was in bankrupt, the Feds are investigating, and it appears she was not adopted but kidnapped.
But in the midst of this devastation, she believes she has a sister in Boston and goes there to find out.
Her sister’s PI partner, Gabe Sandoval, is a man who is very protective of his best friend Alex as well as a man who had a tough time years ago, and those circumstances have changed him to be a hardened man. That is , until he gets to really know Elle, a woman who has brought sunshine to his life.
But someone wants to harm Elle, and as the investigation of her adoption/kidnap escalates, so does the danger.
Will Elle and Gabe survive the danger and find their HEA or will they succumb to it?
That said, if you have not read the previous stories, I highly recommend you do. This one follows the lives of the previous characters , especially Alex, Elle’s sister.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Tule Publishing. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
I struggled to get into this book. It had a Harlequin tone to it that I wasn’t expecting. I think the heroine could have used a little more backbone to come off as a more substantial character. I liked Gabe, but Elle seemed almost like a wilting lily.
I wish the mystery had taken up a bigger part of the book.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
Dangerous Water is a thoroughly entertaining novel. It contains twists and turns that make the plot better and better as you go deeper into the story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.