A woman with a hidden past. A new love on the horizon. Will the truth set her free or cost her everything? Madeleine Ross has meticulously organized her world to leave no trace of her criminal past. After creating a new identity for herself, her only remaining connection to her previous life is the security work she does for a small-town insurance company. But, when she starts falling for her … falling for her handsome boss, Dan, she’s worried letting him in will expose secrets best kept locked away…
As their attraction grows stronger, Madeleine’s attempts to keep Dan in the dark go horribly wrong when a dangerous ex emerges from her unsavoury past. After her former flame gives her an offer she can’t refuse, she has one choice left: ditch her life as a thief to let Dan in or embrace her shady dealings to destroy her only shot at a happy future…
Parallel Lies is the first book in the Ross Duology, a fast-paced romantic suspense series. If you like troubled heroines, character-driven action, and powerful emotions, then you’ll love this thrilling novel.
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There has been a saying for many years that “the past will always come back to get you.” Lies, secrets are just the top of what will damage what you think will be a good thing. This for me was a first with Georgia Rose from our wonderful author pool from across the pond. It was most certainly a lot of the things I love most about romantic suspense. It garnered very high marks for the slow burning/growing romance with Madeleine and Dan. The mystic surrounding Madeleine’s past and how is coalesced into her present was on point. The suspense of her past and the collision with her present was the page turner.
The mostly first person narration of this story was the ticket to getting a look at Madeleine for who she was and what she could be. Would I say that there was more to learn about Madeleine from this one installment in her story? Yes. I am ready for the next part to see just where Madeleine go from this point.
Henri Merriam helped me to feel more. The audio was clean, clear, and easily capable of double to triple speed increase without losing a thing with the quality or feel of the audio.
*****
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Georgia Rose. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Georgia Rose’s “Grayson Trilogy,” I was looking forward to her take on a standalone novel, one focused less on romance and more on the twists and intrigues of a good suspense narrative… I wasn’t disappointed.
The story orbits around Madeleine Rose, a woman with a mysterious past and self-created identity, who’s living a life that’s both warm and satisfying, but, as well learn early on, clearly balanced on the thread of deception. We initially follow her as she engages in some dubious activities, only to learn that her unusual job for an insurance company includes spotting security breaches by actually causing them. What we don’t know is what she’s hiding.
As the story evolves, which it does slowly, we are, page-by-page, immersed in the characters, settings, and details of Maddie’s life, which is rich and intriguing. Georgia Rose has a sharp facility for creating “place,” with all its visuals and sensory elements, which is something I really enjoy about her work. The reader is able to easily picture, imagine, even smell the surrounds in which the characters live and engage, and that makes for a very visceral read, my favorite kind.
Once we get into the mechanics of her job and begin to learn a bit about her occluded past, it’s clear there’s danger there, and something, and someone, she’s desperate to keep from her new life. But just as she meets and begins to be both conflicted by and attracted to a new man at the company, that past seeps dangerously back into her existence, causing her — and us — considerable concern.
The story takes some unexpected twists, and there were times when Maddie seemed to be on the brink of making self-destructive choices (yet again), but that precarious journey is part of what makes this such a suspenseful read. I appreciated her strength and cleverness, her ability to survive and get herself out of tangles without looking to others (men) to get the job done… that’s always refreshing! I might have liked a few more pages at the end, but certainly even that was unpredictable, which is the crafty style of this writer!
All in all, another excellent read by a very talented author.
Parallel Lies is an interesting romantic suspense novel by Georgia Rose. Never having read anything by this author before I didn’t know what to expect. But I wasn’t disappointed in spending time with this story. Mystery, intrigue, suspense and of course, a little romance…all are included and keep the reader’s attention. Right from the start, one knows there is more to Madeleine’s life and the author does a great job revealing it layer by layer. The setting is an English countryside community which always appeals to me as I enjoy the village life where you meet plenty of colorful locals who act as locals do–they watch out for each other and sometimes have their noses too far in each other’s business, especially when it comes to a possible romance. The characters are vibrant and realistic, their flaws and foibles are portrayed with their strengths. The story moves quickly with unexpected twists and reveals and then there is the ending…I didn’t see that one coming. I am hoping there is more in store for these characters in another book.
I enjoyed listening to a complimentary copy of the audio version of the book and Henri Merriam did a good job narrating the story. As a bit of a disclaimer since I often review books from the Christian fiction genre, this book has adult content.
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.
Here, the MC Maddie is mostly the narrator and her character is slowly revealed as the story progresses. It’s clear from the beginning that Maddie is hiding something and pretending to be someone she is not for the villagers where she lives and then she is someone different at the gym and then someone different again when someone from her past shows up. So who is Maddie and what does she have to hide?
This is an intriguing mystery/character study which had my curiosity piqued throughout. The story is well written with believable and well developed characters. I am giving fair warning that you will stay up until the wee hours trying to piece it all together. I highly recommend this book.
I listened to this book — the narrator is pitch perfect for this story.
An original exploration of a troubled outsider in cosy Middle England – a favourite theme of mine!
I loved this intriguing suspense-filled story. As with her other books, Rose has filled Parallel Lies with strong characters and an even stronger story. The way she weaves the story or should I say unweaves the story, little by little, leaves the reader continually wanting more and therefore impossible to put down. The unraveling mystery does not disappoint and although this is a romantic-suspense, the romance is PART of the story, not the forefront of the story. Highly recommend.
I was drawn into this book right from the start and had a hard time putting it down. A story about starting over by reinventing yourself and fearing your past is going to catch up to you. Loved it!
Parallel Lies, my first highly enjoyable read/listen from author Georgia Rose. I don’t restrict myself to a particular genre. I’m a sucker for anything with memorable characters and a story that keeps me turning the page long after I should have called it a night. I was given an Audio copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
I won an audio version of this book and am providing an honest, spoiler-free review.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I began listening to this book, but I immediately found myself drawn to the main character. There was something about her darkness that piqued my interest. I was hooked very quickly and found myself thinking about the story during times when I couldn’t listen. Even now, days after I finished the book, I am still thinking about the main character.
The main character was so unlike any I’d ever read about before. On the surface, a hard nut to crack, but inside, just a scared little girl. The contrast was distinct and drew me further and further into her world.
There are twists and turns and unexpected quandaries. At first I found the ending to be abrupt, but after considering it I realized it couldn’t have ended any other way.
The storyline of very different from anyother book I’ve read. It ends with needing to read book 2 so can’t wait for it so can learn how the girls situation is resolved. It has adult situations. The reader of this one has a British accent. It look me a while to get used to listening to her & follow what was being read. She did a great job, it was my hearing that caused me a problem. I received a free audio of the book from the author.
Madeleine leaves a criminal life behind. She escapes from Tad. She gets a new identity and starts a new life. She gets settled in her new life and meets Dan, who fall for each other. But Madeleine’s past love ,Tad, finds her and wants her to team up again for a jewel heist. I could not put this novel down. It captivated me from the beginning. Can Madeleine escape her past or continue in her new life she loves?
4.75 Stars!
This was a fabulous romantic suspense that felt subtle in it’s delivery, but packed a solid punch. Although I had my own ebook copy of the book, I was gifted a recently released audio copy. The narrator was amazing and gave the story a perfectly nuanced suspense in a quaint England small-town setting. I was absolutely mesmerized and wanted to listen straight through.
Parallel Lies was a romantic suspense that leaned heavier on suspense and character redemption. The author did a superb job with the development of Maddie’s character. She was a strong female protagonist, but with vulnerabilities that demanded empathy. Given her propensities, I was surprised and equally thrilled with how much I liked her. While the romance was more understated, Maddie’s love interest had a few chapters in his POV. Since I was listening to the audio, I was taken aback when after 7 chapters in Maddie’s 1st person POV, the next chapter began in 2nd person. I recovered quickly and thoroughly enjoyed the shift with the hero’s chapters in a contrasting POV. It must be said, a very well-done and interesting 2nd person POV. The story didn’t end on a cliffhanger, but it did have a rather open/HFN conclusion. From what I understand and to my delight, there will be more to come in the world of Madeleine Ross.
‘Then you’ll know anything worth having is not without its faults“
Maddie has an interesting job, pointing out flaws in security for an insurance company. She’s pretty good at it, posing and blending in. This bland and boring life that she is quietly living begins to unravel as her past comes back threatening to upset it unless she does one more job for him. Question is, does her past threaten her chosen future?
I wasn’t really thrilled with this book which I was given and chose to review. I read a lot of mysteries, and this one never really got interesting. I didn’t like the premise all that much, and found I wasn’t caring whether Maddie chose her past or her present. I read it, but can’t say I recommend it. 3/5 #indiebrag