Songwriter, Emma Dawson, is haunted by the tragic events of her fiancé’s death. She’s sure there was something she could’ve done to prevent the fatal accident. Terrified harm will befall anyone she’s close to; she keeps to herself in a remote mountain cabin. Until a severe snowstorm blankets the mountain and her handsome new neighbor, Reese Miller, knocks on her door. Unable to turn him away, she … she lets him into her home. For the first time in years, she takes a chance with trusting a stranger, and her heart. Will he help her reclaim her life, or be the downfall she wasn’t expecting?
Previously published in the Tempting Fate anthology.
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Shattered Melody: A romantic suspense novella
By: Amy McKinley
5 out of 5 stars
The story Shattered Melody: A romantic suspense novella by Amy McKinley is an amazing suspense/thriller/romance book. I would consider the book a novella or short story. It has a wonderful storyline and characters that will keep you glued to the pages. I was able to read it in one sitting and found that I loved reading about Emma Dawson and Reese Miller. Emma is a songwriter who is haunted by her past. She keeps to herself. Then she meets Reese. Reese is Emma’s new neighbor. Not able to turn him away when he needs help Emma begins to feel the spark of attraction towards him. Will Emma take a chance and trust Reese? What does the future hold for Reese and Emma? Read this book to find out. This is a story that does have heartbreaking and emotional moments. There are other moments when I wondered what was going to happen next. There is romance as well as mystery in this book. The author has done an amazing job of writing a storyline that will keep your interest and creating unforgettable characters. It is a book I would highly recommend reading.
Shattered Melody is a stand alone novella by Amy McKinley though we there are some connections to the Grey Ghost series. I’m hoping this is a bridge between Grey Ghost and a new series. (Fingers crossed)
I liked Emma, but also felt so bad for her. She is still hurting after three years and deals with that pain the only way she knows how. She isolates herself with only her cat and music to keep her company.
I loved the little bit of suspense thrown in for good measure. Each book I read by Ms. McKinley makes me like her just a bit more.
Shattered Melody
By Amy McKinley
5 stars
Yet again another fantastic 5 star read from the talented Ms McKinley! I’ve read quite a few books by this author now, so many that I don’t even bother to read the blurb anymore because I’m confident I will love whatever I read and as expected Shattered Melody was no exception. This may have been a novella but it definitely was not short on content! I was hooked from the very beginning especially as the action started straight away! I was on the edge of my seat from the very beginning and there were some almighty twists and turns!
I fell in love with the characters Emma and Reese straight away. The author wrote about them so beautifully and in a way that I really felt a connection to them, I felt like I really knew everything about them. Although I loved Reese, it was Emma that was the character for me in this story; there really was just something about her that drew me to her straight away.
A truly amazing read that I highly recommend! I cannot wait (as usual) to read more from Ms McKinley again in the future!
4 stars or 5 stars…I was thinking that the only way this story could have been better is if it had been longer but really then it would have seemed to drag on. This novella was short and to the point. Main character Emma is easy to love, to laugh and cry with. So definitely 5 stars.
The secondary characters of Danny, Reece, Linda and the friends from college are all an intricate part of Emma’s life. They are all suspicious in their dealings with Emma, leaving me guessing right up until the end. I had my doubts that a quick story could have a happy ending but my faith in Amy McKinley never wavered.
The story line was super easy to follow even with the flash backs. Those looks into the past helped explain Emma’s character and feelings so well.
Here’s hoping that these characters will have another adventure…soon.
Shattered Melody by Amy McKinley is a romantic suspense novella. This book is a quick read but it is so good!
Emma lives her life in a remote mountain cabin and prefers it that way after experiencing a tragic event a few years prior. She can’t be too safe so she takes extra precautions to make sure her location isn’t easily identified. She likes to keep people at a distance if she can help it. During a snowstorm, there’s a knock on her door and even though it would go against her better judgement she welcomed her neighbor in and actually decided getting to know him wouldn’t be terrible. She feels she made the right decision trusting Reese until a few weird things start happening. Emma second guesses Reese and isn’t sure what to do. Will Reese be the step Emma needed to reclaim her life or did she make a mistake trusting him?
This book was really enjoyable to read. Definitely some twists that I didn’t expect so once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down!
You know how sometimes you just want a quick and addicting read without all the extra details that make books longer? SHATTERED MELODY is the perfect book that does just that. It has 1 fade to black sex scene so I could recommend this to my elderly friend’s book club. It has breathtaking suspense, back ground characters who don’t take up any extra time and a clever cat who knows to stay away from the cold.
I read this story in about 30 minutes as it’s only about 60 pages long. Like I said it is quick and right to the point.
I’ve always enjoyed this author’s writing and will continue to read and recommend the stories they write.
Definitely read this quick story, you won’t be disappointed.
I always know that when I pick up an Amy McKinley novel I am in for a treat. Shattered Melody was no different, in fact it quickly became one of my favorites of hers. I never saw what was coming, let alone that it would rock my world in just the first few pages of this book. While the characters that I loved were shattered, the novel was a story of their healing. And boy was it a beautiful one to read. This is a novella so just a tad shorter than what you would typically expect from McKinley, but never did I feel that affected the quality or enjoyment of the story. I truly can only say it left me wanting more in the sense that I needed more of the MC’s, especially Emma.
I am not going to dive into details about the story, the blurb gives just enough away to not ruin anything and I can’t possibly find a way to add to that without ruining things for the reader. What I can say is this book’s characters are so beautifully written. I walked away feeling as if I personally knew Emma and Reese. I loved them like I would a family member. The details of the scenes make you feel as if you are right there with them as well. A beautiful location where I was able to cool down a bit during these hot summer days. I devoured this in quick measure and I am so looking forward to seeing what we will see next from the ever talented Amy McKinley.
Shattered Melody is a short suspense read by Amy McKinley whose Gray Ghost series I have fell in love with a while ago so when Shattered Melody popped up on my radar, I picked it up and I didn’t regret it! You can read it as a standalone though the main squeeze Reese Miller is part of the Gray Ghost family …
Shattered Melody is the story of Emma Dawson who has isolated herself after her stalked killed her fiancé 3 years earlier. She thinks that not getting close to anyone and simply living for her music, she will be safe … it also means that she is highly suspicious of everyone so when Reese moves to a cottage not far from hers and the attraction between them cannot be denied she starts wondering if Reese is her knight in shiny armour or the one she needs to be afraid of …
As said, the story is fast and furious and you will absolutely love it and I promise you after getting a taste of Amy’s writing, you will want more so go and pick up her Gray Ghost series so you can meet the guys Reese is close to!
Shattered Melody is a standalone book by Amy McKinley, that ties in with her Gray Ghost series.
I was drawn to it as the protagonist, Emma, is a songwriter. I liked how the songwriting happens regularly throughout the book as Emma processes her grief and other emotions. It reminded me of a character in another of McKinley’s books, Liv, who used sculpture as an outlet. The way the music is described is lovely, but I wish we’d been able to see the lyrics!
Shattered Melody is quite a short book, and so the story is quite fast paced. The ending did feel a little bit rushed – once things started developing they developed quickly! – but generally I found it flowed well.
For me, this is a four star book. If you’ve read the Gray Ghost books and enjoyed them, I’d recommend this as a good expansion of the story with more of a focus on character and romance (but there’s still some action!). If you haven’t read the Gray Ghost books yet, this could be a good way to test the waters and works well as a standalone romance with a bit of mystery and action.
McKinley masterfully weaves this tale of romance and suspense and somehow fits quite a punch into a short number of pages. I continue to believe that McKinley has firmly established herself as a must read author. This novella is certainly not an exception to that opinion. My only complaint is that the story could have easily been double or triple the number of pages. I was sad to read the last page. But so much was said in the limited number of pages in my hand that I was extremely surprised and loved every minute of it.
Shattered Melody by Amy McKinley is a suspenseful read. Being a novella, it is a short fast read. McKinley did an amazing job of creating Emma’s world. I felt a connection to Emma and in her world. Emma was a songwriter who had a devastating loss of her fiance. Emma had built up some walls because she did not want to suffer that loss again. In comes in Reese her new hot neighbor. Emma is hesitant to trust Reese as she does not want to get hurt again. WIll Emma be able to trust Reese? Will Reese has other motives? Enjoy Shattered Melody.
This is a short story. The author did a good job creating this part of Emma’s world for us to sink into. This is filled with drama, suspense and romance. This starts out with a bang. We meet Emma at her worst moment in life. Then we get to see her in her best. Reese is a godsend to his little neighbor. This story is one that will leave you holding your breath for the outcome.
Shattered Melody was a great 5 star read.
I was pulled in right from the beginning, I was done before I knew it. This is a great novella filled with romance, mystery, drama, lots of emotion that will squeeze your heart and so much more.
This is Emma and Reese’s story. Emma is recovering from a tragic loss 3 years ago. She is a pretty shy person who usually stays to herself. Emma meets Reese when he moves in next door. When Reese needs help Emma reluctantly agrees. They start to grow closer.
When strange things start to happen, Emma starts to question things about Reese. Is he behind the strange happenings?
There is so much more to this great quick read.Amy does a great job with her detail, I felt like I was right there with the characters. If you’re looking for a great emotional, quick read this is the one for you. Amy McKinley is quickly becoming a must read author for me. I look forward to reading more from her.
Shattered Melody by Amy McKinley was a sweet romance, that for a short read had mystery, drama, heat and, pure raw emotions that you can’t help but connect to.
This little wonder starts out with a good punch to the feels. I wasn’t expecting it to open like that, but man, way to get a girl feeling emotional in the first chapter. I love how Emma wasn’t the hard headed, self-destructive type, and I truly enjoyed her character. She expressed herself through music, and even though I couldn’t hear it, the way that the author describes it, made me feel the notes and melody that Emma was trying to get across. That my friends is some special kind of talent.
As for the overall plot and storytelling, it was spot on, and I forgot I was reading a short novella, as with the smooth flow and concrete writing it felt like a full size book. Detailed, rich, and surprisingly developing characters, made for a wonderful read that I couldn’t put down. The little bit of misdirecting and mystery added a nice layer that rounded off this short read, and brought it in for a home run.
And that my friends is where I will end this, as I don’t want to spoil this wonder. So if you haven’t guessed this book gets my super high recommendation and my golden stamp of approval.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
Shattered Melody: A romantic suspense novella by Amy McKinley. This is a short novella that you will finish faster than you blink. This is the story of Emma Dawson and Reese Miller. Emma is a songwriter living in the mountains to try to get over the death of her fiance. She feels as if she could have somehow prevented the horrific car accident that took his life. She is afraid to get close to anyone else because of this. When a snowstorm hits and her new hot neighbor Reese knocks on her door she feels comfortable enough to let him in and the attraction is instant. Will she let down her guard and trust Reese or will she continue to be afraid to let anyone in. Read Shattered Melody to find out!
Shattered Melody by Amy McKinley is a book that will captivate you entirely within the first few pages and won’t let go until the end.
Amy McKinley has quickly become one of my must read authors and this book is the perfect example of why. Emma and Reese are such brilliant characters that are the perfect complement to each other. I went in to this book expecting it to go in one direction only to find the author had a whole different story planned out for these two, which was great.
The book was fast paced and kept me interested the whole way through. I would have loved for it to be longer because I enjoyed reading about these characters and their story so much. You should definitely do yourself a favour and pick this book up today!
Shattered Melody is a fantastic novella by Amy McKinley. Amy McKinley is an author I’ve come to love over the last 6 months having read all of the Gray Ghost novels so far.
This may be a short novella (only 68 pages) but by God, the author crams so much action into it. I’ve always been gripped to her book from the very first page and this was no different.
Songwriter Emma Dawson moved to a remote mountain location after the death of her fiancé in a car accident 3 years before. Believing that his death was no accident she lives as a recluse.
When drop dead gorgeous Reese Miller moves into a cottage not too far from hers, her world turns upside down. There is an instant attraction between the 2 but as strange things start happening (dropped phone calls etc) she begins to wonder if Reese is her knight in shining armour or if he’s the one she should be most afraid of.
I loved this story, in particular the interaction between Emma and Reese. Amy McKinley sure knows how to write fantastic characters and a story that keeps you gripped until the very last page.
I loved this book! This is a short story that I wanted more of. Emma and Reece bring the story to life and seem real. They took me on an emotional roller coaster ride that just kept on going. Emma is a song writer that had a tragic accident. Fast forward, she keeps to herself until one day her new neighbor shows up on her doorstep. Now she is wondering if she can allow herself a second chance at love? Will Reece change her mind? You won’t regret picking up this book, I didn’t. A must read!
Shattered Melody: A romantic suspense novella by Amy McKinley is a sweet romance suspense story. It is an extremely short story but it packs a punch and brings out the emotions. The plot was well thought out and I loved the story flowed really well. It is a beautiful story that was easy to read and I read it in one sitting. Amy has done a wonderful job and the characters were so life like I felt like I knew them.
Emma was high on love and life but that all changed in the blink of an eye. She now lived a secluded life and out of harm’s way but once again her life was about to change again in one of the worst ways but on the other hand in one of the best ways.
I enjoy Amy’s books and look forward to more. You have to read this book, it is such a beautiful story.
Shattered Melody: A romantic suspense novella by Amy McKinley
5 +++++ Stars
One of my favorite authors ever and as soon as I opened this I knew it was another that would be added to my favorite read again file.
Holy WOW did this start out with a bang, it’s not very often my heart starts racing a million miles a minute in just the first few pages and then end up shattered like I knew these people my whole life.
I don’t know why I felt so connected to Emma but something made me totally understand and feel for her immediately. I was afraid at one point that she was going to be the typical hard nut to crack recluse and was so very relieved that that was not the case. I absolutely loved Reese and although I had my doubts as well as Emma did as soon as I found out who a lot of his friends were I knew I had to be safe in trusting him.
This was a fast moving book with just enough of a twist to fit perfectly, and it had to be since it was so short and if I had any complaints it would only be that I would have loved so much more of this story, these people, the mountain. So I’m hoping that maybe there will be more to come somewhere down the line.
Read this, I’m not even kidding…It is awesome!!