In the small town of Cougar, struggling single mother and veterinary assistant Teresa Lansing is still bruised from a failed relationship when Frank McAllister sweeps her off her feet.Frank is a big-city SWAT officer who moved to Cougar only four months ago. He’s handsome, charming, forceful, very sexy, and a bit mysterious. He had his eye on Teresa even before they met and is pushing for a … serious relationship right away.Teresa finds his intense courtship flattering, and the sex is fabulous, but she doesn’t want her deaf six-year-old son to be hurt again. Her former fiancé cheated on her when he got drunk after being unjustly fired, but he loves her and her son, and the whirlwind romance is complicated by his efforts to win Teresa back.And then there’s the matter of the bodies buried at Big Devil Creek…
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After the breakup of her last boyfriend, Teresa is more cautious when it comes to dating. She’s not only protecting her heart but her deaf young son too. So when she first meets Frank, she plays it cool. He comes on strong, though, and she’s attracted to him. Before she can figure out her own feelings, he pushes for a serious relationship. The sex is great but there’s something about Frank she can’t quite put her finger on. Her ex-boyfriend is also back in her life and is trying to win her back. Lines between hero and villain are blurred and poor Teresa is caught in the middle. Feeling like a scared rabbit caught in a snare, she realizes too late she’s about to become the murderer’s next victim.
This is one of the most original romantic suspense I’ve ever read. It reads more like a psychological thriller than a romantic suspense, which is fine but may mislead some readers. If they’re looking for a HEA, they may be disappointed.
What I loved most about The Rebound Effect was the accurate portrayal of an abuser. The manipulation, control, tracking tricks abusers use was clearly defined in this book. Teresa’s reactions and emotional angst rang true and added authenticity to the story. There were parts of the story where I gasped aloud, proving the suspense is well drawn out. The ending shocked me to my core. I wasn’t prepared for it.
If you’re looking for a suspenseful romantic thriller with a clear message for women everywhere, pick up The Rebound Effect today.
My Rating: 4 stars
4 Cranky stars
A very well written book but I found it a bit slow going.
Teresa lives in a small town with her deaf son. She had a long term relationship with Brett but he had got drunk one night and cheated on her. She will not forgive him, but he keeps trying.
Frank came into town after bodies had been found he was a confident SWAT officer who had his eye on Teresa from the start. He tried to sweep her off her feet in a whirlwind relationship, she was not having it after last time and kept telling him to slow down.
But what happened about those bodies that were found?
A psychological thriller that has the potential to be a page turner. The story is intriguing and some may find the characters relatable. I found Theresa to be very frustrating and a character that I couldn’t connect with. I couldn’t get into this and struggled through. This book just was not for me. However, I encourage others to give it a shot because it may be just what you are looking for.
The Rebound Effect
by Linda Griffin
Pub Date Jul 15 2019
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc
5
In the small town of Cougar, struggling single mother and veterinary assistant Teresa Lansing is still bruised from a failed relationship when Frank McAllister sweeps her off her feet. Frank is a big-city SWAT officer who moved to Cougar only four months ago. He’s handsome, charming, forceful, very sexy, and a bit mysterious. He had his eye on Teresa even before they met and is pushing for a serious relationship right away. Teresa finds his intense courtship flattering, and the sex is fabulous, but she doesn’t want her deaf six-year-old son to be hurt again. Her former fiancé cheated on her when he got drunk after being unjustly fired, but he loves her and her son, and the whirlwind romance is complicated by his efforts to win Teresa back. And then there’s the matter of the bodies buried at Big Devil Creek…
My REVIEW
First off this book reads more like a psychological thriller than a suspense/mystery romance but Wow what a complex, and suspenseful thriller it was. It will keep you turning pages far into the night. . I started and finished This book all in one day.I was shocked to learn that this is only the authors second book. It Caught my attention from the very first page and i could not turn the pages fast enough. I read mystery,crime & psychological thrillers all the time and this one kept me guessing right to the end. The characters are well developed, the plot well done and fast paced. The ending was totally mind blowing. Left me in total shock. I can not wait to read more books by this author. This is a book that every every single woman should read before they go on a date. As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !Thank you to NetGalley ,the Author , and The Wild Rose Press, for the chance to read and review this amazing 5 star read for an honest review !
The Rebound Effect
THE REBOUND EFFECT by Linda Griffin is listed as a romantic suspense. It is not a romance. This book is a domestic psychological thriller. If considered in that genre, it is a high intensity read of a single mother on the rebound and the new man who comes into her life while women are disappearing in the area.
Teresa Lansing is a struggling single mother working as a veterinary assistant in the small town of Cougar. She is doing the best she can for herself and her six-year-old deaf son. Both are trying to get over the recent break-up of Teresa and her fiancé after she found out he cheated.
While visiting her best-friend at her local family bar and grill, Teresa is swept off her feet by Frank McAllister. Frank just moved to Cougar four months ago. He is a cop and works on the S.W.A.T. team in the big city near Cougar. Frank is handsome, charming and very sexy. Teresa and her friend believe she has finally found a good man.
As the courtship progresses, Teresa at many times feels overwhelmed by the fast pace Frank wants to set for the relationship. She tries to draw some lines, but she always feels ungrateful for everything he is doing for her and her son and lets Frank continue to have his way. While Frank is pushing for a permanent commitment, Teresa’s former fiancé continues to try to win her back.
While tensions rise between Teresa and Frank, the number of missing women in the area also increases. Is Teresa safe or is she the next to die?
Ms. Griffin’s characters are realistic and make you easily understand how psychopaths and psychological abusers can overwhelm you. Yes, there were times I wanted to smack Teresa in the head and tell her to wise up and put her son first, but Frank knew how to tie them both together to get what he wanted. The sense of danger and the high intensity of the emotions in this book keep you turning the pages. As I wrote previous, this is a thriller and not a romance. For me, a romance or romantic suspense must end with or be leading to a HEA. The dating and sex in this book is not a romance.
If you are looking for a domestic psychological suspense, this is a fast paced, high intensity read.
Written for The Romance Reviews.
Much of life doesn’t have a happily ever after ending, and candidly, I find the concept in a novel unrealistic. So, most romantic suspense stories leave me annoyed. The Rebound Effect is more a psychological thriller than a romantic suspense story. The plot is tightly written, the dialog sharp, and the pace is fast; bordering on frenetic. This book is a real page-turner; albeit one I turned with trepidation, fearful as to what might happen next.
Teresa, the main character, is a single mother of a deaf young son. A victim of betrayal by her long-term lover, Teresa is on the rebound and vulnerable when she is swept off her feet by hunky SWAT cop Frank. Despite her reservations, she allows the overpowering Frank to make decisions for her, rush the relationship to a level she is not ready for, and after a very short time, she agrees to marry him even as she is alarmed by some of his behavior. This story evoked strong emotions from this reader. Frank scared the heck out of me, I wanted to reach into the book and smack Teresa upside her head, and shake her ex-boyfriend Brett for screwing up so badly.
My favorite part? The author threw a couple of red herrings that took my eye off the ball and I got the ending wrong. The Rebound Effect is one book that every woman in a relationship she’s questioning should read.