From RT Book Reviews New Adult Award Winner, comes a suspenseful small town mountain romance.Lost in the shadows of a tragedy that stripped Aurora of everything she once loved, she’s back in the small town of Balsam Grove, ready to face all she’s kept locked away for seven years. Or so she thinks.As one of the victims of a string of mysterious disappearances in the small, picturesque Appalachian … picturesque Appalachian Mountain town, darkness has become her home—her safe blanket when the world reveals its true colors. But as the walls of darkness start to move in on her, she knows the only way to free herself from her past is to face it, head-on. She just needs to figure out how.
Upon arrival, Aurora isn’t expecting her first collision to be with the boy she left all those years ago. The boy who betrayed her trust with no regrets. The boy who is no longer a boy, but a man with the same stormy eyes that swept her into his current before she ever learned to swim.
She’d thought he was safe. He’d thought their path was mapped out. Turns out neither of them was ready for the crash at the bottom of the cascade.
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This week I must be lucky because this is the 3rd book in a raw that I rated 5 stars, but when it comes to K.K. Allen, I can’t rate less!
In this new romantic suspense story, the author takes us into the close-minded place that is Balsam Grove. In this small town Aurora has had a nice life until a traumatazing event forces her to go away and leave everything behind. Her everything includes Jaxon, the only guy she loved before she left.
Aurora was a strong female character and you could feel it from the prologue. We understand what are the circumstances that led her to move. Although she has been victim of a violent crime, it seems as if her heart hurts more because of Jaxon’s betrayal. Next to this determined heroine only a guy like this could stay, because not many men are able to stand close to a woman who is able to restart her life and try to move on despite the hell that has happened to her.
Aurora tries hard to live a normal life but after a few years she realizes it’s time to face her past. This is the only way for her to become stronger and treasure the good things that happened in her past before her world was destroyed. But of course, it won’t be easy, because the citizens of this small town will try their hardest just to push her away and send her back to where she had lived with her friend Scott. In the end, it will be worth it.
“Waterfall Effect” is a deep, emotional story about love and second chances in every sense of the word, but it also has action and mystery and, above all, suspense. This book will make you question everyone until step by step truth is unconvered. You need to read it for yourself!
Holy crap! This book was so, so good! It was mystery, romance, and suspense all in one! I couldn’t get enough of it! From the very beginning it grips you! Hang tight for an awesome ride!
Waterfall Effect is an incredibly written, thrilling, captivating, heartbreaking, haunting story that will leave you breathless. I just loved Jaxon & Aurora – they had such a special bond from the moment they met, and even when they were apart, their hearts were always connected.
There’s no doubt about it. Allen proves once again she’s the master at crafting richly layered stories and characters that capture our hearts. Intense, passionate, and as beautiful as the landscape she paints.
Waterfall effect is well written with a plot that will keep you reading non -stop cover to cover. This story is haunting, filled with suspense and romance but dark as well. I recommend everyone to read Aurora’s story
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This is a second chance romance suspense novel that Everyone should read. This is the first book that I have read by K. K. Allen and it will have you feeling every emotion by the time you reach the end. I was also able to picture the scenery and town as I read this story.
It had you wondering and hoping that Aurora will find her happily ever after. Especially with everything that happened in her life. You learn about everything she had to experience in Balsam Grove. K. K. Allen doesn’t leave you guessing about anything. She fills in all the gaps.
It gets interesting when she has to face what caused her turmoil and memory lapse. Just when you think you know who did the horrible crime years earlier, you end up changing your mind. I was surprised to find out who did it.
When I was nearing the end of the novel, I purposely started to read it slower. I didn’t want this fabulous novel to end.
Waterfall Effect is one of those books that will grasp you and twist you up. There is such intrigue and suspense but there is such passion in it as well. This was my first K.K. Allen book I have read and I am kicking myself for holding off for so long. This book was utterly brilliant in its concept and had my jaw dropping as it neared the end.
One thing I really loved about this story is the development of Aurora. She has been through so so much. But she is a fighter. Regardless of everything thrown at her, she keeps her head up and just fights through. The things she had gone through then to be thrown back into it and come out on top was amazing. Jaxon is a stunning character as well as he has changed as well. While these two clashed in the past, that past collides with the present as these two are thrown together again. Seeing them build each other back up gives you hope and I adored watching these two fall in love again.
Overall, this was a stunning read that had me gripping my ereader, dying to know what more was going to happen. I loved the concept and the suspense. The backstory had some real grit to it as well as the passion that Aurora and Jaxon share. I could honestly see this story being created for the big screen. Straight up as is because it was that engaging! If you need something one of a kind, then look no farther than this story!
I’ve read all of KK Allen’s books (except the PNR ones). I love how much depth that her stories have. Nothing is ever what it seems and there are so many layers to dig through. This book was no different, except that it was her first real romantic suspense story. It’s a second chance story, and I love that the pace really allowed you to feel the history between Jaxon and Aurora. Her characters always come alive on the pages. I could totally envision how sexy Jaxon is. 🙂 There is an underlying mystery to the story which was really suspenseful. And that cover is so perfect for the story! It’s one that I will definitely get for my bookshelf.
4.5 stars
Waterfall Effect is an outstanding example of why you should always try new authors. K.K. Allen is not a new author but she is new to me. I stumbled on the blurb and was immediately intrigued. With the “mic drop” line in the prologue, I knew I would devour this book.
This romantic suspense will have your mind spinning, your heart twisting, and your doubts brewing. It’s theories are thought provoking and an amazing way to round out the story.
There’s so much I want to say but I’m afraid I will spoil it. So just remember that this is going to be a bumpy ride.
reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
*6 Shooting Stars*
This book is… EVERYTHING! It quickly became my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. Not only that but it has set the bar extremely high for all other books I read this year. Allen has plotted and beautifully written a top hit.
First of all, this cover is so BEAUTIFUL! I am obsessed with this cover. If not for my past experiences with K.K.’s writing, this cover would have been a sure fire one-click for me. Not many times does a story live up to the cover but this one absolutely did. Allen’s writing is so beautiful and vivid, you feel like you are in this alternate world right there with these characters who you could almost reach out and touch. She has painted a perfect painting with just the right balance of romance and suspense that you can’t help but get swept away in the story.
Jax and Aurora are one of those couples that will stay with you for a long time after you’ve finished reading their story. Their chemistry is undeniable and the raw emotion emulated between the two is as powerful as a riptide.
It’s no secret that I love second-chance romances and I’m so happy that Aurora and Jax got a second chance. They are the perfect complement of each other. They complete each other in a very special way. Working through their pasts was emotional, and at times heartbreaking, but the pain was worth it in the end.
I absolutely love suspense/thriller novels so once I knew that one of my top authors was writing a romance with suspense added in, I couldn’t pick it up fast enough. Everything about this book was perfect: the amount of suspense, the romance, the beautiful and vivid setting, the emotions, the character development, and the ending. I will definitely be diving back in for a re-read soon!
If you read one romantic suspense novel this year, make sure it’s this one!
Note: Even if you’re not the biggest fan of suspense books, I HIGHLY recommend you give this one a try. The romance is the forefront of this story and the suspense is a very nice subplot.
Love love loved this story. The characters and setting were amazing. My Favorite character was of course Jaxon. The descriptions of setting and character’s emotions were wonderful. The first chapter just pulls you in and from there on your on a roller coaster of all the feels.
What a fan-freaking-tastic story. I don’t think I’ve ever started a review this way, and this book certainly deserves it. I loved everything about this book. I mean, even the cover is fantastic.
I have a few books by this author, but haven’t found the time to read them yet. But starting with this book seems to be the best choice I could have made. And also why I need to get back to the other stories and make sure to read them as well. This story is jaunting, filled with suspense and romance but dark situations as well. It’s addictive and intriguing. So hard to put down that I read for hours at a stretch and finished it in record time. Then I wanted to know why it wasn’t longer! Good books always go that way.
Aurora and Jaxson start out together as kids, but a horrible event drives Aurora away from Jax and from Balsam Grove. The couple that was meant to be one day are not ever the next and we’re left reeling try to find out what happened. Then she has to return and face the ghosts of her past to help her heal.
All I can say is you do not want to miss this story. You will be hooked from the first page and fulfilled by the end. Her writing is that consuming.
I am still swooning from this book. I loved this story so much. This is the story of Aurora & Jaxson. They were in young and in love. Then something painful happened to Aurora and her life that she loved and thought she had figured out turned upside down. And she pushed away the person she loved the most. Now it’s years later and they are reconnected. The pain is still there. But the love is so much more stronger. That is all the detail I am willing to give. This story needs to be read from beginning to end. I don’t want to spoil any of this story for the reader. I enjoyed every bit of it from the first line to the very last. I enjoyed going on the personal journey with Aurora and Jaxson. This is not just a love story. This is so much more. It’s a story about survival. A story about healing. A story about accepting that sometimes in life the ones we trust the most betray us but love conquers all. This also has a mystery to it. As the the story goes in there are twist and turns and surprises that make this book that much more amazing. I will warn you not to start it if you have things to do because you won’t be able to put it down! Highly recommend this. I may even read it for a second time!
Romantic suspense is my jam, and KK Allen totally pulled that off with Waterfall Effect. I went in blind, mostly because I get so much more out of a story when I don’t read the blurb, and that was definitely the case here. KK Allen had me hooked from the prologue; I was surprised and intrigued. I wanted nothing more to follow Aurora along on this crazy ride.
The character development in this book was fantastic. I feel like we really got to watch Aurora evolve, we got to see her unlock feelings, and open up her mind throughout the entire book. And when I felt like I wasn’t getting the full story through Aurora’s eyes, KK Allen gave me Jax’s POV. The Dual POV in this book was absolutely necessary and filled everything out perfectly.
Not only did we follow a long with Aurora and Jax, but the book fills in plot holes and dark spaces with what happened in the past which made for a really well rounded story. KK Allen builds the suspense throughout the whole book.. giving us small bread crumbs, building thoughts right in your head, and throws your left and right until the ride takes a huge twist leaving you speechless.
I loved everything about this beautiful story. Between the romance and the suspense, KK Allen builds brilliant messages leaving me highlighting absolutely everything. This book was so good and I’m so glad because that cover is for sure one that I NEED on my shelf.
Waterfall Effect was an engrossing, captivating, thrilling story that had me hooked from beginning to end. Told in dual point of view, this tale is told in both the present and the past, giving us glimpses of this couple Aurora and Jaxon and how their relationship began and then progressed.
The story has all the feel. It will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride and then totally shock the life out of you. With twists and turns along the way, this story will have you on your toes wondering what’s going to happen.
This well-written tale had so much to it. Yes it was a romance, but it was also about finding yourself, forgiveness, friendship and so much more. Of course the mystery and suspense both added to making this a fascinating read.
I absolutely loved this second chance novel. It was detailed and descriptive and so beautifully written that its deserving of more that 5 stars. I highly recommend this story. Its a must read for everyone.
Waterfall Effect is a story of second chances and mystery that keeps you turning the pages. The prologue gets your heart racing and breaking all at the same time. The words sink deep into your chest pulling you in. The mystery already has you questioning what really happened and who is involved. The words are so descriptive you get all the feels and there are passages that put you right in the scene. Aurora June and Jaxon Mills can’t fight the love that blossoms between them even though they should. And something sinister is lurking in the shadows that will put that young love to the test. Visiting the past, seeing their love blossom and then torn apart is heartbreaking. But seeing them in the present reconnecting is beautiful. Both Jaxon and Aurora are resilient, strong, loving characters. The secondary characters are both supportive and fun. The dual POV gives you depth. It’s an incredible story of strength, love, family, forgiveness and second chances.