Review: Disillusioned by Christy Barritt

I've been a fan of Ms. Barritt's for several years now and she's one of the few mystery writers that can get me to read her stories. I'm not usually a fan of mysteries, but somehow she's convinced me otherwise with her books! :) It's always the characters that draw me in. As well as the edge-of-your-seat tension going on. I've found that it's usually wiser for me to read her books during the day rather than at night because otherwise I'll never get to sleep. And this one is no exception to that rule! We jump right into the action on page one and things never really slow down.

The characters and their relationships and interactions with one another is where Ms. Barritt's writing shines. Her ability to keep the tension building, while Nikki and Bobby navigate who they are and how life's circumstances have changed their brother-sister relationship, not to mention Kade and Nikki balancing their attraction with their desire to protect themselves from each other and the bad guys, comes together to create just enough edginess to keep you off-balance and turning pages. Learning to trust again, falling in love, protecting those we love, all these emotions came into play, as they do in real life, and I loved it! Forced into situations not of their own making, each of the three have to make choices that aren't easy and sometimes have to think pretty fast. Together, though, they are so much stronger and I loved it when they each began to realize that. We need our friends and family around us when things are hard, so I especially appreciated how Nikki strove to do all she could for her brother. No matter what.

The romance was, of course, a very enjoyable part of the story for me. :) There were several very sweet and tender moments that helped break a bit of the tension (which I appreciated, believe me!). And while there were bits that didn't flow as well for me, I was overall quite happy I read this! Ms. Barritt will definitely remain a mystery writer that will always keep me coming back for more. Which is an excellent accomplishment, if I do say so for myself! :D

**I received a complimentary copy from the author via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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In an instant, Bobby's elbow snapped back and slammed the rib cage of the man beside him. The man dropped to the ground holding his stomach. Bobby grabbed his gun and, in one fluid motion, pulled the trigger. The man cried out in pain and clutched his knee.
Then Bobby turned toward Nikki.
He pointed the gun at her.
The air left her lungs.
No...She started to say something, but the words lodged in her throat. Beg for your life. Talk some sense into your brother. Buy some time.
Before she could say any of those things, Bobby fired.