A masterful blend of romance and thriller, Kristen Ashley weaves a gripping tale of love and suspense in The Woman by the Lake. Set in the quaint town of Misted Pines, this story follows new resident, Nadia, a resilient and spirited heroine grappling with the tragic loss of her mother, and Riggs, her gruff but endearing general contractor neighbor who is seemingly beloved by everyone in town—except her. Ashley's storytelling prowess was on point as she effortlessly peeled back the complex emotional layers of these characters, creating a riveting narrative that was as heart-wrenching as it was heartwarming.
New neighbors Nadia and Riggs’ first encounter was the perfect jumping off point to enemies-to-lovers romance. The chemistry between Nadia and Riggs was electric and crackling with tension, and their interactions were filled with witty banter and steamy moments. But the intriguing mystery of the suspense plot is what kept me on the edge of my seat, and KA expertly balanced those suspenseful elements with the natural build-up of the romance. The thrilling twists and turns of the mystery plot added an interesting and exciting layer to the story that, coupled with their sexy romance, made Nadia and Riggs’ journey to lovers all the more satisfying. An enthralling and unforgettable romantic thriller, The Woman by the Lake was a completely captivating and utterly addictive read. Five smooches from me for The Woman by the Lake by Kristen Ashley.
The Woman by the Lake: Misted Pines, Book 3
4.7 | 46 ratings
Price: 21.83
Last update: 06-12-2024
Top reviews from the United States
Danielle
5 STARS! A captivating & addictive enemies-to-lovers romantic thriller!
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2024
@ericabingesbooks
Woman By The Lake
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2024Jenny
absolutely fabulous
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2024
Amy Imogene Reads
Each book is better and better!
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2024
Amy Imogene Reads
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2024
Characters: ★★★★★
Setting: ★★★★
Plot: ★★★ 1/2
Writing style: It's a KA book, so keep this in mind as her writing style is Very Dramatic and she loves a good one-sentence paragraph (like, REALLY loves it)
New to the Misted Pines series? I recommend readers start with book one, The Girl in the Mist, because this series of interconnected standalone romance pairings is best enjoyed in order.
Nadia Williams is trying to recuperate and figure out her life in the wake of tragedy. When the cozy cabin shows up on her online search in the quaint small town of Misted Pines, Nadia has a gut feeling that it's the right spot for her. She abandons her high-rolling Chicago life for the woods.
Riggs, a single-dad bachelor who works high-end craftsmanship commissions, lives on the small lake that Nadia's rental cabin sits on. He's a good time guy, a loner who's never wanted for temporary female company, and he's not pressed about Nadia living down the way.
After all, no one stays in that cabin for long.
But this good time guy and this healing woman with deep secrets are about to fall into each other in a big way, as Misted Pines is becoming known for one thing in particular: murder and drama.
There's a legend of ghosts on Nadia's cabin property, with a long history of renters being run off the property in the middle of the night. People died on that land violently and the community has never fully recovered. Somebody has secrets to keep, and at the heart of the mystery is Nadia's small cabin property.
Riggs and Nadia are caught right in the middle of it. With an attraction between them, individual baggage behind them, and an uncertain perpetrator in the woods, these two find that sometimes fate has a path in store for you—whether you're ready for it or not.
The Woman by the Lake was a romance novel that took me partially by surprise. Which is probably on me, because I knew I was a huge KA stan and I knew that I had fallen in love, slowly, with this series. Why I was totally blown away with my love for this one in particular, who knows.
For frequent KA readers like myself, the Misted Pines series is very unique. Kristen Ashley is known for her romantic and plot-based drama, her usually metropolitan settings, and her very large ensemble casts. Misted Pines has very little of those tropes—it's a minimal cast (single digits!), the drama is centered squarely on the plot and not the romance element, and it's so far into small town territory that it's in the literal woods.
So that means all the "fluff" is scraped away from these stories, leaving the reader with what is at the core of all great KA tales: the romance itself and the character dynamics.
If you're a romance reader, odds are that you love the character dynamics. That's what those stories are often about—the feel goods, the journey to love, the dialogue, the angst between the two leads, and the emotional core of the tales. (And for the smut readers, some seriously good times in the sheets too.)
The Woman by the Lake shines with its romance dynamics and the sweet love story at its core. It's bottled up feel good, and I loved every second of it.
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