Say You're Sorry

Say You're Sorry
4 Stars

Series note: This is book #1 in the spin-off from Scarlet Falls. While the thriller plot is standalone, the characters are introduced in the previous series, and their backstories are essential to the characterization.

An exciting romantic suspense with an appealing couple and some gripping scenes. Nevertheless, there are one or two issues that prevent this from being a 5 star read.

Morgan and Lance's slow-burn romance is sweet, and the fact that they want more from each other than to simply scratch an itch adds to their emotional connection. They each have their own issues to overcome, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out in later books.

The suspense plot is well-paced with several action-packed show more moments. Nevertheless, some plot points lack sufficient development - Nick's blood aversion, the hit on him in prison, and who saved his life, and there are also inconsistencies in the killer's POV. As such, it is difficult for the reader to pin down his identity, and the revelation comes out of the blue.

This is a somewhat nitpicky observation, but I also found the language used to be jarring at times, particularly phrases related to the romance, i.e., girl parts, swelling ovaries, superior genes.

In sum, Say You're Sorry is the beginning of a promising storyline with compelling primary and secondary characters. I look forward to continuing with the series. show less

Say You’re Sorry was a fantastic start to the Morgan Dane series. I have not read the Scarlet Falls series that was published before this, so some of the connections were not clear at the beginning of the book, but it did not diminish the enjoyment I had while listening to this book. The narration was well done with a lot of expression that added to my enjoyment of the story.

After losing her husband in Iraq, Morgan Dane has returned to her hometown of Scarlet Falls to raise her three girls with the help of her family. This story picks up two years after Morgan returned home. She has been offered a job working at the DA's office when her life is thrown into chaos. Her young neighbour has been accused of murdering her old babysitter. show more The family can not afford a top notch lawyer, and on impulse, Morgan offers to take his case pro bono. She is sure that he is innocent. Recruiting an old boyfriend and ex-cop, who is now working as a PI, they begin their investigation to prove Nick innocent. The only way to do that is to find the real killer.

Morgan is an incredibly strong and brave character, in fact some may think she is rash and impulsive. She also has a great sense of loyalty for those she cares about which is how she ends up involved in this case at all. I love that, as busy as she is, she still makes sure she spends quality time with her daughters. Lance is dealing with his own issues. He was shot while still working on the police force and even though he enjoys the leeway he has working as a PI, he misses his prior job. I really enjoyed the working relationship Morgan and Lance have. They feed off each other well and Lance is very protective of Morgan. I will be watching to see if they develop a romantic relationship as this series moves forward.

The mystery surrounding Tessa's death and the disappearance of another girl was intriguing. There were several suspects over the course of the book which led to constant twists and turns. Each of these suspects often revealed another secret in Scarlet Falls. I suspected several people, but never actually the person figured out the killer until just prior to the reveal. Some other readers thought the book was slow, but I felt the pace was just right. I listened to it in one day and didn't want to take any breaks, as I was pulled right into the story. This book is listed as a Romantic Suspense, but I think it was more Suspense Mystery, as I mentioned earlier, perhaps the romance is yet to come. I recommend this story to Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, or Romantic Suspense lovers. If you have kindle unlimited, the audio version of this book is available for members right now as I write this review. show less

After returning home to lick her wounds when she finds out about the death of her husband in Iraq, Morgan Dane spends two years in limbo not knowing what to do about her life and the lives of her daughters. Just as she makes the decision to take a job with the prosecutor's office, she discovers the body of her babysitter, Tessa, who has been murdered and her neighbor, Nick is charged with the crime. Morgan agrees to defend Nick and asks former high school beau, Lance Kruger to serve as her investigator. Lance agrees, although he's not as sure of Nick's innocence as Morgan is, but he can't stop wanting to help his former flame.

The mystery in Say You're Sorry is not difficult to figure out, but the pacing as the clues are being revealed show more is spot on and the two main characters are well developed and very likable. However, the suspects are fairly one dimensional and basically forgettable. Elements in this story other than the mystery are the real stars of the show. Different types of mental heath issues are dealt with by several characters, raising thought provoking questions and consciousness. Also, the romance is realistic and mature in the way it is presented. Overall, Say You're Sorry is a sad story, but a good introduction to the Morgan Dane series even though the mystery is somewhat disappointing. show less

This was my first Melinda Leigh book, and to be honest, I would not have bought it if it had not been on the monthly kindle deal this December. It is oddly enough categorized as a Romance when it is definitely more a Mystery / Thriller.
What I liked best about the book is the characters. Each has a substantial amount of back story, strengths and weaknesses. The chemistry between Morgan and Lance is important to the story but it didn't overpower the main storyline, which was solving the murder. There were many red herrings and the real culprit was barely mentioned, which was actually refreshing in this genre. Another fact that caught my attention is that when Morgan wants to spend the night with him, Lance says no, which is almost show more unheard of in this day and age where steamy sex is everywhere. Morgan's life and relationship with her three daughters and her parenting troubles were also so very real that I sometimes stopped and said, "Yeah, that sounds about right!"
Overall a really good read.
I must confess I also bought the next few books in the series, so .... on with the show! show less

this was recommended by some one in my writers support group.
I liked it, but IMO, it wasn't 'romance' suspense. It was suspense and some police procedural elements and a couple who are both interested in each other, but real life gets in the way of starting a relationship.
The couple's chemistry is good, but it's on a very slow simmer.
I didn't like the addition of the murder's POV. I think it took away from the threat and stakes, because it made it clear that the accused wasn't the culprit. Ambiguity is your friend in a suspense story.
I've got the next one in the series in my Kindle. I'm curious to see where she takes these characters.

Look, I get that you need to throw your reader off the trail of the bad guy BUT this book had so many different trails to cast doubt on the bad guy that I felt it took away from the story. A couple of the plot lines just felt unnecessary to me and were clearly there to cast doubt on who the culprit was.

A surprising good read

I really enjoyed this book. Morgan is starting a job in the DAs office until her neighbor’s son is arrested for tape and murder. Morgan knows he is innocent and is determined to prove it.

I found myself not wanting to put this book down. I will be adding the next book to my wishlist and TBR list.