Indigo Ridge (The Edens, #1) (2024)

4.25 stars! Really really enjoyed this book! This is my first Devney Perry book & it won't be my last!! My favorite thing about this book is that it's romance AND mystery (mystery romance might be my new fav subgenre)!!!! Win is the chief of police & is investigating a number of deaths in town. The mystery had me so hooked & got so intense at parts. I loved it!

Then we have Griffin who's loyal, kind, and most importantly a rancher (cowboy romances are my latest obsession 🤠). And he comes from a big family of 6 siblings that all get their own books. I will be reading the rest of the books in the series immediately!

Overall, I loved how there's so much going on in this book between the romance, mystery/crime, and unravelling Win's backstory.

4.75 ⭐️ IM ALREADY HOOKED ON THIS SERIES AND IM ONLY ONE BOOK IN… sos! send help immediately! I love when books have a good balance between mystery & romance.. and this one did JUST THAT 👏🏻 I adored the small town in Montana feeling & getting to know the Eden’s was *chefs fcking kiss* ‼️ I will say, the mystery was more fun and interesting to me than the romance.. shocking I know. Griffin was lovely (idk why I used the word lovely but it’s done, let’s move on) & Winslow was a boss a$$ b!tch 😮‍💨 Devney Perry’s writing is also very mature which was a breath of fresh air. YOU KNOW THOSE WRITERS THAT DONT DO THE WHOLE 80% BREAK UP?????? pls. bless her soul. & the fact that each Eden sibling is getting a book? SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS!!!!

“it’s just been a long few days.”
“lean on me.”

I AM RUNNING TO JUNIPER HILL 🏃‍♀️

1st read of 2024!!

this is good for what it is! its so hard to find a romantic suspense novel that excels in both aspects, but this came close.

i wish the suspense part of the story was a little more developed. the big reveal at the end came out of nowhere and felt a bit disconnected to the rest of the story.

but the romance is pretty spot on! the relationship is cute and has that small town charm to it. both characters are likeable and their connection to one another is enjoyable to read about.

so overall, not much to complain about here. this is a series that i can see myself continuing.

↠ 3.5 stars

wow romantic suspense where the woman saves herself! genuinely refreshing after the past few i’ve read lol

Oh wow. That was unexpectedly pretty good.

I really enjoyed the murder mystery, more so than the romance. I liked the small town setting, the cozy vibes and the tight knit family gatherings. It kept me flipping pages and making me wish I had read it sooner. Yes, Leonie you were right 👀❤️

Winn and Griffin made such a cute couple. Tho I gotta admit, I liked Winn far more than Griffin. She had zeal, was a badass and more personality to her. In my eyes Griffin remained a reserved grump and a character who I couldn't get attached to, even tho we see his softer side multiple times- he remained the rough and tough guy to me and someone whose personality is just being good at sex. Their relationship did feel insta lovey but it was executed well.

The twists and turns were kinda predictable, tho I won't complain much about it cause I thoroughly enjoyed it. The epilogue was the cutest. On to the next one!

SO SO GOOD IM OBSESSED LITERALLY AMAZING

He'd always remind me that even the dark days pass. That we heal from our losses.

💌

was i excited for this? yes. did i like it? no 🙂 the only thing i did slightly like was how short it was but even that couldn't save it. i truly felt like i was rereading the same page 30 times. she basically repeats everything but words them differently.

there was absolutely nothing between them. there was no emotional attraction, no love at first sight, no nothing. it was so underwhelmingly bland.

'The chemistry was off the charts.'

babes...what chemistry? im convinced ur either delulu or the author doesn't know what chemistry is because i felt like this was a regular one-night stand with nothing even remotely interesting to make it something more.

all they did was have sex. they f*ck f*ck f*ck every f*cking second like do u guys even know each other's names? thank the lord it was fade to black because i'm sure they would have silent sex or talk about how shes an 'outsider.'

they had absolutely NO chemistry, it was strictly physical so it baffled me when they got together after he repeatedly said he's too busy for her and she repeatedly agreed. ok i get sex is amazing

"And I'm here to give her an org*sm before dinner."

HAVE SOME DECORUM PLEASE

the author focused entirely too much on the most insignificant information. i don't think we, as readers, give a sh*t about how green the grass is or how blue the sky is, and we especially don't care if the siblings breathe or choke. the fact we got more of the siblings and briggs than the main characters pissed me offfffffff.

also don't even get me started on how he discarded the fact that she's a police officer..i mean she's literally the chief and he was so mad at her for rightfully suspecting his uncle just because they were f*cking. like sir in what delusional world are u living in rn to think u have the right to be mad because she's doing her job?? fk off

don't even get me started on the fking creep named frank. i was honestly petrified every time he said "cutie" EW please don't. anyway, this was so anticlimactic. all the

fav moments:

'Our tongues battled that delicious war.'

'If this bed of mine could talk, it would scream Oh, God, Griff,'

'His co*ck like velvet and steel,'

someone please tell me where these authors find these terrifying descriptions. velvet??? steel?? give it up please we don't like this

— 4 stars ✰

what i love about this book is the pacing. the book literally
only has 324 pages but everything fell into place quiet perfectly. the plot, the romance, everything. the book picks up right at the beginning, there is no unnecessary 100 pages introduction, it just starts and it’s perfect.

what kept me going was the murder mystery, i was so intrigued and just wanted to find out what really happened. i loved !!! that there was a good balance between the romance and the plot.

the writing was very mature and i‘m so grateful that the
characters actually acted upon their age, no unnecessary drama, no miscommunication and no third act break up. most importantly, not boring AT ALL.

i never knew i would enjoy small town romances this much but here i am binging this book & probably about to do the same with the rest of the series. this was my first devney perry book but i‘m looking forward to read more of her work!

3 Stars

Overall Opinion: I can’t complain too much because this had the opposite of what I normally gripe about in romantic suspense books — it was more romance and a side suspense element. I just didn’t feel like the suspense/mystery was all that thought out. There wasn’t the foreshadowing that you typically get and the murderer just came out of nowhere with a weird motive. I know I really shouldn’t complain, because I appreciated that it focused on the couple more. However, even the romance didn’t feel all that developed either. The ending jumped from solving the case to an HEA that felt kind of like a stretch for the purpose of stamping the HEA label on it and being done. I think I’ve had these issues before with this author’s writing, and I’m sad to say that it’s another author that I’m just not on the bandwagon about 🙈 don’t shoot me, friends! It was just okay for me.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Winslow and Griffin’s story. Winslow is the new police chief in town and doesn’t realize that her ONS the first night is connected to the most influential family and not the tourist she assumed he was. Griffin thought Winslow was just someone passing through and didn’t want to have the strings that come along with a local. Neither of them want a relationship, so they settle for a casual fling. Winslow has a gut feeling that the string of suicides in the town aren’t what everyone is telling her they are, and she starts digging despite being considered an outsider and meeting opposition. There are some suspenseful scenes, some sexy times, and some big secrets revealed…and they get a HEA ending.

Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Winslow and Griffin’s POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good until the very end. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise.

Instalove: No, but instalust.

H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Griffin. He was okay. I don’t think I really connected with his character because we didn’t get much back story with him.

h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Winslow. I appreciated how strong she was and how she wasn’t needy with Griffin.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes The H pushes away and also is the main pursuer of the relationship

Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes An old ONS of the H comes around and causes some drama for the couple

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No

Separation: Not technically, because I didn’t think that they were officially “together”

Possible Triggers: Yes Loss of loved ones (off page but some graphic memories), suicide of side character (off page), and murder/violence/assault/kidnapping (on page)

Closure: This ends with a pretty good epilogue and what I would call a HEA ending they’re married with a child

Safety: This one should be

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📚'INDIGO RIDGE' 📚 is the first full length small town romance book in the series 'The Edens', by Devney Perry. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives.'

Come on GR's sort this image upload problem out already, it's been 2x weeks now!!

Devney Perry has done it again!! A slow burn which got its hooks into me and didn't let go until that very last page was inhaled. After the 'Gypsy kings' finished I was anticipating another series by this author to fall in love with and she delivered exactly that.

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Thirty year old Winslow Covington had worked ten years with the 'Bozeman Police Department' before becoming Montana’s new chief of police, and is related to the town’s mayor.

Newly arrived in town she hooks up with a man named 'Griffin Eden' in the backseat of his truck as he's travelling through town 'or so she thought' he also assumed she was a tourist. He prefers to hook up and hook it out of there. No strings, no attachments. She's just come out of a long term relationship and isn't wanting to settle down again anytime soon.

'𝐌𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭-𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐲
𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐞𝐧'

His focus was on his families ranch.
Her focus was on settling down in a new place and building a positive relationship with the other officers.

'𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈'𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝.
𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐝,
𝐈'𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞.
𝐌𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝.
𝐌𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡.
𝐀 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞'

Until one of Griffin's ranch hands had stumbled across a body at the base of 'Indigo Ridge.' Supposedly another suicide.

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A string of suicides mar the serenity of the place, at least a handful of young woman in their twenties have been taking their own lives and plummeting off a cliff side.

But behind these strings of yearly deaths Griffin and Winn struggle to fight their attraction towards each other. Their magnetism sparked off the pages, they were perfect for each other.

'𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐞𝐧
𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠.
𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜,
𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝.'

I can't wait to dive back into this new world again. This was the perfect introduction to what I can only imagine to be a perfect series.

I love a good hate to love romance and I have been really enjoying small town romances. In this one, Winslow is new to town and is the new chief of police. Before starting her job, she hooks up with a stranger in a bar who she thinks is just passing through. Little does she know, it's Griffin Eden, who happens to belong to the town's founding family. Griffin learns who Winslow is and immediately regrets sleeping with her, even though he can't forget his night with her. He thinks she doesn't deserve her spot as chief of police and the two butt heads, especially when another dead body is found on his land and determined a suicide. Winslow is suspicious that the deaths aren't actually suicides, which stirs up some trouble in town. As Winslow is trying to get to the bottom of the deaths, she finds herself falling back into bed with Griffin. I really enjoyed the progress from hate to love between Griffin and Winslow. I do wish it wasn't fade to black when it came to the steamy scenes until halfway through because I felt like that chemistry and tension between them wasn't as developed. Their first two times together were built up and then just skipped over so that its as the next morning. Then, he kept remembering their time together and I felt like I was missing something since we were never actually shown that time that was driving Griffin crazy. The mystery was pretty intriguing, though I do have a small issue with how that played out (but can't say anything more without spoiling it). Overall, though, this was really enjoyable and I had a lot of fun! I'm excited to read the next book!

3.5-4 stars

This book had a pretty good beginning not only because of the romance but because of the mystery murder subplot.
I definitely think that that is the only reason I really liked this book because the romance alone would have not made this a complete story.

The murder mystery was definitely fun and I was invested but sadly it was clear to me from the beginning who the killer was because most of these murder mystery stories are built up with the exact same story line of having a really obvious person that "should be the killer".
However I still enjoyed the entire journey that Winslow went on to find the clues.

Griffin was a difficult character for me. On one hand I liked him but I did not get a few things he said to Winslow as well as why< the romance developed soooo quickly.

I think the only characters I really liked without any faults were his siblings because they were funny.

Overall this was still an enjoyable book and I really wasn't bored while reading it and not overly annoyed which was surprising based on my experience with Devney Perry's other books.

4.5 STARS

Griffin Eden was tantalizing. Magnetic. Rugged and bold. And naked in my bed.

This series introduces the Eden family, a founding family of sorts in Quincy, Montana. I will say that I didn't really get full enemies to lovers vibe here. Generally, I expect a bit more push and pull with that trope, but this one still hit the spot.

Winslow or Winnie comes to Quincy as the new chief of police. She's got years of experience under her belt, but finds that when her grandfather is the mayor, nepotism assumptions run wild. Plus the town isn't too keen on outsiders. When she meets a handsome man at a bar, she's glad to find out he's not a local before sharing an incendiary night in his truck. Only to later find out that he's not exactly who she thought. This is where the enemies to lovers bit hits.

Griff is not one for entanglements of the heart himself. He's certainly not a relationship guy and he doesn't mess with the locals. So when he finds out that the beauty he shared one night with is the town's new chief of police, he's not exactly thrilled. He's also not entirely thrilled that she is doggedly investigating what is an apparent suicide in a long stream of suicides in the small town.

I loved the mystery element of the story. I love that it's not predictable and really kept you guessing until the final revelations. I also loved the relationship between Winn and Griff. Winnie is no push over and she doesn't take any of Griff's attitude. But it also doesn't take long for their chemistry to push past all of their boundaries and man was it satisfying to see Griff's possessive side show through.

I don’t know who you are or what you’re doing, but I’m having a conversation with Winnie,” Skyler said, standing taller.
“And I’m here to give her an org*sm before dinner. Let’s find out which one of us she’d rather have stick around.”

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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I am honestly super impressed. I loved Devney's writing. Small town romance, double pov + investigative work.

Winslow is a female cop who moved back to be the new chief in her home town, where her grandfather is mayor. A little bit of nepotism if you ask me, however Winslow is a good cop. She gave badass girl energy and as a female main character she didn't have any annoying qualities, she was reasonable and down to earth during the entire thing and I love female characters like that. I just relate to them so much more.

I relate to female characters who don't have any unnecessary quirky traits, who are assertive, hard-working and reasonable. Her inner dialogues were super easy to follow and it was such a smooth ride.

Speaking of ride, on her first day in town, she meets a man at a bar who says he doesn't live there, and they end up f*cking in the back seat of his truck. The day after she realizes they both lied to each other, she's the new Sheriff and he owns all the ranches in town.

I mean, you go girl. I would have done exactly the same if he wasn't a cowboy.

Cowboys aren't really my thing, but if they are yours, you are going to love this.

Every time she mentioned that Griffin had a cowboy belt, boots and hat and ran a farm, this is all I could see:

I'd get instantly dry. My aversion to cowboys aside.. Griffin actually won me over by the end of this, I just had to picture him in jeans and a normal t-shirt, remove the cowboy hat and boots and we were SETTLED, cause this man has got a mouth on him.

*sings the song: have you ever been f*cked, f*cked, f*cked by a country boy, rammed, rammed by a redneck*

I did listen to this on audible, and if you are an audible girl, I guarantee you... JASON'S VOICE FOR GRIFFING ruined me. Both narrators on this did such an amazing job. I believe half of my rating for this at this moment is because of how amazing the narration for this book was, of course the good writing also had a role in it.

Anyway, back to the plot. Griffin runs the ranches around the small town, where they find a body of a girl everyone thinks k!lled herself. Winslow disagrees, so she has to keep the investigation running and they keep bumping into each other and they realize that their one night stand was more addicting than they initially thought. So they decide to have casual sex for a while.

The sex scenes were awesome, we get a happy ending, double male and female pov. Griffin is rough, but not cringy, he actually gets pretty romantic at the end and we get some pretty exciting plot twits and high-stake scenes.

You know me, I adore anything cop related. This was so enjoyable and I am so impressed, that by the end of it, even if I am not 100% attracted to cowboys, I can look past that and say Griffin can country boy my as* any time.

Amazing writing, plot, characters, this was possibly a 3/5 spice on the scale. The first sex scene is fade to black, but later on we get several different scenes that are definitely butterfly inducing with some amazing dirty talk. Nothing too crazy, but hits the spot. Just a really good time with a well written book, will definitely pick up Juniper or other books Devney has written because, honestly:

4 stars

Indigo Ridge is the first book in Devney Perry’s The Edens series. This was such a great small town romance with feels, suspense, and a fantastic romance.

Winslow is new in town, but not really. Quincy is the town that her father grew up in and her grandfather is the mayor and she is getting ready to start as the new police chief. At thirty years old this is a huge deal and she’s ready for the challenge. With this, she decides not to get involved with anyone from town. Until she accidentally does.

I loved Winslow and Griffin. They were great together. Even though they had instant attraction, their actual romance was more of a slow burn. I also liked that I was a bit surprised by the suspense aspect. This was a great start to the new series and I’m looking forward to reading more of ‘The Edens’ books.

The way I DEVOURED this book. I’m RUNNING to start Juniper Hill immediately. This book had everything from murder mystery, to romance, to a HOT AS COWBOY. Yeehaw I loved this.

Murder mystery with small town romance? Count me in! Having just finished my first Devney Perry book, I can say I'm completely hooked and finally understand the hype. Her writing style is impeccable, truly chef's kiss. The small town setting and all its characters are incredibly intriguing. The sense of community and the way everyone knows each other's business added an extra layer of depth to the story. I also appreciated the balance between the romance and the mystery elements; neither overshadowed the other, making for a well-rounded read.

Winslow is definitely my favorite character; she's strong, determined, and a total badass. Griffin, on the other hand, is a bit grumpy and lacks a bit of personality, though he does have his sweet moments. Despite his shortcomings, I still found myself liking him. Their dynamic was interesting and kept me engaged throughout the story. Initially, I wasn't too invested in them as a couple, but their relationship grew on me by the end. The twists and turns were somewhat predictable at times, but I couldn't put the book down and finished it in one sitting!

the epilogue🥹 >>

Overall, this book was a fantastic introduction to Devney Perry's work. It combined all the elements I love in a good read: mystery, romance, strong characters, and a setting that feels like home. I can't wait to dive into more of her books and see what other adventures awaitᯓᡣ𐭩

➳ 0 stars

dnf @ 43%

this was sooo underwhelming gosh. i usually like small town romance, but this one sucked so bad. btw i won’t talk about the mystery aspect. i wasn’t interested in it at all i i’ve seen different reviews about how the killer was too obvious, so there’s that.

so, the author positions this book like enemies to lovers and it’s not even nearly it. it’s just one-night stand to lover or something like that. but they had absolutely no banter or tension. winslow(h) and griffin(H) both are super boring people and i’m not interested in them or their lives at all. they literally have no personality atp and i won’t even remember their names a week later. there was even a line about their chemisty being “off the charts”.. they’re such clowns.

now, the best smut scenes ever. or maybe it would be more correct to say the flashbacks of sex between the leads. guys, i can understand when authors don’t write smut and just use “fade to black” thing, but devney perry did describe their sex in details, but in the f*cking flashbacks when winn or griffin saw each other. it’s like a whole new level of torturing my brain woooww. dear devney perry, please, can u choose either “fade to black”or detailed scenes, because what u wrote was f*cking annoying and every time their sex was mentioned i was getting angry(it’s sounds so ridiculous goddamn).

“she’d begged in the backseat of my truck when i’d had my finger on her cl*t and she’d wanted to come”.

if i didn’t see it, then it didn’t happen. it’s literally seemed like the author was gaslighting the readers into thinking that they had sex. and griffin’s dick was “twitching” all the time, so maybe they didn’t have sex after all. everything he’s said of how he made her come hundred forty eight times in his bed/truck was so f*cking hilarious. why i instantly imagined a thirteen year old boy who’s watching p*rn twenty four seven and can’t even take off his shirt in front of a girl??😭.

“No one in Quincy needed to know i’d given the chief of police three org*sms.”

ofc u did. don’t even doubt yourself hun🤓🤓.

but the writing style even without counting smut scenes was so ridiculous. i read adult book after all, why then it feels like i read a book about preteens also written about some preteen??

for example:

“Even seated, I could tell his legs were long, his thighs thick like evergreen tree trunks from the forests outside of town”.

his thighs thick like what? again pls. i think i don’t read this sentence correctly, because what the f*ck? why some authors so obsessed with write their books in a poetic way?? and pls someone tell me because why it ALWAYS eventually comes to something like this sentence?? i’m surprised the author didn’t write the other word instead of “his thighs”. didn’t want to give devney perry any ideas tho.

but really, how i even supposed to read this book with a straight face with this writing style?? it’s not like it would be shameful to write a good book babes😞.

yaaah lately i started to dnf books a lot, but how i’m i supposed to read the book when i can’t even stand any aspect or character of it?? i’m jealous of people who can finish a book even if they don’t like it, but i’m not one of them:// and i have this bad habit to buy books because of the pretty cover. almost every time the book turns put to be an ass. but i already bought “juniper hill”, so it seems like there’s no going back. but i saw matilda’s review on it and the line “that was f*cking fire” haunts me even now.

What a heck of a kickstart to this series! Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop! Winslow and Griffin were everything hot and steamy, angsty and suspenseful! I didn’t want their story to end!

Winslow was the type of heroine I enjoy. Tough when needed but not so hard core I couldn’t relate to her. She was carrying emotional scars that were, literally, a nightmare. My heart was broken by her struggle but once I learned the full story, I was horrified as well.

Griffin was such a steamy, dreamy hero in his boots and buckle with this slow, steady fall into love. He was trying to keep things casual, but it wasn’t working out for him. Winslow was all he could think about. I loved his alpha tendencies. There were more than a few times that he was completely swoon worthy while showcasing them.

Through all the romance was a mystery that had me hooked and desperate to figure out who and why. This had some serious moments of drama, danger and suspense. I swear, there were times it felt as though I were right in the middle of everything that was happening, I was so consumed by the action on the page. Absolutely brilliant!

As much as I didn’t want to see the end of this book, (despite my non stop reading in an effort to find out what was going to happen - which of course means reaching the end of the book) I’m antsy to find out what is in store for Griffin’s siblings. Along with an amazing epilogue and the link for a bonus epilogue, the ending gave us a delicious tease of an introduction for Knox and Memphis!

Dual POV
Safe om is h’s ex who is trying to get her to come back - she shuts him down and H is aware of it - he does not cause a separation; ow is a ONS the H was with a year or so before, she continues to cling to the hope she’ll get more with him, H is never going there again but h sees ow with H and thinks the worse because h/H are casual - there are a few days of separation after this time but it is due to H trying to stay away from h - once they see each other again it is quickly cleared up about ow; H doesn’t do relationships but he is not a manwhor*
Triggers no apparent triggers

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3.25 ⭐️.

i enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of this book more than the actual romance. which is why, even though the read kept me entertained and the ending was very satisfying, i couldn’t bring myself to give it a higher rating.

every time a few chapters would go by without any more evidence being found, or with the author deliberately putting the case on hold for the relationship between both characters to develop, i’d get anxious. i picked this up for the small town setting and stayed for the mystery, 100%.

“except that evening, surrounded by my family, a piece was missing. i hadn’t realized until late in the night, when i’d glanced across the arena and found winn at the fence, that the missing piece was her.”

i loved the female protagonist, winslow, and her determination. she was the chief of police and she took sh*t from no one, as she f*cking should. on the other hand, i couldn’t connect with the male protagonist, griffin, no matter how hard i tried. he always felt distant to me, and at an arm’s length from the readers, even though we get a heavily detailed description of his life. 🧘🏻‍♀️

as for the romance, it felt very rushed. i’m not a fan of characters simping for each other at first sight. it’s one of my least favorite tropes and i’ll die on that hill. it just takes away from what could’ve been a developed connection, one acquired with time, and makes the relationship shallow and hurried instead. give me a good slow burn!!

Turns out I like cowboys after all. Huh.

Okay but when he told her ex "You f*cked up and lost her. She´s mine. And I won´t f*ck it up." That scene really was everything, or like Winn would say, jealous Griffin is really sexy.

Winn is another strong female character with Griffin being her grumpy counterpart. I loved their relationship, it was really sweet and developed nicely from casual to serious. This is more insta-loveish, but in the cutest way. It´s one of those where he tries to tell himself that he doesn´t have feelings for her but falls even harder every time he sees her.
There isn´t that much smut in this book, so for everybody expecting that, this might be the wrong book for you.

I liked the sidecharacters, especially Griffin´s siblings and Winn´s pops. The storyline was really sweet and I loved how the epilouge already teased Juniper Hill.

I absolutely loved the muder mystery in this book, I was really invested and it got to a point where I was more invested in who the killer is than the romance of the book. Some questions were left unanswered for me, but maybe they will be solved in the second book.

Overall it was a really enjoyable read. It is a two POV book which we get to experience from Winn´s and Griffins POVs. The romance was sweet, the murder mystery was really good and with that I am looking foward to dive into Junper Hill.

Trigger warnings: PTSD, suicide, dementia

A different rom story than I expected, played out in my own backyard in the sprawling American West. The cowboy falls for the chief of police (I’d have made her the sheriff instead), and they have a firestorm of an affair which is on again, off again. Meanwhile all is not well in small town USA, and Sheriff Winslow (had to call her that) is not only losing sleep over a trauma in her past, she is losing sleep over a trauma in her present. Young women are being found dead - are they truly suicides or is it murder? Thanks so much to my GR friend who put this forward as a suggested novel when I asked to be introduced to different genres I don’t typically read. Nice that it was set in Montana, hey?

4.5!

Edited after reread

The Edens is a comfort series. With Jasper Vale coming out in a couple of weeks, I knew I wanted to start a reread of this series before then.

Book 1 follows Winslow & Griffin after a one night stand on the first night Winslow moves to Quincy, Montana. Neither of them are looking for a relationship, but the two of them can’t stay away or keep their hands off each other. Not only is the romance of this book a favorite, I also live for suspense plots and mortal peril, which Devney does so well.

If you haven’t read this series yet why?! It has
✨ small town romance
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ chief of police x rancher
✨ suspense
✨ whirlwind romance starting with a ONS
✨commitment-phobic yet hopeless romantics
✨ heartwarming family dynamics

***

This was so good. It was insta-lust (chapter one), which isn’t everyone’s thing, but I thought the author did it well.

The romance/plot was really well balanced. I’m a sucker for a small town romance with a side of suspense. Griffin was a great mmc and Winn was a badass police chief at 30.

Can’t wait to read juniper hill!

This book was a mystery/romance. I went into it completely blind which was the best way to do it. I had no idea where this book was going the entire time and it made for the best experience. The twists and mysteries in this book were so so so good it had me not able to put the book down because I needed to know what was going to happen.

Winslow moves into a small town, a town she’s heavily familiar with as her grandpa lives here and most of her childhood was spent here. She decided to move here in hopes of starting a fresh new life far from the one she had. She has the spot of chief officer waiting for her and has to duties to fulfill for the town as soon as she enters. But, it seems the hot cowboy she finds at the bar the first day she comes to town might just be exactly what she needs. Griffin Eden, the son of the Eden’s who are the wealthy family in charge of the property of this small town.

Winslow and Griffin were so cute together. I love Griffin so much and how he immediately took Winn in and gave her everything she’s ever needed and more. He became her home so quickly it was like she was destined to come to this small town, solely to find him. And he was never interested in anyone until Winn came into town and he knew she was it. They are soulmates !!! <3

A small town romance with mystery and twists! What’s better than that! Oh and also a hot cowboy??? Come on!!! This book is perfect, read it :) u know u want to.

4.5

my first devney perry book + definitely not my last !! i wholeheartedly enjoyed every single second of this book. i will now only be reading small town romances if there is a murder mystery subplot !

this follows winslow and griffin. winn is the new cheif police officer in town and griffin is part of the eden family, one of the founding families. the night she moved to town they ended up hooking up thinking they would never see eachother again… so when there is a death on griffins land they are forced to be around eachother and let me tell you sparks FLY i loved them together

i think winn and griffin are two of my favourite characters ever, i really loved them separately and as a couple.

if you want a well written, very addictive and a good paced small town romance look no further !!

im late to the trend but it really does live up to the hype and i will be continuing this series + devouring more devney books asap!!!

have no recollection but was basically a one night stand/ friends w benefit trope so boo 🍅🍅🍅

but the mystery plot was decent

3.5 ⭐️

If you are into murder mysteries or true crime, this one's for you!!!

This had a small town, a police heroine, cowboy/ranch owner hero, and a murder mystery. After a one-night-stand, the heroine gets roped into the hero's life when they find a dead body on his property the next day. AND it's her first day of work as the new chief of police in town.

The atmosphere, the setting, and the intrigue were immaculate. Honestly, the romance was quite lacking (one night stand turns into something more but way less romantic moments and way less smut than I expected) and it deserves 2 stars lmao. But but but... the plot kept me on the edge of my seat.

Such a good introduction to a series. The rest of the books will follow the Eden siblings I presume (the hero being the eldest sibling) and I can't wait to get all of their stories. The epilogue in this teased book 2 and I'm already halfway into it, I'm that obsessed 😭

i think i was just spoiled with the simple wild because no other small town romance hits the SAME

but if you like murder mystery romances this was cute