Where Secrets Lie by Colleen Coble & Rick Acker: Book Review

 **ARC received via Netgalley for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

USA TODAY bestselling romantic suspense author Colleen Coble and Rick Acker deliver the second book in their compelling Tupelo Grove series (following What We Hide), where a crumbling university, stolen artifacts, deep family secrets, and deadly ambitions all stand in the way of a second chance at happiness.

College professor Savannah Webster is ready to give her ex-husband, Hez, another chance, and she believes he's finally ready for them to face their many past trials as a team. But when Savannah finds evidence that points to Hez's old demons resurfacing, the fragile trust they've built begins to crumble. And it's not just their relationship that hanging in the balance--the survival of the university Savannah's family poured their lives into is also under threat.

Hez is determined to put his past mistakes behind him with his new role mentoring law students at Tupelo Grove University's legal clinic. His primary focus with the clinic is to help Savannah pull the university out of a pit of debt and bad decisions made by the previous leadership, including her father. But their quest for stability takes a dark turn as they try to root out the dangerous smuggling ring the university is entangled in, and their investigation puts them in the crosshairs of criminals who will stop at nothing to eliminate any obstacle in their path.

The twists continue until the final page as a dangerous world of smuggling and financial instability collides with the complex dynamics of legacy and family.

Colleen Coble and Rick Acker's Where Secrets Lie is gripping suspense with closed-door, second-chance romance. They've "forged a seamless partnership with a singular voice" (Charles Martin), "where secrets simmer and unexpected twists leave you guessing until the shocking finale" (Kate Angelo).

The Author

Colleen Coble is the USA TODAY bestselling author of more than seventy-five books and is best known for her coastal romantic suspense novels. Connect with her online at colleencoble.com; Instagram: @colleencoble; Facebook: @colleencoblebooks; X: @colleencoble.

Rick Acker writes during breaks from his "real job" as a Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice. He is the author of eight acclaimed suspense novels, including the #1 Kindle bestseller, When the Devil Whistles. He is also a contributing author on two legal treatises published by the American Bar Association. You can visit him online at rickacker.com; Instagram: @rick_acker; X: @authorrickacker

Book Review

Where Secrets Lie is the second book in the Tupelo Grove series. While you may be able to enjoy this one as a standalone, I honestly wouldn't recommend it. The previous book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, and this one picks up right where it left off, so I feel like you'd have missed quite a bit of backstory if you jump in here. 

I definitely had a lot of questions when the last book ended and was excited to jump right back into this one. Again, I can't state this enough--- if you haven't read the first book, go back and do that first so you can truly get the most out of this one. This story is packed full of secrets and drama that kept me captivated from start to finish. In book one, we saw the start of the rekindling between Hex and Savannah and I loved seeing them continuing to worth through their issues throughout this story... and there certainly are some deep issues that they need to work through... making me root for their happily ever after all that much more. Colleen Coble has been a longtime favorite suspense writer for me, and her books with Rick Acker (whom I had previously not read before they teamed up) are every bit as captivating. I can't wait to see what's next from this writing duo. If you enjoy Christian romantic suspense, this is definitely a must-read series. 

You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4iSY5cX