Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble Review

 Happy Friday Everyone :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

Are you looking forward to the weekend, and long weekend if you're Canadian like I am?

I'm unfortunately not going to have the most fun weekend, as I've recently had some new health flare ups, and this is always an extremely busy time at work.

When I'm not working, I think I'm mainly going to be resting and reading, and I'm looking forward to diving into some more great books.

I always look forward to Colleen Coble's new book releases. She's been one of my favorite authors since the very first time I picked up one of her titles quite a few years ago.

In fact, her last release was one of my favorites I've ever read by her, and you can check out that review using the link below:

A Stranger's Game

I couldn't wait to dive right into her upcoming release, and today I'm here to share with you all whether or not it lived up to my expectations.

Keep reading below for my full review.

Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: July 12th, 2022

Genre: Christian Fiction/Suspense

Series: Annie Pederson

Synopsis:

Even though secrets lie off the coast of Rock Harbor, the truth will set Annie Pederson free—if it doesn’t kill her first.

Nine-year-old Annie Pederson’s life changed the night her sister was kidnapped. The two had been outside playing on a dock, and Annie never forgave herself for her role in her sister’s disappearance. Twenty-four years later and now a law enforcement ranger, Annie is still searching for answers as she grieves a new loss: the death of her husband and parents in a boating accident.

But Annie and her eight-year-old daughter, Kylie, aren’t the only people in the town of Rock Harbor whose lives have been marred by tragedy. While managing the property around the Tremolo Resort and Marina she inherited, Annie discovers a dead body floating in the cold Superior surf and begins to work with the sheriff’s office to tie the death to a series of other mysterious reports in the area.

At the same time, her first love, Jon Dustan, returns after nine years away, reigniting the town’s memory of a cold case he’d been suspiciously linked to before he left to pursue his orthopedic residency. For the sake of her investigation and her heart, Annie tries to stay away. But avoiding Jon becomes impossible once Annie realizes she is being targeted by someone desperate to keep secrets from the past hidden.

In this new series, bestselling romantic-suspense author Colleen Coble returns to one of her most beloved towns, where familiar faces—and unsolved cases—await.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

I always look forward to Colleen Coble's new book releases, and I was especially excited for this one since her last release ended up being one of my all time favorites by her. Unfortunately, this one ended up not being exactly what I was expecting, and although I did still enjoy certain parts of it, it's not a new favorite, and it's not one I ended up loving.

I struggled to connect with any of the characters throughout the story, and I thought they all behaved quite juvenile and immature, and it was often hard to read about. Kylie's behavior didn't seem to be typical of a child her age, and I thought she desperately needed therapy, and proper discipline, instead of the pandering that Annie was constantly giving to her. I understand she was devastated by the loss of her father and grandparents, but she seemed to get away with whatever she wanted, including treating any and everyone badly that she didn't personally care for.

I thought it was an interesting plot point that both Jon and Kylie have celiac disease, as the author was able to bring attention to the struggles involved for anyone who's been diagnosed with this disease. However, the information on it went on and on, and I thought way more attention to this detail was given than was truly necessary to the plot. Including stressing over and over again which gluten free brands were the best for Annie to be buying for Kylie.

I'm someone who has read a lot of suspense novels over the years, especially Christian suspense, and I have to be honest that the content of this one really ended up bothering me. It was a lot darker than I was initially expecting, and while the faith element was there, it wasn't strong enough to combat all of the darkness that plays a big part in the mystery. I wanted a lot more Jesus to balance out all of the darkness, and I don't feel I got that.

I did enjoy the setting, the bigger mystery that's set up for the rest of the series, and as always, I really enjoyed Colleen Coble's immersive writing style. However, I wish more answers had been explained properly in the conclusion, and I felt everything wrapped up much too quickly.

Final Rating: 3/5.

I'm definitely intrigued enough to keep reading on with the rest of the series, but I hope I end up enjoying the second title more than I did this one.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks so much for reading guys! I hope you all have a great weekend, and God Bless! :)