Customer Reviews

Love Me If You Must (Patricia Amble Mystery Series #1)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

The story started strong in the beginning with good suspense and a quirky, fun main character but it all went downhill from there. It was absurd at times. Some things I don't get:

1) The book summary leads you to believe this could be a paranormal story, however, there are no voices, apparitions or anything that led me to believe the house was haunted.

2) Throughout the story, all we hear is how she's convinced there's a body down in the cistern yet she doesn't go down to invesigate herself until the very end of the book.

3) It is absurd to me that she'd be immediately arrested and thrown in jail upon the discovery of Martin's body in the basement without evidence. And when she's released two days later, she returns to the house as if nothing happened. Wouldn't they still be investigating the scene? Would they allow her back so quickly? I doubt it.

4) She wants to join the Historical Committee in town immediately upon Martin's death? She goes around asking for votes and campaigning? Why? Only so she can get rid of her cistern? This is ridiculous to me.

5) She's at a restaurant with one neighbor, Brad, one night and begins fascinating that she's married to him. The very next day her other neighbor, David, proposes and she accepts and goes to tell him her decision. Huh??

6) Even after discovering that David could be deported, she is still considering marrying him even though she suspects he proposed only to stay in the states. Huh??!

Tish Amble has moved to the small town of Rawlings with the intent of renovating an old Victorian house. Her plans are thwarted though when she sees a dead body buried in a cistern in her basement. However to her disbelief, no one believes her and worse no one will help her try to get started in the renovations. A cast of supporting characters help to fill out the story including the cute British neighbor who's getting over a divorce from his high profile wife and the cute cop who seems to be everywhere Tish is. With a past that keeps haunting her, Tish is determined to find out why there is a body in her home, why other dead bodies keep popping up, who is behind all this, and how to let go of her past.

I thought this was an excellent debut for Nicole Young. This book got me hooked from the very beginning. Tish was such a complex character, yet because the book is written in first person the reader sympathizes with her. She's a very headstrong woman who is very suspicious of everyone because of her past. It makes it hard for her to trust people. Thus she has problems at first with trusting her neighbors especially Brad, the policeman. Tish's past is told throughout the story, intertwining with the current events. It's very heart wrenching to read about what she had to go through. The mystery itself is played out really well. There are very spine-tingling scenes that will make you want to read this book in the daylight. She's really brave to stay in the house even after other people have told her it was haunted. I also liked learning about the renovation plans Tish had for the house. It's interesting to think about how one can make something old and decrepit into new and worthy. The ending caught me by surprise and really makes me look forward to reading the next book. This book is a great start for a new author.

Literally one of the worst books I've ever read. I burst out laughing at the end and had to write a review to tell others not to waste their time. I finished the book (wish I had those hours back) and beyond absolutely loathing every character by the end, I still have no idea why everyone was murdered. And I don't think the author knows, either. Do not bother reading this piece of junk.

This book just was not coherent. The author tried to make it suspenseful by having the main character scream and jump at everything. Tried to make it a romance and failed- not even in the cheap romance novels do characters meet a guy go to dinner and is in love turns down his proposal the next day then goes over to accept it after all. Never mind getting arrested then sets to running for office of the guy she is accused of murdering??? huh????? This is just a bad bad book-- it was a freebie but the first bad one I've gotten.

I loved this book. I don't know why it got so many bad reviews but from an avid mystery reader's standpoint, I didn't have a clue who the culprit was until the author revealed the identity. I liked Tish, the main character, I enjoyed the suspense, and I especially loved not being able to figure out the ending long before it arrived. I definitely recommend it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

A run down Victorian house, a town with many secrets and a young woman searching for a future while trying to elude her past collide in this debut novel by writer and musician, Nicole Young.

Tish Amble is renovating her newly purchased home, hoping to sell it for a profit and move on to the next project. She is slowly drawn to the inhabitants in the small town of Rawlings, none more so than her attractive neighbour, David and his to die for British accent! When Tish starts hearing voices and faints dead away at a startling vision in her creepy basement, another neighbour reaches out to her, Brad Walters, but his occupation is enough to make Tish supremely suspicious of his motives.

When a man is murdered, as the newcomer in town, Tish quickly becomes the police's number one suspect. Compelled by an inquisitive and imaginative mind Tish begins her own investigation with staggering results!

Nicole Young has perfected Tish's first person voice, creating an appealing and vivacious character whose search for truth, regarding the eerie death and her own spiritual journey, is enthralling and compelling. The book is filled with humour, intrigue and some good old-fashioned hiding under the bed sheets moments! David and Brad are a study in contrasts, both attractive and charismatic yet their inner qualities put them poles apart. The dilemma this creates for Tish is genuine and revealing, enabling the reader to connect even more to Tish's emotions. The ending is surprising, yet wonderfully refreshing.

Love Me If You Must is a fabulous debut and I look forward to reading more of Tish's adventures soon!

The narrative started well and even kept me reading just one more chapter until I fell asleep, but then the minor problems started adding up and getting bigger and less forgivable.

The protagonist is unbelievable and an irritating twit- she is conceited and judgemental: one meeting with her local barista and she assasinates her entire character. As stated by another reviewer, she could easily be mistaken for a preteen who dreams of marrying someone she has barely met, keeps flipping from one extreme opinion to another for no good reason, and is obsessed with a cistern. Her vile personailty is so extreme I suspect that perhaps going to church (as she is constantly urged to do) will save her later in the series? I don't care and do not intend to follow this character's inane adventures.

This story was painful to read, almost right from the beginning. I don't normally post reviews, but this book made me feel like I had an ethical duty to forewarn people....save yourself the time it takes to read this book. The premise of the book is promising. I kept waiting for the plot to come together and finally make sense....but it never did. I found myself talking to the book, telling Tish what an idiot she was being. Thank goodness it was free; that's the only reason it got two stars.

I was tempted not to download the book after all the negative comments, but I'm glad I did. Yeah, the main character could be irritating, and I asked myself why she did certain things (on a few occasions), but I still thought the book was good, and I liked it.

I spent years renovating a 100 year old house so I had a special interest in this mystery series featuring a female heroine who fixes up old houses. I loved the characters. Loved the story. A great book.