Customer Reviews

Love You to Death

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The story opens as reporter, Elise McBride, has just flown home from Hong Kong to look for her sister. Ashley hasn't been heard from in several days, so Elise knows something has to have happened to her... something very serious. Almost immediately after arriving at her sister's house, she meets Ashley's next door neighbor and former cop, Trent Brady. Elise is satisfied that her sister has met with foul play and sits out to prove it, not heeding the dire warnings of Trent.

Elise convinces Trent to help her look for Ashley, and they soon discover they are searching for a crazed serial killer who mutilates the bodies of his victims for his own deviant purposes. Eventually, the gorgeous Elise becomes the killer's ideal candidate, as he sets her up for murder. Can Trent save her from a gruesome death? Will they find Ashley alive?

The author delicately spins suspense and drama, touching on a bit of horror here and there, as the books forges on to it's dramatic climax. Building layer upon layer, character upon character, this well-developed story steadily unfolds, holding the reader spellbound with anticipation. Although, gory in some parts, it is fast moving, romantic, steamy, and very exciting.

I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

Overall, I enjoyed this new offering of Ms. Butchers. She writes solid, if not terribly original, romantic suspense. Love You to Death was creepier than her Delta force books because the reader is allowed inside the mind of a sick serial killer. Even though I am a big fan of the mystery/suspense genre, I don't want to be inside the mind of a serial killer, so it lessened the book's enjoyment for me.

Other than that, I have two quibbles with the book. First, Ms. Butcher falls into the common mistake romance writers make of too many repetitive internal monologues by the characters. We "hear" Trent tell himself over and over how he messed up everyone's life, how he doesn't deserve to be happy, how he can't be trusted not to mess up again, etc. And we also repeatedly "hear" him decide he has to take charge of Elise, even though early on the reader knows she won't allow it. We also get to "hear" over and over how Elise thinks it's her fault that Ashley is in this mess, and it's Elise's responsibility to get her out, even if it means doing stupid and dangerous things. Elise's constant determination to treat Ashley like a child is irritating. After a while, these paragraphs of repetitive internal monologues start to feel like padding.

Secondly, most of the small conflicts in the book, at least in the early chapters, involve Elise and Trent having basically the same argument multiple time. "You are not!" "Yes I am!" "I won't let you!" "You're not the boss of me!" That got old, too.

Lest it sound like I didn't enjoy the book, I need to add that I read the book in less than a day because the story drew me in and I thoroughly enjoyed the romance, which I thought was very well developed and believable. I fully intend to read the next book Ms. Butcher writes. She has published five books so far, and though they may not be the very best of their genres, they all have a very consistent overall quality. Ms. Butcher can be depended on to deliver an interesting story, a solid romance, and well-written love scenes. That's much more than some authors, and enough to put her on my auto-buy list.

Ashley McBride is extremely talented. She's an artist, that at any moment will stop what she is doing to paint or draw a picture. She's sweet, bubbly, and trusting. She's also a complete scatterbrains, and now that she's gone missing, her big sister Elise is starting to worry.

Ashley always calls Elisa after going out on Friday nights to give her all the juicy details of her evening. This time, she doesn't call, and Elise is sick with worry. She tries calling Ashley multiple times, only to go to her voicemail, which is entirely unlike Ashley. She's convinced that her baby sister is in trouble, and she will stop at nothing to get her back.

Trent Brady lives across the street from Ashley. He likes the young girl, enough to do small chores around her house for her, and make sure no one tries to hurt her. When he notices someone trying to break into her house, his cop instincts kick in, even though he's been off the force for over two years. When the perpetrator turns out to be Ashley's big sister Elise, sick with worry over her sister, Trent makes it his duty to help her.

When I first started reading this book, it was difficult for me to get into. It seemed like your regular romantic suspense, and I was just waiting for something interesting to happen. I honestly can say that I didn't start to really enjoy this book until the author let us inside of both the killer and his victims heads. That was when I realised I had to stick around until the end.

Shannon K. Butcher's characters are very well rounded, and I felt a very real connection to some of them. I actually cringed a few times when reading the thoughts of the killer, and I wanted to wring his neck myself for the horrible things he was capable of. I was also on the fence about Elise, because while she is a strong character willing to do anything for the love of a sibling, she doesn't think about whether or not she will live through her own decisions to see her sister home safely.

As for the romance in this novel, it was definitely there. It started out slow, and slowly worked its way up. It was an intense romance, while still being appropriate for the situation they were both dealing with. I have a very vivid imagination, and the scenes, whether romantic or not, were very easily pictured in my mind. I will most definitely read more novels by Shannon K. Butcher in the future. I'd like to thank Anna Balasi of Hatchette books for sending me an ARC to review, she is always a pleasure to work with!

Spine-tingling intrigue, heated romance and a twisted madman are just a few of the makings of an excellent romantic suspense. Shannon K. Butcher proves unquestionable expertise on the subject with LOVE YOU TO DEATH.
Reporter Elise McBride is terrified when she doesn't hear from her younger sister, Ashley, for several days. Elise leaves her most recent story in Hong Kong to hurry home to find Ashley. When she breaks into Ashley's home in the middle of the night, she's quickly intercepted by Ashley's neighbor, former cop Trent Brady, and her exasperation grows even more. Repeatedly refusing Trent's insistence that she allow the police to handle the investigation into Ashley's disappearance, Elise feels a heartbreaking desperation and has no qualms about placing herself in danger. Once the two join forces and discover angles not being investigated by police, it isn't long before they're fully immersed in a dark, dangerous world unknown to most.
Trent Brady's confidence as a capable cop takes a severe blow and he battles self-imposed demons after accidentally shooting and paralyzing his partner on the job. Despite that, he jumps in to assist Elise and although it would undoubtedly pain him to admit it, it was good for him to be involved with an investigation. When threats are made against Elise, escalating into violent attacks on her life, he has to admit that his feelings for her run much deeper than simply helping a neighbor's sister.
This was my first time reading Shannon K. Butcher's work. It won't be my last. This book is an exceptional example of romantic suspense. The risks Elise takes in trying to find her sister could have appeared foolish but her painful desperation is written so exactly as to be reasonable and understandable. Trent's sudden realization that he loved Elise was sweet, especially his understanding that her despair over her missing sister is so strong that she doesn't recognize the same feelings for him. "Bad guy" is far too mild for the serial killer in this book. His evil runs so deep that you could wonder how an author thinks up someone so bizarrely twisted. The suspense is intense and while implications of the most chilling violence are made, it is done so without the most gruesome details. Romance readers will be satisfied with the passions of Trent and Elise. The balance of suspense and romance is just right and I truly don't think it could have been done any better. LOVE YOU TO DEATH has my highest recommendation.
COURTESY LAURIE/ROMANCE JUNKIES

After spending too many years as an Industrial Engineer, Author Shannon K. Butcher learned to write from her husband, best-selling author Jim Butcher. Other titles include: No Control, No Regrets, and No Escape, (for which she won an award). She resides in Missouri with her husband and son.

Free-lance reporter, Elise McBride, hasn't heard from her sister, Ashley, in more than a week. The artist side of Ashley often has her flighty and distracted in her own paintings, but this time, Elise knew something was wrong. Convinced that Ashley has met with foul play, Elise breaks into her sister's house to try to find some information or leads, since the police seem to think Ashley just ran off. Instead, she finds Trent Brady, an ex-cop still trying to wash the blood off his hands from before he resigned. The last thing he wants or needs is to become involved in a missing persons case, or become romantically involved with said person's sister. But Elise needs his help, and he's determined to keep her out of trouble until the police find Ashley. Except now, the bodies of other missing women are surfacing bearing an uncanny resemblance to Ashley, and it would appear that Elise is the next target of this brutal serial killer.

Two things stand out to me after reading this book. One: it was extremely well-paced, having a perfect blend of romance, suspense, and humor where appropriate. And two: the heroine, Elise, was not your typical hard-ass, strong as nails lead character you'd typically find in romantic suspense. She was strong and determined, but her insecurities and flaws were crafted nicely, making her enormously relatable. I found the other lead hero, Trent , very realistic in his flaws as well. Readers will appreciate being inside the killer's head, as well as Ashley's while she was in captivity. Mostly, you'll never leave your doors unlocked again. The murders, the investigation, and fear the author illustrates will remain with you long after the pages are closed- a true testament to stellar writing. The setting was appropriate and the secondary characters moved the plot well. There wasn't a dead spot to find in the entire book. Shannon is most definitely an author to keep your eye out for.



Kelly Moran

Author and Reviewer

This was a scary read. The serial killer is Crazy and has no remorse. But I continued to read, loving the romance between reporter Elise McBride and ex cop Trent Brady. Elise has arrived in town to find out why her sister has been missing for 2 days and Trent is the "hot lawn guy" neighbor that helps. Shannon Butcher's Love You to Death is not like her OPS story where you can just read along. Not a bad thing just different. Once the story really gets rolling you are really wondering if Elise will save her sister in time. I felt like I was reading a story that had a great balance between suspense and the romance that Butcher weaves around these characters. Terrific until the end

Reporter Elise McBride knows her beloved capricious sister Ashley is missing a card or two from the deck of fifty two, but the siblings always stay in touch in spite of the former being in Hong Kong and the latter in Chicago. However, when she fails to hear from her artistic sister for a few days and is unable to reach her, Elise becomes a bit concerned. She panics especially when CPD blows her away even after she learns of a serial killer murdering women in the Windy City. She flies home to insure her sibling is safe.

In Chicago, former police officer Trent Brady catches Elise trying to break into the home of his neighbor. She explains who she is and why she is there. Realizing how obstinate and resolute yet vulnerable Elise is, he offers to assist her while wondering what made him do so as they team up to track down and hopefully rescue Ashley.

The irony behind this tense thriller that never takes a breather is Elise and Trent are obsessive compulsive disorder types who feel a deep need to protect those they see as vulnerable, she to her sister and he to her. The story line is fast-paced as Shannon K. Butcher places her pedal to the metal throughout the tale. With the romance playing an important but secondary theme as saving the sister is paramount; LOVE YOU TO DEATH will grip readers as increasingly the evidence points towards Ashley as a victim of the serial killer and Elise a potential target.

Harriet Klausner

There is a serial killer on the loose. This killer is unlike any others, who have come before him. He has a purpose. He wants to create the perfect woman. So how do you achieve the perfect woman...Or course by taking parts from various other women and piecing them together.

Elise McBride had a feeling that something had something horrible had happened to her sister, Ashley. She hadn't heard from her in days. Elise called the authorities but Elisa got the impression that they aren't taking her too seriously. Elise decides to hop on a plane and investigate herself on what has happened to Ashley.

Ex-cop, Trent Brady was just getting ready for bed when he spots a light flashing across the street in his neighbor's house. He knows it can't be his neighbor as Ashley has left. Trent's cop instincts kick in and he goes to investigate and receives a huge surprise. At what Trent first thought was a teenage boy, turns out to be a woman. The police arrive and assure Elise that they will find her sister. Elise and Trent team up together to locate her sister before it is too late.

Love You to Death is dark and sinister. The tension runs high all the way till the very end. Elise and Trent molded well perfectly together. Elise had the brain smarts and Trent was all muscle. I like that the killer had a purpose in mind and that it was revealed at an early stage. This helped make the killer in my opinion more menacing. Shannon K. Butcher has made me a fan and I can't wait to read more.

Elise is a reporter who is searching for her carefree artistic sister, Ashley who she believes is in danger. In the process of breaking into her sister's house, Ashley's neighbour Trent catches her in the act. An ex-cop, Trent finds himself drawn to Elise's case and Elise herself, especially when it's proven that Ashley's disappearance points to something more sinister.

Shannon Butcher delivers a solidly written book with a plot line that kept me engaged - but only just. Certainly, it felt that there were no redeeming features to be found in the main characters bar stunning good looks. Elise came across as extremely arrogant and prideful in her quest to find her sister and continually insisting on doing something that could be dangerous or result in her own disappearance. Additionally, her lack of consideration for other people's feelings left me with a distinct lack of sympathy for her situation. While she may have been desperate, it doesn't excuse her from endangering others. Meanwhile, Trent has his own issues to deal with, and while they were initially valid issues, they didn't seem to ring true as the story progressed. Perhaps the continual repeated monologue rehashing his situation became less heroic after a while and started verging on pathetic. However, the characters did have some chemistry between them in between all their angsting - not fantastic chemistry, but enough to warrant them being together.

As another reviewer indicated, there are some loose ends in "Love You To Death," and a few extra pages wrapping it up properly could have made the story finish in a more satisfactory manner. Despite the characters' severe character flaws, Shannon Butcher's writing style managed to hold me until the end, along with a very well-characterised villian.

Recommendation: There are other authors out there who do romantic suspense much better than this with a very similar plot line. Definitely not Shannon's best offering - try her book No Regrets.

This was the first book I've read from this author. I loved the book and couldn't wait to read more like it. Unfortunately, she didn't write anymore like it. Sadly, she went the way of so many other talented authors these day - from Contemporary Romantic Suspense to Fantasy Romantic Suspense. I've tried to read them, but it's just not my cup of tea. If it's yours, she writes very well, and I doubt you'll be disappointed.