Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: Out Now!
How I got this book: NetGalley
The Professor presses his palm against her flank, the warmth of her blood, hotter than her skin. Hot, like the life force that he has claimed. The power over life and death is the ultimate thrill.
Someone is murdering women on college campuses. Agent Mick O’Shaughnessy’s mission is simple: stop the killer. Following every lead, he meets Meg, the faculty advisor for one of the victims, who can help him track the killer through her campus connections.
Meg Connelly is focused on getting her master’s degree to show her estranged family she doesn’t need anybody’s help to succeed. There’s something about Mick she can’t resist, but the last time she let someone get close to her, it cost her everything.
As the investigation heats up, so does their relationship. But Mick’s interest in Meg doesn’t just endanger her heart—it puts her in the sights of the killer.
Once he gets her alone, he can take all the time he needs…
*Blurb from Goodreads*
I was pretty excited about this book, as I am a total sucker for a good romantic suspense, especially ones with creepy serial killers.
Mick has been working on the serial killer case since it came across his desk. The evidence has been lacking and he is stuck tracking down every lead, regardless of how small or insignificant it may be. When he meets Meg, his single-minded focus branches out to include her.
Meg wants to finish school and get a good job when she graduates. Falling in love is not on her to-do list. But there is something about Mick that keeps her coming back for more. When she starts getting creepy emails, Meg and Mick realize that she is the next target on the killers radar.
I’m going to divide this review up into two parts, because in some aspects I really enjoyed this book and in others I thought it fell short. First up: the romance aspect of the story.
I thought the romance aspect of the story fell horribly short. The connection between Mick and Meg is practically non-existent and at times completely unbelievable. Within the first few days of meeting, they seem to know everything there is to know about each other, and it came across to me as a bit of a cop-out. They didn’t have to work to get to know one another, and while it wasn’t insta-love, it did feel as if it was almost a pre-destined mate type pairing between these two.
As the romance progressed between these two, it moved slower than molasses and didn’t really make a whole lot of sense to me. It never felt as if the two spent a whole lot of time together, and yet they were completely devoted to one another. The romance just didn’t sit right with me and didn’t feel as if it was a real relationship between the two.
That being said, I liked both Mick and Meg as individual characters. Mick was so invested in his work and was willing to do anything and everything to make sure that he brought down the serial killer. At the same time, we got a glimpse into his family and saw how much he loved and appreciated them. Meg was a little sheltered, beaten down from her past. Yet when push came to shove, she was strong and ready to fight for her life. She didn’t let her past break her, instead she picked up the broken pieces and made something of herself.
The second aspect of the story that I adored was the suspense and mystery. The killer was creepy and during the times when the story followed him, it was wonderful and thrilling. The case twisted and turned and I liked watching to police track down every lead, follow every clue until they got their guy.
All in all I thought this story was great in some aspects, and not-so-great in others. The suspense of finding the killer, watching him stalk his victims and eluding the police was wonderfully done. It was thrilling and exciting and kept the story moving. However, for me, the romance aspect just didn’t live up to my hopes. It felt flat and forced and moved slower than a glacier. For fans of RS that like a lot of the focus to be on the couple, this book is not for you.
I give The Professor a C-