Review of Illusion Lake by Sheryl Wright

This was good entertainment. I was super happy to see that the three new Bella books this month were all mystery/intrigue/crime – romance type books. It’s a favorite genre of mine and I seem to have better luck finding hits over misses. On top of that fact, the three Bella books were all by authors I enjoy so I was really excited to read/review them. I’m happy to say that this first book started Bella’s July books off with a bang and I can’t wait to read the others.

I’m quite familiar with Cheryl Wright’s writing as this is now the 5th book I have read by her. Her writing style has its own unique flow to the point where I think I could actually pick out her books blindfolded. I’ve come to realize that even when I’m not crazy about one of her books, I’m always glad that I read it. I’m happy to say that this was a really fun read for me and it has replaced, Don’t Let Go, as my new favorite book by Wright. Not only is this a new favorite, but I believe this is the best book she has written since joining Bella.

I was really surprised by how much this book had in it. It felt like this novel was just chock-full with big meaty plot points. I have read a few books lately that seemed a bit rushed or only a few main things happen and then the story is over. This was the complete opposite. You read this book and you feel like you get your money’s worth as there is almost two stories’ worth of ideas in here. I’m not exaggerating here but so much had happened in the book that I thought ‘oh the story must be wrapping up soon.’ I look down on my Kindle app and it says that only 35% of the book is done! Not kidding again, but the same thing happened and I thought for sure that I was really nearing the end this time… but I was actually at the 55% mark! It blew my mind a bit just how much is really packed in here. In the end, I did think the book could have edited out some pages, especially in the last third, but I personally would rather have a bit too much than not enough.

When it came to the romance I thought it was pretty good. The characters had some chemistry and made a really cute potential couple. The book is much more about the town and the mystery of what is going on, so the romance does take a backseat. But I liked what romance is there and I felt like it was the right amount for the type of story. As I mentioned already, there is so much meat to this story that you don’t feel like you are missing out elsewhere.

If you are looking for a fun book filled with small-town drama and intrigue, this book is for you. I think this is one of those books that will really surprise people. I was hopeful for this book, but I didn’t expect to be completely hooked on it. I got only 4 hours of sleep last night because I could not put this book down so I would recommend reading this book on a weekend. I truly believe this is Wright’s best book and it makes me excited to see what she has in store for us next. 4.25 Stars.

An ARC was given to me for a review.