Minutes to Kill

After corporate attorney Hannah Barrett tries—and fails—to stop a kidnapping in Vegas, she can’t shake the haunting image of the terrified young girl she couldn’t save. She tells herself that a visit to her hometown in Scarlet Falls could be a welcome distraction. But soon, Hannah realizes the kidnappers have all the info they need to track her every move. And when chilling e-mails about the victim appear in her inbox, it’s frighteningly clear what happened in Vegas has followed her home.
Eight months after a terrible family tragedy, Hannah turns to Detective Brody McNamara once again. Brody is eager to help, though he’s embroiled in the investigation of a brutal murder. But the closer they work together, the stronger their feelings grow…and the more they stand to lose when two seemingly unrelated, but equally deadly, cases collide.
Minutes to Kill is the pulse-racing second novel in bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s Scarlet Falls series.

Minutes to Kill is the second book in Melinda Leigh’s Scarlet Falls series and it delivered everything you would expect in a Romantic Suspense and more. The minute I started reading it, I knew I would have a hard time putting it down. The first scene alone will have you wanting to help the young girl who is in trouble. Thank goodness the little girl meets the main female character, Hannah Barrett because the bad guys are going to meet their worst nightmare.

Why do I say worst nightmare? Because Melinda delivers the most unbeatable kickbutt heroine in this story. Hannah Barrett is what you would consider a woman who waits for no man to save her. She’ll do anything and everything to handle situations by herself. Although, the men in her life think she’s a damsel in distress. She’s really not. It’s scary really how well she handles herself, but readers will understand once they read her backstory and who she grew up with. She has now become one of my favorite heroines of ALL time in Romantic Suspense.

First off, if you haven’t read Hour of Need, I highly recommend you do so before reading Minutes to Kill. Hannah is the only sister of the Barrett family, and the previous book introduced the other Barretts in the story and also introduced the male lead in this book. Brody McNamara is the detective who helped Hannah’s brother Grant with what happened in Hour of Need. He thought everything in Scarlet Falls was back to normal until the town turned upside down once again. This time, though, Hannah is in trouble and will do anything to protect Hannah.

Be prepared to read some tough scenes in this book that touch on some dark topics, such as the trafficking of young girls. It’s a tough book to read, but it makes you realize how serious a certain issue is in the real world, and not just fictional. Melinda did an amazing job with beginning to end with this book. I literally was on the edge of my seat while reading it.

I have to say the best part of the book was when Hannah showed her intimidating side, and even the antagonists in this book were unsure of her. She did put Brody through the wringer with the stunts she pulled, but he was actually more in awe over her strength than upset with her. 

This was my second time reading this book, and it still receives five stars from me. I can’t wait to reread the next book now since it’s Mac’s book next. 

Would I recommend this book/series? Yes. I recommend this book/series to fans of Romantic Suspense. 

FYI….Just remember that this subgenre does tend to touch on topics that may trigger some readers. Potential triggers are trafficking and violence toward women and kids. 

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About Melinda Leigh

#1 Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker who learned that writing books is way more fun than analyzing financial statements. Melinda’s debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. Since then, she has garnered numerous writing accolades, including two RITA® Award nominations and an induction into the NJ Romance Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have sold more than 7.5 million copies across the world. Melinda loves martial arts, rescue dogs, and sea turtles.

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FranJessca

Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)

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