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As always Ivy's book didn't disappoint. I'm excited to see Griffen getting his own story after getting to know him a little in previous books. Griffen and Hope's story was a surprising one at how it started and it still leaves questions open as to the why behind it all which I suspect will be answered in later books. Always love how Ivy's main characters have such a deep connection with each other, all woven into the murder /family mysteries. Can't wait to read more about the Sawyer family and who's behind all their troubles.
3.0 out of 5 starsWhy do I think I've read this before?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 May 2020
Verified Purchase
Everything about the plot and characters of this book reminded me strongly of one I read years ago, unfortunately I can't remember the title or author's name for that book. The quoted copyright date for this is 2020 but it is actually a re-publication of an old title?
I've read quite a few of Ms Layne's books recently, and enjoyed them, but I have to say that deja-vue spoiled this one for me.
So I first started reading Ivy’s books with The Wedding Rescue and I loved it. Then I started the Winters Saga and I fell in love with the family. Ivy create a whole world of wonderful characters. I love reading her books. When she finished off the Winters last year I almost cried but I knew we were going to have a new series and Griffin, who we’d already been introduced to would start the series. I think this is the best yet. I couldn’t put it down. Griffen has been estranged from his family for 15 years and we finally find out who, what and why. Griffen’s father is a horrible man, hated by all. Griffin made a life for himself, in spite of his father and in his own. Now, he’s back to Sawyer’s Bend taking over after his father’s death. This story has it all, romance, suspense, action. I am so excited Ivy has created another world for us to love and enjoy and I can’t wait for the next book. This is a must read. You won’t be able to put it down. I received an arc copy of this book from the author and purchased a copy as well.
OMG!!! I loved it. I have waited a long time for this one. Following Griffin in the other books... But I never thought his story would be this amazing. I can't wait to read the rest of this family's stories. You simply must read this book as well.
A nice, easy read. But, not a typical Ivy Layne. While the book was long, it was not a complete story in the manner of the Winters or the Sinclair sagas. Why?
Too many dropped threads. - Ford is in jail with a 3 week deadline on a plea deal that Griffen engineers. Griffen asks Cooper Sinclair, his best friend, for an investigator. We do not hear any more about Ford although the story extends beyond the three weeks. - When touring the house, Griffen observes that most of the art collection is missing. Griffen should be calling Aiden Winters for a good forensic accountant. Where did the money and art go?
Character development. The Griffen, 37, in this book is not the same Griffen depicted in the Sinclair series. A shoulder wound with minimal impact is not sufficient for the character change. He did not lose a friend. He did not lose a client. He lost a career that he was aging out of anyway. The Griffen in Stolen Heart feels tentative, pale in comparison to the Griffen in Uncovered.
Stolen Heart would be greatly improved with a good editor. It reads to me like a 7-8 story book proposal that needs to be pulled into the individual stories. I like Ivy Layne. I will definitely read the next book. But, I hope the next one puts more on the Griffen+Hope story because Stolen Heart left me feeling incomplete.