Book Review: The Woman by the Lake by Kristen Ashley

I'm thrilled to share that the third book in the Misted Pines series is now available. This was an exciting read with great characters, a fantastic build, and a pretty awesome mystery. Dive in today!

The Woman by the Lake (Misted Pines #3) by Kristen Ashley

Nadia Williams needs somewhere peaceful to sort through her grief after her mother is brutally murdered. She finds a cozy cabin at the side of a tranquil lake in the quaint town of Misted Pines in the Pacific Northwest.

The minute she arrives, she knows it’s perfect.

The very night of her arrival, however, someone—or something—is scratching at her window.

The next morning, she meets her one and only neighbor, Doc Riggs. He’s a rough, good-time guy who rubs Nadia wrong immediately. They clash, and neither of them are happy to be sharing their lake.

But soon, Nadia learns the lore around her cabin, and how the townsfolk are certain it’s haunted by the ghost of the man who was murdered there fifteen years before.

Riggs and Nadia are suddenly thrown into a tangled web of history, betrayal, grief, secrets, with only one thing certain.

Someone—or something—wants them off that lake.

4 out of 5 stars

I was so happy to head back to Misted Pines and thought The Woman by the Lake was a great addition to the series. I eased into the story and loved learning about Riggs and Nadia, the mysteries that were happening, and immersing myself in their lives. It was exciting, emotional, and heartfelt.

I loved learning about Nadia and Riggs. I felt so much for Nadia as I learned about her past. I loved her growth throughout the story and the healing she experienced. I loved Riggs and his no-nonsense attitude and how he was there for her. They had a rocky start but it quickly started to become more. I loved them getting to know one another and learning about their histories, why Riggs was holding back, and the development of their relationship. I liked their chemistry, the bits of emotion shared as their guards came down, and watching them come together in the midst of what was going on around them.

There were a lot of smaller stories woven in and I like how they were all intertwined. Riggs has a sweet son and an over-the-top ex, a best friend that means well but doesn't always make the right choices, Nadia has the mystery of her cabin to contend with as well as dealing with a loss… plus a few other things because there was definitely weird stuff happening. There's mild drama, emotion, and a lot of heart and I enjoyed it all. I loved the mystery aspect when it came to her cabin and I liked learning all the details. I liked everything presented but it wasn't too deep, just really good, solid stories that were easily resolved with great conclusions.

I was caught up in everything and had a hard time putting it down. I thought this was an addicting read with a high entertainment value. I liked the characters, development, and details, and thought the story moved at a good pace with a great build. I enjoyed the suspense element, it wasn’t too gritty or intense but I liked the mystery I got and how it was flushed out. I had a great time reading it!

Complimentary copy received.