'Three Days in Seattle" by Debra Burroughs

Reviewer: Jesi

Rating: 3 Stars

Revenge. Romance. Murder.

A gorgeous Blonde, a kidnapped Sister, a handsome Stranger, and a vengeful Killer.

The desperate race is on to find the sister before both women wind up dead.

(GoodReads description)

I have to admit, I had a hard time finishing this one.  The basic plot was interesting.  It opens with Katie McAllister getting a call from her sister’s roommate in Seattle, telling her that her sister is missing.  She immediately hops a plane to go find her.  Serendipity steps in when she ends up seated next to a handsome stranger on the plane who decides to cancel all his appointments at work and spend the next few days being Katie’s support.

I liked the idea of this story, but I just don’t think it was my style.  The reader knows right away who is behind the kidnapping, where the sister is being kept and even why they did it.  I think I would have preferred a little more mystery.  I felt very little suspense in this romantic suspense novel.  Don’t get me wrong, I think some readers like this dual plot kind of thing...I’m just not one of them. 

Speaking of romance, in lieu of actual suspense, I could have been more engaged in the book if I bought into the romance.  Ryan was too good to be true.  A hot stranger with a good job who drops everything to be your emotional support in a time of crisis?  I don’t know.  It just didn’t feel right.  Maybe it was the Insta-Love that I had trouble with.  I mean, they only had three days.  And it happened while Katie was preoccupied and distraught over her sister.  If it was more about sexual chemistry than emotional love, I would have been more on board with the relationship. 

Lastly, the dialogue was stiff and unnatural.  People just don’t talk that way.  Again, I admit, I tend to be picky on dialogue with most books.  It’s sort of my thing. But there were a lot of instances where the author chose to “tell” rather than “show”, and that telling usually involved the character’s mouths.

I’m giving this book three stars because I think it has potential.  It’s just not quite there yet.

Overall, I give Three Days in Seattle...

Plot - 3 1/2 bookmarks

Character development - 3 bookmarks

Suspense - 2 bookmarks

Love story - 2 1/2 bookmarks

Dream cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Galen Gering (Ryan), Yvonne Strahovski (Katie), Diana Argon (the sister), Leighton Meester (Suki), Steven R. McQueen (Ethan)