The Hunted Heir
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15
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Average rating5
"In the wake of a painful breakup, PI Nona Taylor has sworn off romantic entanglements, distancing herself from the world. Once a year, on New Year's Eve, she attends church to beg God for forgiveness, haunted by the guilt of driving her twin sister out of the house to her unexpected death. Attorney DeMarcus Johnson is determined to climb the corporate ladder to partnership, but his progress is loaded with the pressure to prove himself by winning high-stakes cases. He embodies everything Nona knows to steer clear of-an overconfident ex-jock willing to do anything for success. Their worlds collide when Nona's elderly pastor receives a mysterious letter claiming he's the sole heir to a substantial estate. Desperate for answers, Nona infiltrates a lavish charity ball, only to be found out by a suspicious stranger who threatens to blow her cover. In a bold move to shield her, DeMarcus swoops in and presents himself as her devoted fiancâe. Now bound by a false engagement, the pair reluctantly join forces to reveal the obscured truth surrounding the pastor's inheritance. As they navigate the dangerous legal landscape and confront a direct threat to their case, Nona and DeMarcus discover that sometimes the most unexpected alliance can lead to the redemption of shattered hearts"--
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Nona Taylor is a private investigator carrying a load of personal guilt. Every year she attends the New Year’s service at church (not “her” church, mind you, just the one she’s decided to go to once a year). Every year she begs God for the forgiveness she doesn’t think she deserves. Every year she leaves feeling like her prayer has gone unheard. But this year will not be like every other year. When Pastor Grant asks for her help in figuring out whether a letter he received about an unexpected inheritance is legitimate, Nona is thrown into a mystery, a fake engagement, and the path of someone willing to kill to achieve their ends.
From the opening lines of this book, I loved Nona. I’ve had those times where it felt like my prayers bounced off the ceiling, where I had that stack of bills howling for payment, where I had no idea how THIS mountain would be moved. I have felt that pain, and I wanted to reach into the book and hug her. Bonus that she’s strong with the snark.
And DeMarcus first came off as one of those smooth, I’m-sexy-and-I-know-it sort of guys. High-dollar lawyer, snappy dresser – if I were in Nona’s shoes, I’d have been skeptical, too. But underneath that high-gloss exterior was a good man. And I love that, even if it wasn’t the traditional “good churchgoing girl and good churchgoing boy meet at a service and fall in love,” they still met in church. They both had, not really ulterior motives for being there, but reasons that didn’t have a whole lot to do with worship, and yet from that questionable seed something beautiful grew. I’d say that’s an example of God using all things for good!
Nona is well-written as an investigator, and DeMarcus is wonderfully written as a lawyer. They were both very believable in their roles. I should have known Breyna Leigh had some legal background before I even read her bio. She writes things she’s had experience with, and it shows.
This story hit on all cylinders and kept me turning pages. The moment Nona and DeMarcus fell into a fake engagement just cracked me up. Nona would probably have rather eaten rocks than even pretended to be romantically involved with someone, and yet here she is, “engaged,” with people who are just so excited about it and want to be all up in their business! There was plenty of tension, too, with the bad guys bent on cheating Pastor Grant out of his inheritance for their own financial gain and doing whatever it took – WHATEVER – to achieve their goals.
The secondary characters were just as good as our main protagonists. DeMarcus’ grandmother, G Mama – oh my gosh, y’all, she was a hoot and a half. She is a woman of God, she has lived her life, and she is going to share her wisdom with her grandchildren and love them and pray them the right way, whether they like it or not. I want to be like G Mama when I grow up. She is chock full of surprises! Pastor Grant struck just the right notes as a humble man of God who genuinely wanted what was best for Nona. Zeke and Calloway were deliciously, skeevily evil as they worked to carry out their rotten plans. None of the characters felt like they were throwaways. Each had a role to play and did it well.
The mystery, and the tension, and the nail-biting moments when I wasn’t sure what was coming next – I loved it! I enjoyed the unraveling of Pastor Grant’s family mystery, and when the full story came to light when they visited the town of Burnt Water, Alabama, I’ll own to tearing up a little. Good stuff. (Also, Burnt Water, Alabama is totally how small towns are. I grew up in a small town in Louisiana. I know some folks like Breigh describes.)
And the best part? Even though their initial church attendance isn’t for the “right” reasons, Nona and DeMarcus are still drawn to God as they are reminded that He is faithful, that they can trust Him with their hurts and issues. And in drawing closer to God, they draw closer to each other.
I can’t think of anything to nitpick about this book. It’s got everything I most love in a story – action, a good mystery, wonderful characters, interesting backstory, and romance that’s wonderfully sweet without being overly gushy or too spicy. If this is Jayna Breigh’s debut novel, I’m here for all the novels she might write in the future. This one was that good. Highly recommended! And I know it’s only January, but I’m going to say it: This book is in the running to be a favorite of 2025.
Originally posted at theplainspokenpen.com.
