3.5 Unexpected Stars for Hunting Annabelle

It's no secret I enjoy reading about psychotic killers and aggressive, unremorseful sociopaths. Thrillers are my jam! Hunting Annabelle had all of that, along with a damaged MC that you can't help but feel some sympathy for. Yikes, did I just admit I found a sociopath endearing? Yes, I did!

I was intrigued by the premise of the book. Sean Suh is a killer. He is fighting demons daily, trying not to kill again. Then he meets Annabelle. He falls hard - there is something about her that draws him in completely. Then Annabelle is kidnapped right before his eyes. No one believes she is in danger. It's up to him to save her.

At first, Sean's quest was interesting. As he uncovers more about Annabelle's past, we see that there is a lot more lurking under her shiny exterior and things aren't always what they seem. Things seemed to drag a bit though towards the middle. I wasn't surprised by the reveal as I felt things were neatly leading in that direction. It was a bit outlandish but then again - it's fiction. I can roll with it & I did for the most part. The implausible scenario surrounding the reveal actually helped make it a little more interesting. Things had become a little stale during Sean's quest to find Annabelle.

Still, the ending really pulled the book together for me. It was different and unexpected and I wholeheartedly approve! I can actually see another book coming from this duo and I'd definitely be curious to see what they get into.

Thank you Wendy Heard, Harlequin-Mira and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an arc of this thriller.