Wayward Secrets (The Raven Brothers of Fallen Mountain #1) By K.T. Strange

⤅ If you have EVER doubted that reviewers get crapped on for the reviews they write, look no further.

The 'heifer' this person is talking about? The 'bitch' she's threatening physical violence against? That's me.

Let's rewind. This morning I woke up to a message from this author - now deleted - telling me that my reviews were partially responsible for her mental health problems. I completely sympathise with mental health problems; as you can see from my response to her below, I will always hope she receives the help and support she needs. I review books, not people. I'm often brutally honest, but I have never made a personal comment against an author, merely about their product. There IS a difference between the two, and it is our right as readers/consumers to discuss flaws in the book/product we've paid money for.

On Facebook, the author has posted saying that she'd 'told off' a reviewer (i.e. me), claiming that I have 'a habit of giving [her] books really long, really rude reviews.' She didn't name me, but it's clear who's being talked about - as I am the reviewer she 'told off' last night before deleting her comments. There are over 30 other comments below her Facebook post, happily slagging off reviewers, speculating that maybe I'm a frustrated writer myself (LOL, no) and, the crowning glory... physical violence threatened by one of the author's friends. Just because I didn't like a book, and said so, as is my right in the free countries we live in.

To be clear, I am not Facebook friends with Strange, but a screenshot of her post was sent to me. I find this fairly entertaining, because if you look at my Goodreads, I've given her books high 4-star ratings SO MANY TIMES. She obviously does not mention this. But as well as being entertaining, it's a little frightening. I'm sure I have nothing to fear from the person who offered to cut me, but it's a timely reminder that reviewers in the past really have been hurt for exercising their right to free speech. So when I say that if anything happens to me, it wasn't a suicide... I'm 99% joking. But there's always that 1% of fear that exists when you get any threat of violence.

Back to original review.

It's been two weeks and I've read a LOT of good books in those two weeks, so my memory of this one is a bit fuzzy now.

I do, however, recall being deeply unimpressed. There were a hell of a lot of typos for a published book. One of the heroes seems to have hooked up (off-page) with an OW, at a party he went to with the heroine. The heroine is supposedly dying of a terminal disease but this is barely a plot point.

I'm more interested in the mystery side than the romance, so I may read the sequel for that. We'll see.

[Blog] Wayward Secrets (The Raven Brothers of Fallen Mountain #1) 4/5 stars

*Sigh.....*

Why do I always find myself here? It's like I can't even resist it anymore at this point.

But you know, I don't regret a second of it.... So yeah.

I really enjoyed this book. Like. A lot. I loved the main group, and Delia is amazing. I just love her... I also love the murder mystery aspect to it. It takes an already interesting plot line and makes it even better.

THAT ENDING THOUGH! Who thought it was a good idea to leave it on a cliffhanger??? Now I need to start the second book immediately. And you know what? I'm actually really excited to start it. For some reason this book doesn't have me not wanting to move onto the next one or just stop reading it. I NEED to know what's going to happen. That's quite shocking because I usually drop series after the first book...

Anyway I'm going to shamelessly start the second book, because apparently that's how I spend my weekends now... Kindle Edition Cordelia is dying. Alone. So, she's decided to pick up what remains of her life and move. She's taken a job for a mountain tour company as their booking agent/store manager, so she can spend the remainder of her life surrounded by beauty. However, once she gets there, she discovers the brothers who own the company know nothing about her and the person who hired her is missing. Along with several other girls in the community. And her new bosses are the prime suspects. Cordelia knows the brothers are keeping secrets but they aren't the only ones.

I'm not sure how exactly to best describe this book. It seemed confused and I'm not sure it ever quite found its voice. Did it want to be a romance/mystery/paranormal? If so, it needs to find balance, focus. The characters need to know who they are. Cordelia came to find peace. Instead, she sought out ways to worry herself. The biggest disappointment was relationship development. The brothers all vacillated between hot and cold, however, there was never any proof of attraction to Cordelia except for an early conversation. Is this going to be a series, where there's nothing and then BOOM sex and love? The build-up is half the fun. I'm intrigued but not convinced. Book two will be key.

*It could also use another round of editing. I really liked the first and second book in this series, the premise is promising and sucks you into a small-town big-mystery plot, and then there is the romance between Cordelia and the Raven bros which is slow burn but realistic enough that it keeps you wanting more :) The second book I thought was a little short (I blame myself, I was really into the plot and suddenly it was the end of the book), so of course I pre-ordered the 3rd book last spring, order due to arrive May 28th, 2021. The order arrived and was downloaded but was not the correct book, and then the third book was taken down from at least the Kindle Store :(
So, there is no third book currently as of Oct. 9th 2021, which is blasphemy because I really want to know what's happening with the mystery and how Cordelia fits into it all :( I read somewhere there were personal things going on in the background so I can understand. But, I am going to stay positive and hope it comes out eventually, I will re-purchase the third book whenever it does, it was that compelling that I still carry the characters in my heart and need a conclusion ❤️. If not, I'll try to cobble together a conclusion for myself. Quick read

This book has a lot of mystery. The mystery builds as the story progresses. The romance is slow to medium burn. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary

Paranormal murder mystery!

Unlike with most books I read, I love how much I don't know in this book. I like that I don't know the circumstances around Cordelia preparing to die. I like how mysteriously creepy the town is and how I have no idea who's actually trustworthy. There's so many little questions surrounding this greater mystery and I'm totally hooked! 169 Finally! A new series

Older heroine? Check. Cute guys? Check. Missing people? Check. Quiet, weird town in the woods? Check.
Wait..missing people?
So this story feels a little different than the usual from this author. Its more mystery than romance. At this point, I feel like the main character doesn't know who to trust. As a reader, I'm amused, but I also am wondering who is behind it. The book is charming and has a nice paranormal flare to it so at this point the game is on. Haha.
Its a pretty good ride.
Be warned though! It ends just as it gets good with a little cliffhanger that leaves the reader wanting more.
I know it left me shouting, come on! Not there! What?!
When is the next one out? Not soon enough! I need it now! K.T. Strange Mystery and Men

What? What!
I finally finished this book and I am left just asking ‘what?’I can’t remember why I had stopped reading it last year, because overall I think it was a pretty good read.

The characters are interesting and the mystery that’s going on is good. I have a really good guess on what is going on with this town and who the big bad is, especially after some clues came to light.

I have a feeling that I felt like nothing was really happening when I took a long break from this book last year, but just goes to show that I needed to keep going because things picked up soon after I continued from where I left off.
Do I want to keep reading? Kinda. I want to know if I’m right in my guesses, and I want to find out if Cordelia will find a happy ending.

Overall I think this was a good book and I do want to find out what happens.
3.5⭐️ .5🌶 Wayward Secrets (The Raven Brothers of Fallen Mountain #1) Would get 5 stars but...

So here are the positives.
1. Great plot
2. Realistically relationship building
3. Creepy town
4. Decent mystery
Here are the negatives
1. Terrible editing
2. Not enough steam
3. Would have liked more POV from the men

Another negative is apparently a bunch of readers are waiting on a third book that had been uploaded but it was the wrong book? How is that possible? Is a third book coming. I did not purchase the second book due to this issue. The editing was horrible. I found no less than half the book full of grammar mistakes and missing plot points. It made it hard to read. I highly recommend for the author to hire a team to revise the story because it feels like this may never first ever written book. 169 This story hooked me from the very beginning. There is intrigue, creepiness and some hot guys. I’m not entirely sure what is going on In this town. Cordelia has moved to the mountains so she can live in a beautiful place before she dies. She finds 3 mysterious and hot “brothers” and a town full of creepy characters. I can’t wait to find out what happens next! Wayward Secrets (The Raven Brothers of Fallen Mountain #1)

My name is Cordelia Stone, and I want to die somewhere pretty.

That's how I ended up at Fallen Mountain. Lonely lakeshores, crumbling stone mountains all around me, and a forest, where I can wander into the deep when the time is right.

But even the terminally ill need to work, and I'm not dead yet. The Raven Brothers are the local guides, and they need someone to work in their camp supply store, booking hiking packages for tourists, and that sort of thing. It's the kind of job I can do for now, and they won't have too much trouble replacing me once I'm... gone.

They're not really brothers. That's the first thing I learn about them. Beau Raven, Kyron Hart, and Grady Ward might as well be related though, with how well they work together and are nearly always finishing each other's sentences. I understand why half the women in town are chasing after them, given that they seem to have a problem with keeping their shirts on most days.

It would be the whole town lusting after them, I think, except some of the women keep disappearing, into the woods, never to be seen again.

Fallen Mountain might not be the quiet place for my last few months on Earth I thought it would be...

And the Ravens not being blood-related is only one secret, the most tame one, that the brothers are keeping... Wayward Secrets (The Raven Brothers of Fallen Mountain #1)