Quinn and Josie have a history and Josie is still upset with Quinn for taking off for almost a year after her boyfriend and his best friend died almost a year ago. Now though she needs his help. A good story with mystery intrigue and suspense that will keep you going from start to finish.

Samantha Wilde's "Dead of Spring" delivers a gripping thriller set in a season of renewal turned sinister. With a well-crafted atmosphere of tension and a plot rife with twists, Wilde keeps readers engaged and guessing until the final page, making for an enthralling reading experience.

🌟 4/5 🌟

I am such a sucker for Wilde's heroes.

Quin is such a cinnamon roll. He will do anything for the people he loved, especially Josie.

The mystery in this installment was good! Though kind of obvious the liability of the character in some scenes almost makes you hope you're wrong.

I voluntarily received an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

When Quin Levington shows up at her door, Josie Ryan is fuming. It’s the one-year anniversary of Liam’s death: her boyfriend and Quin’s best friend. And it’s been eight months since Quin fell off the face of the earth—when she needed him most. Despite the anger simmering inside her, part of her is relieved to see his warm hazel eyes. But he comes bearing news. Quin believes Liam’s death wasn’t an accident, and when Josie is attacked, it becomes shockingly clear that a killer is among them. This was an interesting read. And am voluntarily leaving my review.

Firstly, thank you to netgalley for allowing me to review books and thank you to the publisher for accepting my request to read this book.

So I went into this book thinking romance and the cover looked a little supernatural-ish but if you're picking it up for those reasons, be aware there is no supernatural in this book and there is minimal romance too. This book seemed a mish-mash of thriller mystery with a splash of romance and a sprinkle of dead boyfriend best friend romance. This book seemed more like a mystery horror thriller but the cover and description scream romance, but there wasn't really any romance as both the main characters were basically in love with each other before the book started so there was no progression on that part and the mystery area of who killed her dead boyfriend seemed predictable. I did though like the characters themselves I think they were logical to their characters and seemed fleshed out well.

3.5 stars— DEAD OF SPRING is the second instalment in Samantha Wilde’s contemporary adult WHITLEMORE erotic, romantic suspense series. This is businessman Quin Lexington, and tarot reader/jewellery maker Josie Ryan’s story line. DEAD OF SPRING can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.


Told from dual third person perspectives (Quin and Josie) DEAD OF SPRING follows the building romance and relationship between Quin Lexington and Josie Ryan. One year earlier Josie’s boyfriend and Quin’s business partner Liam died on the job, at the logging company he co-owned with Quin and their friend Cody. Several months would pass when Quin would be framed for arson, a crime he did not commit, and our hero found himself on the run but as the months passed, Quin struggled in the wake of his best friend’s death, a death he now considers a possible murder. Returning home on the one year anniversary of Liam’s death, Quin finds himself falling for his best friend’s former girlfriend, a woman who has been target by an unknown assailant. Enter Josie Ryan, and the woman with whom Quin will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Josie and Quin, and the potential fall-out as our couple find themselves the target of a sick and twisted mind.


Quin Lexington has been in love with Josie Ryan for as long as he can remember but his best friend had fallen in love with Josie as well. Upon Liam’s death, Quin struggled to remain in town, and offered to sell his shares to the remaining partner but Quin never suspected that Liam’s death was anything more than an accident until pictures reveal someone may have tampered with the logging equipment. Josie Ryan battled between head and heart with the return of our story line hero. Josie needed Quin in the wake of Liam’s death but someone was trying to frame Quin Lexington, and staying in town meant facing the possibility of of a lifetime in jail.


The relationship between Josie and Quin is a friends to lovers in which Quin has never stopped loving his best friend’s girl. Quin arrival coincides with an attack against our story line heroine, and Quin offers up his protection to the woman to whom he has lost his heart. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.


The secondary and supporting characters include Josie’s best friends McKenna Winter (Dead of Winter 1), and Desiree, as well as Quin’s business partner Cody, Hank the Sheriff, LIam’s sister Kennedy, and local bad boy Frasier Donahue. Desiree’s story line is next.


DEAD OF SPRING is a story of betrayal and vengeance, desperation and obsession, love and acceptance, understanding and moving forward. The fast paced premise is entertaining and engaging; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic and dynamic.




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This romance novella has elements of mystery/thriller, but the mystery side of this wasn’t developed very well in that there weren’t any clues for the reader to be and to deduce who the bad guy is until the end when it’s revealed, and because you don’t know who it is, the thriller element seems a bit washed out. The romance was some what believable, but felt rushed. It was an ok read but I won’t be going back for more in the series

When Quin Levington shows up at her door, Josie Ryan is mad. It’s been one year since Liam’s death: her boyfriend and Quin’s best friend. And it’s been eight months since Quin fell off the face of the earth. Despite the anger simmering inside her, part of her is relieved to see his warm hazel eyes. But he comes bearing news. Quin knows he was blamed for a crime he didn’t commit. He also believes Liam’s death wasn’t an accident, and when Josie is attacked, it becomes clear that a killer is among them. Can he find out the truth while protecting his best friend's girl? Can he stop himself from acting on the feelings he has for Josie?
This was a good romantic suspense story. I haven’t read the first part of this series, but it didn’t stop my enjoyment. The characters were unique but likeable. Josie is an independent and smart woman who has learned to move on after her boyfriend’s death. I loved Quin’s attitude, and the need he had to make things right and protect Josie. The sensual scenes were steamy yet tasteful. Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader’s copy.

This was a story that kept you reading til the very end. Josie has been trying to pull her life back together after loosing her boyfriend to a job accident. It has almost been a year and she still miss Liam. Liam’s best friend Quinn was a very important person in her life, as he was also her close friend. When Quinn was blamed for setting a local bar on fire he up and left and she hasn’t heard or seen him since. Josie was on her way back to house after being outside during the night. She gets spooked and starts to run. Turns out it was just Quinn paying her a visit but she learned that too late. She ended up spraying his face with bear spray and poor Quinn was suffering from the pain. Quinn has miss Josie so much. He has loved her since the day they met but his best friend Liam made a move first and got her. Now that he is back in town he is determined to find out what really happened to Liam. Deep down Quinn knows that he was murdered but he needs to find out who did it and why. Along the way Josie starts to have feelings for Quinn and she doesn’t know if she should act on them or not. Will they be able to catch the killer in time? Will their relationship survive all of this turmoil? I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Suspense and Thrill!

Samantha Wilde has a gift for creating suspenseful, action-packed romances filled with twists and turns that hook you and keep you turning the page!  Dead of Spring is book two, following Dead of Winter which I loved it and highly recommend! Book two is just as good as book one, creating a very thrilling series.

A year ago Josie's life turned upsidedown when her boyfriend, Liam, suddenly died of an apparent accident. She had to face her greif alone because Liam's best friend, Quin disappeared. Now he's back and it brings up new emotions. However, there's more to the story of why Quin left and that becomes known when Josie's life is threatened. Now they have to face these dangers and a mysterious murderer after them.

Exciting, thrilling, dangerous and mysterious! A very captivating romance-thriller and must read! Well done and highly recommended!

I received an advanced review copy of this book via Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Quin Levington has loved Josie Ryan for years, but she was in love with his best friend Liam. He left town after the diner was set on fire as he knew he was being set up to take the blame. Returning to town months later, he is taking a chance of being arrested, but he believes that Liam was murdered and worries that Josie may be in danger. He, Liam and Cody partnered in a successful logging business, partly using funds that he had inherited. Josie had mixed feelings about Quin’s return, but she agreed to help him. He tells her that he has proof that Liam was murdered as someone tampered with the lanyard that should have held Liam safely while in the lift bucket. Who could have wanted Liam dead, and why? When Josie is almost run over by a truck, they know that she is the next victim. A fast-paced mystery as they search for the killer. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
Quin and Josie have known each other for years and Josie was Quinn’s best friend Liam’s wife. Liam died in an accident and Quin was framed for a restaurant fire. Quin returns to their hometown to find out who is framing him.
Little does he know he is getting too close to finding out Liam’s death was not an accident and someone was skimming money out of the business.
Quin also still feels the attraction between him and Josie but will they be able to stay alive to find out if they could have a HEA?

I loved Quinn and Josie's story. It was even better than the first book. I guessed the bad guy from the beginning but it didn't take away from the story. There's lots of suspense and tension. The romance is sexy and sweet and believable. The ending was perfect. I'm looking forward to Desiree's story.

This novella was a whirlwind.
This had so much action and angst and I devoured every moment. The tension between Quin and Josie was palatable. I love angst so their romance was my cup of tea. Plus romantic suspense is my jam so this was just a win win.
Due to the fast paced plot, the story reads quick. But don't worry, all loose ends are tied up and the story itself doesn't feel rushed.
So if your looking for a short romantic suspense with an angst romance pick up this book.

After Dead of Winter, I was happy to see another story in the Whistlemore series. And although I still find the Blood Brothers series a lot more intense, the novellas from Samantha are just like a little snack.

We return to Whistlemore, where McKenna (yep, from Dead of Winter) is having her monthly seance with her friend Josie. Josie is still mourning the loss of her boyfriend Liam. She is surprised, and furious, when Quinn shows up at her door.

Quinn was one of Liam’s business partners and her best friend. But after Liam’s death, he took off and never returned. Now he is back, claiming that Liam was murdered! Josie doesn’t know whether to trust Quinn or not. She does know, that she is very attracted to him.

When more incidents start happening, Josie must ask herself if this is a coincidence or that Quinn maybe the culprit behind all of it.

Who to trust? Her head of her heart? Yet another suspenseful story, with romance and sparks. Loved it! Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

This romantic suspense novel is a fun and fast read that you can put away in a few hours. Second in a series but my first, it can definitely be read as a standalone. More importantly, it is a poignant version of one of my favorite tropes: friends-to-lovers.

Quin has loved Josie for a long time but never acted on it because his best friend stated his intention first. Settling himself firmly in the friend zone, he dealt with it. But when his best friend dies and (a year later) Quin realizes it could have been murder--with Josie next on the murderer's hit list--all bets are off. He returns to the small mountain town determined to find the truth, and if he and Josie can start anew, he's not going to complain.

Suspense wise, the bad guy was easy to figure out, and aside from an obligatory red herring or two, things come to a head rather quickly. So too does Quin and Josie's transition from friends to lovers. In fact, the book's pacing feels more like a novella, which is an observation and not a criticism. What there is is well written, and I would definitely read more in this series and by the author in general.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

This is book two in The Whistlemore series and it is Quin and Josie's story and omg it is definitely a must read. When Josie's boyfriend Liam died she was devastated and then to make things worse Quin who is Liam's best friend disappears leaving Josie alone to deal with everything. Quin is devastated after his best friend Liam died but when Quin looked into Liam's death things didn't add up and he also found that his harness had been tampered with but then Quin was forced into hiding and away from Josie to keep her safe and it was one of the hardest things that he has ever had to do as he had been in love with her for a long time but kept it to himself because of Liam. One year later and Quin shows up at Josie's door and she is angry but still glad to see Quin again until he tells her the reason why he had to disappear and then things start to happen again. Danger is just around the corner watching and waiting for the right time to strike but Quin is determined to protect and keep Josie safe even if it is the last thing that he does. Omg this series is just getting better and better with each book and so addictive that you can't put them down and I can't wait to read the next book in this series and I definitely recommend you read this series and you will not be disappointed.

I Voluntarily Reviewed a Copy of This Book.

Review posted via Goodreads as of 6/2/2022
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4760652535
Josie Ryan is trying to spend the one-year anniversary of her dead boyfriend in peace. Then her boyfriend's best friend shows up. Quin Levington was the best friend of Josie's boyfriend. Josie and Quin hate each other thinking the other is responsible for the accident that killed Josie's boyfriend. Quin has always loved Josie but kept his feelings hidden. But when the killer is after Josie, Quin will do anything to keep her safe.

I found the book to be confusing. I am not the biggest fan of the boyfriend's best friend trope. But I did enjoy the chemistry between the characters and thrilling scenes. I might recommend this book to family and friends.

Second book in this fun series they are novella length sso perfect when you want something fast to read Some may not like that this leads to everything happening at a fast pace but that doesn't worry me when it is novella form

Josie Ryan and her friends are having their once a month get together when a blast from the past comes back into her life. Quin Levington was her lover Liam's best friend and business partner and he has arrived to tell her that Liam's death at their lumber business wasn't an accident but in fact murder and he thinks he can prove it Only thing is he has arrest warrant out on him for a fire at a local bar. Is it all related is he correct that there is more to Liam's death and what about the attraction that is brewing between them This is a fast paced read that will have you turning the pages

The story starts off face pace bring readers up to speed on the history of Quinn and Josie and the once spark they had for each other.

As the story moves along it starts to slow down having readers wonder what happened to the pace. The villain is easy to figure out. The story faulters and drags at times. The author quickly wraps up the mystery quickly focusing on the couple instead of the story. This might please some readers and other will be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Dead Brings by Samantha Wilde.

2 1\2 stars