Take Me Back is a murder mystery written in that grim, matter of fact voice that many mysteries seem to have. This is a good story, although missing excitement.

I have mixed feelings on this one so I'll start with the good. The story is very good with a good mix of romance and suspense. The writing is great and the characters are interesting and well developed. Hallie Cavanaugh and Jim Lawson work well together and their history is intriguing. The way Hallie's father manipulates her even from the grave is frustrating. Even more frustrating is how Hallie let's it happen. Yet I did like her and I liked her for Jim. What I didn't care for in this was I thought the suspense part of it was a little too easy to figure out. Most of the story I was reading it to confirm I was right. Also, I thought this story was a little drawn out. I found myself skimming a lot of the middle part of the story. Yet overall I did enjoy the story and would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.

Romance, suspense, insecurity, greed, spite, heartbreak, resolution and love.
Many favourite moments in this book. Rosalind James delivers a cracking mix of romance and suspense that kept me turning the pages.
Insightful, emotional- did I mention a hot sheriff?
Lines that stick with me :
" You're ready to be his steady place in a hard world, just like he'll be that for you".
I am thinking that would do for most of us in today's hard world.

I really enjoyed this book, though I found myself wishing the heroine was a bit less "good". She was emotionally abused by her father and emotionally abandoned by her mother. She broke free from him and made a satisfying life for herself, but he's managed to reel her back to her hometown with a legacy that's hard to resist.

I liked the way she handled that situation. I loved the hero and the way their story unfolded. The suspense part was the weakest for me. The escalation felt out of place, somehow. I needed more explanation or motivation for the actions of the villain.

4 Star Review of Take Me Back (Paradise, Idaho #4) by Rosalind James

Rosalind James has a talent for romantic suspense and book number four in this series was just as enjoyable to read as the previous books.

Hallie Cavanaugh left Paradise, Idaho behind a long time ago and hasn't been back; that is until the death of her father that brings her back for his funeral and the reading of his will.
The last thing she needs or wants is to encounter Jim Lawson, the deputy sheriff, the man who broke her heart fourteen years ago.

All Jim, a widower, wants to do is his job, raise his daughter and avoid Hallie, the constant reminder of a bad boy past. From the grave Henry Cavanaugh continues to manipulate his daughter. The terms of his will mean that Hallie gets the house and contents but to get her share of his fortunes she needs to spend six months in the house and not have a sexual relationship with Jim Lawson. Of course that is the difficulty as the sexual attraction between Jim and Hallie has not disappeared.

However, not everyone is happy that Hallie has returned to town to claim her inheritance, particularly the person that murdered her father Henry. When Hallie is threatened, Jim knows that he will do whatever he can to protect her.

Ms. James characters are always strong, particularly the women and Hallie was no exception.
I really liked her and Jim and it was great to read about their history as they try and navigate a future together.

Take Me Back was at times a gripping read; there were a few twists and turns that had me guessing but I eventually figured out who the villain was. Mystery, romance , suspense, it was all there and I look forward to reading more from Ms. James.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher.

Another DNF for me. TAKE ME BACK was my first Rosalind James book, and whilst the fourth entry in the Paradise, Idaho series, it can be read as a standalone. I want to point out that it’s not that the book is bad per se, but when I’m past 10 chapters in and neither the characters nor the plot have managed to grab me--such that I’m simply turning pages disinterestedly to see if I can get to the point where the story finally picks up--it’s time to stop and move on. Second-chance/reunion romances are an extremely tough sell for me, and TAKE ME BACK failed to get me invested in why hero Jim Lawson and heroine Hallie Cavanaugh broke up back in high school and haven’t spoken in 14 years, or rooting for them to resolve their differences and have their HEA. I’m a big suspense and thriller reader, and whilst TAKE ME BACK begins with the murder of cantankerous old arsehat (and town tyrant) Henry Cavanaugh, I felt no pressing need to discover who’d done it. It’s quite possible the tension ratchets up later in the book and doesn’t let up until the end, but a suspense book needs to grab you from the get-go and take you on a nonstop thrill ride.

**ARC received from Montlake via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Take Me Back is book #4 in Rosalind James' Paradise, Idaho series. Although it is fourth in the series it can definitely be read as a stand-alone novel with no problem. I've read nearly all of RJ's books and I think that the Paradise series is my favorite, and this book is the best so far, IMO.

The story starts with the death of Henry Cavanagh, the richest and most disliked man in Paradise. His estranged daughter Hallie returns for the funeral even though she has had no contact with her father for the past five years. Wouldn't you know the first person she runs into is Jim Lawson, the twin brother of her best friend, who was also the high school crush who broke her heart years ago. Jim is a former army ranger and now a deputy sheriff, he's also widower with a young daughter. Although neither is willing to admit it at first there is still an attraction between them.

There are many twists and turns throughout the story. Starting with Jim's suspicion that Henry's death might not have been from natural causes. Then Henry's will reveals secrets about Jim's family, and in order to claim her inheritance, Hallie has to remain in town for six months. In the following weeks and months, things happen that show a threat to Hallie's safety and Jim finds himself getting closer to her in his need to protect her from harm.

RJ does a good job of keeping the reader guessing as to whom the villain is. By about halfway through I had my suspects narrowed down to two, and by three fourths of the way I knew who it was and it turned out I was right. Still enjoyed reading and trying to figure out the mystery. Loved the UST between the H/h and enjoyed seeing it resolved. The history of the two is revealed slowly throughout the book and it turns out to be much more that a teen crush gone bad, with most all of the heartache orchestrated by Hallie's father Henry.

Once again RJ has ticked all the boxes in what I love in romantic suspense: strong hero, smart independent heroine, good supporting cast, twisty plot, sexual attraction, enough smutty goodness to be hot but not take over the story, and ultimately a happy ending.

I'd give Take Me Back 5 stars and would recommend it to readers of romantic suspense, or general contemporary romance readers.

A surprisingly sweet story that makes me want to read the other books in the series, I'd recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a great romance story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

4 1/2 stars
Great mystery romance book! The book starts out with a murder of billionaire Henry Cavanaugh. But it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy (sarcasm)! But who is the killer? Author Rosalind James does a masterful job at keeping her reader guessing who the murderer could be right up until the very end of the book. We are introduced to each suspect, learn their history with the deceased and given their motive is for wanting to kill him. Oh, so many suspects!
Jim Lawson is a sheriff and detective in the small of Paradise. He and his partner are assigned to the Cavanaugh murder case. While they begin to investigate they must notify Henry's only child. Estranged daughter, Hallie Cavanaugh. Someone Jim Lawson is very familiar with!
Hallie comes back to Paradise for her estranged fathers funeral but only because his lawyer says she must be present for the reading of the will. Hallie had thought her father had written her out of the will so she was surprised when she was summoned. The reading of the will is full of surprises as are the people who were summoned. Of course the will itself leads to many suspects. Not everyone leaves happy about what the billionaire left or didn't leave them.
Hallie and Jim seem to still have a strong attraction to one another but they can't get involved for reasons I won't spoil for you here. But while Hallie is back living in the mansion she grew up in she begins to get threats telling her to leave town. Throughout the book the threats escalate as does the sexual tension between Hallie and Jim. Sexual tension that must be released!
This book will take hold of you from the first page to the last. The cast of characters are interesting and well written. The suspense leaves you hanging until the very end.
This book is a standalone with a HEA! I highly recommend it.
I reviewed this book so that other readers may enjoy it as well.

Wow. From nearly the moment you start reading you're hooked.
Hallie has to go back to Paradise, Idaho for the one person or reason she left. This time it was to bury him. She didn't even want to go to that but his attorney insisted & said she had to be there for the Will..... But her father's "ghost" isn't the only one she is being "chased" by.
A love that would never be & 14yrs of secrets & life happening while she was away.
This book had everything! Mystery, romance, heart pounding action, humor and twists & turns you do expect. I look forward to reading other books by this author.... she's a gifted storyteller.

This book had me guessing until almost the end – a good little mystery surrounded by a story of power, dysfunctionality, family and even love. Hallie is back in Paradise for the reading of her father’s will – he was a hated man, and she had broken free and moved away years before. She’s the poor little rich girl who only wanted normal. Jim lives in Paradise and has known Hallie forever – he was her first – and that was the event that changed their lives and set the wheels in motion for this story.

Rosalind James has created a world where the characters seem real, and where rich isn’t enough for a lot of people. I really enjoyed that this story has a heroine who has created her own life and enjoys giving away daddy’s money and possessions. So refreshing! Multi-dimensional character development, vivid descriptions, and compelling storytelling make this story stand out. If you enjoy romance with mystery and a bit of thriller, this book is for you! Five stars!!!

Hallie Cavanaugh has returned to Paradise, Idaho for her Fathers funeral and the reading of his will. Hallie and her Father had a contentious relationship. Her Father was a very manipulative and controlling man and he is still trying to control people from the grave. Hallie has to decide if it is worth it to fulfill the conditions of the will or return to her life in Seattle. It becomes obvious there are people who have an interest in her leaving town and don't have a problem encouraging her to make that decision, anonymously of course. Complicating the picture is a teenage relationship that ended badly between Hallie and Jim Lawson who is now a widowed deputy in town. There is a very strong attraction between them, but conditions in the will make a relationship risky.

This is part of a series, but could be read on its own. There is a mystery in this book. There are a limited number of suspects so I was able to guess who the bad guy was. There is also romance, with some hot sex scenes. Even though I figured out the bad guy, the book held my interest all the way to the end and I wouldn't hesitate recommending it. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

3.5*
This book starts with a murder and goes from there.
Henry Cavanaugh was the richest and most hated man in town, he was a despicable human being and while no one will miss him the question remains who killed him?
The reading of his will brings to light some secrets and surprises, of course he couldn't just give his money to his daughter he has to make her jump through hoops.
We have an interesting selection of characters the main two being Hallie the daughter who hasn't had any contact with her father for five years, she also believed she'd been cut from the will and Jim the town's deputy who used to be a troubled youth and broke Hallie's young heart.
Now my problem was I worked out really quickly who the villain was (or more importantly I thought I had) the more I read the more I realised I was right and then I started thinking how I actually like more of a challenge, I like to work for my answer not have it just given to me.
So it was just left for me to settle down (smugly) and read the rest of it and let all the characters catch up with me.
There's some fabulous characters here and it made for interesting reading and things hot up as the killer decides things aren't going the way they expected or as fast as they expected.
Then about half way in I started to have my doubts about the killer, things weren't adding up and I realised I might have been wrong. The more I read the more I realised I'd no idea who the killer was and I was so glad.
I liked so much about this book especially that it kept me guessing but something was missing, I'm not sure what exactly I know I didn't really feel any passion between Hallie and Jim although I liked them both and wanted them together I think part of it was I wanted her to want him more then the money and yes I know it wasn't really about the money but I wanted uncontrollable passion.

ARC from NetGalley

I will add my review to Amazon and Goodreads closer to the release date.
This was my first read by this author.
The main characters had great chemistry. Honestly it was a slower pace than I like in my books. I did like the character development, but it seemed like there was a lot of risk taken on the H/h part. I didn't see the twist coming in the end, so all in all a good read.

After a father she was estranged from dies, a woman who left Paradise, Idaho due to his abuse, return reluctantly at the urging of his lawyer and has to come to terms with her past along with the man she had a high school fling with who is now the town's Sheriff.

This has a little of everything. Murder mystery, finding out that the victim was even more reprehensible than anyone knew, a second chance romance and a woman finally coming into her own and conquering the emotional abuse her childhood had damaged her with.