Book Review: The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey

About the book:
A Corpse That Only Leads to Secrets. 
An Old Flame with Danger Written all over Her.
Things Are about to Get Very Complicated.

When one Coast Guard officer is found dead and another goes missing, Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous crime yet. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officer's boat, and the direction the clues point to will test Finn and the Guard to their limits.

The already volatile situation is complicated even further by the arrival of Gabby Rowley--Finn's boss's sister and an investigative reporter with unrelenting questions about the crime. Now that she's returned, the tug on Finn's heart is strong, but with the risks she's taking for her next big story, he fears she might not live through it.

Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Gabby can't ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them. But will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer, or will they become his next mark?

Series: Coastal Guardians, #1

My rating:

Oh boy...I've got such conflicting emotions. Before I dive in, I'd just like to put a disclaimer here and say that HELLO I DO NOT LIKE STORIES WITH JOURNALISTS AS THE PROTAGONIST. (If you read Tuesday's post, you already knew that.) I'm not quite sure why, I just don't. It really gets on my nerves.

So, let's start with the setting.
I loved the beachy setting, with all the surfing and the small-town-coffehouse feels. That was amazing. I loved the CGIS setup, though other than their title, I honestly couldn't tell that they were a branch of the military.

The characters...
Finn was fantastic. For the most part. I loved his character, his struggles with self-confidence and his path to redemption. But his seemingly uncontrollable emotions around Gabby? I understand that it's pretty much impossible to control your emotions. But he could've used a bit more self-restraint.

Gabby. Oh boy. I'm not gonna lie, she drove me absolutely insane. Wasn't going to let anything—and I mean NOTHING—get in the way of a story that wasn't hers until she appointed herself to it. And when there'd been more than one attempt on her life, she didn't seem to get the memo that SHE NEEDED PROTECTION. Good grief, lady, give your overprotective brother a little slack and make him worry a little less!

Noah? He was amazing. 'Nuff said.

Rissi...I loved her character, but I was a little confused as to why she got her own POV in the book? I'm assuming it's to set the stage for the next book, which I'm assuming is her story? 'Cause if it's not, I'm so confused. (The ending, though—I COMPLETELY saw that coming.)

The plot.
So, the plot was good and engaging. I really enjoyed the suspense aspect of it. It kept me guessing, and the mystery was fantastic. But...the romance. Let's talk about the romance, shall we?

So, Gabby and Finn were getting really serious—in love, even—and then she got a job opportunity and just dumped him?! This girl has seriously messed-up priorities. It's pointed out several times in the book that Gabby will do anything for a story, even if it means putting others below her job. And she refuses to believe it! In Gabby's mind, she's practically never wrong, and I'm sorry but it's messed. up. I get that being an investigative reporter is her job and everything, but seriously, she's not trained for combat, y'all!

*coughs* Okay, back to the romance. She dumps him with hardly a goodbye, and then six months later is practically forced to stay in his guesthouse by her brother. Which I understand. But then, when she's fully planning to leave things the way they are with Finn (no marriage, basically) they take walks, sit on the beach in the moonlight, and do some serious making out. Then she's like, "Rats, shouldn't have done that," and plans to avoid that more in the future...but of course it doesn't happen.

*deep breath* can you tell I didn't like the romance? I honestly would've rated this book 1 or 2 stars except that the mystery/suspense part was really good. (And that bit with the Collector's 'babies'? I totally called it as soon as I read it.) Plus, I loved Rissi's POV. I promise, I didn't mean to make this a rant review. But, uh, yeah...not thrilled.

*I received a free e-copy from Netgalley for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Have you read The Killing Tide? What were your thoughts?