Obsession Falls

Virtue Falls, Book 2

By: Christina Dodd

Narrated by: January LaVoy

Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

In Obsession Falls, New York Times best-selling author Christina Dodd returns to the town of Virtue Falls, Washington - an idyllic place on the surface, but one that holds close its secrets...

When Taylor Summers witnesses the death threat to a young boy, she does the only thing she can do - she sacrifices herself to distract the killers. Her reward is a life in ruins, on the run in the wilderness, barely surviving a bitter winter and the even more bitter knowledge she has lost everything: her career, her reputation, her identity. She finds refuge in Virtue Falls, and there comes face to face with the knowledge that, to live her life again, she must enlist the help of the man who does not trust her to defeat the man who would destroy her.

She's being hunted, but it's time to turn the tables....

©2015 Christina Dodd (P)2015 Macmillan Audio

High suspense and romance

Taylor Summers lived a normal life, in a normal place, doing normal things. Then she went to her childhood stomping grounds, meandered up into the surrounding mountains, and saw a very not-normal kidnapping on the verge of becoming a murder. A murder of a child. She had to stop it!

She did, but life as Taylor Summers ended that day. Nothing was normal again. Not the months of scrabbling and stealing to preserve her life in the wilderness, not the work she could find to do, not the place she had to live. The threat of discovery and death hovered, and the source of the greatest danger was not clear. Was it the billionaire uncle of the boy she saved from death? The charming vintner? Or the famous football player turned assassin? And in the midst of chaos, could her heart find safe harbor?

Obsession Falls is the second book in Christina Dodd’s newest suspense series; Virtue Falls was the first. As a long-time reader of Dodd’s work, I find these books a departure for her. They are more complex, with the romance often taking a backseat to the suspense. That is particularly true of Obsession Falls. Perhaps this venture into deeper entanglements led to the flaws I found in the story, which were not deal-breakers but distracting. For me, the storyline became muddy a few times, especially when she was in the wilderness. The scattered scenes illuminating brief episodes over those months were sometimes hard to connect to the main story. I wondered if she’d written this section much longer, then had to go back and cut out a lot of it. Overall, it felt like it wanted to be a longer book, with some of the action feeling disjointed. It is definitely Taylor’s story, with the romantic interest not even appearing until well into the book. The romantic aspect was likewise muddy, for me. If there’s a Happily Ever After (HEA) in the offing, I want it to be clear and strong, at least by the ending. This was less clear. And speaking of the ending, it was definitely a setup for a sequel and felt crafted specifically to do that rather than to further the story told in Obsession Falls.

But, criticism notwithstanding, I enjoyed the book and have it in my Audible library. I will listen to it again, along with Virtue Falls, which I also like. Taylor Summers is an engaging heroine, likeable and real. The secondary characters are likewise well-drawn, and I was able to submerge myself into the story with little effort. Overall the storyline is strong, the action riveting, and the danger menacing. I am looking forward to the next installment of the series, which I hope will bring additional resolution to Taylor’s story.

January LaVoy did the book justice. Her narration is animated, and allows you to fully enter the action of the story - which, to me, is the highest compliment you can pay a narrator. There are no peculiarities to her narration that distract, and she voices the characters effectively.

If you are a mystery/suspense fan, and like some romance in the mix, you will enjoy Obsession Falls!

First Christina Dodd Book I actually disliked.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Normally I enjoy Christina Dodd books, but this one made me feel like she was trying to change markets again, and I got duped into buying a genre I normally would not because I trusted the author.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I don't know what my next book will be but it won't be the sequel to this one despite the cliff hanger. I don't want to spend any more time with these characters.

Exceptional Book

I started on audible and couldn't wait to find out what happened so I read it on the Kindle and still finished on audible. Christina Dodds is an amazing writer.

Two different authors?

The first part of this book was excellent. The second part was terrible!! It lacked character description and included violence that was unnecessary against one of the main characters. Would not recommend this book in the series....skip it and go to the next one.

Love this series with unique and eccentric players

I love dodds skills at weaving a story, this was like hearing two separate novels in one. Great female lead and a clever plot. Just read!

Are you sure this isn't another "Fifty Shades of G

Would you try another book from Christina Dodd and/or January LaVoy?

Hated the sexual tones during part of this book. "Superwoman" comics revisited.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not really. Sounded like a teen age writer.

Any additional comments?

Cannot recommend this book at all.

The Falls series is getting complicated...

I wanted to love this book - 'cause I loved the first one, but it didn't quite make it. I don't want to be a SPOILER but I didn't like the creepy ending. Reminded me of the short story she wrote about the relatives who came to stay and wouldn't leave... Also, Christina Dodd usually writes the sex/romance scenes really well, hot but without the really TMI details, but something was really off with this one. I love that the heroine was conflicted - the one true love thing is sometimes overused and sometimes love, and sex, are a choice so that was good , but I just wish the heroine really FELT her passion for the hero, not just thought it.
Overall the Obsession thing was great and the supporting characters really facinating. I can't wait to find out what Katari does to sort out Landlubber (sorry about the spelling - that's what happens when you listen instead of read). Still way above average, but not Dod's best.

Structure not good. Lavoy's performance helped.

Structure and transition between changes in storyline was not good. Lavoy's performance helped bring story to life.

Unfinished

There were too many unfinished plot lines. I love books in a series as a feel like a good writing makes you know and like the characters and makes you want to hear more from and about them in later books. However, I want each book to have a distinct ending. This book ended with a cliffhanger. Otherwise, it was a good book with strong hero and heroine, nice plot and suspense. I also love this particular narrator.

Great story.

Loved this. Love the characters and location. Suspenseful and romantic. Narration was awesome and can’t wait for next story