Review: If I Should Die by Allison Brennan

If I Should Die is the third book in the Lucy Kincaid series. I had not read the first two; in fact this was my first book by Allison Brennan. I have wanted to try her books for a while but for some reason just never got around to it. I had heard great things about her ability blend of suspense and romance so I was happy I got a chance to review this book.

For fans of the series, this book will start close to when the last one left off. Lucy and Sean are on vacation and stop at a friends’ resort to help them figure out who might be behind some recent vandals. Adam and Tim are in the process of building a resort and the people of the town do not want it built.  Adam and Tim do not know why the resistance is or who the cause is. While chasing one of the vandals on an ATV, Sean falls down a mine shaft. When Lucy is lowered down to rescue him she smells decay and they find the body of a woman. The woman is posed very oddly which makes Lucy decide to come back and investigate.

Once the authorities are informed and everyone is assembled to view the body they find out the body is gone. Small town gossip has alerted the person who dumped the body and they came back to retrieve it. Now Lucy and Sean have two issues on their hands, the threats and abuse of the resort and a missing body. They must decide which issue to pursue and where to put their energy. In the end, could both issues be connected? The sequences and events that follow are fast paced and fun to read. And there are some pretty good smex scenes thrown in for good measure. I was quite happy that aspect of the book was not skimped on!
We also heard the voice of the villain in the story. The person has several chapters where motives and reasons are explained. It was nice to get this side of the story. Brennan wrote the bad guy very clearly and easy to understand.

I was a little behind not knowing the history of Lucy and Sean and what they have been through. Eventually I understood that seven years prior Lucy had been the victim of a vicious attack and she had killed her attackers. Sean and Lucy had been dating for a while and Lucy has not admitted her feelings to Sean. Sean has not been shy about his feelings and tells Lucy he loves her quite often. From the details of the attack I understood Lucy’s reluctance to admit dependence or feelings for anyone; however at a point I did get a little frustrated with her. She was always thinking the words she wanted to say but they never seemed to come out of her mouth. When she did finally say them, it was almost in a clichéd life or death moment. I would have liked them to be said at a different time. Words of love said under duress do not hold as much water, for me. And by that point I was very much taken with Sean. I think he deserved those words and so much more. He is a strong, likable character that was willing to put up with pretty much anything for the woman he loved.

Allison Brennan writes a story with a lot of players and a lot of moving parts. I am glad I was able to finally read one of her books. I was not disappointed with the result and I think fans of this series and of Brennan will like this latest installment.  Next time I have the chance I will definitely pick up another book from her. Final grade- B.

Favorite Quote (excellent example of their relationship):

His voice cracked when he said, “I love you, too, Princess. And neither of us died today. I’d say it’s a win-win all around.”

Rating: B
If I Should Die by Allison Brennan
November 22nd 2011 by Random House
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