Beguiled

Rylee Monroe is a dogwalker to the elite of Charlestown who live South of Broad St. A rash of thefts have been occurring South of Broad, by a criminal dubbed "The Robin Hood Burglar" since the stolen articles end up at churches or charities with notes to sell the piece and give the profits to the needy. Ever since Rylee nearly caught the Robin Hood Burglar in the act, she's been a bundle of nerves.

Investigative newspaper reporter Logan Woods dubbed the Robin Hood Burglar in the papers first and has been hot on the trail of the story. He has contacts with the police, and he is eager to publish a book about crimes in Charlestown. The publisher only wants to accept the book if the Robin Hood Burglar story is included, but since the story is still ongoing, Logan needs it to end before his book is completed.

As more and more Robin Hood thefts occur, the police find that nearly every victim is or had been a former client of Rylee's. The police focus their attention on her since her name keeps cropping up in the case. The more Logan digs, the more he realizes Rylee and her family are somehow involved in the Robin Hood burglaries though he can't see Rylee as a criminal. Indeed, he is beginning to fall in love with the beautiful dogwalker. Together, Logan & Rylee join forces to hunt down the real Robin Hood Burglar. As the thefts increase in anger & property damage, they realize they are trying to catch a very real criminal.

Beguiled is a romantic suspense novel by two authors, Deeanne Gist, who writes romance, and J. Mark Bertrand, a suspense writer. I don't think this book had a seamless flow, and at times, it definitely seemed like a book written by two authors. I also didn't get how Rylee could always rollerblade so easily over bumpy cobblestones or scale a brick wall while wearing rollerblades (that part especially seemed unbelievable to me). I found the ending of the book somewhat forced and wasn't satisfied with the conclusion and *spoiler alert* I had long realized Rylee's father must have been killed & didn't desert his family, eons before the big reveal in the book, and the last 1/3 of the book seemed to move very slow, whereas the first 2/3 of the work seemed to have a better pace and flow. I'd give these authors another shot, especially in their own genres and maybe even if they collaborate again. I did very much enjoy the Charlestown setting and the descriptions of various parks, monuments, and restaurants. There is a bit of a Christian bent to this story, and I wish it would have been explored a bit more. But to my mind, the Christian element is not in-your-face, and I liked the pace at which the romance developed (wasn't instanteous and it seemed to develop naturally).

Rylee Monroe is a professional dog walker to Charleston's wealthy. The ones who can't be bothered to care for their own pets. But a thief known only as "Robin Hood" is terrorizing the rich, stealing only one thing, something with sentimental value, and giving it to a non-profit organization.

Since most of the victims are Rylee's clients, Rylee is considered a suspect in the case. And a local reporter, Logan Woods, wants to solve this crime for two reasons. He wants to be a top reporter, and he is writing a book about this event. A publisher is interested--as soon as the crime is solved. But the police don't seem to be making any effort.

Logan decides to try to solve this on his own. He realizes that someone is targeting Rylee but the more he digs the more the evidence point to Rylee. She seems to be at the center of everything. Now Logan is left with a choice. Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens it all?

BEGUILED is a collaborated author between prize-winning Gist, and debut author, Bertrand. I can't say I am impressed with the writing. The passion, fun, and unexpected surprises of Gist's voice are gone, and in its place is something flat, lifeless, and basic. I don't like this duo writing together. I hope that Bertrand will do better individually, he does have a book releasing in July of this year.

If there was a faith message, it was rather weak. And as a a suspense, this wasn't terribly imaginative. It was fairly easy to discover who did it. The characters are rather flat, but the careers and motives of the two main characters are well-planned out. They both have conflict, internal and external, that they must work through in order for them to find happiness. So, the basics are there. If you are looking for a Gist book, or a suspense, then maybe BEGUILED is a book to consider. If you are looking for a fantastic, page-turning read, then maybe you should look further.

This was a nice light read, Christian suspense is how I would classify it. Rylee is a dog walker for Charleston's elite, a group she used to belong to before her father vanished with all their money and her mother committed suicide. When a "Robin Hood" burglar keeps targeting the houses that she has connections to the police begin to suspect her. She joins forced with a reporter (Logan) looking to solve the murders that she meets by chance in one of her walking thinking he is up to nefarious purposes. Together they work on the case, and discover many things about Rylee's past that many wanted to leave hidden.

I just got finished reading Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand and it was fantastic! It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to read an excellent book and finish in two days!

Beguiled is the perfect combination between mystery and romance. Rylee is a dogwalker in an upscale Charleston neighborhood. When several of her clients are burglarized by the Robin Hood Burglar, the police begin suspecting that she is somehow involved. Rylee teams up with a local news reporter Logan to find out who is really behind the burglaries.

Now, I've read quite a bit of Christian fiction in my time ... and my fair share of romance and mysteries as well. The authors did a wonderful job writing the story in such a way that you are still guessing "who did it" until the very end of the book.

I also felt that Rylee was represented as a "real" person ... she had problems that stemmed from her childhood and were still affecting how she lived her adult life. The authors allowed her to deal with these problems realistically ... through friendships and her relationship with God.

I would definitely recommend this book to my friends! But only if you have a weekend to start and finish it. You won't want to put this book down!

This book was given to me by Bethany Publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review of the book.

be·guile: verb (used with object), -guiled, -guil·ing.
1. to influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; mislead; delude.
2. to take away from by cheating or deceiving (usually fol. by of): to be beguiled of money.
3. to charm or divert: a multitude of attractions to beguile the tourist.
4. to pass (time) pleasantly: beguiling the long afternoon with a good book.
(from [...])

Beguíled is a suspense/romance novel. These are the kind of books that I love! And this was no exception. When a lonely dogwalker, Rylee has an unfortunate contact with reporter, Logan Woods, a love story weaved with mystery has begun.

Break-ins have been happening all through Charleston's wealthiest areas, and somehow they are all pointing right in the direction of Rylee. Logan works hard to scoop the story and beat the police at finding the criminal. So is his interest in Rylee simply to gain momentum in the story and pin it on her? Or is it a true romantic interest?

I read this book quickly -- it was an easy read. This was the two authors, Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand's, first novel together. Through the first chapters, while setting up the plot of the story, I could tell it was from two different people writing. However, as the story went on and drew me into the book, you would have thought the authors had been writing together for years.

This is a great book for those times when you just want to get lost in a story! You will find yourself "beguiling the long afternoon with a good book!"

Read more about this book on the BethanyHouse website.

A captivating book about a dogwalker in upscale Charleston who seems to have trouble following her or is she causing the trouble? Will the journalist she has taken a liking to help her and can she trust her heart with him? Gist and Bertland join forces to create a story line which will keep you interested in what happens next. I enjoyed this book from the first chapter to the last. I am a fan of Deeanne Gist and have read all of her books. This one is not like the others because of her collaboration with J. Mark Bertrand. You still get a great story line, the romance, and now there is the enjoyable suspense to go along. I just couldn't put it down!

This book was a free copy from the publisher.

If you like tame-ish romantic suspense, this is probably the book for you. There are healthy doses of both romance and suspense between the covers. It opens by giving women home alone the creeps as well as the desire to scream at the otherwise bright heroine, "DON'T GO UP THE STAIRS!" (How many horror flicks do you have to watch to know that isn't a good decision? Call the cops for cryin' out loud!) Strangely enough, though, after the first couple of chapters of creeps, I was able to read through the rest of the book without the feeling someone was watching me through my bedroom window shades. It felt rather like if the bad guy was intent upon hurting her (rather than her reputation) he would have done it already. Without her person being harmed, I could handle the obliteration of her life. Especially if it lead the the Happily Ever After that inevitably finishes up Romantic Suspense. There are characters that you love to hate and those that you don't understand the purpose of, but overall, and as far as romantic suspense goes, it was a pretty good read. Not nightmare inducing, thank goodness, but not a yawner either. Just my Big Honkin' Chicken Club style. (I think the head nod goes to Deborah Raney for that club title.)

Deeanne Gist's romance writing combined with J. Mark Bertrand's suspense writing blend together into a interesting tale.
Rylee is a sweet, overly naive orphan trying to support her grandmother. She finds herself a suspect in a ring of burglaries. The Robin Hood like thief steals and turns the items over to charities telling them to sell the items and use the money. Rylee's clients are the victims, missing items that hold sentimental value. In steps Logan Woods, a resourceful, energetic reporter who fears dogs. Together, the two begin to investigate.
I did find the main character of Rylee being a rollerblading dog walker a bit unusual, yet her walks through Charleston did give me a good picture of what the city is like. Honestly, I did have the mystery figured out fairly quickly and the book felt a bit predictable to me. All in all, it did keep me entertained and distracted as I waited during my husband's surgery. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

*Thank you to Bethany House for supplying this book free of charge as part of their book review program.

"Beguiled" had me from the opening sentence. I found it difficult to put down and even found myself reading it while waiting in queues or at a red light. A thief has been dubbed as the "Robin Hood Thief" - stealing "treasures" that, although they are lovely pieces, really hold more sentimental value than monetary. The connection among the objects only becomes clear at the very end of the novel. Gist and Bertrand do a great job of keeping the reader in suspense and questioning who the thief is. Although there were certain characters that I knew were definitely not the thief, I never figured it out until the identity was revealed by the authors.

On a superficial level, dog-walker Rylee seems to be the culprit. Who else but a trusted employee with access to all homes? But Rylee embodies innocence and a bit of naiveté - a truly guiltless young lady who always happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It simply does not fit her character to be the mastermind behind a series of crimes which seem to have a common thread. The variety of characters is truly refreshing and are well-developed throughout the novel.

Throw in some romance and the stage is set for a novel which will appeal to a variety of audiences. Suspense, romance, redemption and trust - what more could you want in a novel?

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

I plucked this one from the discount rack because I was intrigued by the "unique romantic suspense novel" billing on the back cover. I've always loved Ms. Gist's work and looked forward to reading this one. As far as the romance and the suspense, they are both there, but I felt at a somewhat mediocre quality. When you have two writers, there has to be comprise and that ruined this work. And, with compromise, the passion is lacking. There were passages in this book that didn't work. More than once, I had to ask myself, "Whose point of view is it now?" and then go back and figure it out; what a hurdle!

Rylee Monroe is your average dog walker serving the wealthy families who live in historical Charleston. That is, until her client's houses begin to be ransacked. Logan Woods is a Charleston reporter assigned to cover the recent break-ins. Along the way, he meets Rylee and together they work to find the perpetrator. However, could it be that the perpetrator is right in front of his own eyes?
Join Rylee and Logan on this fast-paced thriller as they cross paths with villains and unsuspecting victims. Hold your breath as crime winds its way through the cobbled alleys of historic Charleston and let your jaw drop when the final `whodunnit' is revealed!
Deanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand did a marvelous job writing this novel. It was intriguing with more than enough action and just the right amount of romance. This thriller kept me on the edge of my seat until the final pages. I would definitely recommend this book!
******
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers who provided this copy for review purposes!

I finished reading a book titled The Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand early this evening. When I first started the book early last week, I expected to become almost immediately enthralled with the book and breeze through it in an evening or at most two evenings. However, this ended up not being the case - at least not until I was approximately halfway through the book. Despite being somewhat of a slow starter, The Beguiled redeemed itself at more or less the halfway point of its approximately 320 pages.

After the plot line really starts running the book is solid enough, but the mystery is likely going to be a little difficult to piece together in its entirety until the end of the book. I would give The Beguiled a 3. It is a fun casual read, but the mystery is not quite intense enough to merit more.

The Christian fiction element is very subtle in this book.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Beguiled.

I stopped reading Christian fiction after high school. Last year I picked up A Proper Pursuit and I was intrigued enough to give it another go. I guess I didn't figure things would improve that much in 10 years. After a bit of research (I'm still picky about ANY fiction that I read) led me to this book I got the Audible version b/c as a teacher in a foreign country a lot of my reading time is occupied by my work and language learning so its nice to be able to listen to a book while my eyes are otherwise occupied (cleaning, cooking, on the bus etc).

Anyway, I'm pretty critical of christian romance in particular because I found them either too boring or predictable to me. But I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was suspenseful, there was mystery to figure out and it was not gag/bore-me romantic. I loved the fact that all the pieces were put together and the mystery unfolded in such a way that I was always thinking about whodunnit and what was going on. I didn't figure it out until the last hour of the book and even then I wasn't quite sure.

My ONLY critique is there was quite a bit of talk/reflection on how some of the characters were appreciating the physical appearance of other characters. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't over-the-top Harlequinn Romance-style but in real life, I'd be chastising myself to think on things that are lovely, pure, true and set my mind on things above etc. Truthfully, if it were a book that was secular I would be quite glad that it was so clean. To the author's credit it wasn't unrealistic yet it was tame and she can't please everybody! But that's the only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5. If I could it would have been 4 1/2!

Beguiled immediately struck my interest, as I have enjoyed previous books by Deeane Gist, and I'm a huge fan of suspense fiction. Beguiled had a little bit of everything in it: romance, plot twists to keep the reader guessing, and plenty of suspense.

As I finished the book, I was satisfied with the ending (everything seemed to be resolved), but I felt as if part of the development of the resolution was missing. I'm not sure if it was because I read in little snippets (15-20 minutes at a time) or if something was actually missing in the story. I guess you'll have to read it for yourself to decide...

Deeanne Gist's romance writing combined with J. Mark Bertrand's suspense writing come together to weave an enjoyable story. The mystery was relatively easily solved, but the tale kept my attention because of the likeability of the main characters in the story. You'll find yourself rooting for the best for Rylee and hoping she'll learn how to let go and let love find her and for the reporter who is researching the case as he looks for clues and finds himself beguiled by the main suspect. The rich atmosphere of historic Charleston lends extra charm to Beguiled. Very entertaining.

This book definitely has a style that is different from Dee's normal writing, but that is to be expected since it was co-written. The suspense element was good and the plot ended in a way that I never saw coming. I had guessed one part of the "Robin Hood" thief very early on, but was surprised at how the whole story intertwined with other character's personal stories. I didn't connect with this book as well as with Dee's other books, but I still really liked it. And if Dee and Mark ever write another book together then I will definitely be reading that one too.

Beguiled, a collaboration between established romance author Deanne Gist and new mystery author J. Mark Bertrand, lures you with its great characters and a mystery that is unraveled piece by piece. Rylee Monroe, a dog walker in historic Charleston , happens upon a reporter, Logan Woods, who is covering the thief dubbed Robin Hood. The thief steals from the rich and donates it to a local charity. When it appears she may be involved, Logan races the police to find the real culprit.
I highly recommend Beguiled! It fleshes out the characters and gives clues without giving away the resolution. I look forward to Mr. Bertrand's solo book, Back On Murder, coming in July.

Loved the characters, loved the story line. I thought I knew who "dun it" from the beginning and I was right - but there was a twist I didn't see coming. I will definitely be looking for more books from these authors!

A romantic suspense novel with a somewhat predictible story line, set in Charleston SC. The characters are believable, and the historic setting is well-described. However, the attempts at adding a "faith element" to the characters' lives is weak and somewhat forced. The power of love and grace throughout the story are strong enough on their own that they do not need a mom and dad "reminding" their adult son of his need to be in church. Likewise, Rylee's turn to God while incarcerated is another example of forcing the faith issue as her faith is never again mentioned upon her release. The book seems torn between reaching the romantic suspense audience and appealing to the faith community, and the faith community is trivialized. Thus I am somewhat beguiled at the intended audience.

I was really excited to read this book, coauthored by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand, because I have read almost every single book that Gist has written. Though known for her historical fiction books, Gist tackles a contemporary fiction book with Beguiled.

The storyline was intriguing. Rylee, a dog walker for many wealthy families in Charleston, is suspected in a series of "Robin Hood" break-ins. Enter Logan, a reporter covering the story. Is Rylee involved in the break-ins? Can Logan figure out who the thief is before someone gets hurt? Can Rylee overcome her distrust of men and begin a relationship?

I can't really say much about the ending because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is interested in reading this book. But I was completely caught off guard for how the break-ins wrapped up. In most books when I am normally predicting each event as it unfolds, this is a nice change of pace.

My only complaint with the book is that it seemed lacking in the Christian aspect of Christian Fiction. There were a couple casual thoughts about God and one "conversion" scene. But it didn't seem that any of the characters were interested in God being a daily part of their lives. There are too many "Sunday Christians" and it seemed these characters were falling into that habit.

Overall, it was a pleasant read. If you've read any of Gist's historical fiction, this is a slightly different feel but it still includes her signature character development. I'm looking forward to her next book!

Thanks to Bethany House for a copy of this book!

An Amazing book! I have always loved Deeanne's writing but this book is outstanding.
I read it in one day because I couldn't put it down. It captivated me from page one to the end. I hope you give this book a look because it is well worth any money you pay. Great job Deeanne and Mark!

I love mysteries, I love female characters who stand up for themselves, and I have to admit I like a little romance in their too. I can't say that I loved Rylee the main character, but she was interesting. I have to say that the other characters were lacking for me as well. It seemed they would start to explore the characters, give them more personality and then just stop short. I just didn't find myself with the need to know more and I felt like I could predict everything that was going to happen. The authors tried to add the twists, and I appreciated the story, but something was off. There was also an abundance of background knowledge about the town and I felt that was a little overwhelming- I found myself skimming over it and moving on. It was an ok book, but it doesn't make me want to pick up anything else from these authors.
I received this book free from Bethany House Publishing.

I was pleasantly surprised by the twisting together of genres by this duo. I have read many of Deanne's books and absolutely loved them, so I thought I would give this a try and see what I thought. I think I am beginning to fall into a love of mingling suspense with romance. I liked this book so much that I do believe I will have to try Mark's book. I would recommend Beguiled to all my friends. It is definitely worth reading.

Beguiled is a romantic yet thrilling novel that will leave you conintuiously wanting to find out more about the story. Actually, I picked it up and right from the beginning, it grabbed me. I could hardly put it down at night. The writer's style was ingenious and absolutley engaging from the very beginning. It left you hanging at times and kept you guessing right along until the end of the book. Then, it the authors did a nice job of wrapping up everthing for an all is well ends well fairytale kind of ending. I would highly recommed this book for a book club or for an individual who just wants something really good to read. Thread of Christianity are seeded throughout the book, too. Therefore, it is very clean and appropiate for a wide audience.

Deeanne Gist normally writes edgy inspirational HISTORICAL romances.

J. Mark Bertrand in an up-and-coming suspense writer.

In BEGUILED, the two writers meshed, creating a book with simmering romantic tension, intriguing revelations, and believable settings. If you like romance, suspense, dogs, or Charleston, this book is for you!

The only reason I didn't give a full five stars is that I felt the book had a bit of a slow start...and the story isn't timeless. Brand names like Starbucks, iPod, HEROES, etc. threw me.

This is definitely not Deanne Gist's fun witty style seen in some of her other books and a fairly silly story line. Dialogue, an area in which Gist can excel, is quite ho hum and there is nothing engaging here. Gist says in a video interview on her site that she prays before writing a new book. I doubt that she received divine guidance in writing this one. This does not belong in the Christian genre and is entirely missable on other counts. My only question is why she put her name to this very mediocre title.

I haven't read either Gist or Bertrand before, but after about a fourth of this book, I gave up. The dialogue seemed straight out of a teenage romance novel, and the "creative writing" techniques of describing every color of every little thing were way too obvious and got in the way of whatever story was to come. I'm sure Charleston is a colorful city but enough was enough of that. The almost-silly romance set-up between the one-dimensional orphaned hard-working professional dogwalker (really?) and the son of rich clients was the final straw.

I really enjoyed this book. Lots of plot and interesting characters. Really like the choice of location (I like places with history). Of course there is a love story, but it isn't just about the love story. It was well written and kept you coming back for more!

Finally a suspense novel that has an element of "pure" romance! The authors do a good job of interweaving romance and suspense throughout the story line.
I only gave it a three because I knew the mystery way before the end of the book. If you love suspense and like to be surprised, be careful.

Please remove from pending list. I order too many books to review each. Additionally, individual's tastes differ and my opinion of a book should have no bearing on anyone elses. If enough people like it, it will make the best seller list.

My favorite reading genre is historical fiction. There was a time that mystery/suspense was my "go to". So I still enjoy a good mystery now and then.

Rylee Monroe is a dogwalker whose clients become victims of a unique robbery ring. Rylee is suspected by the police. Reporter Logan Woods is writing a novel and trying to get to the heart of the robbery ring to wrap up his book. Will he uncover the truth and rescue Rylee's reputation? Is Rylee in danger? Can Logan keep his objectivity?

I love Deanne Gist's other books. This book was okay. I like suspense novels to be difficult to predict and hard to put down. This one didn't fit the bill in either account for me. I knew early on who the "villain" was and where the book was headed. It wasn't a page-turner and the characters were forgettable. All the talk of Charleston's streets and layouts were meaningless to anyone who hasn't been there.

Spend your time on something else.

this was not deeanne gist normal witty writing. i found it boring...i skipped page after page and missed nothing. i loved her other books but this one was not good... will wait for her next one and hopefully find it more entertaining