The Nature of the Beast

There are times, when reading this book, that you arent sure you can take more anguish. And yet Mia Sheridan heals you as surely as she bruises your heart.

When Josie Stratton was nineteen, she was abducted off her college campus, chained in an abandoned building, starved, and emotionally tortured. Ten months later, she managed to escape. Reading those scenes, dear reader, is painful. You will admire Josie tremendously, not only for her fortitude but because she is so determined to keep surviving.

Now, eight years later, it appears someone is copying the crime. Other young women are being abducted and chained. Zach, a police detective who encountered Josie the night she escaped. He is drawn to her, which adds tension and conflict to his determination to find the person replicating the crimes against Josie.

Mia Sheridan tells the story through Josies eyes, both now as she continues to fight to persevere and eight years ago as she was abducted and imprisoned, as well as Zachs. He sees her strength, yet he isnt one to let his attraction overwhelm him. When Josie has a crucial decision to make, Zach opposes her choice. He may care for her, but he doesnt want to see her make a mistake.

You will feel this story. You will feel Josies terror and anguish, you will feel her courage and resilience, and you will feel Zachs love for her. I cant count the number of times I wept. I couldnt see how Mia Sheridan could craft a happy ending for Josie, given all that she suffered. Sheridan offers no quick relief, no magical recovery. Josies survival isnt minimized. You read this book with your heart in your throat, worried for Josieand Zach, too. From page to page, I marveled at the many ways Mia Sheridan made me feel this story.

So grab some tissues and set aside a few hours to immerse yourself in Josie and Zachs book. Then please come back and let me know what you thought.

This writer has written some of my favorite books. Books i believe were written before 2018. Archers Voice ( the best) Kyland,Ramsay, Prestons Honor,Most of All You. Loved each one of those stories. It seems after that some other writer took over. I have read 6 since that time and gave only one a positive review. This book was a struggle to finish. This in no way should have a romantic description. This was not a romance. There was nothing romantic between these two main characters. I dont read many suspense books but I know there are ones that are better than this book. I think writers should do what they do best and this is not what this writer does best. I will always question why she decided to go in this direction. Her love stories were so good.

Romantic suspense has been a trope I have really been eating up this past year, and when Mia Sheridan announced she would be writing a suspense story, I absolutely had to read it! She has really been branching out with her last several books, and I have loved each and every one of them.

Josie Stratton – this girl was strength personified with every thing she went through in this book! Abducted, held captive, repeatedly raped – at just 19 years old. How she managed to survive that both emotionally and physically I cannot even comprehend. Reading about the things she was put through was very tough, not gonna lie about that. But the sheer will she had to survive was amazing. She’s spent the last eight years trying to heal and move on and create a new life for herself.

Zach Copeland sounds like every woman’s dream. A dedicated cop, who also happens to be out of this world good looking? Yes, please!! He and his partner find themselves investigating a recent murder that is so similar to what Josie went through eight years ago, it is scary.

This story kept me on the edge of my seat. Starting out in present day, Mia intersperses chapters throughout that take us back to what Josie went through during those ten months she was held captive. And we learn a lot about what kind of childhood she had, and how that shaped her as a young woman attending college and not always making the best choices she could have for herself.

I can honestly say, I had no clue how this story was going to turn out, or what revelations would be revealed along the way. As a self-professed Psychology nerd, I was fascinated with the mindset of Josie’s abductor, and with the mindset of whoever was posing as this copycat killer. Actually, I was fascinated with the mindset of just about all the characters in the story. Josie’s for sure, with Zach who has some things from his past that drives him today to be the best cop he can be. With some other secondary characters who I won’t discuss here since their roles would be too spoilerish, but nonetheless fascinated me as well.

I am just amazed at how Mia comes up with these stories, how she crafts such a complete world that these people live in, and how she manages to draw me straight into the story within the first few paragraphs. And yes, there is romance in here, but it was organic and subtle and fit just so seamlessly into the story. Mia has another incredible story here!!

Oh. My. GOD!! This was a brilliant, brilliant read!!!

“This man is not just here to protect my safety, he’s on my side.”

Eight years ago, Josie Stratton survived the most traumatic and horrific of experiences. She’s now living in relative anonymity and trying to repair the old B&B she inherited. However, her bland existence is about to be shaken up when Zach Copeland turns up at her doorstep.

“Something about her pulled at him. Strongly. It was almost a physical sensation.”

Eight years ago, Zach was the rookie cop who watched over Josie in the hospital. He’s never forgotten her or her broken-but-still fierce warrior aura. When a copycat killer appears to have surfaced, mimicking aspects of Josie’s imprisonment, he finally gets to meet Josie face to face, again. And is unprepared for the frisson between them.

This story was freakin’ amazing! It was creepy and suspenseful, yet amidst the darkness and horror, something beautiful began to blossom. The plot was really clever and kept me guessing right until the denouement! I was so convinced I had the right culprit but OH MY GOD! I was so wrong!!

“She was so beautiful, and an arrow of possession quivered through him, a deep throb of need that weakened his knees and took him off balance.”

Zach captured my heart. He was so tender and sweet with Josie, so protective and thoughtful. I loved how well he understood her. Josie herself was such an incredibly strong character. I couldn’t help but admire her resourcefulness and tenacity in the face of her situation. Her courage left my mouth hanging open. The two of them together really made my heart thump. They were so right for each other. They had taut chemistry and simmering passion, and I loved Josie’s bravery in taking the first step.

Such a fantastic novel and definitely a Top Read 2019 for me!!

I had been in a book funk for a while; nothing particularly grabbing my attention to be honest although I was still reading every day, most books just didn’t excite me at the moment. Then I happen to read the blurb for this book. I hadn’t even realised it had been released last year ( I must have been hiding under a stone) as I love Mia Sheridan and have read a number of her books. I was like, WOW this sounds amazing, I love a good suspense thriller; there is never enough of them around so I honestly couldn’t wait to start it.

Josie was kidnapped eight years previous, locked and chained to a wall in a cold damp room for ten long months but miraculously managed to escape, fast forward to present day and this poor woman is still trying to get her life back on track. When another young woman is found chained to a wall, with all the similarities of the hell that Josie went through, one police officer, Zach remembers Josie’s case from all those years ago and ties the two crimes together. When Zach meets Josie to discuss her terrifying ordeal and to tell her they might have a copycat killer on their hands, the chemistry between the two of them is evident from the start.

I can’t tell you how much I adored Zach, he had so much patience and empathy for Josie, he was sweet and loving with her and so protective it bought a tear to my eye. But the star of this book has to be Josie because when you read what she went through in that room you will understand what I mean. Here was one strong lady, I admired her so much. She suffered enormously at the hands of her Kidnapper and what she endured made me weep, but she never gave up. The descriptive of the writing when she was locked away was so well written there were times I felt like I was in the room with her, I felt her pain, I tasted her sadness and despair, but all the time Josie had hope in her heart.
Now Zach has to find out who is taking these women and torturing them to a slow agonising death. With the help of Josie will he find the person responsible ?

This story was just amazing, the suspense, the twists, so many edge of your seat moments with wonderful characters that felt so real and life like that it was easy to get sucked into this brilliant intense story. It is dark and at times quite shocking and traumatising but I can’t express how much I loved this phenomenal book. Interwoven in-between the horrors is a tender intimate love story simmering in the background and of course reading how Josie overcomes her past to move onto a better future made my heart sore.

For me this has to be the best book I have read so far in 2020, yes I know I’m late in reading this but there is no doubt in my mind that this book is perfection. What made my day even better was finding out that Mia had released a follow up to this book called Where The Truth Lives – guess what I’ll be reading next !!

If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading this story, then go one click now !!

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