About the Book
Book: Two Seconds Too Late (Jeopardy Falls Series: Book Two)
Author: Dani Pettrey
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release date: April 29, 2025
A missing woman. Two hit men. When every second counts, who will survive?
In the stark but beautiful wilds of northern New Mexico, a couples’ retreat at a luxury resort turns into a chilling nightmare when a woman vanishes. Skip tracer Riley MacLeod and private investigator Greyson Chadwick pose as a couple to hunt for clues that might reveal the missing woman’s location. Those leads uncover a harrowing truth: They’re not the only ones looking for her. What begins as a normal tracking case turns into a deadly chase when they, too, become the hunted.
As Riley and Greyson work together, their partnership ignites a tumultuous attraction, but Greyson’s secrets prevent him from acting on his feelings for her, and Riley can’t bring herself to fully trust him. Delving deeper into the case, they find themselves fighting not only for justice and the chance ata loving relationship . . . but also for their very survival.
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My Thoughts
Dani Pettrey has given us another captivating, fast-paced romantic suspense story in Two Seconds Too Late, the second book in her Jeopardy Falls series. The action takes off full force on the first page and just keeps growing.
The story has a very engaging plot. The development of the mystery, the growing romance element, and the revealing of the characters' backstories all work together to keep you, the reader, on the edge of your seat and guessing about who did what and why they did it. And there is a faith element that flows in a very natural, unforced way.
Keeping up with all the characters and their connections gets a little tricky at times. There are a few places that feel a little repetitious and slow-moving in providing character details. But all in all this is a high-energy, intriguing story.
Characters and events carry over from the first book in the series, One Wrong Move. While the familiarity of that story lends some background benefit, this second book could easily be read as a standalone. And there are a couple of major cliffhangers at the end of Two Seconds Too Late that definitely have me looking forward to the next installment in this series.
I highly recommend Two Seconds Too Late to fans of great romantic suspense. Thanks to Celebrate Lit for providing a copy of the book. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.
About the Author
Her novels stand out for their “wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likable characters” (Publishers Weekly), “gripping storyline[s],” (RT Book Reviews), and “sizzling undercurrent of romance” (USA Today).
Dani loves to mentor aspiring and newly-published authors. Seeing them grow and spread their wings is so rewarding. She recently was awarded ACFW’s Mentor of the Year. She researches murder and mayhem from her home in Florida, where she lives with her husband.
More from Dani
Hi friends! Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to stop by and say hi. I deeply appreciate it. I have loved writing Riley and Greyson’s story. They are my favorite couple since Landon and Piper in my Alaskan Courage series. She’s fiery and independent and he is smitten by her, but also fears for her safety and after you read Two Seconds Too Late, you’ll understand why. Taking them out of their regular environment and placing them as a couple at a high-end spa and resort brings on the opportunity to test out their feelings for one another under the guise of playing along. It’s a close proximity, opposites attract, and fake relationship story that tugged at my heart and I hope it’ll tug at yours too.
Every time I release a new book, I get a bunch of questions, which I love. I love sharing more about the story and digging into my hope for it, so I’m sharing several of the questions I get asked most and I wanted to share the answers to them with you. Please feel free to ask any other questions in the comment section below and I’ll respond within a day. Thanks again for stopping by! I hope you enjoy reading Riley and Greyson’s adventure as much as I enjoyed writing it.
1) What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
That despite a strong, complexed and nuanced antagonist, that light can come from the darkest places and bring peace or, at the very least, closure to not only the families of the victims but to the hero and/or heroine as well. It might not be perfect, and it certainly doesn’t fix anything, but I still believe in the hero/heroine triumphing over the villain.
2) What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?
So many. I would say my top three influencers were Sue Grafton and are Lisa Gardner and Dee Henderson. The three write very different style of stories. Sue perfects the mystery with some edgy suspense scenes. Lisa creates the best or worst, I suppose. They are a force to be reckoned with and I love her twists and surprises. And Dee’s books are paced so well and laid out so methodically. I’ve learned something different, and continue to do so, from these three, excellent authors.
3) Which took shape first: plot, character, or setting?
To me it’s a combination of knowing the hero and heroine’s jobs. I like to think about what kind of person would do that job and how it will affect them and the story itself. I also know the setting as it’s a character in its own right and adds to and affects the story overall. I also know the crime, but I don’t know who did it. I like to leave my options open to see the direction the story goes, and where the investigation leads.
4) What was the biggest challenge this book presented? What about the biggest opportunity?
The balance between what was occurring on the surface in contrast to what was simmering beneath the surface and rising up in subtext. Creating that balance and keeping things on track was interesting, but It provided the perfect opportunity to delve into the deepest part of the characters. Overall, it was tricky to strike the right balance and have the subtly rise to the surface in a natural and authentic way.
Homemade Butterscotch Recipe:
Butterscotch is Riley’s favorite candy & the bane of Greyson’s existence (you’ll see why in the book).
That despite a strong, complexed and nuanced antagonist, that light can come from the darkest places and bring peace or, at the very least, closure to not only the families of the victims but to the hero and/or heroine as well. It might not be perfect, and it certainly doesn’t fix anything, but I still believe in the hero/heroine triumphing over the villain.
2) What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?
So many. I would say my top three influencers were Sue Grafton and are Lisa Gardner and Dee Henderson. The three write very different style of stories. Sue perfects the mystery with some edgy suspense scenes. Lisa creates the best or worst, I suppose. They are a force to be reckoned with and I love her twists and surprises. And Dee’s books are paced so well and laid out so methodically. I’ve learned something different, and continue to do so, from these three, excellent authors.
3) Which took shape first: plot, character, or setting?
To me it’s a combination of knowing the hero and heroine’s jobs. I like to think about what kind of person would do that job and how it will affect them and the story itself. I also know the setting as it’s a character in its own right and adds to and affects the story overall. I also know the crime, but I don’t know who did it. I like to leave my options open to see the direction the story goes, and where the investigation leads.
4) What was the biggest challenge this book presented? What about the biggest opportunity?
The balance between what was occurring on the surface in contrast to what was simmering beneath the surface and rising up in subtext. Creating that balance and keeping things on track was interesting, but It provided the perfect opportunity to delve into the deepest part of the characters. Overall, it was tricky to strike the right balance and have the subtly rise to the surface in a natural and authentic way.
Homemade Butterscotch Recipe:
Butterscotch is Riley’s favorite candy & the bane of Greyson’s existence (you’ll see why in the book).
Ingredients:
2 ½ cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1/3 tsp. salt
¾ cup water
½ cup molasses
¼ cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
And a little sea salt for an added touch.
Directions:
Put ingredients in pan. Cook mixture to 250 degrees.
Pour into a lined pan with parchment paper and leave it alone.
Sprinkle some sea salt if you’d like.
Let it sit overnight.
Cut it up into squares (a pizza cutter works great) and store in fridge.
2 ½ cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1/3 tsp. salt
¾ cup water
½ cup molasses
¼ cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
And a little sea salt for an added touch.
Directions:
Put ingredients in pan. Cook mixture to 250 degrees.
Pour into a lined pan with parchment paper and leave it alone.
Sprinkle some sea salt if you’d like.
Let it sit overnight.
Cut it up into squares (a pizza cutter works great) and store in fridge.
Blog Stops
Book Looks by Lisa, April 23
CeCe Reads and Sings, April 23
The Sacred Line, April 24
Southern Gal Loves to Read, April 24
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 24
Where Faith and Books Meet, April 25
Wishful Endings, April 25
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 26
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 26
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 27
Inklings and Notions, April 27
Texas Book-aholic, April 28
For Him and My Family, April 28
Maureen’s Musings, April 29
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 29
Betti Mace, April 30
Bizwings Book Blog, April 30
Leslie’s Library Escape, May 1
Just Your Average reviews, May 1
Blogging With Carol, May 2
Inkwell Inspirations, May 2
Stories By Gina, May 3 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, May 3
Cover Lover Book Review, May 4
Labor Not in Vain, May 4
Holly’s Book Corner, May 5
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 5
Lights in a Dark World, May 5
Pause for Tales, May 6
Roads to Everywhere, May 6
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Dani is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card, a copy of the book in winner’s choice of eBook or paperback, and a $20 Starbucks gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54203
