Review: License to Lie

Past experiences have shaped the lives of Roxy and Skip, but in very different ways. Roxy has used frightening experiences to become a woman who does not trust and is out to take care of herself, even at the expense of others. Skip, on the other hand, pushes himself to help others overcome trials just as he learned to do. When these two are thrown together when Roxy's father goes missing, their pasts may be complications they don't need. Roxy must choose between selfish plans and preserving her family. Skip is faced with helping Roxy of staying true to his morals. The wrong choices may mean the difference between solving the case and losing everything. 

The characters in this book were very well crafted. I enjoyed both Skip and Roxy. Their personalities battered against each other constantly, but in a good way. They pushed each other and test their beliefs and desires. I enjoyed the relationship they developed very much. The attraction the two feel between each other, but dodge at all costs, adds a whole other layer to the story. Roxy is very blind at times to Skip, but I felt her reactions and impressions were still very realistic. She was so focused on protecting herself she was blind to many other aspects. Skip was my favorite character. His personality and the way he dealt with Roxy really drew me in. His internal struggle throughout the book was quite emotional and will capture readers' attention. Even the side characters were strong elements of the story and provided a well rounded cast. 

The mystery itself was also well developed. There was a lot of thought and research put into the design of the mystery. I felt there were no gaps or holes in the storyline. The bad guys were scary and believable, and Ambrose did a good job of keeping readers guessing. I thought I knew who the ultimate bad guy was at one point, but Ambrose did a good job of throwing out other options to make me second guess myself. In the end, I really enjoyed the mystery. I think the characters and the relationships were the strongest aspect of this book because they were so well done, but the mystery and story were also big factors in why I enjoyed this book. 

Usually this is where I list my complaints, but I have very little to critique. This was a well written book with great characters and an entertaining plot. There were a few errors here and there, but very minor. There was some language, but it was very clean otherwise. It's one I would feel comfortable recommending to adults and older teens. Mystery readers will enjoy this very much, as well as those looking for an entertaining character-driven story. 

License to Lie is available now from Amazon and Oak Tree Press. 

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