Blogger Wife Chat Review ~ The Girl in the Mist ~ Kristen Ashley

The Girl in the Mist by Kristen Ashley
Series: Misted Pines #1
Published by Rock Chick Press LLC on January 4, 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense
Pages: 512
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Purchase

Renowned author Delphine Larue needs a haven.

A crazed fan has gone over the deep end, and she's not safe. Her security team has suggested a house by a lake. Secluded. Private. Far away. In a beautiful area of the Northwest close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It's perfect. So perfect, Delphine has just moved in, and she's thinking she'll stay there forever.

Until she sees the girl in the mist.

After that, everything changes.

Delphine quickly learns that Misted Pines isn't so sleepy. A little girl has gone missing, and the town is in the grips of terror and tragedy. The local sheriff isn't up for the job. The citizens are up in arms. And as the case unfolds, the seedy underbelly of a quiet community is exposed, layer by layer.

But most importantly, girls are dying.

There seems to be only one man they trust to find out what's happening.

The mysterious Cade Bohannan.

Wifey, I was most impressed with The Girl in the Mist, KA’s first foray into true romantic suspense. Of course, she’s not disappointed me yet with any genre she’s dipped her toe into. What did you think overall? Did she win you over?

Is that a real question, wifey? Like, yeah, of course she won me over – I loved it! It was so well done. 

 

One thing that impressed me most was the fact that although I knew KA was dropping hints, leaving clues, and throwing red herrings, I didn’t have a clue whodunit. Oh, I had myriad theories but I was surprised at the reveal. Did you figure out whodunit?

I did not figure out whodunit at all, and that was part of why I loved it so much.

 

A big topic of discussion in The Girl in the Mist was celebrity. Delphine made a name for herself as an actress – a popular one. And she knew, as such, a certain portion of her life was public. She seemed resigned to that and dealt with it accordingly. I’m of the opinion that a celebrity, whether they be an actor, musician, or writer, is entitled to their private life. If they’re at an event? Sure, for that length of time they’re public figures and she be open to photos, autographs, etc. However, they’re not obligated to answer personal questions. When they’re going about their every day lives – getting coffee, out with friends, picking up their kids from school? They’re entitled to and deserve to do that privately. What’s your take?

Yeah, I don’t really like that some celebrities can’t even get out of their house at all because paparazzi follow them – and even try to get an ugly picture of them to sell. I don’t follow any celebrities, and the only time I see something is if there’s an actual interview somewhere. I can’t even begin to imagine how stressful it must be to live like that! Yeah, they’re famous because people love their art – but that doesn’t mean anyone needs to know so much about them.

 

A lot is made of the location of Delphine’s and Cade’s homes being just that… home. I want this mythical Misted Pines locale to exist because I want to live there! LOL That said, I have lived in a place that just felt like home. A place where I felt safe to be my true self, where my family resides and love overflows. That’s home to me. What about you? Ever experienced the feeling of home like Delphine did?

Our definition of home is definitely the same, my dear. I loved how the back-and-forth between their houses happened rather quickly, and it was so nice that everyone got along like that. Also, not only the love, but the respect, and the trust and the feeling of safety was truly awesome.

 

I was absolutely surprised, but pleasantly so, to see some of our favorite characters from other series here in Misted Pines. They didn’t have prominent roles on page but I loved their presence. What did you think?

I love cameos! And it was so logical for those characters to show up! It was like a little wink to longtime fans, and for readers who haven’t read KAshley before, it didn’t take anything away.

 

I admired and appreciated Delphine’s ability to read people. The analogy she used of puzzle pieces fitting together was perfect. Cade, naturally, would have a similar ability considering his career. However, I think it’s an ability we all have to varying degrees. Some just hone the ability. Since Delphine was an actor and also had other creative pursuits that this ability lent itself to, it felt very genuine. How did you feel about it?

Yeah, the way Delphine knew fairly quickly who was a good person (at least in most cases) was something I liked about her. Especially because she only used her ability for good. 

 

Delphine’s pumpkin carving ritual, what did you think of it? I personally loved it. It was made all the more powerful since I was also reading Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants at the time. I just might start a similar tradition. You?

I loved her pumpkin carving ritual, and it also kind of made me think of Slammed by Colleen Hoover – with the suck and the sweet and everything. I think that tradition is a good one – it’s important to let the hurt go.

 

Delphine’s celebrity came from a starring role when she was younger. Cade had watched and was a fan. 😉 Is there a celebrity from your youth that you’d fangirl over? I’m trying to think of someone……Oh! I know! Harrison Ford. Yep. He’s only gotten better with age! Who’s your celebrity crush?

The only actor celebrity crush I have is Keanu Reeves… He just seems like such an amazing human being! I love watching interviews with him, he just seems to be nice, and want what is best for everybody. Plus, he’s very yummy 😉 

 

There are a couple of other things I want to talk about offline but I can’t go without mentioning my appreciation of KA touching on social issues, ranging from reducing a person to a role to treatment of veterans to social media to stigmas regarding age and sexuality. She deftly wove these topics into the narrative in a genuine and thought-provoking way. I mean, the MCs were in their 50s! How did her inclusion of these topics make you feel?

The inclusion of these topics just made me feel seen! I mean – I’m in the same age group as the protagonists, so to see them being vibrant, loving, and still getting it on was really nice! It’s not like there’s something to stop us, right? And I also think that in my head, I haven’t changed much since my thirties, I just get more experience doing this thing called life.

 

In the end, KA delivered while also trying on a new genre. I can’t wait to return to Misted Pines!

I agree! I was so happy to get a new KA book, and I loved it so very much. It was very tense at times, but also fun and light in others. A total win for me.

 

 

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2022 New Release Challenge

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