ARC Review: Separated

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

Separated is the second book in Frances' In Midsummer series, and even though I have not yet read the first entry in the series (though I would like to), enough background was integrated into this second book that I felt I was able to follow along just fine.

This book is the continuation of the story of Rocky and Conner. Rocky is the sheriff of Midsummer, who is a single father to a young daughter named River. Conner is in Midsummer to create a social media presence for a small town in need of more tourists to keep afloat.

Conner and Rocky were drawn together in the first book, but Rocky pulled away, saying he didn't want a relationship. Rocky feels he has to focus solely on his town and his daughter, and that Conner will only leave anyway when his job is done.

At least this is what Rocky tells himself.

But River has already formed a bond with Conner, and Rocky can't stop thinking about him. When Conner starts receiving attention from a famous actor who has a house nearby, and then starts receiving death threats, Rocky can't deny how he feels anymore. He becomes extremely protective of Conner, and they have a very sweet scene where Rocky goes over to where Conner is staying simply to wrap him in his arms and make him feel safe so he can finally get some sleep.

Rocky and Conner make a great couple, and Rocky, Conner, and River make a very sweet family unit. I found myself very invested in all three of them. The small town setting really comes alive, and there are some good supporting characters. As the death threats escalate, they bring a lot of tension to the story and make Rocky's protective side really come out.

The only thing I found lacking was the solution to the mystery of the death threats. It was so out of left field that it just didn't give me that satisfied feeling I was hoping for. That said, the relationships kept this book as a read I really did enjoy, and I would like to read the other books in the series as they come out to continue to see these relationships develop.