Best-selling author Kaitlynn Pete thought she had found her sanctuary in the quiet town of Hollow Creek, a place where she could escape the trauma of putting a relentless stalker behind bars. But when she purchases a dilapidated house on the outskirts of town and meets the sexy and charming contractor, Noah Cassidy, she realizes things arenât quite as tranquil as they may seem.
The crumbling house seems like the perfect place to start overâuntil she discovers her uncanny connection to the townâs dark past. But as Kate works to uncover the disturbing truth, her stalker escapes, resuming his twisted obsession.
With the clock ticking and danger closing in, Kate and Noah must not only confront their feelings for each other, but outsmart a predator who will stop at nothing to claim her for his own. Can she survive the stalkerâs deadly game, or will history repeat itself in the most terrifying way?
Best-selling author Kaitlynn Pete thought she had found her sanctuary in the quiet town of Hollow Creek, a place where she could escape the trauma of putting a relentless stalker behind bars. But when she purchases a dilapidated house on the outskirts of town and meets the sexy and charming contractor, Noah Cassidy, she realizes things arenât quite as tranquil as they may seem.
The crumbling house seems like the perfect place to start overâuntil she discovers her uncanny connection to the townâs dark past. But as Kate works to uncover the disturbing truth, her stalker escapes, resuming his twisted obsession.
With the clock ticking and danger closing in, Kate and Noah must not only confront their feelings for each other, but outsmart a predator who will stop at nothing to claim her for his own. Can she survive the stalkerâs deadly game, or will history repeat itself in the most terrifying way?
Only faint glimmers of starlight from the Milky Way shined against the darkness. A cooling breeze whispered through the trees as Kaitlynn Pete sat on the back porch in an old rusty chair.
A few months back, sheâd moved to this secluded town, and it wasnât until recently sheâd been able to relax and not jump at every sound. Not a random shadow or sudden breeze disturbed her as much now as it had when sheâd first discovered this place.
Still, she had every reason to be watching her back.
Sheâd been driving towards Hollow Creek, and felt a strong urge to turn and drive up a long dirt road towards a house that appeared to have been uninhabited for years.
When she stepped out of her Jeep and explored the property, somehow, deep down, sheâd known it was fateâlike she was meant to be here.
The large, rundown, craftsman-style cottage was in a clearing surrounded by dense woods filled with pine trees. The dilapidated roof clung to the house, sagging and on the verge of collapse. Patches of sunlight peeked through the missing shingles and the rotting wood.
Despite its current state, she could envision the potential of the old houseâwith some significant updates and repairs. The wide wrap-around porch, covered in overgrown vines and cobwebs, would look stunning with a swinging bed swaying in the breeze and colorful flowers hanging from the porch ceiling.
She imagined herself sitting in a rocking chair, sipping lemonade and enjoying the view.
The windows were dirty. Some were cracked and would need to be replaced, but she saw them as an opportunity for light to flood the space once they were restored.
The front door looked unsalvageable, which was sad, but she could have another one custom-built.
The land was thick with weeds, and the grass was so long it looked like she might need a machete to hack through it.
It was more than doable. She loved fixing up old houses and couldnât resist the chance to restore another one, preserving its original charmâwith modern touches, of course.
She sipped her wine and sighed. Sheâd known, without a shadow of a doubt, this would be her new home. Once she had settled in town, sheâd looked up the local realtor and had bought the property almost immediately.
The realtor, Emma, had raised her eyebrows in surprise when Kate told her she wanted to buy the rundown house, with no concern about its issues or how much money and effort it would take to rehab it.
âIâve got to tell you, no one has lived there for, gosh, more than fifty years, I think? There are stories about ghosts, and the local kids like to go out there and mess around,â Emma said, tapping her pencil on her desk.
âItâs okay. I have a good feeling about this,â Kate smiled. âIâve rehabbed a few houses, and this time, it feels right. Almost like Iâve been there before.â
âOkay,â Emma chuckled. âDonât get me wrong, the last thing Iâd ever want to do is pass up a sale. Most people I know arenât too keen on ghosts and dark, cryptic histories.â
Shifting to a more comfortable position in the big, soft chair next to Emmaâs desk, Kate looked at the realtor, her eyes shining. âIâm not most people,â she grinned. âIâve always loved creepy ghost stories, and I love history. Itâs always been a huge interest of mine and it helps with inspiration when Iâm writing. When I was a kid, I had a pretty scary experience.â
âSeriously? Do tell!â
Leaning back in the chair, Kate crossed her legs and continued.
âAfter my father passed away, my mom and I moved into a new house. One night, I woke up to the sound of water running in the bathroom down the hall. So I got out of bed and walked down the hallway toward the bathroom, and as I got closer, the sound of running water got even louder.
âWhen I peeked around the corner, I saw this figure standing in front of the sink, staring into the mirror. I remember standing in the doorway, frozen in shock because I could see the window through the figureâall of it. I could literally see through the apparition standing there with the water running. I gasped, and when she turned and looked at meâshe had no face!
âI screamed, ran back to my bedroom, and hid under the covers. When my mom ran in and asked me what was wrong, I told her about it and she looked confused. She told me she hadnât heard any water running. I insisted she check again. She did and confirmed the water wasnât running and there was no one in the bathroom.â
âWow!â Emma exclaimed. âI canât imagine what I would do if I saw something that.â She thought for a moment. âYeah, I do. I wouldâve peed my fucking pants!â
Kate laughed. âYou know what? Iâm surprised I didnât, to be honest. My mom and I did some research, and it turns out a woman had died in the house close to fifty years before. Someone had bashed her face in. Which made sense later when I thought about it. Why was she looking in the mirror, and why couldnât I see her face? It was almost as if she was trying to tell me what happened to her.â
âSo, you talk to dead people?â Emma asked with a snicker as she sat in the chair next to Kate and crossed her legs.
âShit, no!â Kate laughed. âThatâs the only time something like that has happened. I ended up writing about it in my journal, which led to me writing stories and then a few best-selling books, and here I am,â she said with a wave of her hand.
âWait, youâre the Kaitlynn Pete?â Emmaâs eyes widened as she leaned in. âThe one who narrowly escaped the crazy stalker?â
âYeah, thatâs me. Listen, could you try to keep that between us? All I want is to be able to relax and work with no publicity for as long as possible. And please, call me Kate.â
âOh, of course! Donât worry, I wonât tell a soul, Kate.â Emma agreed. âIf anyone understands wanting to keep something quiet, itâs me.â Without further explanation, she stood up from the chair and went back to her desk, quickly changing the subject. âSo why donât we get those papers signed, shall we?â
Since then, she and Emma had hung out often, becoming fast friends.
Over the past couple of weeks, Kate had mostly kept to herself, diligently working on her new book. Sheâd even explored some trails in the woods surrounding the town and Hollow Lake with her camera, taking pictures for her portfolio.
Construction on the house would start next week, and she looked forward to getting her hands dirty. The company sheâd hired had just finished another job and would be there Monday morning after breakfast.
Emma had recommended the contractor. Sheâd told Kate it was owned by a local family that had lived in Hollow Creek for generations, setting the project up with one of the owners, Oliver Cassidy. Heâd informed her his brother and partner, Noah, the lead contractor, was out of town for business and would return this weekend.
Sighing, she stood, took one last look up at the night sky, and walked back to her Jeep.
She had been staying at The Creek, a local B&B Emma had also recommended. The apartment took up the entire top floor of an old Victorian mansion downtown. It had a four-poster bed, fireplace, fully equipped kitchen, and a terrace where she could have her morning coffee and write.
The adjoining bathroom boasted a beautiful claw-foot tub, and the idea of a relaxing bath and another glass of wine made her smile.
Starting anew after her stalker has finally been locked away, Kaitlynn discovers an abandoned house in Hollow Creek and aspires to restore it. Life moves quickly for the best-selling author in this new townâshe becomes fast friends with her realtor, Emma, and senses an immediate spark with her contractor, Noah. She becomes unsettled upon realizing she has deep ties with the town and especially when she begins receiving chilling text messages and phone calls. As the insidious messages escalate to acts of violence, Kate and her friends must stay one step ahead of the crazed stalker.
With strong found family vibes, The Hollow is cozy for a romantic suspense. At once, I was at ease with Kateâs new friends. Her slow-burn romance with Noah builds the tension alongside the suspense of evading a stalker who is ready to burn everything to the ground if he canât have Kate. Kateâs isnât the only romance building; supporting characters find themselves entangled in love triangles. Lara Bruni also incorporates a mild supernatural element, in which Kate sees flashes of the past in her dreams, creating an intriguing arc for the series to follow as it progresses.
I enjoyed the story overall, but at times, it felt too rushed. For example, Kate and Emma going from realtor/client to best friends almost instantaneously was difficult for me to reconcile with, perhaps because Iâve found it difficult to make new close friends in adulthood. I also struggled with the portrayal of the stalker, Nick. The sections told from his point of view were not written as strongly as others. Overall, I would continue reading the series because I became invested in the side charactersâ developing love stories, so I want to stick around for their happy endings. I am also looking forward to learning more about the townâs history.