Review: Tender Echoes

Tender Echoes by Reily Garrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tender Echoes is a short prequel to the first book in Reily Garrett’s new McAllister Justice Series. I was fortunate enough to be given the chance to beta read both Dark Velocity and Tender Echoes, and I can assure you it’s a series you’re going to want to read.

I came across Reily Garrett when she contacted me for a review of her Carnal Obsession book, and I can tell you that one book lead to one crazy obsession (I was going to try and make a real pun, but such a thing would jar with the fangirl that is to come). You see, Carnal Obsession is a truly wonderful read. If you’ve yet to read it, then I suggest you do. It was the perfect introduction to Reily’s work, showcasing how wonderful a writer she is. Since then, I have gone on to read two more of her Carnal series. I really do need to pick up Carnal Innocence to complete the set, but such is a tangent. Basically, what I’m getting at here is that you need to give her Carnal series a read as it is so much fun.

After I reviewed her prior work, Reily shocked me by asking whether I’d be willing to give her new book a beta read. I’ve never had such an offer before, and I was super nervous, but I can tell you it was more than worth it. The McAllister Justice Series is a straight up contemporary romantic suspense series, not quite as dark as Reily’s other work. It is without the kink of the Carnal series, but it still has all the trademarks of Reily’s work.

In terms of my reading of this series, I actually read Digital Velocity prior to reading Tender Echoes. I enjoyed both of them, but I would suggest reading Tender Echoes first. It works either way around – reading it second meant I got to enjoy more of the characters I adored, yet I knew what was to come in the long run and was disheartened by the type of interaction between the two as it wasn’t what I’d grown accustomed to in Digital Velocity – but reading the events chronologically allows for a better understand of how things progress.

Truthfully, I’m not the biggest lover of short stories. I always seem to expect more from them, finding myself disheartened by how little of a story we’re given. However, Reily Garrett does a wonderful job here. It’s one of the very few short stories where I have considered handing over a five star rating. I’m not sure if I’ll ever hand over a five star rating for a short story – as stated, I always want them to be longer – but this one certainly earned a solid four stars from me.

Everything in this play together really well: it’s short and snappy, straight to the point. It’s a quick little tale, with all you can expect from a suspense read. You’re pulled in from the start, you watch the story slowly come together, and you’re given plenty of action to leave you flipping the pages. It’s pure Reily Garrett, demonstrating all that she can do in a handful of pages.

Moreover, it was lovely to get a glimpse of the Digital Velocity characters before their lives become completely intertwined. We have a much smaller cast in Tender Echoes than we do in Digital Velocity, meaning we get a nice little focus on our main couple. There’s also some nice moments with characters that will be introduced properly in Digital Velocity – but I’m saying no more. Just know it’s a great reflection of all the characters are, giving you a wonderful glance at their individual lives.

Not to mention the end of the story has an ode to something that brought a smile to my face in Digital Velocity. I’m giving no specifics on the matter – but look out for that. It will certainly bring a smile to your face – and I can assure you, you will know what I’m talking about a soon as you see this aspect appearing in both Tender Echoes and Digital Velocity. Your face will light up, much in the way mind did.

Overall, as the above gushing shows, this was a wonderful quick read to really get you in the mood for the McAllister Justice Series. From this short story alone, you know it’s going to be good.

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