Title: Nothing Can Stop Love and Murder
Author: A.E.S. O’Neill
Publisher: AESON Publications
ISBN: 979-8993648422
Pages: 314
Genre: Romance / Thriller
Reviewer: Anthony Avina

Read Book Review

People often say the best love stories are fraught with obstacles that only the strongest couples can survive. No matter how strong a bond or attraction may be, all relationships are tested, and it takes hard work, communication, and determination to overcome these obstacles; when the dust settles, a person truly knows and understands not only themselves but their relationship as a whole.

In author A.E.S. O’Neill’s Nothing Can Stop Love and Murder, the third entry in the Love & Murder series takes readers into the town of Sedona. After a devastating climate disaster, Sedona struggles, and Ginger, a dance instructor and climate activist, fights to get climate-safe housing built in the town. But when government funding is involved, and trust in the federal government is at an all-time low, Ginger’s dance business takes a hit as parents pull students from her classes. But this is the least of her and her partner Alby’s problems, as they face the death of a mentor. Alby’s natural instinct to sense the truth of things leads to a murder investigation, while Ginger becomes the target of a ruthless terrorist cell. The couple must face these challenges together to protect this town and the relationship they’ve built.

This was a compelling and engaging novel. The author does a great job laying the foundation for the series so newcomers can enjoy the novel as a standalone, while also adding rich character development and world-building that lets fans engage with the narrative on a deeper level. The balance of heartfelt romance and tension-filled thriller elements keeps readers fully immersed, as the author’s writing captures the intensity and mystery behind the novel’s major plot points. The town of Sedona really came to life on the page, with readers seeing its residents and the ways tensions flared as politics and climate change came into question among the town, its people, and Ginger herself.

Readers who enjoy compelling fiction, especially romance, thrillers, and small-town mysteries, will thoroughly enjoy delving into this novel. What was really interesting was seeing how Alby and Ginger came together for this mystery and their romantic partnership, even amid uncertainty, while still giving each of them their own narrative beats to follow. Ginger’s passion for classic Fred Astaire-style old Hollywood dancing, and her deep dive into her own past made her story compelling, while Alby’s developing gift for sensing danger, and the truth of things, not only added tension to his relationship with Ginger, but flipped the investigation into their mentor’s death on its head and kept the reader invested as the story developed with each twist and turn that came its way.  If you haven’t yet, grab your copy of this fantastic romantic thriller today!