The Girl Next Door

Lorhainne Eckhart

Apr 2021 · The O'Connells Book 15 · Lorhainne Eckhart, INC.

About this ebook

Romance and suspense collide in this haunting romantic thriller. When special forces operator Luke O’Connell meets a woman he never expected to see again, he uncovers the dangerous secret she is hiding and realizes the lengths someone will go to stop him from uncovering the truth.

Luke never in a million years expected to see Misty Bates again after a weekend of no strings and no names. But when his family introduces him to the nice girl next door, who turns out to be his mysterious fling, he soon figures out that the small-town girl is running from something, and uncovering it could destroy his chance at love.

Luke O’Connell has been unlucky in love because of who he is. He has a job he can’t talk about, with trouble always following him, and a peaceful night’s sleep is something he can only dream of having.

The O’Connells step in and introduce him to Misty, a nice small-town girl, in the hopes that the two will hit it off, but what they don’t know is that Luke and Misty have already met. Years ago, they spent a weekend together after a mission on the other side of the world. Luke is adamant he’s not looking for a relationship, and he can’t help seeing red flags behind Misty’s nice-girl front. In her, he sees the kinds of ghosts people hide when they’re running from something.

Luke doesn’t like secrets, and there isn’t a secret out there that he can’t uncover. He soon discovers that Misty Bates used to be Chloe Welch, and she testified against a local hero after witnessing an unspeakable crime in which a house was burned down and a family perished. But when the small-town jury voted to acquit, the protection she had been promised by local authorities disappeared, and the suddenly hostile residents forced her to leave town.

Luke swears there can never be anything between him and Misty, but his digging has already put her in danger. Two cops show up on her doorstep with an arrest warrant, because the evidence in the case is suddenly pointing in her direction. Someone out there is trying to settle a score, and once again, the O’Connells find themselves deeply embroiled in a scandal, one that could ultimately endanger everyone in the family.

Ratings and reviews

Once again this author excels as a talented storyteller in this latest story of the O’Connells. Six siblings that have lived in darkness and come out shining after a great deal or trials and tribulations. This time the story belongs to Luke, the dedicated special forces warrior who has not been lucky in love. When his family wants Luke to meet the girl next door, he is shocked to see Misty Bates. The woman he met three years ago in Greece and spent an unforgettable weekend, never to see her again. But he suspects she’s not only hiding but has many secrets and when he accidentally puts her on the radar of disreputable individuals, he and his family set out to help her. This action packed and thought provoking story is very realist. We encounter the underhandedness of some in law enforcement while the good cops get frustrated as they battle to right the wrong . In a world that sometimes goes against those who are trying to do the right thing, sometimes the innocent are end up paying the price. But in this fictional family, they all strive to make the world a better place. This was another excellent story in this very much loved series. I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

A very interesting plot where the girl next door is not as simple or direct as she seems to be, and there´s a past that dooms her future. The story has a lot of action and romance and makes it an easy and enjoyable reading. The characters are also very relatable as there´s always someone in the family wanting the whole of matchmaker and/or being strong-minded when defending their beliefs. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Super Story.... by and1515 Luke was in a no win situation he was still single with zero prospects insight. His family truly meant well however he'd finally accepted the truth he just wasn't meant to have what they did. The moment he saw her; Luke knew he remembered her and that so-called good girl act might have snowed over his family but not him. Luke was like a hungry mangy dog after a really juicy bone he just couldn't; no wouldn't leave things well enough alone. Especially once he picked up the scent of deceit. Now that he'd blown up a stubborn can of worms to smithereens Luke, was in a rush to contain the trouble he'd unleashed on everyone. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

About the author

New York Times & USA Today bestseller Lorhainne Eckhart is best known for writing Raw Relatable Real Romance where “Morals and family are running themes.” As one fan calls her, she is the “Queen of the family saga.” (aherman) writing “the ups and downs of what goes on within a family but also with some suspense, angst and of course a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.” Follow Lorhainne on Bookbub to receive alerts on New Releases and Sales and join her mailing list at LorhainneEckhart.com for her Monday Blog, all book news, giveaways and FREE reads. With over 120 books, audiobooks, and multiple series published and available at all, retailers now translated into six languages. She is a multiple recipient of the Readers’ Favorite Award for Suspense and Romance, and lives in the Pacific Northwest on an island, is the mother of three, her oldest has autism and she is an advocate for never giving up on your dreams.