Review: "The Stars Shine Bright" by Sibella Giorello

Reviewed by *Katie McCurdy for Legacy of a Writer

2/5 Stars

THE BOOK:

After the FBI suspends her for bending its rules, Special Agent Raleigh Harmon is looking for a chance to redeem her career and re-start her life.

Sent undercover to a thoroughbred horse track, Raleigh takes on a double life to find out who’s fixing the races. But when horses start dying and then her own life is threatened, Raleigh realizes something bigger—and more sinister—is ruining Emerald Meadows.

She’s never felt more alone.

Her one contact with the FBI is Special Agent Jack Stephanson, a guy who seems to jump from antagonistic to genuine friend depending on the time of day. And she can’t turn to her family for support. They’re off-limits while she’s undercover, and her mother isn’t speaking to her anyway, having been confined to a mental hospital following a psychotic breakdown. Adding insult to her isolation, Raleigh’s fiancé wants them to begin their life together—now—precisely when she’s been ordered not to be herself.

With just days left before the season ends, Raleigh races to stop the killing and find out who’s behind the track’s trouble, all the while trying to determine if Jack is friend or foe, and whether marrying her fiancé will make things better—or worse.

Raleigh is walking through the darkest night she’s faced, searching for a place where the stars shine bright.

MY REVIEW:

Do you know what every reviewer dreads the most? Having to write a review for a book they didn’t like…written by an author they do like. And such is my case with Sibella Giorello’s newest release. I know I'm probably in the minority here, but I just couldn't get into, or enjoy, The Stars Shine Bright as much as I had hoped.

I've only read two previous books in the series and, sadly, it seems this series is on a declining slope for me—I enjoyed The Clouds Roll Away, thought The Mountains Bow Down was 'okay', and didn't enjoy The Stars Shine Bright at all.

Please understand, it’s not with a light heart that I say this. I really enjoy Giorello’s writing—it’s always fresh and crisp. And her ability to bring the characters to life was wonderful. Though, while I say that, I admit I didn’t like the love triangle that continued on from The Mountains Bow Down into The Stars Shine Bright. I mean, I like Jack’s character…but I just don’t know what to think about him constantly trying to cause a rift in Raleigh’s engagement so she’ll break up with DeMott and marry him.

All in all, The Stars Shine Bright just wasn't for me. Maybe fans of this series will feel differently (and get irate at me for not enjoying it!)...but this is just one read that didn't work for me. The best to Giorello's future books, though! Her writing is always tight, crisp, and clean. Brings the story to life. :-)

* I reviewed this book for Thomas Nelson via Litfuse. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.