Tag Archives: Skeleton Island

Shallow Remains (Skeleton Island 3) by Kaylea Cross-review

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Shallow Remains (Skeleton Island 3) by Kaylea Cross-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 29, 2026

A deadly betrayal taught her to guard her heart at all costs.
IT expert Maddy Krause has always felt like an outsider, never fitting in anywhere. When she finally let her guard down and opened her heart to a man, it almost cost her life. Now she’s starting over and building a new life on Skeleton Island. The last thing she expected was to meet a man who makes her want more and to trust again. Then a ghost from her past resurfaces, and surviving what happens next will test the fragile foundations they’ve started to build.

But one man tempts her to risk it all again.
Former Coast Guard rescue swimmer Lachlan McCaffrey carries emotional scars of his own, but Maddy brings out all his protective instincts. It’s clear she’s been hurt before and he’s determined to win her trust and heart. But just as she starts to let her walls down, danger closes in. Someone connected to her past is bent on exacting revenge, putting them both in a killer’s crosshairs.

••••

REVIEW:SHALLOW REMAINS is the third instalment in Kaylea Cross’ contemporary, adult SKELETON ISLAND romantic suspense series. This is twenty-seven year old, IT specialist Maddy Krause, and thirty-three year old, former Coast Guard rescue swimmer Lachlan McCaffrey’s story line. SHALLOW REMAINS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. For followers of Kaylea Cross, there is a slight cross over with the author’s numerous, interconnected CRIMSON POINT series.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers .

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Maddy and Lachlan, and first person (unknown) SHALLOW REMAINS focuses on IT specialist Maddy Krause, and the ghosts she left behind in Syria. Working as an IT cryptologist, Maddy found herself the victim of abduction and torture for something she knew nothing about. Rescued by Black Ops soldiers including Blaine Slater, Maddy would return to the USA, finding a new family of friends but struggling to move on with her life until our heroine becomes a target, and Lachlan McCaffrey names himself guardian and protector of the woman with whom he will fall in love.

The world building focuses on the search for the truth, for a possible ghost who refuses to let go, and the fear of one woman struggling to move on with her life. From Syria to America, land and water, the threats increase with each method of contact. While Maddy’s life hangs in the balance, Lachlan’s reveals his own history of love and loss.

The relationship between Maddy and Lachlan begins a friends, to protector in the face threats against our story line heroine. The past refuses to let go, coming for revenge, demanding everything and more. Lachlan has lost his heart to a woman who is struggling with the demons from her past but Lachlan’s demons are riding him hard.The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative .

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic, and tenacious secondary and supporting including the return of Blaine and Xanthe, Willow and Tripp, and firefighter Greyson Matthews.

SHALLOW REMAINS is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, obsession and retribution, friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is dramatic, dark and captivating; the romance is passionate and seductive.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.

FOLLOW: Goodreads / Website /Twitter / Facebook / Newsletter / Bookbub / Instagram/

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Killer Remains (Skeleton Island 2) by Kaylea Cross-review

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💜Killer Remains (Skeleton Island 2) by Kaylea Cross-review💜

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 26, 2026

It started out as hate at first sight.
As Skeleton Island’s resident cetacean expert, Dr. Xanthe Lazos is dedicated to saving the critically endangered Southern Resident Orca population. The latest threat to the island’s fragile ecosystem comes in the form of a proposed luxury oceanfront resort, and a self-made millionaire behind it who becomes her nemesis. But fate keeps pushing them together, forcing her to view him in a different light. Except her work has made her a target. When the looming threat against her ignites, the man she swore to hate steps up to protect her.

Now they have to rely on each other to stay alive.
Blaine Slater never expected to fall for a woman like Xanthe. She’s done everything in her power to defeat his current project and made it clear she loathes everything he stands for. They’re polar opposites in almost every way, yet he’s never been this drawn to anyone, even as she forces him to open his eyes and rethink his own biases. When someone tries to kill her, he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe. But it’s not just her in the crosshairs. They soon find themselves trapped in a fight for their lives while battling feelings neither of them ever saw coming.

•••••

REVIEW:  KILLER REMAINS is the second instalment in Kaylea Cross’ contemporary, adult SKELETON ISLAND romantic suspense series. This is marine biologist Dr. Xanthe Lazos, and CFO Blaine Slater’s story line. KILLER REMAINS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Xanthe and Blaine KILLER REMAINS follows several intersecting pathways including the proposed oceanfront luxury resort slated for Skeleton Island, the island’s fragile eco-system, the destruction of the local orca population, and the threats to our story line heroine. A town meeting to address everyone’s concerns does nothing to allay our heroine’s determination to protect the orcas around Skeleton Island but the death of three orcas over a short period of time forces Xanthe to do a deep dive into what was happening and why but as Xanthe gets closer to the truth, someone else is taking aim at our story line heroine. Blaine Slater’s attraction to Xanthe Lazos is immediate but their business acumens are in direct opposition to one another, and Xanthe took an immediate dislike to our story line hero until threats against her life push Blaine to declare himself guardian and protector of the woman with whom he will fall in love.

The world building follows the fight to save Skeleton Island and the orcas from the fallout of construction and the destruction of the fragile eco-system but the island is struggling, and the proposition brought by the luxury resort may have been too good to be true for many of the residents.

The relationship between Blaine and Xanthe begins acrimoniously; a enemies to friends to lovers in the wake of threats against our story line heroine, the impending possibility of a mutual enemy. As Blaine begins a slow seduction of our story line heroine, Xanthe finds herself drawn to a man who might possibly destroy everything for which she has worked. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

There is a large ensemble cast of energetic and sometimes questionable secondary and supporting characters. We are reintroduced to Sheriff Rafe Torres, Tripp and Willow, as well as Tripp and Willow; lifelong islanders Mae, and Earl, Mayor Marilyn. We are introduced to Xanthe’s team members Coastguard rescue Lachlan McCaffrey, Allistair and Samantha; Blaine’s Marine buddy and IT expert Maddy Krause, and his business associate Don, as well as Blaine’s struggling mother.

KILLER REMAINS is a story of greed and obsession; betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is dramatic, edgy and emotional; the characters are desperate and determined; the romance is impassioned and seduction.

Copy Supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.

FOLLOW: Goodreads / Website /Twitter / Facebook / Newsletter / Bookbub / Instagram/

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Mortal Remains (Skeleton Remains 1) by Kaylea Cross-review

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Mortal Remains (Skeleton Island 1) by Kaylea Cross-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 27, 2026

Welcome to Skeleton Island, where dangerous secrets lie hidden on its rugged, windswept shores. But even the darkest secrets can be unearthed…and some residents will go to any length to make sure they remain buried.

Tragedy ripped her world apart.

Willow has come back to Skeleton Island ready to heal old wounds and make a new life for herself in her childhood haven. The last thing she expects is to discover the man linked to her loss has also returned to the island. Tripp is forever changed by what happened, but the fire between them burns hotter than ever. When a mysterious threat sets her on a collision course with a dangerous entity operating on the island, she turns to him, putting her heart on the line along with her life.

He’s tortured by the past he can’t escape.

Former military contractor Tripp has secretly loved Willow since he was sixteen. He knows he should keep his distance but he can’t stay away—even though they’ll both wind up getting burned in the end. And when the long-buried desire between them finally ignites, someone targets Willow. He steps in to protect her, but even as they confront the deadly threat, his darkest secret is revealed, threatening to tear them apart forever.

••••••

REVIEW:MORTAL REMAINS is the first instalment in Kaylea Cross’ contemporary, adult SKELETON ISLAND erotic, romantic suspense series. This is former military contractor and woodworker Tripp Rawlings, and library archivist Willow Carlson’s story line.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Willow and Tripp MORTAL REMAINS follows the return of Willow Carlson to Skeleton Island. Willow’s late grandmother left the home to our story line heroine, but Willow’s arrival sets into motion a series of events that will reveal a dark secret buried in and around Skeleton Island. Willow struggles with the memories of what was and what will never be including coming face to face with the man who broke her heart. Tripp Rawlings keeps to himself since the disastrous fall-out of his last tour in the middle East, a tour that scarred him both inside and out but when Skeleton Island begins to reveal its secrets, Tripp and Willow find themselves a target of an unknown source.

The world building focuses on several interesting pathways including the unearthing of Skeleton Island’s secrets, and an organization that is working behind the scenes to take control.

The relationship between Willow and Tripp is one of second chances, of a sort. Tripp has been in love with Willow for as long as he can remember but Tripp has a secret that once revealed may end any chance of a happily after for our story line couple. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the to, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters are energetic and charismatic. We are introduced to Sheriff Rafe Torres, Willow’s friend Bronwyn; neighbor Mae, and several questionable locals who may or may not be hiding dangerous secrets.

MORTAL REMAINS is a story of secrets and lies, grief and guilt, power and control, family and relationships, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is dramatic and edgy; the romance is seductive and fated; the characters are determined and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.

FOLLOW: Goodreads / Website /Twitter / Facebook / Newsletter / Bookbub / Instagram/

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