REVIEW: "Extreme Limit" by Kendall Talbot (Suspense)

EXTREME LIMIT by Kendall Talbot
	Genre: Suspense/Romantic Publication Date: May 2020 Series: Maximum Exposure, #1 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Introverted female, sports (rockclimbing), travel (Canada)
Other Books by Kendall Talbot
#2
Description from Publisher:
Two lovers frozen in ice. One dangerous expedition. Holly Parmenter doesn’t remember the helicopter crash that claimed the life of her fiancé and left her in a coma. The only details she does remember from that fateful day haunt her—two mysterious bodies sealed within the ice, dressed for dinner rather than a dangerous hike up the Canadian Rockies. No one believes Holly’s story about the couple encased deep in the icy crevasse. Instead, she’s wrongly accused of murdering her fiancé for his million-dollar estate. Desperate to uncover the truth about the bodies and to prove her innocence, Holly resolves to climb the treacherous mountain and return to the crash site. But to do that she’ll need the help of Oliver, a handsome rock-climbing specialist who has his own questions about Holly’s motives. When a documentary about an unsolved kidnapping offers clues as to the identity of the frozen bodies, it’s no longer just Oliver and Holly heading to the dangerous mountaintop . . . there’s also a killer, who’ll stop at nothing to keep the case cold. Will a harrowing trip to the icy crevasse bring Holly and Oliver the answers they seek? Or will disaster strike twice, claiming all Holly has left? Extreme Limit is a thrilling action-adventure novel with a dash of romance set high in the Canadian Rockies. It’s a full-length, stand-alone Maximum Exposure novel, previously published as Out of Mind.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This had a bit of a slow beginning, despite the early excitement. I didn't connect with Holly until about 15% in, but was able to after. Holly is someone who is living the life of a hermit, hiding from her past and the traumas in it. She has very visible scarring on her face from a helicopter accident she survived, and less-visible scarring on her heart and mind from the helicopter accident her fiance and fiance's son's didn't survive. She is also haunted by something she saw frozen in the ice while she was hoping for help, even more so since she learned exactly what it was she saw. She starts to actually LIVE again after becoming determined to help resolve the mystery around it. This was a solid story, with a little of everything. I really enjoyed the suspense, the slow burn romance, the mystery surrounding how Regi fit in, and the action. The only thing that felt a bit off was the description of sex. It was a bit awkward, but forgiveable considering how well everything else was described. The tone of everything matched Holly's growth, and the ending felt very satisfying in many ways. As a bit of an aside, I was amused several times throughout at some word choices (like describing a voice as "posh"). As an American who is very familiar with British/Australian English, it made me smile, but also wonder for a second if any of these characters were not from the U.S. That wasn't important to the story, and didn't detract any, though!!!!
My Source: I borrowed this via Kindle Unlimited to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Kendall Talbot
Kendall Talbot is a thrill seeker, hopeless romantic, virtual killer, and award-winning author of stories that’ll have your heart thumping from the action-packed suspense in exotic locations and the swoon-worthy romance. Kendall has sought thrills in all 46 countries she’s visited. She’s abseiled down freezing waterfalls, catapulted out of a white-water raft, jumped off a mountain with a man who spoke little English, and got way too close to a sixteen-foot shark. When she isn’t writing, she’s enjoying wine and cheese with her crazy friends, and planning her next thrilling international escape. She lives in Brisbane, Australia with her very own hero and a fluffy little dog who specializes in hijacking her writing time. Meanwhile, Kendall’s two sons are off making their own adventures – look out world.