Before You By Jenna Bennett

A Review By Wendy

3 Key West, Spring Break Mystery Stars 

* * *

Before You by Jenna Bennett is part of the Sex on the Beach group of quick novels which all reference each other. They follow 3 best friends; women who are in college, all searching to have some fun during Spring Break in Key West. Each of these novellas can be read alone or in the order with this being the last.

As we have seen, all of the three girls have come to this Spring Break with a purpose...to put it bluntly ... to get laid. Now seems to be the time for Cassie, the quieter of the three to figure out how to get rid of that pesky V card. She is cute, smart and there is absolutely nothing wrong with her... she just hasn't found anyone she really felt like being with in that way. As she looks around the bar, she checks off what she is not interested in... no Ivy Leaguers or jocks...

She gets tapped on the shoulder and offered a drink by Tyler, a looker who doesn't fall into any of those categories... he is this guy who is kinda cool with a t-shirt that says "FBI in big letters and then underneath Female Body Inspector". He just seemed right... not arrogant or full of himself, with green eyes and dark blond hair... he was not bad at all in the looks department... the jeans also hung just that way to make a girl drool. 

As Cassie and Tyler banter, she learns of him going to school in D.C. Cassie gets a little close to being drunk... she has let him know she is very interested in taking him back to her room and the hotel. Tyler walks her back to the hotel but passes on the coming up to the room... says he would not want to take advantage of a tipsy Cassie... would want her to remember him... 

The next day Cassie is walking down by the beach early in the morning and runs into Tyler... and they discover a girl who has been attacked. She has the same hair color as Cassie and was down for spring break, too. The police are called; both Cassie and Tyler are questioned. This event does not seem to be isolated as there may have been others last year at this time. 

From this point forward we have an additional elements to the book. We get a murder mystery, travel and history guide of Key West and a sort of sweet romance.

We learn women are being drugged and attacked... they look like Cassie and the local police are very upset. They cannot nail the guy and are having all of the police out in force at night to try to stop it. Cassie has a very active mind and seems to keep ending up in places where bodies are found. She also has Tyler hanging out with her too. She really likes him but something is just off with him... can she trust him?

This is the last book of the series and it ties everything up for the other couples. I did have a few issues with this, though. As interesting the history of Key West was... and it was... there was an awful lot in this short book. I also figured out who was the attacker and the mystery surrounding Tyler quite early. My friends tease me and call me Nancy Drew when buddy reading so... it could be my expert detective skills from all of the crime and mystery reading from my past. The other thing which really had a serious bearing on the rating was the relationship of Cassie and Tyler and how it was left at the end of Spring Break. It didn't feel right, but again that is just me.

What really did work was the friendship of the women; the important message of personal safety during any time out there and finally never be pressured to do anything by anyone. All of those elements have meaning and to get them while reading about hot guys with cute smart girls works for me.

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review. 

About Jenna Bennett

Jenna Bennett writes the USA Today bestselling Cutthroat Business mysteries featuring Southern Belle and new-minted real estate agent Savannah Martin in Nashville, Tennessee.

As Jennie Bentley, she writes the New York Times bestselling Do-It-Yourself Home Renovation mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime, featuring designer and amateur sleuth Avery Baker and her boyfriend, handyman Derek Ellis, who renovate houses in Waterfield, Maine.
She also writes a variety of romance for a change of pace.
aka Jennie Bentley