Book Review: ‘Innocent Bystander’ by A.G. Kirkham

One thing about me is that I won’t review a book I didn’t love. I was raised on if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. And I also know not every book is going to be loved by everyone. But why not just decide to not finish it and find one you do like? I’m lucky that I get to read so many great books. And this was one of them. Full of heart, overcoming trauma, and finding love, I was into it. But there was also a mystery or two that kept me more than a little interested. And the characters will absolutely keep me coming back for more as the series continues! So keep reading for my Innocent Bystander review!

Things to Love

There were so many things I loved about this book. One of the major ones was that it started you off with characters that already knew one another. There is a previous book in the series and you know I went and nabbed that before I was even done with this one. But it is standalone and you don’t need to have read the first one to understand things going on in this one. And I really love book series set up like that. Because it makes the relationship between the characters seem more real. But it also means you get to read more about them in the other books in the series. I’ll love reading about them as background characters in the next one! On top of them previously knowing each other, there was also clearly a connection from moment one.

Image via A.G. Kirkham

This book was written from multiple points of view, mostly from Alex and Sabrina. And that gave an inside track into what was going on in their minds. But it also meant I got an inside look into what Alex and Sabrina were thinking about each other. Which was that they felt something really deep for one another. I appreciated that Alex was taking things slowly with Sabrina because he knew she’d been through a lot. And he didn’t want to rush her or push her into anything. So he just made sure he was there for her and that she knew she could call him for anything. Which was something Sabrina clearly did know. But she was also doing her best to deal with her past trauma and rely on herself. Sabrina didn’t want to rely on others for everything. She wanted to be independent. And I admire that.

Who to Love

What Sabrina went through was horrible and my heart went out to her character. But she was strong and I liked that she knew when to ask for help and when to handle things on her own. Sabrina’s ex-boyfriend isolated her and became more and more progressively abusive toward her. He progressed until he got to the point of keeping her a prisoner in their home. But when he forced Sabrina to go to an event with him, she did the only thing she could and escaped. I can’t imagine how much inner strength that took. And then to have trauma after trauma piled on top of that? Yikes. But Sabrina didn’t let anything she went through change who she was or how she treated those around her. She was a super sweet and genuinely kind character. So it was no wonder Alex fell for her so hard.

Alex naturally had protective instincts so it was no surprise he was a detective. I loved that the group of men he worked with all brought something different to the table. And that they were all as close as brothers. It definitely left me wanting to read more about them. As for Alex, he had his own share of loss and I think it went a long way toward making his character even more empathetic toward others. But it also made him very open about his feelings toward those around him. Because he had to learn the hard way how precious life is and how quickly it can be lost. Alex wasn’t afraid to let Sabrina know how he felt about her. But he was also very open about wanting to take things slow with her. Her well-being came first for him.

Why Love It

This book had a lot of drama, action, and of course romance. But there was more than that. A strong sense of family and friendship. Along with a great backbone of family not always being blood. And that’s something I absolutely agree with and relate to. There were some unexpected events that included twists and turns, as well as a central problem the characters were all working together to solve. But it didn’t feel like anything was dragged out and I liked that the primary focus was on Alex and Sabrina and the relationship between them. A.G. Kirkham did a really incredible job weaving the characters and the story together and keeping the point of the book about Alex and Sabrina falling in love. All of it went together to keep me completely in tune with this book. And it is definitely one I will be reading again.

Image via A.G. Kirkham

Have you read any books by A.G. Kirkham? If you have, what did you think of them? Will Innocent Bystander be one you’ll add to your TBR list? Did you read the first book in the series? What did you think of it? You can find and follow us on Twitter @capeandcastle to discuss all things books and you can find me on Twitter @Sarah_Jeanne17 as well! I’m always down to talk about books and authors! Especially ones like Innocent Bystander And be sure to check out our site for more content on all things Disney and beyond!

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