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Aurora Night #1
See Before You Die: Costa Rica
Aurora Night is a travel writer and photographer for See!, the world’s top adventure magazine. Aurora thinks her latest trip, to tropical Costa Rica, will be a routine assignment. But everything changes after she arrives. In between a chocolaty spa treatment, an all-too-exciting raft trip, and a romantically-charged cultural dance, Aurora falls into a mystery. Now, a strange disappearance and a suspicious death lead Aurora on an adventurous journey through the jungle and through her past. Along the way, Aurora uncovers more than the elusive identity of a villain. She also discovers the elusive spirit of a place and the elusive nature of a hero.
306 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2011
228 people want to read
About the author
J.E. Leigh
12Ìýbooks6ÌýfollowersJ.E. Leigh loves to travel, loves to write, and loves being a mom. Her background is in tourism, parks, recreation, & geography. She writes humorous romantic mysteries that offer heartfelt insights into people and places. Her stories focus on themes of adventure, travel, culture, and life.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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April 12, 2011Okay - full disclosure here. I'm the author, so I won't give myself a rating, but here are a few tidbits to help you decide if you want to read this book.
You might like this book if:
1) You love dessert. Especially if it's molten chocolate-lava cake with a hot, gooey center.
2) You dream of going on an all-expense-paid vacation to a tropical paradise.
3) You hope to meet Mr. Tall, Dark & Chocolate, aka Mr. Ripped or Lava-cake-man (see #1).
4) You enjoy a twisty mystery with a disaster-prone amateur sleuth and an annoying sidekick.
5) You suffer from clinomania - an obsessive desire to stay in bed.
6) You imagine yourself as a hero on an adventure (or you did once upon a time).
7) You long to experience the moments in life that take your breath away.
What's that you say? You need more info to decide? No problem! Read the excerpts and quotes on my author profile, then visit my website below to read more excerpts, including the first nine chapters!
Happy reading, J.E. Leigh,
You might like this book if:
1) You love dessert. Especially if it's molten chocolate-lava cake with a hot, gooey center.
2) You dream of going on an all-expense-paid vacation to a tropical paradise.
3) You hope to meet Mr. Tall, Dark & Chocolate, aka Mr. Ripped or Lava-cake-man (see #1).
4) You enjoy a twisty mystery with a disaster-prone amateur sleuth and an annoying sidekick.
5) You suffer from clinomania - an obsessive desire to stay in bed.
6) You imagine yourself as a hero on an adventure (or you did once upon a time).
7) You long to experience the moments in life that take your breath away.
What's that you say? You need more info to decide? No problem! Read the excerpts and quotes on my author profile, then visit my website below to read more excerpts, including the first nine chapters!
Happy reading, J.E. Leigh,
July 19, 2011
I received this through a first reads giveaway.
Picking this book up figure it would be a light mystery read for a nice summer day. It was. It was also one of those books that I felt didn't completely use all of the potential it presented.
All of the characters, particularly Aurora, came across as high school kids. I didn't believe for a second that Aurora was a twenty-nine year old travel writer/photographer � a lot of times I forgot she was even suppose to be a writer. If this had been a book about a group of teenagers on a vacation to Costa Rica only to come across a mystery I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more considered that's how the book felt like it was leaning. There were a lot of times that I got the characters mixed up � mostly "Tarazan" (did she ever tell his real name?) and Anthony (who I thought for the longest time was "Tarzan"). I will say that I enjoyed the humor in Aurora's narration.
Plot wise it wasn't too bad. The pacing was nice and I stayed pretty interested. The only problem I had with the plot was that all of the twist felt too out of the blue for a mystery. It would have been nice if J. E. Leigh had used foreshadowing a little more. The romance portion was well handled (even if I did keep getting characters mixed up).
I actually liked Leigh's writing most of the time. The humor was great and she kept my attention. The problems that I had mostly centered around characters, things that needed clarity, and a little too much telling at times.
While I didn't love this book I didn't hate it either. It wasn't one that felt like a waste of my time so I consider it worth the read. As for if I recommend it let me just say that it's one of those you just have to read for yourself to know if you like it or not.
Picking this book up figure it would be a light mystery read for a nice summer day. It was. It was also one of those books that I felt didn't completely use all of the potential it presented.
All of the characters, particularly Aurora, came across as high school kids. I didn't believe for a second that Aurora was a twenty-nine year old travel writer/photographer � a lot of times I forgot she was even suppose to be a writer. If this had been a book about a group of teenagers on a vacation to Costa Rica only to come across a mystery I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more considered that's how the book felt like it was leaning. There were a lot of times that I got the characters mixed up � mostly "Tarazan" (did she ever tell his real name?) and Anthony (who I thought for the longest time was "Tarzan"). I will say that I enjoyed the humor in Aurora's narration.
Plot wise it wasn't too bad. The pacing was nice and I stayed pretty interested. The only problem I had with the plot was that all of the twist felt too out of the blue for a mystery. It would have been nice if J. E. Leigh had used foreshadowing a little more. The romance portion was well handled (even if I did keep getting characters mixed up).
I actually liked Leigh's writing most of the time. The humor was great and she kept my attention. The problems that I had mostly centered around characters, things that needed clarity, and a little too much telling at times.
While I didn't love this book I didn't hate it either. It wasn't one that felt like a waste of my time so I consider it worth the read. As for if I recommend it let me just say that it's one of those you just have to read for yourself to know if you like it or not.
August 18, 2012
This was another Good Reads first reads giveaway. It had a good flow and was a quick, easy read. While some things were a little predictable, there were other aspects that were not expected. It was easy to be captured by the less than graceful main charcter Aurora, a clumsy want to be adventurer. Over all, this left me wanting to read more about Aurora and her travels. Looking forward to the next book.
February 16, 2012
I like to read fiction about places I'm going to visit. She described the beauty and warmth of Costa Rica. I really don;t want that much adventure, no dead bodies, no mysterious findings, no getting thrown out of a raft, no handsome strangers. The story was funny as well as intriguing. I would read another Aurora Night adventure.
June 1, 2011
This would make a great beach read! The descriptions of the location were vivid and I could clearly see the location. Likeable characters and made me want more.
I love travel fiction and look forward to the next in the series.
I love travel fiction and look forward to the next in the series.
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June 6, 2011Great read!!! I really enjoyed the story and the characters. A super job capturing the spirit and excitment of visiting a new country and meeting new people.
Can't wait the for the next Aurora Night novel!!!
Can't wait the for the next Aurora Night novel!!!
June 26, 2011
I am officially a fan! Very well written. Very identifiable character. And one of the most entertaining books I have read in a very long time! Can't wait to read Patagonia. Aurora Night is a new favorite.
July 20, 2011
This book was funny and sweet. It was a fast read and I really enjoyed it. I received this book for free through goodreads First Reads.
February 29, 2012
Well-researched, well-crafted and altogether satisfying! Thank you for a great read.
March 3, 2012
A nice cosy mystery set in a small village in Costa Rica.
Very easily readable.
Very easily readable.
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