Another great read from another new to me author. Peony Red had almost everything I love in a romance novel; small town atmosphere, with a hot law enforcement officer who is there to protect a vulnerable yet strong heroine with a little bit of suspense mixed in.Alex Fisher is the heroine in this story, she is still grieving over the loss of her childhood sweetheart husband who was killed in a fire trying to save a child. She has been going through the motions every day with a lack of interest in anything. She was a successful author with multiple books and movies made out of her novels but with her grief and with helping her mother take care of her father who is suffering from Alzheimer's, she cannot seem to write any longer either. Added to all that she was just dropped by her publisher, she really needed a change. So it seemed like a sign when she received not one, but two postcards from an Eli, inviting her to visit Granite Harbor. With the push from her mother and best friend, Bryce, she decided she could not pass up the chance for a fresh start where no one knew her or her heartbreak. Along the way more and more signs where pointing toward this small town in Maine.The day after arriving in Granite Harbor, she meets the mysterious Eli. She feels the pull towards him, just as he does. Eli is the game warden of this town and is currently investigating some gruesome crimes. He too is going through some personal issues, especially with his soon-to-be ex. So they both have their reasons to fight this attraction, but when inspiration struck for Alex on a new series of books featuring game wardens, this required them to be in close proximity. This will in turn result in them not being able to walk away from the connection they feel towards each other.The journey to their HEA is a bit of a slow burn, Alex is having a difficult time letting go of Kyle, but she does finally realize she has to move on. And Eli was just an amazing guy, he was sweet, protective and so patient with Alex but still having the macho alpha vibe I love so much. He, however, did have the issue of his ex still lingering. This is where I had a bit of a problem with him. Secrets were kept for too long! But the chemistry between the two was sizzling and once they reach their HEA it was beautiful.The suspense portion of this book definitely kept my interest. I didn’t quite know what to think of the beginning of the book, but once we got to the part when all was revealed, I was definitely surprised!I did have a bit of an issue with the same scenes being repeated with each POV. It was nice to know each side’s thoughts, but it was a bit distracting for me. At times I wanted to just skim over them but I wanted to know their thoughts too!But overall, I really loved this book. I am looking forward to continuing with this series.