Sue Civil-Brown

Very good book that captured my attention and kept me hooked. It opened with a prologue detailing a war crimes trial for a Marine who went too far in carrying out his duties. It's hard to face when one of your brothers-in-arms does something so heinous, and it's even harder when the person in question doesn't believe he did anything wrong.

Jax returned to his hometown for his best friend Adam's wedding (Mistaken Identity). The night of the wedding, the motel he's staying in catches fire and show more burns to the ground. The person in the room next to him doesn't survive. After interviewing Jax, Sheriff Dalton requests that Jax remain in town and sets him up in Lynn's boarding house. Jax knows that the "request" is merely a formality - leaving town is not an option until the investigation is complete.

Lynn has been a widow since the death of her soldier husband two years earlier. She has buried her grief in renovating the house he left her, turning it into a boarding house. She has three college student boarders she calls "her boys." She's happy to take in Jax, who she remembers from their school days. Neither of them expects the sparks of attraction that flare between them, and both try to ignore them. Jax will be taking up a new post in a short time, and Lynn isn't interested in a relationship, especially with another military man.

Things start to go a little south when Jax receives a phone call from the prosecutor at the war crimes trial. Two of the five jurors have died mysteriously, and he warns Jax to be alert. Complicating matters, Lynn's brother-in-law is making a pest of himself after losing his lawsuit to claim half of Lynn's house. Luke's attitude arouses Jax's protective instincts. He also must fight off the advances of Madge, a woman he has no interest in.

Life in Lynn's boarding house becomes even more interesting when her mother, Nancy, shows up for a visit. She and Lynn are like oil and water and frequently butt heads. Nancy frustrates Lynn with her heavy-handed attempts at matchmaking between Lynn and Jax, though Jax finds her endlessly amusing.

I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Lynn and Jax. He is used to being busy, so he volunteers to help Lynn with the renovations. An easy friendship develops as they work together, but those sparks are never far from the surface. Lynn experiences some guilt over those sparks, feeling as though she is being unfaithful to Matt. Jax's experience with his parents' marriage has left him wary of relationships. When the fire investigation clears him, he's free to go, but he can't bring himself to leave with everything going on. There are some sweet scenes of them together, from working on the house to sharing their pasts. But when danger comes to Jax, Lynn panics and pushes him away. It takes some honest self-reflection to see that she's ready to love again.

The suspense of the story kept me turning the pages. We have the possible threat to Jax's life, Luke's determination to get Lynn's house for himself, and Madge's determination to get Jax for herself. Neither Madge nor Luke are the brightest, and when they team up, the results are less than spectacular. One of Lynn's boys plays a big part in stopping one attempt (I loved seeing him with Miss Emma!). Meanwhile, Luke becomes the unwitting dupe of Jax's stalker.

The threat against Jax is very real. We get frequent looks from the stalker's point of view, keeping the reader on edge as we see the dangers that Jax doesn't. The tension ramps up as they become increasingly desperate to complete their "mission." There was one point where I was sure Jax would figure it out, but the clue was just out of his reach (it's the walk, Jax, the walk!). The final confrontation was terrific, as the stalker was no match for Jax's strength and reflexes.

The secondary characters were plentiful and well done. Lynn's mother, Nancy, was a trip. Many of her actions and comments were cringeworthy, but she has a good heart. I liked her joy of cooking for others and could see that was one of her ways of showing she cared. I loved the three college guys, who were good kids and thoughtful of Lynn. It was fun to see the dynamics change throughout the book. Maude of Maude's diner was her usual grumpy self but still shows as one of the hearts of Conard. Characters from other books make appearances, and I am always happy to see where they are in their lives. show less

Terrific book that grabbed my attention from the first page and kept me hooked right to the end. It isn't just fantastic romantic suspense; it is also an emotional look at Kerri's struggles with her disability. Kerri lost her career as a cop when an on-the-job injury left her with seizures. Determined to break out of the spiral of self-pity, she left her home in Florida to take a job teaching criminal justice at Conard County's community college. Adjusting is more challenging than she show more expected, from losing full independence to a dread of relationships. But she is one determined woman.

The story opened with a peek at the rapist, then jumps back two weeks to Kerri and Stuart's first meeting. Kerri's request to the sheriff's department for a guest speaker for her class netted her Sergeant Stuart Canady. There is an immediate connection between them, bonding over police work stories and something else neither wants to identify. I loved how easily they became friends. Because of the nature of her seizures, Kerri tells Stuart about them early on, fully expecting him to pull away. Instead, he expresses his admiration for her strength and resilience.

I loved watching the relationship between Kerri and Stuart develop. Initially, it is merely friendship - dinners at Maude's, walking Snowy, Kerri's service dog, and getting the Florida native ready for a Wyoming winter. But along the way, things start to change. I loved watching them grow closer, though Kerri did her best to resist it. Her greatest fear is that of becoming a burden. I ached to see her continually apologizing for her "zone outs" and her inability to do certain things. I loved Stuart's patience and understanding and his determination to make her see that her disability didn't need to define her. Stuart, a former MP, has some issues of his own, so he understands her fears.

When the first rape occurs, Kerri's feelings of frustration hit a new level. In her old job, she was a victims advocate and used to being in the thick of things. After the second one, she found herself inadvertently involved, much to Stuart's dismay. He worried about her safety, while the feeling of being useful again worked wonders on Kerri's self-confidence. I loved seeing the changes in her outlook and the difference those changes made in her relationship with Stuart. But when his fears come to pass, Stuart must find a way to get past Kerri's inhibitions and convince her that his love is there to stay. I loved the ending.

The suspense of the story was great. From the first glimpse into the rapist's mind to his capture at the end, the tension was incredible. I could feel law enforcement's frustration at the lack of leads to follow and his glee at using what he'd learned in his classes against them. The rapid escalation of his activities heightened the tension, and the fear that gripped the town was palpable. Seeing the rapist track Kerri's work with the victims was nerve-wracking because he made it clear what his plans were. The final confrontation had me glued to the pages until it was all over.

One of the things I liked about this book was the look at the day-to-day struggles of life with a disability. It's different for everyone, but the frustrations are real. Having the kind of support Kerri has with Stuart is vital.

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Very good story about love and loss. After her policeman husband was killed, Vicki was surrounded by the caring attitudes of his coworkers. But after a year went by, she started to feel smothered by the attention and unable to really move on from her loss. So she moved herself and her daughter in with her aunt in Conard County Wyoming, looking for a fresh start. The first person she meets is next door neighbor Dan who is handsome, helpful - and a cop. The last thing she wants to do is get show more involved with another man with a risky job. But Dan is sweet and kind and her daughter Krystal takes to him right away. Vicki is torn, because Krys needs someone like Dan in her life, but she's hesitant to risk the pain of loss again.

Dan understands what Vicki is going through. He lost his wife to cancer a few years earlier and he's still working his way through some of the grief. He can see that his job makes Vicki cautious about spending much time with him, but he can't stay away.

I loved the way the relationship developed between Dan and Vicki. He understands her fears and offers simple friendship at the beginning. He's attracted to her, but knows that she isn't ready for anything else. I loved seeing him take Krys under his wing and do things that would make her happy. It was obvious that he would make a fantastic father. As Vicki got more comfortable with him, his attraction to her grew. Vicki had felt the zing of attraction from the beginning, but fought it really hard. She couldn't resist his friendship, and his sensitivity to her fears made it pretty easy for her to hang out with him. I really liked the way that they talked about their feelings and fears like adults, instead of making a bunch of dramatic declarations. When Dan is there for her in a crisis, Vicki begins to realize that her feelings are deeper than she had expected. It's not long before she has to face her fears head on and decide if love can overcome them. I loved the scene with Krys after she came home from her sleepover and showed Vicki how to do it. The ending was sweet and emotional.

I really liked Vicki's daughter, Krys. She was an adorable kid, but the best part was the way her reactions felt so real. Though she was often a typical four year old, there were moments when her grief and fears appeared. I loved the way that Vicki and Dan dealt with them. Vicki's worries were logical and realistic. I also loved Krys's immediate connection with Dan. There were some really sweet moments between them. show less

Very good book. Rory is burned out on his career and his personal life. He's had enough of touring and being away from his daughter, even though his ex-wife has custody. He's also finding it hard to write the music that used to come so easily to him. So he has packed up and returned to his roots in Conard County, hoping that the peace will help him heal.

Abby was hired as the housekeeper in Rory's new house. She's still recovering from her divorce from a man who cheated on her with her boss, show more then running off with her, leaving Abby both jobless and homeless. The job of housekeeper came along at just the right time, as her work as a waitress wasn't paying the bills. With what she's getting paid, she can save enough to go back to college. She just isn't sure what to expect from her new employer. Will he be one of those stars that travels with an entourage and expects every whim to be catered to?

Imagine her surprise when he arrives by himself in an ordinary pickup truck, with little luggage and an old beat up guitar. He lets her know that he doesn't expect much, that he can't even guarantee he'd show up for regular mealtimes when he's lost in his work. The next few days are pretty quiet, until he gets a call from his ex-wife, giving custody of their daughter to him, because "she's too much trouble". Rory's happiness at getting his daughter back is plain to see, but Abby is worried about being expected to care for her. She knows nothing about kids. She makes a bit of a blunder trying to convey that to Rory, but smooths things over when he returns with Regina.

I loved the relationship that developed between Rory and Abby. Both were attracted to the other, but having been burned in the past, each was trying to resist. Rory is still smarting from his treatment by his ex-wife, plus dealing with all the people who suck up to him in order to get something from him. It has left him finding it hard to trust anyone. Abby also has trust issues, thanks to her ex, plus he did a number on her self esteem. She's attracted to him, but is quite certain that he would never look at her the same way. What I loved about Rory is that he liked Abby for the person she was. He appreciated the fact that she treats him like an ordinary person. With the addition of Regina to the household, they are suddenly spending much more time together. I liked how Rory got Abby involved in his music, and how Abby was able to give him the kind of response he needed. When the two were trapped alone in the house during a weekend storm, the attraction between them got more intense. I really loved the way that they talked to each other about their pasts and the effects on their willingness to get involved with someone else. I loved how they looked at their attraction clearly before doing anything about it. The intensity of what they experienced had them both running scared the next morning, and Rory especially said some truly terrible things. I was impressed, however, with the way that he faced up to what he did and tried to make it right. I thought it said a lot about both of them that they were able to look at what happened and learn from it.

Things get really scary when Regina is taken violently ill. Rory's fear of losing her is obvious and it takes Abby to keep him from giving in to those fears. I loved seeing her support of him, and how it makes clear to her just how strong her feelings for both of them are. The ending is really sweet as Regina makes her wishes known and Rory has to find a way to convince Abby that he loves her for herself.

I really liked Regina. From what was said about her at the beginning I was expecting a brat, but she wasn't. However, she was very smart for a ten year old, and had a very realistic view of her relationship with her mother. I loved her joy at being with her father, and the obviously loving relationship that they had. Her Christmas present for her dad was fantastic and his pride in her was a beautiful thing to see. She was a little tentative with Abby at the beginning, but they made friends fast. I loved seeing the fun that they had together even when Rory wasn't around. She wasn't perfect, as shown by her nagging Rory about a horse, but she wasn't mean about it either. She also knew when to stand up for herself, and proved it with an interesting twist regarding her mom and a renewed custody battle. show less