Janice Kay Johnson

Gripping tale of suspense and romance. Both main characters are realistically portrayed with believable backstories that made me eager to see a happy outcome for them.

Erin is a single mother of an adorable three-year-old son named Toby. Her ex-husband is not in their lives, leaving her to support them on her own. She has a thriving business reselling items she purchases at estate sales and storage unit auctions. She's stunned when her latest storage unit purchase contains many high-end show more items. While talking to the facility's owner about finding the unit's previous owner, an arsonist sets the office on fire. Erin and Toby barely escape with their lives.

Sam is the detective assigned to the case. Drawn to Erin and her son, his protective instincts hit hard, especially since Toby reminds him of the son he lost. His scenes with Toby are especially emotional. I loved how sensitive Erin and Sam are to each other's pain and the love and trust that builds between them.

The suspense was terrific. The intensity of the search for the suspect and his missing items, especially after a gruesome discovery, kept me glued to the pages. As the perpetrator visited other dealers and left destruction in his wake, the pressure on Sam and Erin grew. They knew it was only a matter of time before he circled back to Erin. The build-up to the final confrontation kept me up way past my bedtime as I couldn't stop until I knew how it ended. show less

Good story with some fast paced action and a second chance at romance. Jane and Clay had dated briefly a few months before, until Jane overheard him discussing their relationship with "the guys" in a manner she found totally unacceptable. She had really liked him, and his chauvinistic comments hurt her and made her angry. Clay knew he had screwed up as soon as he said it, but he doesn't know how to fix it.

Then her sister is injured in a car accident and her niece disappears. With Lissa in a show more coma and unable to tell anyone what happened, Clay is in charge of the investigation. As they work together on the case, Clay looks at it as an opportunity to show Jane that he has learned from his mistakes. Jane isn't sure that she should trust him again, but she can't deny that her feelings for him are growing.

I liked Clay a lot. He was working from a bit of a disadvantage, as his example of how a man behaves was that of his father. He was definitely old school, the woman belongs at home raising the kids, and certainly not working in a field like law enforcement. With Jane not only being law enforcement but also higher ranked, Clay had a little trouble dealing with it all. I liked the fact that he realized right away that he was wrong, and took a good hard look at himself and his attitudes. Once he figured out where it had come from, he was determined to change. He hoped for a second chance with Jane, but wasn't very optimistic, given the way she has treated him ever since.

Jane has some self-esteem issues on the personal side of her life. Unlike her younger sister, Jane is shorter, curvy, and in her opinion, very ordinary looking. She hasn't had very many relationships, as most men looked at her as a friend rather than a romantic interest. Plus, as a police lieutenant, she seems to intimidate many of the men she knows. She had really liked Clay and thought that they had potential, until she heard him make those remarks.

Working together on the case involving her sister and niece, Jane begins to see a different side of Clay. He admits to his mistakes, explains where they had come from, and lets her know up front that he really wants a second chance with her. He stumbles a couple times, but he is obviously trying, and that means a lot to her. Jane has her own male-related issues, thanks to her father's relationship with her and her sister, and trusting men outside of work is something that is hard for her to do. The attraction between them adds another layer to the developing relationship. I loved seeing the fight between Clay's natural protectiveness and his pride and confidence in Jane's abilities. Jane also had to learn to accept that Clay could feel both. I loved seeing how it all came together at the end, and they were able to move forward together.

The mystery of the missing girl went throughout the book. It was really interesting to see how methodical Clay was in his pursuit of the clues. He had a bit of an uphill battle with Jane because of his suspicions about her brother-in-law and sister. She had spent so much of her life protecting her sister that she doesn't want to think she could be wrong. I didn't much care for her brother-in-law for most of the book, but he redeemed himself in the end. It was very nerve-wracking as the search went on and Brianna was nowhere to be found. The resolution was really intense and showed both Clay and Jane's strengths. show less

Very good story. When Rebecca finds evidence linking her ex-husband to a crime, she takes it, thinking only to protect her son from the knowledge of his father's crimes. It also serves as an incentive to prevent him from fighting her for custody. When two attempts are made on her life along with threats against her son, she takes Matthew and heads to her Amish relatives in Missouri. One of the first people she encounters is Daniel, the county sheriff.

Daniel was raised Amish but left to show more pursue a career in law enforcement. After years in the city, he returned to his hometown to protect those he loves. Rebecca's injuries draw his attention, but it's his instincts that tell him that things are not quite what they seem.

I enjoyed the theme of this story. Both Daniel and Rebecca are caught between two worlds, feeling that they don't fit in either. Though one generation removed from Amish life (her mother was raised Amish, but left to marry Rebecca's father) it still played a big part in Rebecca's upbringing. Her time hiding with her relatives reminds her of all the good things from her childhood, but she isn't so sure that's the life she wants for her son. However, looking back on her married life, she also realizes that she hadn't felt comfortable in that world either. Daniel grew up Amish, but after witnessing a horrible crime as a teen realized that he had deep-seated need to protect rather than turn the other cheek. But leaving his Amish faith also created a divide between him and his family and friends. I ached for Daniel because he also didn't feel entirely comfortable in the Englisch world either, which often left him feeling rather lonely.

I enjoyed the development of Daniel and Rebecca's relationship. It started out rough, as Rebecca was afraid to trust him. She knew what she had done was wrong, but with the threats against her and Matthew, going to the police wasn't an option either. During their first conversation, Rebecca realized that Daniel was suspicious and was determined to avoid him whenever possible. For his part, Daniel sensed her fear, could tell she was hiding something and wasn't sure if she was the victim or not. But underneath it all, they were drawn to each other. I liked Daniel's patience as he took the time to let Rebecca get to know him, hoping she would open up. It took the danger getting close for Rebecca to take that step, and even then she held things back. I had moments of great frustration with Rebecca because she seemed more interested in protecting her ex than in dealing with the problem. Daniel realized pretty early on that Rebecca meant more to him than may have been wise, but he never gave up hope. Rebecca's fears and guilt kept her denying her feelings for a long time. There were some sweet scenes of evening conversations and growing attraction held in check by their circumstances. It isn't until they survive an extremely dangerous situation that they are willing to expose their vulnerabilities and be honest about their feelings.

The suspense of this story was really good. Though I didn't agree with what Rebecca did with the evidence she found, I understood why she did it. Her fear of losing her son to his father and grandfather was real and her desperation undeniable. The threats against her and Matthew's lives were the final straw. I was impressed with the way that she went about disappearing, making it more difficult to be tracked. Of course, it is only a matter of time until Rebecca's pursuers come looking for her. There are some terrific scenes highlighting the protectiveness of the Amish community. There is a frightening confrontation with her ex that leaves Rebecca injured and scared and with the knowledge that his partner isn't going to give up. The tension continues to build with the arrival of strangers asking questions and a case of mistaken identity putting innocents at risk. I was very impressed with Rebecca's strength and determination as she dealt with that event. The final confrontation was intense, with a real possibility of ending badly. Rescue came from an unexpected source in an unusual way that made for a fantastic conclusion.

The descriptions of the conflicts that both Rebecca and Daniel experienced because of their backgrounds made it very easy to understand what they were going through. I loved the descriptions of daily life as Rebecca remembered her summers with her grandparents. I really enjoyed some of young Matthew's reactions and seeing him adapt to his surroundings. The one that I ached for the most was Daniel as he tried to reconcile his Amish background with his need to protect and defend those he loved. I cried for his feelings of loss and isolation. I loved Rebecca's ability to understand what he was going through and her attempts to help him. I loved her description of him being a bridge between the two worlds. It was interesting to see his relationships with his family members through both his eyes and Rebecca's and their differing viewpoints. I loved how Daniel finally realized that he wasn't as alone as he thought he was.

I also enjoyed the way that Rebecca's family and their community looked out for her. From the various relatives along their journey to her arrival in Hadburg she was helped without question because she was family. The community around her was delightfully obtuse when questioned about her by strangers. I also loved how various members stepped up to offer her sanctuary when she was threatened, including Daniel's relatives. I especially loved his uncle and loved watching him with Matthew. Their methods of helping without going against their beliefs were impressive to see. Rebecca's Uncle Samuel made me tear up at the end with his understanding for Daniel and his fears. show less

Fantastic book. I was hooked on it from the very first chapter. Nadia has come to Byrum to escape the memories of what happened to her and get a new start on her life. She has her quilting store, which allows her to indulge her passion, has made some good friends in both the Englischer and Amish communities, and has organized a fundraiser to help her neighbors recover from a devastating tornado. When someone breaks into her apartment and steals the proceeds, Nadia is heartbroken. It's even show more worse when it appears that the police chief believes that she is the most likely suspect.

Ben is also a relatively new arrival to the small town. He left his big-city cop job when he realized that his loss of objectivity when dealing with particular criminals impacted his ability to do his job. Though his new job isn't as intense, he still harbors a deep cynicism about what his fellow humans are capable of. When he gets the call about the missing money, Nadia is at the top of his suspect list.

The initial meeting between Nadia and Ben is very antagonistic. Nadia still harbors some resentment toward law enforcement thanks to an event in her past and takes it out on Ben. On his side, Ben's experience causes him to be a bit less sympathetic toward Nadia than he could be. Underneath it all is a simmering attraction. Ben fights the attraction, knowing that he has to remain objective to do the investigation properly, but his heart tells him that she is innocent. It takes Nadia longer, as she has to deal with the effects the investigation has on her life and business. I liked how Nadia slowly begins to trust Ben and believe that he is working to prove her innocence. Ben has a couple of instances of foot-in-mouth disease, but his growing feelings for Nadia are obvious. I liked the effect that Ben's support had on Nadia as she came to terms with her past and opened herself up to what she could have with him.

The mystery of the missing money was very well done. Nadia's desire to help the people of her new home was clear from the beginning, and I ached for her when the money was stolen. Not only was she heartbroken that the much-needed money was gone, but she was also hurt by the attitudes of so many of the people she thought were friends. The lack of clues made finding the culprit even more difficult. Ben was also suspicious that there were two unsolved crimes that took place in the same building. Things became even more intense when Nadia was shot. I loved seeing the support she received from the Amish community and how it contrasted with the attitudes of the other townspeople. The scene outside her shop was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The resolution of the missing money was a complete surprise to me, as I never suspected the person who did it. The final confrontation with the shooter was intense, and the identity of that one was exactly who I thought it was.

I also loved the various secondary characters. Nadia's Amish friends were wonderful. It was sweet to see the older woman and her fierce defense of Nadia and her innocence. I really enjoyed seeing them include her in their quilting frolic. I especially loved Nadia's friend and employee Hannah, and how she insisted on remaining even if Nadia couldn't pay her. I'd love to see her get her own story. I also adored Ben's sister Lucy. I ached for what she had been through and loved that she was ready to start taking back control of her life. Ben's protectiveness of her was understandable, even if he took it a little far sometimes. I loved his shock when she stood up to him over spending time at Nadia's shop. I liked how quickly she and Nadia became friends. I would really like to see her get a story of her own, and wonder if it would involve Jacob or someone else. show less