I liked this ok, and would have been inclined to give it three stars except for a few issues. One, and this is personal taste, but I'm not really into the fantasy/dream sex as "building sexual tension." I feel kind of like it is just leaping into the sex even if the characters are not actually doing it. And it seems gratuitous and silly in how vivid it is - not like dreams really are. Two, there were too many inconsistencies. Some were missed by editors (one of the victims is first said to be fifteen but later when her age is gone into depth she is somehow older than the sixteen-year-old victim). Others were inconsistencies with hte real world ( There is just NO WAY the FBI would let the Sheriff take the lead on the raid to save the heroine when they know they are romantically involved ). Also, I figured out who the villain was pretty much in the beginning and there are some moments that are pretty cheesy, but hey, it's romance. Overall, not bad but I'll probably not read more unless it fits into one of my favorite tropes - but then I only read contemporary romance that fits those regardless. (2.5 stars) ( )

I liked this ok, and would have been inclined to give it three stars except for a few issues. One, and this is personal taste, but I'm not really into the fantasy/dream sex as "building sexual tension." I feel kind of like it is just leaping into the sex even if the characters are not actually doing it. And it seems gratuitous and silly in how vivid it is - not like dreams really are. Two, there were too many inconsistencies. Some were missed by editors (one of the victims is first said to be fifteen but later when her age is gone into depth she is somehow older than the sixteen-year-old victim). Others were inconsistencies with hte real world ( There is just NO WAY the FBI would let the Sheriff take the lead on the raid to save the heroine when they know they are romantically involved ). Also, I figured out who the villain was pretty much in the beginning and there are some moments that are pretty cheesy, but hey, it's romance. Overall, not bad but I'll probably not read more unless it fits into one of my favorite tropes - but then I only read contemporary romance that fits those regardless. (2.5 stars) ( )

**This book is not for the faint at heart**

Book opens 25 years ago with 7yr old Carrie Nolan and her sister being held and raped by a pedophile clown. After being raped herself she had to listen as her younger sister was raped and murdered. Due to being interrupted the killer got away but Carrie lived.

Now 25 years later she is going by a new name, Dana Moretti ,and is a very well known published crime novelist who has in her research for her books helped bring to light the identity of a of few serial killers.

After many failed attempts at relationships due to her not being able to be intimate with or to trust men she decides she is going back to her home town and write a book about the killer who haunts her nightmares. The town does not know who she is really is but does not want that ugly thing that happened all those years ago brought back up again. What Dana doesn’t realize is the killer still lives in the town and he recognizes her instantly and wants to finish what he started 25 years ago.

Sheriff Cole Landry, used to come to High Ridge when he was younger to visit with his Aunt and Uncle on their ranch. After 10 years in the service he needed to escape the horrors of Iraq and Afghanistan, and at his uncle’s urging took the open Sheriff’s position. He is not happy with the stranger that has come to his town that is stirring up things better left forgotten. Not long after she arrives there is a murder and then another. Dana tries to tell the Sheriff she thinks it’s the same person that killed all those children years ago but he doesn’t want to believe that her theory that the killer is someone that has lived in the town all these years and is someone they all know well.

Cole realizes that he very attracted to Dana but also knows two things – one she isn’t being totally honest with him as to why she is there and also that she is suffering from PTSD.

I thought the author did a great job of showing how what happened to Carrie/Dana 25 years ago still affected her life today. She didn’t just have Cole and Dana jump into bed together right away. I really liked how Cole was very patient with her and how when the time came Dana faced her demons and allowed herself to finally feel pleasure with a man she had come to trust.

We get the point of view of the killer as he takes the girls and women (current day) and get a pretty graphic description of what he does to them. This is where I warn it’s not for the faint at heart. If you don’t think you can read about the torture and rape of 10 yr old girls then don’t read this book. But as we all know from reading headlines unfortunately these types of things do happen in real life. I applaud the author for taking this subject matter on and writing a great book about it. She also shows us what happened to those parents of all those children that were killed 15 years ago, that a parent never gets over losing a child like that.
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An ARe Cafe top pick for May, 2012.

Since I’ve been reading romance novels, Ms. Holt has become one of my favorite authors and this book is just another great story by her. The plot progresses extremely well and was a pleasure to read with a dialogue full of emotion from the heroine’s perspective because of her tragic past. It gave me something to think about when it comes to keeping kids safe from such happenings and to never make the mistake of trusting the wrong person. The sex scenes were hot because of what Carrie/Dana had been through in her past and that she could push past such tragedy to become intimate with a man again.

Overall, I really enjoyed the ending of this story and can’t wait to read what this amazing author has in store for me next.

~ TRS for AReCafe ( )