Shannon C.‘s review of Don’t Tell by Karen Rose
Contemporary romantic suspense released by Grand Central 1 Jul 03

I knew that Karen Rose was likely to be an author I’d enjoy. Both Holly and Wendy have reviewed her books, and one of my good friends insisted that my not having read Karen Rose was a crime against nature. With persuasion like that, what could I do but take the plunge? I’m happy to report that Holly, Wendy, and my other friend were right. I need to be reading more by this author.

Caroline has made a new life for herself in Chicago, far away from Rob Winters, the bastard who abused her both physically and emotionally for years. She and her son are beginning to relax and think that maybe they can stop looking over their shoulders for Rob. Then Caroline’s carefully constructed and safe world is shattered when wounded history professor Max Hunter turns up on the scene. Now she finds herself wanting things she’s never wanted before. Can she trust Max with her secrets? Meanwhile, Rob Winters has discovered that his son is still alive. He will stop at nothing to get him back, including putting his bitch of a wife back in her place.

I spent a few months a couple of years ago volunteering at a local shelter for survivors of domestic abuse, which was something I really enjoyed doing, so I find books with abused woman plots oddly compelling. I’m always afraid the author will get something wrong. Needless to say, Ms. Rose knows what she’s talking about. Caroline’s experience mirrors those of some of the women I’ve spoken to, and her friend Dana is very true to life as a social worker and counsellor.

Caroline herself is a great heroine. She’s not perfect, but then, nobody in the book is, which is one of the things I liked. I liked that she kept her sense of humor, and I loved that she wasn’t just a weak little flower, constantly needing to be rescued. She was very vibrant and I connected with her. Caroline’s also got relationships with other people, which is something I wish I saw more often. I particularly loved her rapport with her best friend, Dana, who wasn’t just there to set her up with a man or be a sounding board. I believed in their friendship, which is all too rare sometimes. And, of course, Caroline’s relationship with her son rings true to life, too, and I loved that they were so devoted to each other without it all being saccharine.

Max doesn’t have the same demons Caroline does, but he’s definitely wrestling with some tough issues. I liked him a lot, and thought he was exactly the type of man that she needed. I also really loved his family, who all seem like great people, and I want them to adopt me. Naturally, then, I loved the romance between Max and Caroline.

This book is long, much longer than even most of the other romantic suspense stories I’ve read. There are lots of characters, all of whom have their part to play in the drama of Max and Caroline’s lives. I’ve mentioned Dana before, but the FBI agent, Stephen Thatcher, who is assigned to the case when it reopens, was equally compelling. In fact, I hope they are both featured in future books, because it would be nice to see them both get their HEA’s. And, of course, everyone from Caroline’s coworkers to her neighbors, and especially her son Tom and Max’s family are rendered as three-dimensional characters I could actually imagine encountering in real life.

But how was the suspense plot? It was very well executed. The reader is kept in Rob’s point of view several times, and I love how skillfully Ms. Rose ratchets up the tension as he comes closer and closer to discovering where Caroline is. Rob is definitely one of the creepier villains I’ve read about, if only for the fact that men like him exist in real life. There is no “Bwahahaha!  Fear my diabolical plan!” from him. He is angry and efficient, and damned good at getting what he wants. There were actually moments as I was reading where I gasped, cried out, or otherwise talked out loud to the book, which generally means something is being done right.

I also really loved that the ending wasn’t too pat. Ms. Rose deals with the fact that the characters have a lot to go through when all is said and done, some of which will leave scars. I appreciated that she didn’t sugar-coat things, but that she also left the book on a satisfying note.

I think romantic suspense is the hardest genre to do well. It’s certainly a pretty hard sell for me, despite the fact that I’m growing into quite the mystery reader. Ms. Rose has sold me on her work, and I can’t wait to read her other titles.

Grade: A-

Summary:
DON’T LOOK…

It was a desperate plan. But Mary Grace Winters knew the only way to save herself and her child from her abusive cop husband was to stage their own death. Now all that remains of their former life is at the bottom of a lake . . .

DON’T TRUST . . .

Armed with a new identity in a new town, she and her son have found refuge hundreds of miles away. As Caroline Stewart, she has almost forgotten the nightmare she left behind nine years ago. She is even taking a chance on love with Max Hunter, a man with wounds of his own. But her past is about to collide with the present when her husband uncovers her trail and threatens her hard-won peace. Step by step, he’s closing in on her— and everything and everyone she loves.

Read an excerpt.