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Ghost Moon
Nine years after leaving in disgrace, Olivia Morrison is coming home again with her eight-year-old, Sara, to put things right with the Archer clan. But there is no welcome for the prodigal daughter at the lavish Louisiana estate.
Her stepcousin, Seth, once her only comfort, is icy, dangerously attractive — and engaged. Her formidable stepgrandfather collapses with a heart attack at the sight of her, gasping her dead mother’s “Selena!”
The bayou echoes with memories of her mother’s mysterious death. Suicide by drowning, they said. But Olivia’s terrifying nightmares suggest another story. She is determined to learn the truth, and to face a newly ignited passion for Seth, who is too close for comfort, despite his vows.
When a new danger threatens her and her daughter, Olivia must find the courage to confront her old demons ... and uncover a shocking secret buried in the long-forgotten past....
Her stepcousin, Seth, once her only comfort, is icy, dangerously attractive — and engaged. Her formidable stepgrandfather collapses with a heart attack at the sight of her, gasping her dead mother’s “Selena!”
The bayou echoes with memories of her mother’s mysterious death. Suicide by drowning, they said. But Olivia’s terrifying nightmares suggest another story. She is determined to learn the truth, and to face a newly ignited passion for Seth, who is too close for comfort, despite his vows.
When a new danger threatens her and her daughter, Olivia must find the courage to confront her old demons ... and uncover a shocking secret buried in the long-forgotten past....
441 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
143 people are currently reading
1431 people want to read
About the author
Karen Robards
135 books3,240 followersKaren Robards is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than fifty books and one novella. She has won multiple awards including six Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Awards for favorite author.
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
February 10, 2019
Eighteen-year-old Olivia Morrison ran away to marry a man her family didn't approve of nine years ago. Now she has returned with her young daughter to claim her place in the family. But things have changed since she left. When her Step-grandfather sees her, he collapses with a heart attack. Her step-cousin, Seth Archer, isn't happy that she is back. The only person with open arms is her Aunt Callie, the woman who begged her to return. As soon as she is back, Olivia begins having nightmares about her mother's mysterious death. Was her mother's death a suicide?...or was she murdered?
I usually enjoy Karen Robards' romantic suspense stories, but I found this one very slow. There is a lot of description of the lavish home and grounds that I thought slowed the pace of the book to a crawl. There is a romance, but it takes a long time to heat up. The book is light on suspense and the villain was very easy to pick out. My rating: 3 Stars.
I usually enjoy Karen Robards' romantic suspense stories, but I found this one very slow. There is a lot of description of the lavish home and grounds that I thought slowed the pace of the book to a crawl. There is a romance, but it takes a long time to heat up. The book is light on suspense and the villain was very easy to pick out. My rating: 3 Stars.
July 23, 2012
Finally! This is the best book I've read in a long time. It makes me want to go out and buy every Karen Robards novel I can find.
Olivia, an orphan, was raised by her step family on LaAngelle Plantation in Louisiana. Once she reached her teens, she ran wild. Her cousin Seth tried to keep her in line, but they just butted heads. Olivia eloped with a rodeo star. She had a daughter, then the marriage failed. Olivia was too proud to go back home. Now, her Aunt Callie has sent a personal invitation to her, asking Olivia to visit.
Once she arrives, all hell breaks loose.
Olivia is haunted by her mother's death. She starts having nightmares about it. She is also dealing with Seth, who is still angry with her. Aunt Callie is ill with cancer, her step grandfather, Big John, has a heart attack at the sight of her, and Seth's daughter is a brat.
Robard's descriptions of the area are lush and beautiful. The characters are believable and human. We know something terrible has been going on for a long time and Olivia and Sara are in danger. Meanwhile, Seth learns a few parenting lessons from Olivia, and they are both stunned by their attraction to each other. This opens Seth's eyes and he begins to question his upcoming marriage. The friendship between Seth and Olivia develops as well as their physical attraction. Tragedy strikes, bringing them together, mind ans body. But, Olivia still can't shake her nightmares. Tension slowly builds until it is nearly unbearable. The crimes are the worst you can imagine and are not for the faint of heart.
This gets an A.
Olivia, an orphan, was raised by her step family on LaAngelle Plantation in Louisiana. Once she reached her teens, she ran wild. Her cousin Seth tried to keep her in line, but they just butted heads. Olivia eloped with a rodeo star. She had a daughter, then the marriage failed. Olivia was too proud to go back home. Now, her Aunt Callie has sent a personal invitation to her, asking Olivia to visit.
Once she arrives, all hell breaks loose.
Olivia is haunted by her mother's death. She starts having nightmares about it. She is also dealing with Seth, who is still angry with her. Aunt Callie is ill with cancer, her step grandfather, Big John, has a heart attack at the sight of her, and Seth's daughter is a brat.
Robard's descriptions of the area are lush and beautiful. The characters are believable and human. We know something terrible has been going on for a long time and Olivia and Sara are in danger. Meanwhile, Seth learns a few parenting lessons from Olivia, and they are both stunned by their attraction to each other. This opens Seth's eyes and he begins to question his upcoming marriage. The friendship between Seth and Olivia develops as well as their physical attraction. Tragedy strikes, bringing them together, mind ans body. But, Olivia still can't shake her nightmares. Tension slowly builds until it is nearly unbearable. The crimes are the worst you can imagine and are not for the faint of heart.
This gets an A.
February 10, 2015
This is a reread, although I don't remember the plot exactly. Must have read it BG (before Goodreads). Which is great for a reread. All the character and the places seem familiar but I have no idea who the baddie is. This book is everything a great romantic-suspense should be. It has great tension between the H/h, a plot that keeps you guessing until the very end and really hot sex scenes.
Olivia has returned to the LaAngelle plantation she left at 18 in a snit against Seth, a step-cousin, and Big John her step-grandfather, who at 87 has a heart attack at seeing her again. Olivia and her 8 year old daughter, Sara, have been invited to return by Seth's mother, Callie, who is facing cancer treatment and has decided that Olivia and the Archer family need to kiss and make-up. Seth and Olivia have a real love-hate thing going that is really intriguing as he is now engaged.
There is a real nasty who had been killing young girls for 30 years. Who he is and how he is related is something that the layers of this plot will revel in due time. One thing I know, Seth and Olivia have some very hot, intense unfinished business to attend to.
Olivia has returned to the LaAngelle plantation she left at 18 in a snit against Seth, a step-cousin, and Big John her step-grandfather, who at 87 has a heart attack at seeing her again. Olivia and her 8 year old daughter, Sara, have been invited to return by Seth's mother, Callie, who is facing cancer treatment and has decided that Olivia and the Archer family need to kiss and make-up. Seth and Olivia have a real love-hate thing going that is really intriguing as he is now engaged.
There is a real nasty who had been killing young girls for 30 years. Who he is and how he is related is something that the layers of this plot will revel in due time. One thing I know, Seth and Olivia have some very hot, intense unfinished business to attend to.
September 15, 2012
A very intriguing story. You won't get bored even if you read it all over again.
June 7, 2024
He staged a predatory assault upon her senses, determined, ruthless, driven by a fierce passion that overwhelmed every inhibition she had ever had.
Karen Robards' "Ghost Moon" is a suspenseful and emotionally charged novel that weaves together elements of romance, family secrets, and chilling mystery. The story begins with a haunting scene from 1969, where a young girl is murdered in her sleep, a girl who had been terrified of the monsters lurking in the shadows. This tragic event sets the stage for a tale that spans three decades, culminating in a gripping narrative of past and present that meshes well together.
26 year old Olivia Morrison, returns to her childhood home, LaAngelle Plantation, after a prolonged absence. As a single mother, Olivia brings her eight-year-old daughter, Sara, back to a place filled with painful memories and unresolved emotions. Once the glamorous and rebellious member of the prestigious Archer clan, Olivia has fallen on harder times and is barely making ends meet. Her return is anything but uneventful, as she is immediately confronted with family tensions, especially with 37 year old Seth Archer, her step cousin that she had faithfully followed around until things had gotten complicated between the two.
Olivia's homecoming stirs up long-buried memories that haunts her, including the trauma of her mother’s death, and the family dynamics that left her feeling like an outsider. Her struggles to reconcile her past mistakes with her present, and forge newer bonds with the family that she had left behind, made me root for her wholeheartedly.
Meanwhile, the darker elements of the story continues, with chilling accounts beginning from 1979 of young girls kidnapped from their beds. These incidents, echoes eerie similarities to the murder that sets the opening stage of the novel, and brings to the story a different kind of tension that winds the reader up as the story progresses. The recurring theme of young girls fearing monsters in the shadows underscores the lurking danger which echoes patterns of parents being dismissive of their fears as mere fantasies until each and every one of them are taken, never to be found ever again.
Ms. Robards masterfully captures Olivia's complex emotions as she navigates the memories of her mother’s mysterious death and her difficult past with Seth. The chemistry between Olivia and Seth is tangible, their shared history adding delicious nuances to the story which I reveled in. Seth, who once acted as a protective older brother, now finds himself battling his renewed attraction to Olivia, despite his engagement to another.
Obviously the one factor that I thoroughly loved was the friction between Olivia and Seth and the push and pull that draws them tighter together. There is no denying that both feel the same way about the other, and the delivery on that front I would have to say, was classic Ms. Robards, who does a mean job on the built-up sexual tension in her novels.
While Ghost Moon delivered a great story for the most part, I felt that it occasionally faltered in its pacing. I for one would have loved to learn more about the villain and their backstory, as they brought a facet to the story that kept me intrigued throughout. I am always keen on understanding well crafted villains, as much as I adore the main protagonists and want to know as much my heart desires about them. What makes the villain tick? What made them into who they are in the stories? What role did society play to create such monsters to begin with? I would have loved to learn more on that score.
Recommended for fans of romantic suspense, with a good dose of spicy romance on the side, along with the family theatrics that keeps the pages turning.
Final Verdict: "Ghost Moon" is a compelling read that blends romance and mystery with a Southern Gothic flair and an eerie undertone of lurking danger of the heart pounding variety.
Rating = 3.75/5
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May 2, 2016
It's an okayish romance novel with a murder mystery, don't hate it, don't love it.
July 15, 2024
This is one of the best thrillers I’ve ever read. My only complaint is that I wish Seth’s engagement didn’t last so long. Also I wanted more details about the night that went down when Olivia left the town.
September 21, 2017
I have only read about a half dozen books by KR, but I always seem to enjoy them. This one had great suspense, mystery and a little romance.
August 31, 2016
Interesting, suspenseful romantic suspense. The heroine has come home to the family that raised her after her mother's death even though they weren't actually kin. The instant she walks up, the family patriarch takes one look at her, calls her by her mother's name and keels over in a heart attack. The story is woven through with sections of villain POV, which is not my favorite thing. I'd just as soon not know what the bad guy is thinking, thank you. But it does make it more creepy and suspenseful. The hero is a step-cousin of the heroine's and is a pain to start with. Robards does a nice job of shifting from argument to love. It's a good, spooky, romantic read. I liked it a lot.
April 9, 2015
I'm probably being too hard on this book, given that it was an engaging, easy read. There was a lot of family drama that was particularly well done, and I enjoyed the romance.
HOWEVER ...
This novel opens with a mother going in to help her daughter, who just wet the bed again. The next morning, the mother finds her daughter dead in her bed and the whole incident was blamed on the husband, with reports saying he killed his daughter for wetting the bed.
The husband didn't do it. This was clear from the beginning. But though the reader eventually learned the identity of the killer, the initial incident was left unresolved because there was no way to link that case to the killer. As far as I can tell, the girl's father is still in prison for a crime he didn't commit and will be until he dies.
This is a huge structural problem. You don't begin with a hugely horrific scene that you fail to fully resolve by the end of the book. That's why I can't give this book an honest three stars.
I would also add two other things:
1. The suspense was poorly woven into the main action of the story. The main characters mostly lived their lives, with occasional, unconnected scenes from the killer's POV to let us know he was still out there. Karen Robards has used this strategy before, and it has never worked for me.
2. The killer's identity was obvious.
3. The ghostly element was pretty weak. (But this is likely a personal opinion. I have set ideas about how paranormal elements should be woven into stories, and it is never as a convenient way to resolve things at the climax.)
Overall, I don't recommend this one.
HOWEVER ...
This novel opens with a mother going in to help her daughter, who just wet the bed again. The next morning, the mother finds her daughter dead in her bed and the whole incident was blamed on the husband, with reports saying he killed his daughter for wetting the bed.
The husband didn't do it. This was clear from the beginning. But though the reader eventually learned the identity of the killer, the initial incident was left unresolved because there was no way to link that case to the killer. As far as I can tell, the girl's father is still in prison for a crime he didn't commit and will be until he dies.
This is a huge structural problem. You don't begin with a hugely horrific scene that you fail to fully resolve by the end of the book. That's why I can't give this book an honest three stars.
I would also add two other things:
1. The suspense was poorly woven into the main action of the story. The main characters mostly lived their lives, with occasional, unconnected scenes from the killer's POV to let us know he was still out there. Karen Robards has used this strategy before, and it has never worked for me.
2. The killer's identity was obvious.
3. The ghostly element was pretty weak. (But this is likely a personal opinion. I have set ideas about how paranormal elements should be woven into stories, and it is never as a convenient way to resolve things at the climax.)
Overall, I don't recommend this one.
August 26, 2013
It felt really long and frankly a bit boring. Neither the suspense, nor the romance are great. Let's start with the suspense: poor Olivia had horrible vivid dreams ever since she came back in her childhood's house, her daughter also went through similar bad dreams. However once again she procrastinated and did nothing about those until very very late. There are a few discrepancies in the story . Sara, her daughter, is so perfect, despite being plump, that she did not seem real, more like a doll.
Moving to the romance, I absolutely hated that the main couple grew up together from early infancy on as cousins, even if only step-cousins with no shared blood. Add to that she also briefly almost considered dating another cousin and that was too much.
The high rating received by this book puzzles me, even though I have no complaint regarding the writing. One of the supposedly highly emotional moment in the book left me totally cold.
A miss.
Moving to the romance, I absolutely hated that the main couple grew up together from early infancy on as cousins, even if only step-cousins with no shared blood. Add to that she also briefly almost considered dating another cousin and that was too much.
The high rating received by this book puzzles me, even though I have no complaint regarding the writing. One of the supposedly highly emotional moment in the book left me totally cold.
A miss.
January 25, 2013
This was an awkward book for me to read. It starts off with a paedophile stealing little girls, and seems to be a murder mystery/thriller. Then, creepily, it turns into a near incestual romance book. It was mercifully a condensed Reader's Digest book, so I was able to skip any details that would have otherwise made me put the book down and never pick it up again. I nearly did anyway in this form.
December 30, 2024
I read it originally years ago. Sometimes I find myself returning to these oldies. I still like it :)
July 19, 2021
This is one of those odd books. It was long or felt long and I wouldn’t say I was bored but there were moments where I just felt like I was reading and nothing really was happening so I guess it felt long? I don’t know. Like I said, I was interested in what was happening and wanted to know whodunnit but there was just something about it I can’t quite put into words.
The whodunnit though. Man, although there wasn't anything on page aside from a kidnapping, it was still a lot. Reading how the little girls were being kidnapped out of their beds was very upsetting.
I found all the “good stuff” with the relationship/romance part of the story took place at the end and was super rushed and there were a lot of elements regarding their relationship that were just shoved aside and not really addressed. I get it, this was more suspense than romance I guess.
The end though! HAHA! All I could picture with that speech from Chloe was something out of The Good Son or other movies like it. I could just picture her saying all the right things just to strike out as an evil child later on. It just seemed odd and again, all so very fast.
I wish there had been a little bit with Big John at the end too.
Overall it was a better than ok read. Dated for sure. Rayon anyone? HAHA!
The whodunnit though. Man, although there wasn't anything on page aside from a kidnapping, it was still a lot. Reading how the little girls were being kidnapped out of their beds was very upsetting.
I found all the “good stuff” with the relationship/romance part of the story took place at the end and was super rushed and there were a lot of elements regarding their relationship that were just shoved aside and not really addressed. I get it, this was more suspense than romance I guess.
The end though! HAHA! All I could picture with that speech from Chloe was something out of The Good Son or other movies like it. I could just picture her saying all the right things just to strike out as an evil child later on. It just seemed odd and again, all so very fast.
I wish there had been a little bit with Big John at the end too.
Overall it was a better than ok read. Dated for sure. Rayon anyone? HAHA!
October 20, 2024
I found this book rather annoying because the interspersed murders don’t tie in until the end, and there was so much description with the Olivia portion that I would just skim all that. But the ending was very good.
January 12, 2020
For the most part this story was kind of annoying. There were these short blurbs about the other story line that seemed to have nothing to do with the main story line. It was a relief when they finally came together and I was glad that I kept reading.
December 10, 2013
If you've never read Karen Robards please don't start with this book. It is not her best. Robards excels at the suspense/mystery/romance dramas and used to occasionally have funny scenes interwoven. Ghost Moon was a creepy, pedophilic? story of a reformed wild young woman who is now a single parent and returning to her roots. Olivia goes back to her step family for a visit at the invite of an ailing aunt. Her sweet, chubby daughter enjoys the bayou country and they spend precious time together and adjusting to family/friends and past history. Olivia helps with her cousin Seth's spoiled angry daughter who acts out, especially against Seth's fiance. Olivia begins having nightmares and so does her daughter. She begins to question why she has so few memories of her deceased mother and dreams of her often. When offered the opportunity to stay, they do, but Olivia begins to feel attracted to her "cousin" Seth. The villian was easy to predict, but I have to admit after the first story of a child's abduction I skipped those chapters. They were just not what I wanted to read about. This book had a lot of death, dying, and was a dark one for Robards. If you want to try her books read some very early books like One Summer.
October 6, 2011
The whole "big brother" thing with Seth and Olivia made the romance awkward and hard to take seriously. And the fact that they were technically related by marriage made it even more painful to read. But other then that, good book.
June 4, 2023
Olivia returns home to face old ghosts and new drama. Well descriptive that gives you a feel of place and people. This novel has a touch of mystery, romance, suspense, and horror. A well paced easy read.
September 11, 2009
Very Good Mystery - Romance & a Little Weird
May 9, 2022
Nine years after leaving, Olivia Morrison is coming home again with her eight-year-old, Sara at the request of her step aunt. But is it to late to make amends for her running off and eloping?
March 17, 2021
a very good book
October 8, 2014
I burned the book because it freaked me the hell out!
October 1, 2021
SO UNREALISTIC, SO UNNECESSARILY DISTURBING, I HATE CHEATING, I HATE THIS ALMOST INSTA LOVE AND THE ENDING WAS PLAINLY STUPID
January 3, 2024
Well that sure was... a thing. Karen Robards' domain is usually quirky romantic suspense stories, but here she goes off the rails with a family melodrama/crime thriller. At times this book was absurd, but mostly it felt a little bit grubby and sordid. There was so much I didn't like; bullet point time.
* The h was kinda... skeevy. She was the town bike, a 'teenage sexpot' who shagged pretty much everybody in sight before running off to get knocked up by a rodeo loser. She is now an impoverished single mother come back into the family fold. She prances about in shorty cutoffs and booby boob tops and continues to tease every man that comes into her orbit. She's a good mother though.
* The H is her 'big cousin' (yuk) who is engaged to a rather nice woman called Mallory. He cheats on Mallory with the H. I dislike cheaters immensely, so I dislike this H.
* The H has a cunt daughter. Nobody wants to spend hours upon hours reading about some nasty 8 year old brat bullying other kids. Throw her in the lake please.
* There is a lot of child murder in this book. At times it reads like a James Patterson thriller, with lots of ridiculous exploitative chapters from the perspective of the killer and his victims. It's really gross and massively unfun to read. I skipped those chapters after a few, no cheers.
* The grief sex was a massive turn off for me. The H's mother dies from cancer, and we are subjected to that incredibly sad scene. Then a few scant hours later our h is rubbing up against the H as he's trying not to cry, and then he's slamming into her in some wild sexual orgy that I suppose is supposed to be moving but really it is incredibly sordid and grim.
* The murder dungeon with stuffed little girls and cages and operating tables. Utterly ridiculous nonsense that belongs in a schlock horror novel not in a godammed romance.
* A ghost was involved.
* What happened to the boatworks? Did Big John get better? Is Mallory OK? These are all loose ends that are unresolved.
* The h was kinda... skeevy. She was the town bike, a 'teenage sexpot' who shagged pretty much everybody in sight before running off to get knocked up by a rodeo loser. She is now an impoverished single mother come back into the family fold. She prances about in shorty cutoffs and booby boob tops and continues to tease every man that comes into her orbit. She's a good mother though.
* The H is her 'big cousin' (yuk) who is engaged to a rather nice woman called Mallory. He cheats on Mallory with the H. I dislike cheaters immensely, so I dislike this H.
* The H has a cunt daughter. Nobody wants to spend hours upon hours reading about some nasty 8 year old brat bullying other kids. Throw her in the lake please.
* There is a lot of child murder in this book. At times it reads like a James Patterson thriller, with lots of ridiculous exploitative chapters from the perspective of the killer and his victims. It's really gross and massively unfun to read. I skipped those chapters after a few, no cheers.
* The grief sex was a massive turn off for me. The H's mother dies from cancer, and we are subjected to that incredibly sad scene. Then a few scant hours later our h is rubbing up against the H as he's trying not to cry, and then he's slamming into her in some wild sexual orgy that I suppose is supposed to be moving but really it is incredibly sordid and grim.
* The murder dungeon with stuffed little girls and cages and operating tables. Utterly ridiculous nonsense that belongs in a schlock horror novel not in a godammed romance.
* A ghost was involved.
* What happened to the boatworks? Did Big John get better? Is Mallory OK? These are all loose ends that are unresolved.
August 1, 2018
This is definitely not one of Karen Robards's best books; however, it isn't horrible. There are a lot of characters and it takes a bit to get past Olivia and Seth going from a sort of brother/sister relationship to being "in love". They are in no way biologically related, so at least that part of the creepy factor is non-existent.
This is Olivia's story. She left the home of her step-family when she was young and dumb, thinking she was in love. She married a loser, had a baby and then spent a number of years as a struggling single parent. She returned after 9 years of little to no contact with anyone because her step-aunt sent a message asking her to come home and mend relationships. Upon her return, her step-grandfather sees her, thinks she is her dead mother and has what appears to be a heart attack. He winds up unconscious in the hospital and she feels that it is her fault (her step-cousin, Seth, doesn't exactly help when he accuses her of always causing trouble). Olivia learns that her step-aunt has cancer and isn't doing well. Seth, her step-cousin/pseudo-brother is gorgeous,tempting and engaged. He also has a daughter the same age as Olivia's who is rude and consistently acts out. And to add onto all of the other issues, Olivia starts having nightmares about her deceased mother and we get glimpses into the mind of a serial killer from the past who you can only guess will make an appearance in the present.
I had to keep reading to discover... who dies? who is the killer and how does he fit into this story? will Seth and Olivia be more than step-cousins? will Olivia learn what her nightmare means?
This is Olivia's story. She left the home of her step-family when she was young and dumb, thinking she was in love. She married a loser, had a baby and then spent a number of years as a struggling single parent. She returned after 9 years of little to no contact with anyone because her step-aunt sent a message asking her to come home and mend relationships. Upon her return, her step-grandfather sees her, thinks she is her dead mother and has what appears to be a heart attack. He winds up unconscious in the hospital and she feels that it is her fault (her step-cousin, Seth, doesn't exactly help when he accuses her of always causing trouble). Olivia learns that her step-aunt has cancer and isn't doing well. Seth, her step-cousin/pseudo-brother is gorgeous,tempting and engaged. He also has a daughter the same age as Olivia's who is rude and consistently acts out. And to add onto all of the other issues, Olivia starts having nightmares about her deceased mother and we get glimpses into the mind of a serial killer from the past who you can only guess will make an appearance in the present.
I had to keep reading to discover... who dies? who is the killer and how does he fit into this story? will Seth and Olivia be more than step-cousins? will Olivia learn what her nightmare means?
May 8, 2019
I am a little worried. This is the second stand alone book I’ve read by this author. This book has almost exactly the same storyline as the first one I read, “Shattered.”
This is her outline:
A man and woman who grew up together are thrust back together when she returns home for some reason (divorce, sick mother). The man acts like a total dick to her for the first half of the book. He’s actually wildly attracted to her but, like a seven-year-old, he is mean to her to mask his feelings. They finally consummate their relationship and it’s incredible, with LOTS of kissing. They have to reveal their taboo relationship to people who really don’t care. Somewhere in there, one of their mothers die of a long illness. Then, and I am not making this up, the woman is kidnapped and almost murdered for delving into something she shouldn’t. There are few tense pages and she is finally found. Despite this traumatic event, the couple is laughing minutes later and he proposes.
I enjoyed “Shattered,” but this time the formula didn’t work as well for me. I REALLY didn’t like the completely unnecessary child abduction/murder storyline. It could have easily been taken out because there were enough conflicts and issues to deal with without it (family issues, calling off an engagement, blending two families). It was particularly gruesome and I skipped over the flashbacks.
Also, Seth’s fiancé, Mallory, was a problem for me. I imagined her as the stepmom-to-be in “The Parent Trap,” but she wasn’t quite devious enough. Her biggest crimes were that she dressed nice, she was planning a nice wedding, and she was getting tired of putting up with Seth’s bratty daughter.
This is her outline:
A man and woman who grew up together are thrust back together when she returns home for some reason (divorce, sick mother). The man acts like a total dick to her for the first half of the book. He’s actually wildly attracted to her but, like a seven-year-old, he is mean to her to mask his feelings. They finally consummate their relationship and it’s incredible, with LOTS of kissing. They have to reveal their taboo relationship to people who really don’t care. Somewhere in there, one of their mothers die of a long illness. Then, and I am not making this up, the woman is kidnapped and almost murdered for delving into something she shouldn’t. There are few tense pages and she is finally found. Despite this traumatic event, the couple is laughing minutes later and he proposes.
I enjoyed “Shattered,” but this time the formula didn’t work as well for me. I REALLY didn’t like the completely unnecessary child abduction/murder storyline. It could have easily been taken out because there were enough conflicts and issues to deal with without it (family issues, calling off an engagement, blending two families). It was particularly gruesome and I skipped over the flashbacks.
Also, Seth’s fiancé, Mallory, was a problem for me. I imagined her as the stepmom-to-be in “The Parent Trap,” but she wasn’t quite devious enough. Her biggest crimes were that she dressed nice, she was planning a nice wedding, and she was getting tired of putting up with Seth’s bratty daughter.
September 29, 2020
Nine years had passed since Olivia Morrison eloped with a rodeo performer and she has gone from a sexy, somewhat wild teenager to a divorced, hard-working devoted single mother to her only child Sara. She received a letter imploring her to come from her one relative, an aunt, who was the only adult in the family who had been loving towards Olivia as a child and teenager. When she got to her family's large estate, she pretty much got the cold shoulder that she had feared from everyone except the aunt who had written her.
The narrative of this story line is interrupted at several junctures with short chapters chronicling the child abductions/murders that have taken place periodically over several years. The stories are related but I found this writer's narrative techniques rather jarring. It seemed like watching a show and then you hear, "We interrupt this broadcast to bring you..."
I also felt that the descriptions of settings and even various characters' clothes tedious and superfluous. At least that made this novel a rather quick read because it was easy to find many long passages that the reader could quickly skim. I doubt that i will read any more novels written by this author.
The narrative of this story line is interrupted at several junctures with short chapters chronicling the child abductions/murders that have taken place periodically over several years. The stories are related but I found this writer's narrative techniques rather jarring. It seemed like watching a show and then you hear, "We interrupt this broadcast to bring you..."
I also felt that the descriptions of settings and even various characters' clothes tedious and superfluous. At least that made this novel a rather quick read because it was easy to find many long passages that the reader could quickly skim. I doubt that i will read any more novels written by this author.
August 6, 2017
I really liked this book. I enjoy the books this author has written. The story moved at a good pace and kept me wanting to read more and not put it down. I did a little confused at first since it flashed back but soon figured out what was going on. After being gone many years Olivia is returning home with her daughter Sara. She is not sure how she will be received but her aunt had asked her to come back. When she arrives a party is going on and when her Uncle sees her he collapses and they find out he has had a heart attack. Also her Aunt has cancer and is not doing very well. The story also goes back to when a young girl is kidnapped and murdered and progresses over the years . The person kidnaps several young girls. Who will be his next victim? Olivia begins to have nightmares about her mother and finds out her mother died of suicide but is that really what happened. I liked the characters int eh book and the author kept the story very interesting. Also Olivia finds love again.
October 18, 2021
This book was fine but it felt like only near the end Olivia and Seth got together so you don’t really see them together.
Most of this book is about Olivia settling in and interacting with her family. There are some scenes with Chloe and Sara but I thought that there could have been more. Especially, scenes where Chloe slowly saw that she was acting like a rude spoilt brat. I hated how she played with Sara and then tormented her. I wanted to see a scene where she realises that she was wrong.
Olivia and Seth only really get together at the end and the ending was too abrupt.
I liked the mystery aspect of it and the scenes from the kidnapper’s POV were creepy but the book ended too quickly. I wanted to see if Big John would wake up and how he would react to seeing Olivia, since they weren’t on good terms.
This book was ok but it took too much time to get to the interesting things – Olivia, Seth, Sara and Chloe becoming a family, Olivia and Seth actually doing things together.
Most of this book is about Olivia settling in and interacting with her family. There are some scenes with Chloe and Sara but I thought that there could have been more. Especially, scenes where Chloe slowly saw that she was acting like a rude spoilt brat. I hated how she played with Sara and then tormented her. I wanted to see a scene where she realises that she was wrong.
Olivia and Seth only really get together at the end and the ending was too abrupt.
I liked the mystery aspect of it and the scenes from the kidnapper’s POV were creepy but the book ended too quickly. I wanted to see if Big John would wake up and how he would react to seeing Olivia, since they weren’t on good terms.
This book was ok but it took too much time to get to the interesting things – Olivia, Seth, Sara and Chloe becoming a family, Olivia and Seth actually doing things together.
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