Don't Tell Mass Market Paperback – July 1, 2003

The characters are full with different and back stories that create a wonderful crime romance drama. Enjoy the read all!

At first, I questioned the author's level of skill, because of things that seemed unpolished and or amateurish - like stopping the action too long for descriptions (esp. when the hero and heroine first meet), instead of working in the information in smaller chunks. The day and time stamp headings of the chapters were also an irritant. They weren't needed. The author did a good job of running the scenes concurrently - bouncing between them to give us a clear picture of what was going on in each city and with each group of characters as the story unfolded.The only time I looked back and counted the hours was when the heroine was abducted, to see how long she'd been enduring what the villain was dishing out, but that could have been worked into the story. (And no. That's not really a plot spoiler. You know it's coming.) After the first two chapters, the city headings would have been enough. If Rose wanted to emphasize the passage of time, then headings like '[location], 2 hours later' would have been preferable to the actual time. I HATE having to turn back pages in my Kindle to 'do the math.' It not only pulls me out of the story, but it's a LOT of button pushing. Grr.Other than some minor plausibility issues, like a heroine with a battered wife past getting up in a man's face and provoking him, the book seemed plausible enough that I was able to maintain my suspension of disbelief and enjoy the story. (Had the heroine done it impulsively, and then been shocked at herself after, figuring it was because she felt safe around Max, I could have bought it. But the way the author had her rationalize it beforehand didn't work for me.) I'm sure if I went digging, I could find more, but I was in it mostly for the romance.Although I kept picturing Max and Caroline as older than they were, the characters were likable (one of my favorites, brother David), and the chemistry between them was good. The romance and love scenes, too. Rose also throws in a lot of humor, which was a needed blessing for this dark and sometimes-violent story. I laughed out loud many times.All in all, the story was very enjoyable, especially once I got about 1/3 of the way into the book. A solid 4 stars.

Although the premise and plot of this book has been done over and over, no one has done it better. The story of an abused wife and mother who finally takes action will not be new. However the tension, feelings, and fear of Mary Grace Winters is presented in a moment by moment way that keeps you on the edge of your chair, bed or floor. Wherever you choose to read. We are not kept in the dark about the feelings and motives of her husband or the man, (Max) who sees the kindness, generosity, and love that Caroline ( AKA Mary Grace ) has to offer. After seven years the worst happens and her policeman husband finds out she and her son are alive. With exquisite detail we follow him on his hunt. We follow Caroline as she finally becomes the woman she was meant to be. We see the dark edges of her soul and the ravages of horror meated out to her and her child. I could not put it down. You will not be disappointed. Spine-chilling suspense, unusual twists, and a great ending. Go for it.

I highly enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were compelling the storyline was dynamic, the suspense was riveting and the romance hot like fire!The way KR described Max made me want to meet him. Talk about sexy! He was an interesting character to read about with his many complexes. Caroline was the definition of a strong women. The secondary characters were also great and I look forward to reading each of his/her story.KR draws the reader in from the get go. I felt so many emotions while reading. The love between Caroline and Max was almost tangible. My hands were glued to my kindle until I got to the very end.If you like to read other great romantic suspense check out some of Maureen Smith's novels: With Every Breath (Arabesque) and A Heartbeat Away (Arabesque).