In Memory's Shadow

by Linda Randall Wisdom

MISSING MEMORIES Sam Barkley had promised to protect her. But Keely Harper was beginning to think she would never be safe again. Since she'd returned to Echo Ridge, the town of her birth, she'd been plagued by night-mares-not to mention that her new neighbors all looked at her strangely. Keely had been orphaned at five, and left with no memory of her early life. She'd come to Echo Ridge hoping to fill in some of the gaps, yet all she'd found were more questions. Her handsome lover seemed to know something he wasn't telling her. Could she trust the safety she felt in Sam's warm embrace? Or would her fragile serenity be destroyed by the devastating secret of her past?

Genres: Romance

248 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1997

About the author

See also Linda Wisdom

When I sold to Silhouette books on my wedding anniversary in 1979 I didn't expect to get this far. I love what I do and can't imagine doing anything else. I'm married living with Katie, a white mini Schnauzer who considers herself the center of our world, Hunter, a Yorkie mix who's a real mama's boy, Olivia my darling diva chihuahua, Dutch, our easy going happy go lucky terrier mix, Syd, our Panama Nape parrot, and Florence, our demented tortoise. We live in Southern California near San Diego in a town that's provided fodder for some of my stories. Once upon a time, I could say that when we moved here there were three romance writers. Now there is only me and to date I have not been considered a suspect. More romance authors have moved in and are safe and sound...so far.

A lot of my backlist books are now available for your Kindle and in print along with new novellas featuring the first witches in the Hex series along with my second love, romantic suspense books. And more books coming!

My Hex series are the books of my heart. The ones I've wanted to write for a long time and so glad to see out there. Many readers are confused by the two Demon titles and different cover looks. They're a part of the Hex series, still the disgraced witches from the Witches Academy, just with a different look. And yes, more Hex books will be coming!

There are times I think I enjoy writing the creatures more than the characters. And probably why my Fluff and Puff bunny slippers tend to never be where I left them! That's more than easy to do since they're tattooed on one ankle and Horace is tattooed on the other.

I'm very thankful for my readers for sticking to me.

I can also be found at www.lindawisdom.com, www.facebook.com/lindawisdom with a Facebook street team called Hexy Haven and http://linda-wisdom.blogspot.com

Reviews

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the book opens the five year old heroine witnesses her parent's murder and thirty years later, she is fresh of a bad divorce and moving to the town she was born in with her fifteen year old daughter. It is made clear that she doesn't remember her parents were murdered, not even the trial where she sent the guilty behind bars, she only remembers being told by her grandmother that her parents died in an accident and she fell sick (and not that she collapsed after the trial losing those memories). When she comes back to town it is surprising to Sam, the Sheriff who is a few years older than her and remembers what happened, if she knew the past she wouldn't be back. The old people in town know the truth but everyone made a vow to not tell her, since it could have been detrimental to her mental health thirty years ago and even now.

Sam is a widower whose daughter is the same age as Keely's daughter and they hit it off from the start, trying to throw their parents together. Keely is kind of raw from a divorce from a man who didn't know the meaning of fidelity and when he was caught slung mud at her and questioned her daughter's paternity. She is also settling in and is dealing with a feeling of doom when she steps into her old house and some creepy calls as well.

I liked the romance, it was gradual and worked well, seeing as both the hero and heroine were raising two teenagers and a bit older(heroine is 35, Hero 40's maybe) and battered. The hero had worked in the city before taking over his father's job and considered himself too dull for the heroine, so it is she who makes the move, even the first time in bed, he was too noble.

There is a mystery aspect to the book, someone wants to punish her for the lives she destroyed with her testimony but the thing is she can't remember the past but is gradually reaching there. I did feel people should have told her but doctors had advised against it.
I also enjoyed the two teenage daughters, they were hilarious especially when they said they knew that their parents were sleeping together and they approved. Man, that shocked these two, kids are quite perceptive.

[Connie N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This turned out to be a surprisingly good Silhouette Intimate Moments book. Often, I've found that books from the 1990's tend to have an alpha male hero, with an innocent and naive heroine. But this was not the case here. Keely grew up in Echo Ridge CA until she was 5 years old or so and a terrible tragedy happened when her parents were killed and she witnessed it, then had to testify in court against the killer. However, she's forgotten everything since then, so she's come back home to live with her teenaged daughter in her childhood home. Oops, nothing goes very well for her. She has terrible nightmares, feels a strong aversion to the house, and receives scary notes and messages from someone who is out to get her, even though she doesn't understand why. When her daughter becomes best friends with the sheriff's daughter, Keely herself starts to fall for him herself. He's kind and strong and pretty laid back. They make a great pair, and the girls think so too since they are always pushing them together. Anyway, the mystery develops at a good speed, with plenty of suspense. The romance also moves forward nicely. I enjoyed watching all of these characters interact, change, and grow throughout. I thought Keely was a little reckless at the end, but the final action scene was exciting and compelling. Very nice book, and I'll look for more from this author.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up! Linda Randall Wisdom is soon becoming one of my fav authors. Both H and h were both really awesome characters by themselves, truly grown up but together they were truly great, capable of growing with each other and deserving a HEA. Loved the suspense in the plot and the romance too.