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Obsession

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Pop singer Kendra Blake grew up in the spotlight as the daughter of a prominent actor. Now famous in her own right, she’s had enough with bodyguards shadowing her every move. So when a bomb goes off backstage at one of her concerts, she gives in to her urge to flee. In search of the privacy she’s lacked her whole life, Kendra escapes to a remote cabin in Arizona. Little does she know, FBI agent Charlie Whitmore has been assigned to keep her safe and is staying right across the street.

Stranded in severe weather, the two develop a friendship that hovers on the verge of romance—with Charlie frantically trying to keep his personal and work life separate and Kendra enjoying a new-found freedom from her glamorous world. But when law officials discover that there may be a link between a notorious serial killer and Kendra, she has far greater concerns than her independence.

About the Author Originally from Arizona, Traci Hunter Abramson spent much of her childhood exploring the little town of Pinewood. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University and a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency. Since leaving the CIA, Traci has written multiple novels, including the Undercurrents trilogy, Royal Target, and the Saint Squad Series. When she’s not writing, Traci loves spending time with her husband and their four children. She also enjoys cooking, although she prefers an electric stove to the wood-burning variety.

179 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2011

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About the author

Traci Hunter Abramson

66 books1,939 followers
Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study-abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for several years, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She credits the CIA with giving her a wealth of ideas as well as the skills needed to survive her children's teenage years. She is a eight-time Whitney Award winner and has written more than forty bestselling novels. For more information about Traci, click here: https://linktr.ee/traciabramson


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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
Profile Image for Lisa  (Bookworm Lisa).
2,240 reviews206 followers
July 27, 2017
This book has been on my shelve for a very long time. It took a book challenge for me to dust it off and open the pages. I am participating in a challenge this summer to read something "old, new, borrowed, blue". This book is my something blue.

Traci Hunter Abramson is amazing at crafting a great romantic suspense novel. This book has the unknown villain stalking his obsession. You do not know who he is until the end, but his presence is felt throughout the book.

Kendra Blake is a famous singer. Her entire life she has been protected. Growing up with a father who is a popular actor didn't leave a lot of options for her to lead a normal life. She now wants time away and alone, but with a murderer out there who seems to target her, there isn't a way for that to happen. That's when Charlie Whitmore comes into the picture. He is an FBI agent, but he can't let Kendra know that.

This book has a little bit of everything...action, romance, suspense, and humor. I just wish I would have dusted it off a little sooner.'

There is some kissing and non-graphic violence. The MC's are LDS, so there are religious references.


Source: I purchased this one,
Profile Image for Marilee .
1,454 reviews237 followers
October 30, 2022
Another great romantic suspense from Traci Abramson!

I was so happy to finally read Charlie Whitmore's story and loved how down-to-earth Kendra is for being a celebrity. Enjoyed the forced proximity trope plus the plot twists and turns. So many sweet moments! 4.5 stars
Profile Image for Donna Weaver.
Author 87 books459 followers
July 29, 2020
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Pop singer Kendra Blake grew up in the spotlight as the daughter of a prominent actor. Now famous in her own right, she’s had enough with bodyguards shadowing her every move. So when a bomb goes off backstage at one of her concerts, she gives in to her urge to flee. In search of the privacy she’s lacked her whole life, Kendra escapes to a remote cabin in Arizona. Little does she know, FBI agent Charlie Whitmore has been assigned to keep her safe and is staying right across the street.

Stranded in severe weather, the two develop a friendship that hovers on the verge of romance—with Charlie frantically trying to keep his personal and work life separate and Kendra enjoying a new-found freedom from her glamorous world. But when law officials discover that there may be a link between a notorious serial killer and Kendra, she has far greater concerns than her independence.

MY TAKE
I love the Whitmore family, so the chance to read more about them--even if it was through reference--was fun. In previous books, we're only superficially introduced to Charlie, so I getting to know him in this story. What a great guy! Very different from his pro baseball player brother Matt and his sister Amy who does intel for a Navy Seal Team.

Kendra I met in Jay's Saint Squad story. I loved how she and Charlie got to know each other by being snowbound together. My favorite part is always where the love interests fall in love, but KNOWING that the stuff was was going to hit the fan when the truth for why he was there came out added plenty of tension.

I decided who I thought the killer/stalker was fairly early on, but Abramson does a great job putting up false leads to keep the reader guessing.

I also noticed that Abramson has another book coming out, with Kendra's sister as the lead. Can't wait!

Listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a very good job.
Profile Image for Katie (hiding in the pages).
3,503 reviews328 followers
September 28, 2011
Kendra Blake is a very famous singer who grew up in the spotlight. When a bomb goes off at her concert, she realizes she may be in more danger than she thought. She intends on hiding away for awhile and FBI agent Charlie Whitmore is there to protect her--without her knowing.

I thought it was enlightening to realize the lack of privacy some people have. I liked Kendra and how down to earth she is. Charlie was great!!

Obsession is fast paced and full of suspense, with a clean romance brewing.
Profile Image for Mara.
1,467 reviews110 followers
July 11, 2024
Somehow, this book languished in my TBR pile for a few years. I've read all of Traci Abramson's books so I don't know how this one was overlooked. I read it in between some historical romances and the suspense was just what I needed.

I'm glad I finally read Charlie Whitmore's story and liked finding out how and why he became an FBI agent. I really liked how down to earth Kendra is for being in the spotlight and loved her relationship with her grandfather. I enjoyed watching Charlie and Kendra get closer and wondered what would happen when she found out why he was really there. I enjoyed the mystery and watching it all come together.
Profile Image for Marilee.
1,397 reviews
September 22, 2023
Kendra Blake is a pop star who guards her freedom and privacy after finding little of these in her childhood. When her safety is in jeopardy, her grandfather convinces her to lay low for a while and allow the FBI to keep her safe while they investigate. Charlie Whitmore is assigned to stay in the house next door and they discover that they have a lot in common. It's a good story, and now that I'm reading the seventh book in the Saint Squad series, I'm glad I read this before getting to it, as it helps me to understand Kendra's character better.
Profile Image for Camilla.
1,464 reviews9 followers
November 28, 2022
This was super fun and thrilling. Abramson keeps the romance light, but her drama is very entertaining. I enjoyed my time in the story.
Profile Image for Kathy * Bookworm Nation.
2,157 reviews702 followers
February 24, 2016
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It was just what I was looking for with the whole bodyguard/witness protection storyline. Kendra is a successful singer and is used to living her life in the spotlight. She craves some time alone to work on her music and rediscover who she is and what she really wants. When a bomb goes off at her concert she decides now the best time to get away. She doesn't want her security team going with her and unaware of just how much danger she is in, refuses the help from her retired FBI grandfather. Going behind her back, her grandfather calls in a few favors and has the FBI send Charlie out to protect her, under the guise of being just a friendly neighbor.

I thought Kendra and Charlie had a great relationship. I'm still not sure how things would work out in the real world, but knowing them I think they could figure things out. I liked that they had so much in common, and got along so well. I thought they had a sweet romance.

The mystery was pretty good, I had my suspicions about who the bad guy was, but it was fun to see how everything comes together. I did think the final stand off was a little anti-climatic, not sure what I was expecting.

Overall, a fun read, probably my favorite of Abramson's that I've read so far.

Content
Romance: Clean
Violence: Mild

Charlie Whitmore's family seemed so familir to me, and then I realized we met his sister Amy in Freefall and his brother Matt in Undercurrents. While Obsession can stand on its own, it was fun to see the connection to the Whitmore family again.
Profile Image for Linnae.
1,186 reviews8 followers
May 5, 2017
3.5 stars: Predictable, but a sweet romance and a few exciting action scenes.

Kendra Blake is a famous singer, who has lived her whole life surrounded by a claustrophobic web of protection and bodyguards. Her father--a well-known actor himself--has insisted on it. Then a bomb detonates backstage at one of her concerts. Before her father can step in and basically put her under house arrest until the culprit is found, Kendra takes matters into her own hands and runs away to a secluded family cabin up in the mountains.

Little does she know that her grandfather has added an extra safeguard: the neighbor renting the cabin across the way is actually an FBI agent. Charlie Whitmore is not only working on the bombing case--and possibly connecting it with a string of murders dealing with high-profile beautiful women--but is there to watch over Kendra. As it turns out, she's really going to need it.

* * * * *
I generally stay away from books involving serial killers, but of the few I have read, this one was on the mild side for that topic. She does put you inside the head of the perpetrator (another dislike), but those scenes are short--thankfully--and fade to black before he commits the actual murder.

I liked the way Kendra and Charlie's relationship built up over time, and I appreciated that it stayed clean.

This wasn't my most favorite of Abramson's, but it was still an enjoyable, quick read.

Content: Clean romance; some violence, but most of it offscreen.

I blog at: www.ofbooksandblooms.com
11 reviews2 followers
September 9, 2011
It had been a while since I'd read one of Traci's books that hadn't been tied to her Saint Squad series. This one was definitely more mystery/suspense than thriller and it didn't disappoint. The prologue totally hooked me and then I couldn't put this book down until I finished it, which was unfortunate for me since I stayed up half the night reading it and then had to get up early the next morning.

The main character, Kendra, looks like she leads this charmed life. Rich, famous, talented. Then she ends up with a stalker and goes into hiding. Charlie Whitmore is the FBI agent tasked with protecting her and sparks fly between them. For anyone who's read Freefall or any of the Undercurrents books, you know Charlie's brother and sister. Charlie's older brother is Matt Whitmore from the Undercurrents series, and his younger sister is Amy Whitmore/Miller from the Saint Squad series. This book doesn't tie into either one of those series, but it's kind of cool to already know Charlie's family.

The story itself goes back and forth between the suspense and romance parts of the book, with some pretty good creepy scenes from the stalker's point of view. And I didn't figure out who the stalker was until the author revealed it. I love it when that happens.
Profile Image for JadeShea.
3,235 reviews60 followers
December 10, 2018
This story starts out with Kendra having to go into hiding because of recent events at one of her concerts. She is afraid someone is after her, but she doesn't want her father have her closed in with all of his body guards. So her grandfather gives her a place to stay where no one will look for her. But little does she know her grandfather also wants her to be safe so he enlists the help of the FBI to watch out for Kendra while she's away hiding. Along comes Charlie, he has to help watch of Kendra but things start to heat up when they both become away of the intense attraction between them.

Both of them have no idea how serious this stalker actually is, and as the story continues we find out a lot of things about Kendra and Charlie. They have to go through a few trials through out this book, but in the end they make a beautiful couple. I really enjoyed this story, it had lots of suspense, and some romance to go with it.
632 reviews1 follower
November 18, 2015
I definitely enjoyed this book! It reminded me of all my favorite crime shows - minus the hiding out in a rural Arizona town during a snow storm. Kendra is a singer and after a bomb at one of her shows, she hides at an old family cabin. She's trying to get away from being smothered by bodyguards so her grandfather sets up an FBI agent to move in across the street. Of course there is a snowstorm and they get snowed in where the handsome FBI agent and the singer find that they are falling in love. Charlie has to do research to find the guy responsible and finds that there are too many coincidences between Kendra and several victims of a serial killer. Definitely was a page turner! The love story was cute enough but not overbearing and I couldn't help but get confused as to who the bad guy really was! Ages 13+
Profile Image for Sara Cardon.
Author 5 books63 followers
March 11, 2018
Kendra refuses protection even after a bombing at her concert. She accepts her FBI grandfather's advice to at least take time off and safely away at a remote location. Enter FBI agent Charlie, recruited by her grandfather to keep an eye on Kendra, but not let her know his job. Awesome. And the stalker is creepy. This was a lot of fun. I also enjoyed the insights into why Charlie would choose FBI in the first place -- very insightful to what kind of people are drawn to a profession I don't have experience with.
Profile Image for Danyelle Ferguson.
Author 15 books131 followers
September 20, 2012
I loved Obsession by Traci Hunter Abramson. The story was well crafted and kept me turning the pages quickly. The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I had a good idea who the stalker was half-way through the book. I wasn't completely sure if I was right until the end, but still, I like to be kept hanging a little longer. Overall though, Obsession is a book I would definitely recommend to my friends who love suspense with a touch of romance.
13 reviews
September 22, 2017
I would categorize this as a LIGHT romance thriller. It seemed like the story was mostly about a developing relationship, with some creepy side story. I liked the read, but there were a few inconsistencies, and I found it to be a bit predictable. I kept wondering what the rest of the FBI was doing, since it seemed like Charlie was the only one coming up with leads. I mean Kendra is a famous person, and a lot of her life would have been public knowledge.
Profile Image for Tabitha.
627 reviews7 followers
June 3, 2021
I love the romantic suspense Traci Abramson writes. Obsession is tied into the Saint Squad and those people and is about Charlie, Amy and Matt's brother. High suspense and deals with a serial killer, as the title suggests, who is obsessed.
Clean romantic suspense with good chemistry and family interaction.
Definitely some scary moments and time to read all night to find out what happens.
Love it.
100 reviews11 followers
June 23, 2012
One of my favorite authors for LDS mystery.
14 reviews
November 19, 2017
Summary: Obsession by Traci Hunter Abramson is a thrilling, heart racing, unexpected love story. Kendra, a young adult pop singer, is at another one of her concerts when a bomb goes off. Kendra decides to go into hiding without anyone knowing besides her grandfather. Ever since Kendra was little, she’s been surrounded by security and has never really been able to have privacy. She wants to get out on her own, but her grandfather still wants her to be safe. He decides to send Charlie Whitmore to protect her without her knowing it. Charlie and Kendra meet and become very good friends. While they are creating a good friendship and possibly more, the “Malibu Stalker” (the one who set off the bomb) is obsessed with Kendra Blake and thinks that she belongs to him. He wants her to love him, but if she doesn’t he will kill her like he has done to six other women.

Analysis: This book is definitely one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. This book is valuable to me because I love reading good books especially when I’m bored. There are really no slow or unnecessary parts in this book. The authors perspective makes sense to me and I totally understand what she’s talking about. I can make some connections to the book, I can connect because the characters are Mormon and Kendra and I love to sing. I think the voice of the character really matters because, in my opinion, I think the reader should be able to relate to the characters in books. This book made me feel so happy and excited. It also made me feel like I just had to keep reading since it was so good! This section of the book is really good, “Amusement lit his eyes. I have a feeling you would have people following you around even if your dad wasn’t an actor.” I really loved this part in the book because this is when Charlie and Kendra first met. All of this book is so amazing I wasn’t bored once! I just loved it all the way through. My mom got mad at me because I couldn’t put it down! It was amazing!

Theme and Conclusion: I think the theme of this book is that God is always in control no matter what happens. One part that shows this is when Kendra asks Charlie to give her a blessing, “Do you think you could…. She trailed off for a moment. Then she took a deep breath and asked, Would you give me a blessing?” I absolutely loved reading this book and I can’t wait to read more books by Traci Hunter Abramson!
Profile Image for Grace Tolman.
814 reviews8 followers
May 3, 2018
I've read a few of Ms. Abramson's books before but never her mystery type ones. This intrigued me and I have to say it was well written. To sum up my thought on the story, it's like the movie Bodyguard but with a LDS twist.

I liked the love story between the hero and heroine.
I liked the glimpse of what celebrities have to go through, especially with obsessed fans.
I like the mystery. Sometimes mysteries are easy to spot from the very beginning, but Ms. Abramson did a fantastic job keeping me guessing until the last 1/4 of the book.
I found it fascinating to see a little bit about what FBI's do and the whole witness protection program. I'm sure that there are far more fictional liberties that were done with this story but I still believe that some of the information are based on what could really happen in the real world.
I liked the setting. I've only been to Arizona a few times and really liked Flagstaff whenever I drove through there. But would love to experience a place like Pinewood.

The only reason I did not give this a 5 star is because I do not really like mystery. Especially the ones that have some pretty scary details in it. I usually read at night, just before going to bed and frankly, I can't read these kinds of stories because I get more jittery and scared.
508 reviews
May 12, 2021
Another fun, clean, LDS romance novel with action and romance. A fun "beach" read. She seems to have a formula for her books (semi-generic spoiler):
1. There is a famous someone (senator's daughter, prince, pop star).
2. There is a government worker (SWAT, CIA, FBI).
3. There are intense circumstances that force the two together (hostage situation, death threats/terrorist activities).
4. The famous person's life is threatened. She wants you to think it is the obvious bad guy, but it really is the close friend.
5. #2 saves the life of #1. Then, #1 and #2 fall in love.

I don't think I spoiled too much. The plot is pretty obvious, but I still enjoy reading them and watching the story unfold.
Profile Image for  The Flipped Page (Susan K).
1,829 reviews39 followers
April 14, 2024
Sweet, romantic suspense

Romance, contemporary, Christian/CJCLDS, sweet, suspense; series but stand alone read
Charlie and Kendra’s story came about with Charlie’s assignment to watch Kendra at a remote cabin as she is trying to escape an attempt on her life.
She doesn’t realize he is with the FBI, but her retired FBI grandfather arranged a convincing back story for Charlie after selecting him partially due to his faith.
The attack turns out to be a prelude to a stalker/serial killer who has murdered several women.
Lots of clues, lots of small moments add up to a fun, suspenseful romantic fall, and case needing to be solved.
Loved it. Know I will definitely reread this one.
Profile Image for Michaela.
369 reviews4 followers
October 20, 2024
2.5** there’s nothing wrong with this book. The writing isn’t terrible, but it’s not exceptional either. The plot is predictable, the killer obvious, the romance mediocre… the characters aren’t fully developed, the story is very simple, and the LDS vibes are severely heavy handed. I thought the concept had promise. And it still does. I would have liked to have spent more time in the serial killers mind. Delving into his delusions. More time spent developing each character. It would have been better to see more of their flaws. Their conversations and personalities could have been deeper and more interesting. The story could have had a little more pop and the final confrontation more pizzazz. It wasn’t an unpleasant read, just not a fully developed one.
776 reviews20 followers
January 7, 2021
Still surprising even when rereading!

It was perfectly creepy and well-done to have the stalker's point of view included. Even though I've read this book before, I couldn't remember or figure out who the stalker was for the longest time! Traci Hunter Abramson knows how to write romantic suspense! I was excited to see Charlie Whitmore find love. I enjoy the Whitmore family and look forward to future Whitmore family cameos! There were minor references to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, such as prayers, blessings, and temple recommends. This was a sweeet and clean romantic suspense, I'd rate PG for kissing and thematic violence.
Profile Image for Patricia Hodge.
89 reviews2 followers
April 26, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Traci Hunter Abramson worked for the CIA prior to having a family. She incorporates her CIA knowledge into her books. They keep you reading because of the suspense and make you love the underlying romance in her stories. Yet, they are not gushy romance novels. They have a bit of romance, a bit of mystery and a bit of suspence. I also love the continuation of many of the same characters in the vooks, particularly the "Saint Squad". I highly recommend this book and any other titles written by her.
Profile Image for Liesl.
194 reviews
December 26, 2017
I have just recently been reading her books. I have enjoyed them a lot. They are a good LDS fun read. Kept me turning the pages and kept me looking for more of her books to read. I am on the next series now.

You will want to read this book before you read the Saint Squad Series from #6 on. As there are people mentioned from this book later in their lives in the Saint Squad book number 6 “Codeword”.
148 reviews
October 3, 2018
This is basically a Mormon romance with a murder backstory though it is marketed the other way around. It was cute; no sex and lots of churchiness. I especially thought it funny that Alan Parsons played a role in the story - maybe Mrs. Abramson didn't know how funny that was when she wrote it, but if James Brown or Chubby Checkers was in a murder mystery but wasn't a musician... anyway maybe it was just me that thought that was hilarious...
Profile Image for Kim  Dennis.
1,163 reviews7 followers
November 26, 2018
I read this book several years ago. At the beginning, I worked to remember who the killer was and I was surprised that I could. (I don't have a very good memory for these things...) I really enjoyed the book the second time. Traci Hunter Abramson is a great writer. I didn't like the whole deception angle, but she did handle it better than most stories do. Can't wait to get back into the Saint Squad books. :)
196 reviews2 followers
April 11, 2019
Parents protect children?!?

I love Traci Hunter Abramson's books. So far, I have read every one I could get and each one is a delight. This one is very family oriented. It shows what parents go through to protect their children and some of problems that can come of this effort. I love the way law enforcement steps up to help. Just keep writing dear author, and I will keep reading.
1,288 reviews3 followers
March 16, 2020
Nice romantic thriller. I guessed who the stalker was before the end of the book (Alan-the bodyguard). Nice to have LDS backgrounds for both Charlie and Kendra so going to church and having the same morals were important to both of them. Minus the terror of being stalked and havine to hideout, it would be fun to be in Kendra's place and have a detective spend every day with you - and have the romance blossom as it did for Kendra and Charlie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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