Revanche

by Susan Andersen

Emma Saunds ist auf der Flucht vor Grant Woodward, einem verlogenen und gewalttätigen Mann, der ihr Leben schon viel zu lange zur Hölle gemacht hat. Gemeinsam mit ihrer kleinen Tochter Gracie versteckt sie sich in dem abgelegenen Fischerdorf Port Flannery – wo sie dem geheimnisvollen Sheriff Elvis Donnelly begegnet. Doch auch hier wird Emma von den Schatten ihrer Vergangenheit eingeholt…

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Ebooks

350 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

I grew up in a household with two brothers, a daddy, and my grandfather. Too many men, in other words. They diluted M'ma's influence by diverting my attention to things like the danger of answering nature's call in the dead of the night. I've got a hint for those of you raised in a less spit-and-scratch world: check before you sit, because chances are that seat is gonna be up. And they don't even have the grace to be embarrassed about it. According to my sweet baby boy, if you're the minority sex in the household, you oughtta be putting it up for them. Sigh.

Having brothers was a mixed bag. When anybody messed with me they were always quick with an offer to beat them up. That was sorta nice, although I personally believe it had more to do with the fact that guys just like to fight than with any towering concern for my welfare. You might think that's cynical but guess who the target was if no one else was around and they were tired of fighting each other? I must've spent half my childhood locked in the bathroom, screaming, "Dad's gonna get you when he gets home." I know, I know, nobody likes a stoolie. But it was either that or have my block knocked off on a regular basis, and trust me, Daddy was the best deterrent going.

A smart woman probably would've gone away to an all-girl school or moved in with some girlfriends at the first opportunity. Me, I got married to my high school sweetie. And the tradition continues. Our only kid (who hasn't been a kid for quite some time now) is the aforementioned sweet baby boy, and except for an Irish setter we had for eleven years a long time ago, even our pets have all been male. I just try to stay afloat whenever I find myself in the deep end of the testosterone pool, and if you don't think that isn't a trial sometimes, I'm here to tell you- it can be hell.

Then again, it can also be heaven. In fact, it mostly is. But listen, don't tell my guys I 'fessed up to that, okay? Trust me, it's difficult enough already, just trying to stay one step ahead of the game.

Reviews

[fleurette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I have ever read a book by Susan Andersen, but this was definitely not my last one from her. I enjoyed this story a lot.

I really like the characters, even though there are some things that bother me a bit. Like Gracie being a bit immature for a three years old in my opinion. And I believe that Elvis past could be important for the story. Unfortunately, the tragedy that resulted in his inabilities is slightly omitted.

Also, I was expecting something more from the ending. The explanation given for the whole situation with the villain is pretty insufficient in my opinion.

All in all, I like this book, mostly for the characters. And I will definitely read another from Susan Andersen.

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5 stars
I enjoyed the book, the heroine was a pretty fiery character and I loved her adorable daughter and the mischief she could get into. The heroine is on the run ever since she found out that her father like figure in her life has been keeping tabs on her, creepily and may have killed her loved one's to keep her to himself.

The hero has the funniest name ever Elvis and is the Sheriff. He came back to town after he lost one of his arms in an explosion. I loved his self-doubts, the romance as well.

An enjoyable book.

[Lynsey A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was back in the good old days of when Susan Andersen could really knock a RS out of the park. In her later books she just didn't have that ability any longer and I stopped reading her.

This is another of those books that was on the bookshelf we had to take down (these were floating shelves, fyi - roof sprung a leak - but no books were damaged ;) so no worries) and while going through them I came across this one and realized I'd never marked it on here as owning or having read.

I think I've read this a couple of times. The little girl in this book is absolutely adorable and I love the way she loves Elvis. It will just make your heart melt.

While the bad guy is totally creepy and the whole thing is skeevy, this is a great read.

[SheLove2Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had heard so many good reviews of this book that I was excited to get it and read about Sheriff Elvis and his romance with Cajun chick Emma. By the time I was finished with it I was just glad it was over.

I never really got a good sense of what Elvis looks like, other than big and tall with a prosthesis. Emma started to grate on me with her Cajun slang and constantly switching to the French language. Don't even get me started on her daughter Gracie. I have never been so annoyed by a child in a book, ever.

I really wanted to like this book, I did. But it wasn't happening for me.

[Pamela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm in the minority here when I say that this book is absolute crap. I hated everything about it: the characters, the story, and the way it's written. I know 18 month-old toddlers who speak more clearly than the stupid child in this book. It would have been fine had the toddler was part of the background, but no, she was up-front and center and so annoying. I don't enjoy giving books bad reviews, but in my opinion, this one is so beyond bad. I cannot believe I actually finished it. What a piece of trash. So God-awful!

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

This was an interesting romantic suspense with characters who were a little different from the average. I enjoyed the romance, and even thought the little girl, Gracie, was well done. The characters lacked development, and the suspense was somewhat weak, as well, but still this was an enjoyable read.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

re-read january 2018
This is probably one of my all time favorite reads!!! I've read it so many times that I've lost count. I just adore the hero and the heroine and little Gracie. Even though I don't typically enjoy too much action and mystery in my romance novels, I completely loved it in this book.

[Fran (with the book addiction) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like this as much obsessed. I think it was too predictable and the heroine not as likeable. What I did love was Gracie. I’m a sucker for kids in fiction and Andersen made her so, so cute and realistic.
I think this one either needed to be more or less, if that makes sense. It could have been simpler and been better it could have easily been taken to more depth and improved.

[Angela]

7 March 2020: $1.99 on Kindle

[Virginia Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"EXPOSURE" is a fun and involving romantic suspense story from Susan Anderson features a hunky hero with a hook--that's right, one hand and one hook. Sheriff Elvis Donnelly (we need more heroes named Elvis) is six-feet-six of solid muscle with laser-blue eyes and thick, dark hair. He also has a metal hook in place of one hand, and an angry, jagged scar on his handsome face. When a car bomb ended his big city law enforcement career, Elvis returned to his Washington state hometown of Port Flannery and became the local sheriff. Always an outcast, due to his size and his mother's reputation as a prostitute, Elvis' injuries and scars have made him even more of a loner. That all changes when a sassy blonde with a sexy Southern drawl and an irresistible young daughter storm into his life and move into the same boarding house where he lives. Emma Sands and her daughter Gracie left New Orleans in the rearview mirror and came across country to find a safe and secure new life. Elvis' lawman sensibilities are on full alert as he tries to learn more about Emma and her daughter's move so far from their home. His male awareness of the bodacious and beautiful Emma adds fuel to the fire, and he also finds himself twisted around the tiny little finger of the adorable Gracie. The big man falls in a big way, but he is afraid to trust that Emma sees him as a whole, strong man, not just a wounded warrior in need of tender loving care. When it comes to TLC, Elvis gives as good as he gets! Threats from Emma's past and unresolved issues between Elvis and his mother are roadblocks in the way of the true happiness of a man, a woman, and a child who deserve a second chance at a life fulfilled. Great characters make this a very enjoyable read.

[D.G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by this author and the premise was similar: woman on the run from obsessed man. But this book wasn't just as good. There was too much background missing from both characters and the heroine's 3-year old daughter took way too much of the limelight.

Emma runs away with her daughter when she discovers that the man she always considered like a father has an unhealthy obsesssion with her. Then she ends up in Port Flannery, an island in the Pacific Northwest and meets the sheriff, a giant of a man with a prosthesis and scar on his face, who's the pariah in town.

The town's explanation as to why they elected him sheriff when they didn't trust him was beyond me. The island didn't give me a Northwestern feel at all...they were just too conservative.

In this book, it was never explained why Emma allowed Grant to support her as an adult or how she never caught on as to the kind of person he was. Also, we never knew how Elvis learned to deal with his injury and his life as a cop in Seattle.

Now, let's get on to Gracie, the heroine's daughter. I sort of liked that the author portrayed her as a normal kid - cute but bratty at times. She had a distinct personality so you knew how she would react to things. However, there was just too much focus on this kid. And the phonetic spelling drove me crazy this time. Most of the time I didn't have a clue what the kid was saying.

The villain was one of those guys that acts all controlled throughout the book and goes conviniently crazy at the end. It just didn't seem believable.

I'll read this author again but I'm not a great fan of this story. Not sure I recommend it.

[Cora Tree · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute DNF. The cringe worth moments are so absurd that I had to reread them just to make sure that I wasn’t crazy.

Can someone please tell me what woman on the run would trust a random guy, who happens to be a cop, baby sit their kid?? ESPECIALLY considering the fact that she continues to elude to that fact that she is running from a rich, controlling and ultimately bad man. But hey, sure, why not let that very same cop (who you just met) take your 3 year old daughter to the bathroom AND for him to casually pee in front of her?! Call me insane but that crosses so many boundaries.

What does the MC do?? Great question, she LAUGHS like it’s the funniest thing in the world… THEN to add to the absolute ’nope’ that this is, he CHANGES HER CLOTHES. Lord have mercy, this book is a big fat no and has WAYYY too many problematic features to count.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, mostly predictable quasi-suspense. There's no real mystery as we know who the "bad guy" is from page one. It's told to us. But I guess it's not a straight contemp either. Either way, I enjoy Susan Andersen's writing and I did like the characters. I'll be looking to read more by her I think.

Reread--i started this and was 1/2 half way before realizing iI'd read it. Enjoyed it again. 3 stars.

[Gamatst · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by Susan Andersen and still an all time favorite. Gracie winning over big gruff Elvis was priceless. I could "hear" Emma's French accent. There were a couple of real LOL moments too. I'd say this was Susan Andersen's cross over book from her darker romantic suspense to the humorous contemporaries she writes now.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grade B+. I just reread this book. It is one of my favorites of Susan Andersen. I love Elvis and Emma and especially Gracie and her interactions with Elvis. Not everyone can write a three-year-old character and make her appealing, and Andersen does a stellar job.

[Maqluba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the writing style needed a little clean up and the switching in POV was a little jarring but other then that I thought it was a perfect blend of romance, suspense, cutie-pie kid, and crazy creepy villain.

[Cynthia Presson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a mess.

While the premise of the story is good- a young mother on the run from an evil man- there are just too many cliches and poorly written dialogues to allow me to give it anything more than 2 stars. The copy editing was absolutely awful, with loads of typos, incorrect punctuation, and general errors, all of which were very distracting and had me rolling my eyes many times. The history of Emma and Grant Woodard was never fully explained nor explored, and the attempt to explain his behavior at the climax of the action was poorly done.
Emma and Elvis (seriously? More eye rolling from me) were both roller coasters of emotions, and it was exhausting. Frankly, Clare and Sam’s subplot was more believable and better managed.

[Lily tra le righe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps it is the fact that this book was published almost thirty years ago, perhaps it is the fact that not being English my first language I found it difficult to understand at certain points, perhaps it is the fact that I did not feel a great feeling for the characters, but I have to admit that unfortunately I did not like this book.

I am a huge fan of the single parent trope, especially when combined with some suspense, but in this case I really found the little girl quite unbearable and the whole thing too shallow.

[Lindsay Reed · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sleazy, Sick, Twisted

I thought this book was just awful. I couldn’t finish it. There were so many references to Emma’s breasts and her three year old daughter. It was disgusting. Some guy she hardly knows, he has no kids, never been around kids and he’s changing her daughter and taking her to the bathroom and this is ok? I can’t feel anything for Elvis because he creeped me out so much. And I absolutely cannot stand typos. There were several typos through the book.

[Summer Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old book that I picked off my keeper shelf for a reread this week. Quirky characters with equally interesting back stories. Reading this made me remember why I love books in series. This one is a stand alone, but I wish it had an epilogue or a sequel so there would be a bit of a followup or look back at the end. Sigh.

[ᗰ.ᑕ. ❤️ O͎L͎D͎E͎R͎ ͎&͎ ͎W͎I͎S͎E͎R͎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read February 2024
3.5 stars

One of the better romantic suspense stories I've read. While I had a few quibbles (shared in the review), overall it was entertaining.

The Good: likable characters, a well-rounded story with some depth & a sense of realism (a must for me), a few suspenseful moments, and a decent romance.

🎖️ I read it without skimming which is quite the feat for me. This is one of the few books that kept my interest from start to finish.

Written in 1996, it feels dated because there are no cell phones or personal computers.

T͓̽H͓̽E͓̽ C͓̽H͓̽A͓̽R͓̽A͓̽C͓̽T͓̽E͓̽R͓̽S͓̽:͓̽

Emma (age?) has been on the run for 2-weeks, from

Grant Woodard, a man who was like a father to her. She met him at age 14, when she tried to steal his car.

Gracie is Emma's 3-year-old daughter, who was adorable with her cute comments and antics. 🤗

A mix-up at the terminal brings Emma and Gracie to Port Flannery, a small town in Washington state. After their car breaks down, Emma goes to the nearest mechanic who tries to cheat her. The sheriff is called when she starts yelling and attracting a crowd.

Elvis Donnelly (32) is the town sheriff. He worked for the Seattle Police Department, until a car bomb ended his career and left him with a scarred face and a prosthetic hand.

While growing up in Port Flannery, he was ostracized b/c his mom was a prostitute. At age 17, his life improved when the sheriff became his mentor. Years later, he's lonely and still not fully accepted. This broken hero is a great guy—a caring yet strong alpha who becomes a wonderful father to Gracie. 🥹

Unsurprisingly, Elvis' mom is obsessed with Elvis Presley.

Sam Mackey formed an unlikely friendship with Elvis from their youth into adulthood. He and his wife, Clare, own the general store. A subplot involves their personal and marriage issues after the loss of their 5-year-old son, Evan.

T͓̽H͓̽E͓̽ P͓̽L͓̽O͓̽T͓̽:͓̽

In a nutshell: A woman on the run with her young daughter finds love, acceptance, and the help she needs in a small town. She faces danger from two villains: a vengeful townsperson and Grant, who's obsessed with her.

I really liked how Emma tried to run a few times, but Elvis kept one step ahead of her and stopped her. Thankfully, Emma was not TSTL and listened to his voice of reason.

The multiple POVs, which I usually dislike, actually enriched the story.

DISLIKES:
🔻 The POV changes rapidly and often without reason, sometimes shifting from one paragraph to the next. Once I recognized this, I paid closer attention to try and avoid confusion.
🔻 Emma's overuse of French words was annoying 😬. "Cher" is used 64 x's, and "oui" is used 42 x's.

☆・・★・Summary & Spoilers・★・・☆

Emma and Elvis are instantly attracted to each other, but face several hurdles on their path to love. Due to past heartbreaks, Elvis mistakenly thinks Emma is one of those women attracted to deformities. It makes it hard for him to trust that she genuinely wants him.

Emma rents a room above Ruby's café while Elvis lives a few doors away, leading to some interactions. Initially, Emma plans to stay in town for just a few days, but the locals discover she's on the run and conspire to help her. They learn of her car skills and offer her work, providing much-needed income.

Emma was taught about cars by her older brother, Big Eddy, who raised her. He ran a chop shop until he was put in prison, dying shortly before his release. She has lost many people: Eddy, a college friend, and her husband Charlie, who drowned while fishing when Emma was pregnant.

The Vengeful Mechanic:
Bill Gertz is upset that Emma has taken some of his business. He tries to drive her out by slashing her tires, vandalizing her car, and breaking her window, injuring Gracie in the process. Elvis catches Gertz and has him arrested.

Grant Woodard.
A wealthy mob-like figure, Grant became obsessed with Emma after meeting her at 14. After getting Eddy arrested to gain control over her, he has everyone close to her killed: her brother, friend, and husband. Emma flees upon discovering disturbing tapes of herself in Grant's library, realizing she has been spied on for years. Grant satisfies his sexual needs by being a voyeur. His sociopathy drives him to keep a close watch on her after learning she’s on the island, even hiring Elvis's mother to distract Emma.

The OTT Dramatic Ending:
After Gertz injured Gracie, Grant kills him. Grant then decides to take Emma and Gracie, in his crazy need for Emma. He takes them to a secluded area on the island to talk. 🙄 (If he had left the island right away, he would have gotten away.)

Clare witnesses the abduction and alerts Elvis, then intervenes to save Gracie.

Elvis fails to shoot Grant, leading to Grant and Emma struggling near the cliff. Elvis says it's over, but Grant refuses to give up and drags Emma with him over the cliff. Emma breaks free and clings to the edge. Elvis pulls her to safety, and they share a tender moment.

Emma and Elvis marry and gain acceptance in the community. Emma inherits Grant’s wealth but is reluctant to use it. Elvis encourages her to invest in a community center for the bored youth in town.

[Sara Herring · Rating 2 out of 5]

kinda cute

[Rye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweetie of a romance.

[Chandra Woolson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion the little girl steals the show. Fun, fast read.

[Haley Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable!

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a very enjoyable read. I will note that the ebook had way more editing errors than the paperback that made a few places very confusing to understand.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

I was well entertained by the storyline even though it’s a little predictable. The end kept me reading well past bedtime!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda boring

Writer is my style, but she threw in a couple of cringy scenes that really put me off. It was predictable with no real emotional moments.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will read more

[Tatianna Bluel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Medium okay book.