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Romantic Suspense #4
Nothing To Fear
As director of an inner-city woman's shelter, Dana Dupinsky safeguards many secrets. Some are new identities; some are new addresses; and some are even hidden truths about herself. Passionately dedicated to Hanover House and the women she protects, Dana has always been reluctant to look for love. But now, just as a case puts her and a child in mortal danger, it seems that love has come looking for her. Security expert Ethan Buchanan learned to stalk men in the Afghan desert. Now he vows to track down the ruthless woman who kidnapped his godson-and falling for Dana is not in the plan. Yet her very presence seems to chase away the ghosts that haunt him, and her skillful evasion of personal questions raises his hunting instincts. For there's a deadly new secret at Hanover House. A brutal killer is weaving a web of revenge with a stolen boy at its center. And Dana is the next victim on the list...
612 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2005
255 people are currently reading
3741 people want to read
About the author
Karen Rose
61 books5,473 followersOFFICIAL WEBSITE:
www.karenrosebooks.com
Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”
Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published fifteen more novels and two novellas. Her seventeenth novel, ALONE IN THE DARK, will be released in 2016.
Karen's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London's Sunday Times, and Germany's der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!
Her novels, I'M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into twenty-four languages.
A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, her two daughters, two dogs, and a cat.
www.karenrosebooks.com
Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”
Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published fifteen more novels and two novellas. Her seventeenth novel, ALONE IN THE DARK, will be released in 2016.
Karen's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London's Sunday Times, and Germany's der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!
Her novels, I'M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into twenty-four languages.
A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, her two daughters, two dogs, and a cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 392 reviews
July 3, 2025
A deaf and dumb boy is kidnapped, with his therapist and her boyfriend, both viciously murdered as part of a complex and callous revenge scheme. Computer security experts who are friends of the boy's parents try to find the kidnapper, as the police cannot get involved! As the search progresses so does the body count.
The fourth book in the Chicago series, brings us back to woman's shelter host Dana Dupinsky alongside series regulars the police Reagan brothers, and Detective Mia Mitchell as their locale and lives are turned upside down by the incessant destructive and murder spree of recently released prisoner Sue Conway as she seeks her own path to getting justice. Yet another in this series where some real dark crime shares the platform with protagonists finding a love connection! I really don't get this serial's best selling status; well I get the appreciation of the crime fiction, but what's with the inopportune romancing? A Three Star, entertaining 6 out of 12 read.
2025 read
The fourth book in the Chicago series, brings us back to woman's shelter host Dana Dupinsky alongside series regulars the police Reagan brothers, and Detective Mia Mitchell as their locale and lives are turned upside down by the incessant destructive and murder spree of recently released prisoner Sue Conway as she seeks her own path to getting justice. Yet another in this series where some real dark crime shares the platform with protagonists finding a love connection! I really don't get this serial's best selling status; well I get the appreciation of the crime fiction, but what's with the inopportune romancing? A Three Star, entertaining 6 out of 12 read.
2025 read
October 22, 2015
We first met Dana Dupinsky in the first book of this series, Don't Tell. This story focuses on her as she continues to provide safe haven for battered women and their children. She meets Ethan Buchanan at a bus station where she's waiting to meet another woman who is seeking help at Hanover House, the women's shelter where Dana serves as executive director. Ethan is in Chicago trying to track down the woman who has abducted his godson from his vacation home in Wight's Island, Maryland.
This is the most disturbing book in the series to date, which is not meant to be interpreted as a bad thing. The villain in this story is truly the most diabolical and scary character I've had the displeasure of meeting in a book. No one seems to be sacred and that kept my stress level at high points until the end. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. Karen Rose knows how to first tell the story and then weave the other elements in for added spice. Dana's romance with Ethan may have been secondary to saving the victims and capturing this sick criminal but it held its own. The tension created by the killer only added to the romantic interludes, which I think is what's best about the genre. The secondary characters, including some familiar names (Caroline and Max, Mia and Abe, David Hunter and Evie Wilson to name a few), have substantive roles and are well developed. Even though the killer is revealed in the first chapter, there was still mystery to accompany the romance and suspense as their were secrets abound almost to the end of the book.
This book has everything I look for in this genre...likable characters, high levels of suspense, low levels of predictability, a good solid romance and being able to scare me witless! Rose is my favorite author for romantic suspense and she didn't fail me with this story.
This is the most disturbing book in the series to date, which is not meant to be interpreted as a bad thing. The villain in this story is truly the most diabolical and scary character I've had the displeasure of meeting in a book. No one seems to be sacred and that kept my stress level at high points until the end. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. Karen Rose knows how to first tell the story and then weave the other elements in for added spice. Dana's romance with Ethan may have been secondary to saving the victims and capturing this sick criminal but it held its own. The tension created by the killer only added to the romantic interludes, which I think is what's best about the genre. The secondary characters, including some familiar names (Caroline and Max, Mia and Abe, David Hunter and Evie Wilson to name a few), have substantive roles and are well developed. Even though the killer is revealed in the first chapter, there was still mystery to accompany the romance and suspense as their were secrets abound almost to the end of the book.
This book has everything I look for in this genre...likable characters, high levels of suspense, low levels of predictability, a good solid romance and being able to scare me witless! Rose is my favorite author for romantic suspense and she didn't fail me with this story.
November 7, 2016
"Adapt, Adapt and improve"
This book was alittle different than Karen Rose's other novels, this time instead of having to work out who the killer is, we have to work out why they are doing it, knowing right at the start who is committing these crimes. I loved that she bought Detective Abe Reagan into this novel, having read his story in "I'm Watching You" i really enjoyed getting more of this character. Which is another reason why Karen is awesome, characters from other novels reappear, building to their story and the Karen Rose experience. I've enjoy all of Karen's book to date and this is no exception. Karen has such a nak at storytelling, character development and mystery that's its hard not to love her work.
Sue Conway has recently been released from prison and is plotting revenge against those who wronged her, her first task kidnapping Alec Vaughn, a deaf child of a wealthy family and asking for a 5 million dollar ransom. But is this just about money, or does Sue's revenge stem deeper than that?
The Vaughn's being told not to contact police or the FBI decide to call in help from their friend and their son's godfather, Ethan Bauchana, Ex marine and running a steady business in security. Discretion in the key in keeping Alec alive and Ethan will stop at nothing to put the pieces together and find his kidnapped godson.
Dana Dupinsky runs a shelter in Chicago for abused women known as the Hanover House, helping many women escape their abusive partners along with their kids and setting them up for a new life. The women who Dana encounters rarely trust people and often keep to themselves, so when her path crosses with Sue Conway she instantly believes the woman's story of abuse and agrees to help her and 'her son'.
Dana doesn't know just how much she has put not only herself but all the women she's helping to protect in danger when allowing Sue to stay. As the bodies pile up Dana begins to realise something isn't right when her friends and associates start turning up brutally murdered, but its too late Sue has thrust her in the middle of a dangerous game, is slowly turning up the heat and will stop at nothing until she has her revenge.
My favourite character in this novel would probably have to be Dana Dupinsky, having suffered abuse herself and putting her life and freedom on the line to help women in similar situations as she once was makes her a hero of sorts. She is strong willed, bright and puts others needs before herself, while suffering from nightmares and hardly being able to sleep. Finding out Dana's story was a little heartbreaking, finding out she blamed herself was utterly gut wrenching. The guilt she feels when her friends are murdered is so sad, i truly felt for her.
If you are looking for a murder-mystery suspenseful read with a hint of romance, Karen Rose is the one for you! She is brilliant at what she does and i don't think you will be disappointed at all with her story telling or characters.
Read Karen Rose, enjoy her work as much as i do, she is amazing in every single way!
Recommended for : Murder-mystery / Suspense / Romance
April 4, 2011
I'm Afraid I Struggled With This One
Dana Dupinsky gives everything to and would sacrifice anything for Hanover House, the woman's shelter she runs in Chicago. Despite a shoestring budget and the need for the utmost secrecy, her tragic past commits her to a perilous calling, taking in abused women and their children and offering them sanctuary and a new beginning. The toll on her is mighty, but her dedication is superseded only by her determination to prevent as many as she can from ending up as her mother did. As she almost did.
Against his better judgment, former Marine and current security expert Ethan Buchanan is in Chicago on the trail of the woman who kidnapped his godchild. Despite the rising body count and the terror of dealing with a psychopath, the child's parents refuse to call in the police, and now Ethan and his partner Clay are complicit in the swath of horror this unknown woman is spreading. A Chicago bus station is his last stop before he has no choice and has to turn to the authorities.
He'd just finished trying to get access to their security footage when a scream tears the fabric of the night. Rushing to the platform, he sees Dana, unconscious and wounded after attacking the mugger who had gone after an elderly woman. As soon as she opens her eyes and meets his gaze, his world shifts, and for the first time since his return from combat two years ago, something in Ethan knows peace.
But peace won't rescue his godson Alec, and peace won't stop a madwoman from ripping their lives to shreds. It's tragically possible that nothing will.
This is the sixth of eleven of Karen Rose's romantic suspense novels that I've read (though it's fourth in the published timeline) and while she's one of my favorite romantic suspense authors, I struggled mightily with this one for a lot of different reasons. While dark and gritty, and featuring one of the most conscienceless sociopaths I've read lately, not even Rose's technical writing aptitude and gift for story telling could captivate me here.
I found the first half of the book to be tedious and implausible, littered with characters acting foolishly, with far too many simultaneous plot threads spread over many different locations, and generally too heavily focused on the killer's point of view, a killer who readers are introduced to almost immediately. The problem with that last part is that it takes the mystery out of the suspense for the reader, and yet forces them to focus on reading the plodding clue following that the main characters are doing, and that's a style of suspense that doesn't appeal to me.
The romance between Ethan and Dana also strained my patience. Maybe I'm too jaded, but the first sight/soul mate/stars aligning and angels singing type of romantic kismet doesn't work for me in any but a few very select situations. It's just not realistic enough for me to be able to garner any willing suspension of disbelief.
Then there were the characters themselves. For the first time, I wasn't all that fond of either character. I couldn't understand Ethan's actions and his failure to put his foot down with Alec's parents about calling in the cops as the body count continued to rise, and Dana's sudden inability to let honed instinct guide her and to act against her nature while she almost completely ignored the welfare of a child seemed contradictory to the woman we first met in Karen Rose's first book, Don't Tell. And frankly, the idea of being able to get groiny all night when someone you love is probably being tortured and will soon be killed by a madwoman if you don't find her first just really bothered me. It put an odd pall on any romantic development for me.
And what's missing most notably from this book is exactly what sets Karen Rose's other books apart so favorably in the genre. She has an ability to draw readers into the characters' lives beyond the case that's ongoing, using secondary and ancillary characters and tertiary plot threads to help flesh out the characters and define them in situations unconnected to the suspense aspects of the book. Family and friends of the protagonists are used in ways beyond what's going on with the bad guy and it rounds out the characters nicely. This book lacked that completely in Ethan's case and what was offered in Dana's was far too limited and often, as with Evie, too confrontational to be enjoyable. As a result, the majority of this book focused around Alec's kidnapping and where Sue was hiding, with some ancillary plot threads that went mostly nowhere but weren't fleshed out anyway
The second half of the book was better than the first, and I admit I enjoyed it far more when Ethan and Dana had gotten on the same page with what was going on. I also enjoyed renewing my acquaintances with Max and Caroline (Don't Tell), and police partners Mia and Abe (I'm Watching You). There's no doubt that Karen Rose writes impressive romantic suspense, and several scenes in the latter half of the book really gripped me. It just wasn't as pleasing to me as a whole package as the others of hers I've read. The stylistic differences, plot issues, and my problems with the characters kept this one from being more than just okay for me.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Dana Dupinsky gives everything to and would sacrifice anything for Hanover House, the woman's shelter she runs in Chicago. Despite a shoestring budget and the need for the utmost secrecy, her tragic past commits her to a perilous calling, taking in abused women and their children and offering them sanctuary and a new beginning. The toll on her is mighty, but her dedication is superseded only by her determination to prevent as many as she can from ending up as her mother did. As she almost did.
Against his better judgment, former Marine and current security expert Ethan Buchanan is in Chicago on the trail of the woman who kidnapped his godchild. Despite the rising body count and the terror of dealing with a psychopath, the child's parents refuse to call in the police, and now Ethan and his partner Clay are complicit in the swath of horror this unknown woman is spreading. A Chicago bus station is his last stop before he has no choice and has to turn to the authorities.
He'd just finished trying to get access to their security footage when a scream tears the fabric of the night. Rushing to the platform, he sees Dana, unconscious and wounded after attacking the mugger who had gone after an elderly woman. As soon as she opens her eyes and meets his gaze, his world shifts, and for the first time since his return from combat two years ago, something in Ethan knows peace.
But peace won't rescue his godson Alec, and peace won't stop a madwoman from ripping their lives to shreds. It's tragically possible that nothing will.
This is the sixth of eleven of Karen Rose's romantic suspense novels that I've read (though it's fourth in the published timeline) and while she's one of my favorite romantic suspense authors, I struggled mightily with this one for a lot of different reasons. While dark and gritty, and featuring one of the most conscienceless sociopaths I've read lately, not even Rose's technical writing aptitude and gift for story telling could captivate me here.
I found the first half of the book to be tedious and implausible, littered with characters acting foolishly, with far too many simultaneous plot threads spread over many different locations, and generally too heavily focused on the killer's point of view, a killer who readers are introduced to almost immediately. The problem with that last part is that it takes the mystery out of the suspense for the reader, and yet forces them to focus on reading the plodding clue following that the main characters are doing, and that's a style of suspense that doesn't appeal to me.
The romance between Ethan and Dana also strained my patience. Maybe I'm too jaded, but the first sight/soul mate/stars aligning and angels singing type of romantic kismet doesn't work for me in any but a few very select situations. It's just not realistic enough for me to be able to garner any willing suspension of disbelief.
Then there were the characters themselves. For the first time, I wasn't all that fond of either character. I couldn't understand Ethan's actions and his failure to put his foot down with Alec's parents about calling in the cops as the body count continued to rise, and Dana's sudden inability to let honed instinct guide her and to act against her nature while she almost completely ignored the welfare of a child seemed contradictory to the woman we first met in Karen Rose's first book, Don't Tell. And frankly, the idea of being able to get groiny all night when someone you love is probably being tortured and will soon be killed by a madwoman if you don't find her first just really bothered me. It put an odd pall on any romantic development for me.
And what's missing most notably from this book is exactly what sets Karen Rose's other books apart so favorably in the genre. She has an ability to draw readers into the characters' lives beyond the case that's ongoing, using secondary and ancillary characters and tertiary plot threads to help flesh out the characters and define them in situations unconnected to the suspense aspects of the book. Family and friends of the protagonists are used in ways beyond what's going on with the bad guy and it rounds out the characters nicely. This book lacked that completely in Ethan's case and what was offered in Dana's was far too limited and often, as with Evie, too confrontational to be enjoyable. As a result, the majority of this book focused around Alec's kidnapping and where Sue was hiding, with some ancillary plot threads that went mostly nowhere but weren't fleshed out anyway
The second half of the book was better than the first, and I admit I enjoyed it far more when Ethan and Dana had gotten on the same page with what was going on. I also enjoyed renewing my acquaintances with Max and Caroline (Don't Tell), and police partners Mia and Abe (I'm Watching You). There's no doubt that Karen Rose writes impressive romantic suspense, and several scenes in the latter half of the book really gripped me. It just wasn't as pleasing to me as a whole package as the others of hers I've read. The stylistic differences, plot issues, and my problems with the characters kept this one from being more than just okay for me.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
December 16, 2025
Too saintly and self-sacrificing
It's not a secret I don't particularly enjoy martyr characters. This book's heroine goes beyond martyrdom and becomes its own species of self-sacrificing specimen.
Despite that,
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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It's not a secret I don't particularly enjoy martyr characters. This book's heroine goes beyond martyrdom and becomes its own species of self-sacrificing specimen.
Despite that,
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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April 23, 2017
Nothing to Fear was another great romantic suspense story by Karen Rose. I have enjoyed the entire series, and the fourth book was just as good as the others. I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between the hero and heroine, and was glad to revisit characters from earlier in the series. This has become one of my favorite romantic suspense series.
Ethan Buchanan, former Marine and now co-owner of a Security Consulting business, is called by his friends, the Vaughns, when their deaf son is kidnapped. Ethan knows that the police need to be contacted, but he is talked into keeping silent and trying to find Alec, his godson, himself. Ethan feels a great deal of guilt towards the family because his dear friend, Richard Vaughn, was killed while saving Ethan on a mission in Afghanistan. Richard's brother, Stan, stepfather of Alec, has been very vocal in blaming Ethan for Richard's death over the past few years and uses Ethan's guilt to keep him from calling in law enforcement. The kidnapper has left a brutally murdered body behind, and as Ethan tracks the killer across the country, he ends up in Chicago.
Dana Dupinsky runs a shelter for battered women and children in Chicago. She is concerned over her lastest clients, a woman named Jane and her young son, Erik. Erik seems to sleep much more than normal and he doesn't talk to anyone. He appears to be extremely fearful, but Dana reminds herself that he has just escaped an abusive father. Planning to pick up another client at the bus station, Dana is slightly injured when she tries to stop a mugger. She finds herself being cared for by an extremely attractive man, Ethan Buchanan, to whom she feels an instant bond. Ethan talks Dana into breakfast, and she makes it clear to him that she is not looking for a relationship. They ackowledge that something special is between them, and Ethan talks her into meeting him again. As they continue to meet, it takes a couple of days before they confide in one another as to their respective careers. Several of Dana's friends are brutally attacked during this few day period, and when Ethan discovers that the kidnapper he is tracking is being sheltered by Dana, they realize that the attacks are not coicidental. As the bodies pile up, Dana and those she cares about are targeted by the murdering kidnapper and placed in grave danger. As Ethan and Dana try to save Alec and other victims of the kidnapper, they become involved in an intense relationship. Dana must forgive herself for incidents in her past before she can move forward toward happiness with Ethan. Before she can do either, she must struggle to survive.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was very fast paced and suspenseful. The angagonist of this book was truly creepy. She murders a number of people in the story, so that could bother some readers. The hero was wonderful - caring and protetive, yet still hurting over his past. The heroine was also a very nurting, loving person who was trying to make up for incidents in her past. The interactions between the two were touching, and I liked the way they accepted each other so completely. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
Ethan Buchanan, former Marine and now co-owner of a Security Consulting business, is called by his friends, the Vaughns, when their deaf son is kidnapped. Ethan knows that the police need to be contacted, but he is talked into keeping silent and trying to find Alec, his godson, himself. Ethan feels a great deal of guilt towards the family because his dear friend, Richard Vaughn, was killed while saving Ethan on a mission in Afghanistan. Richard's brother, Stan, stepfather of Alec, has been very vocal in blaming Ethan for Richard's death over the past few years and uses Ethan's guilt to keep him from calling in law enforcement. The kidnapper has left a brutally murdered body behind, and as Ethan tracks the killer across the country, he ends up in Chicago.
Dana Dupinsky runs a shelter for battered women and children in Chicago. She is concerned over her lastest clients, a woman named Jane and her young son, Erik. Erik seems to sleep much more than normal and he doesn't talk to anyone. He appears to be extremely fearful, but Dana reminds herself that he has just escaped an abusive father. Planning to pick up another client at the bus station, Dana is slightly injured when she tries to stop a mugger. She finds herself being cared for by an extremely attractive man, Ethan Buchanan, to whom she feels an instant bond. Ethan talks Dana into breakfast, and she makes it clear to him that she is not looking for a relationship. They ackowledge that something special is between them, and Ethan talks her into meeting him again. As they continue to meet, it takes a couple of days before they confide in one another as to their respective careers. Several of Dana's friends are brutally attacked during this few day period, and when Ethan discovers that the kidnapper he is tracking is being sheltered by Dana, they realize that the attacks are not coicidental. As the bodies pile up, Dana and those she cares about are targeted by the murdering kidnapper and placed in grave danger. As Ethan and Dana try to save Alec and other victims of the kidnapper, they become involved in an intense relationship. Dana must forgive herself for incidents in her past before she can move forward toward happiness with Ethan. Before she can do either, she must struggle to survive.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was very fast paced and suspenseful. The angagonist of this book was truly creepy. She murders a number of people in the story, so that could bother some readers. The hero was wonderful - caring and protetive, yet still hurting over his past. The heroine was also a very nurting, loving person who was trying to make up for incidents in her past. The interactions between the two were touching, and I liked the way they accepted each other so completely. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
August 21, 2019
Nothing to Fear is the 4th instalment in the romantic suspense series from Karen Rose, and it is also the 3rd in the Chicago series.
We have got the usual mix of murder, sex, violence and passion. Karen Rose is just the best at writing grisly murder with blood and horror, then on the next page giving you steamy hot sex. There's never a dull moment in any of her books, with something going on with every page turn. We have all the regular characters that appear throughout the series, which makes it so easy to read.
This time we are hearing the story of Dana Dupinsky and Ethan Buchanan. Dana has been around from the start. We met her in Don't Tell, where we were introduced to her home for battered women and children - Hanover House. This time she's taken in a woman and her son, who aren't all they seem. Dana has an itching suspicion in the back of her mind, but can't quite put her finger on what is wrong with this woman.
Alec has been kidnapped from his home, he is deaf and mute and his speech therapist Cheryl has been killed in front of him. His parents are away for a couple of days and when they return they are confronted with every parent's worse nightmare. So they call Alec's godfather Ethan - who happens to be a security consultant - as the kidnapper has warned no police to be involved.
We know the killer from the start, it isn't a whodunnit, and we follow Ethan trying to track down his godson, whilst we also follow Dana trying to help this troubled woman we know to be a baddie.
I enjoyed seeing Caroline, and the Hunters, back. I also liked Abe and Mia being there. All the characters are well developed and fit in well with the story. Not keen on Evie, but I don't really know why. She's done nothing wrong. :)
I would recommend this one to all KR fans. Fans of romance and thrillers.
www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com
We have got the usual mix of murder, sex, violence and passion. Karen Rose is just the best at writing grisly murder with blood and horror, then on the next page giving you steamy hot sex. There's never a dull moment in any of her books, with something going on with every page turn. We have all the regular characters that appear throughout the series, which makes it so easy to read.
This time we are hearing the story of Dana Dupinsky and Ethan Buchanan. Dana has been around from the start. We met her in Don't Tell, where we were introduced to her home for battered women and children - Hanover House. This time she's taken in a woman and her son, who aren't all they seem. Dana has an itching suspicion in the back of her mind, but can't quite put her finger on what is wrong with this woman.
Alec has been kidnapped from his home, he is deaf and mute and his speech therapist Cheryl has been killed in front of him. His parents are away for a couple of days and when they return they are confronted with every parent's worse nightmare. So they call Alec's godfather Ethan - who happens to be a security consultant - as the kidnapper has warned no police to be involved.
We know the killer from the start, it isn't a whodunnit, and we follow Ethan trying to track down his godson, whilst we also follow Dana trying to help this troubled woman we know to be a baddie.
I enjoyed seeing Caroline, and the Hunters, back. I also liked Abe and Mia being there. All the characters are well developed and fit in well with the story. Not keen on Evie, but I don't really know why. She's done nothing wrong. :)
I would recommend this one to all KR fans. Fans of romance and thrillers.
www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com
November 25, 2019
Nothing To Fear is book four in the Romantic Suspense series by Karen Rose. When Ethan Buchanan godson was kidnapped, his mother asked for his help to find him without calling the police. Ethan Buchanan and his partner Clay was worried about not involving the police. However, they did start to investigate. On arrival in Chicago following a lead, Ethan Buchanan helped Dana Dupinsky after an incident at a bus station. Unbeknown to either of then this in accounter will change their lives forever. The readers of Nothing To Fear will continue to follow Ethan and Dana to find out what happens.
Wow, another suspenseful book with lots of twists and turns by Karen Rose and engaged me from the first page. I love the way, Karen Rose portrays her characters and intertwines then with each other throughout this book. Nothing To Fear is well written and researched by Karen Rose. I like Karen Rose description of her settings they complement the plot.
The readers of Nothing To Fear will learn about migraines with visual aura and how it affects the suffers. Also, the readers of Nothing To Fear will learn the role of computer security and surveillance speciality.
I recommend this book.
Wow, another suspenseful book with lots of twists and turns by Karen Rose and engaged me from the first page. I love the way, Karen Rose portrays her characters and intertwines then with each other throughout this book. Nothing To Fear is well written and researched by Karen Rose. I like Karen Rose description of her settings they complement the plot.
The readers of Nothing To Fear will learn about migraines with visual aura and how it affects the suffers. Also, the readers of Nothing To Fear will learn the role of computer security and surveillance speciality.
I recommend this book.
April 6, 2022
Romantic Suspense / Thriller / Contemporary
Series: Chicago, #3
Security expert Ethan Buchanan has vowed to track down the ruthless woman who kidnapped his godson – and falling for Dana Dupinsky, the director of an inner-city woman’s shelter, is not in the plan. Yet her very presence seems to chase away the ghosts that haunt him, and her skillful evasion of personal questions raises his hunting instincts. For a brutal killer is weaving a web of revenge, and Dana is the next victim on the list
This is a strong, chilling, solid romantic suspense read. I like that the plot moves on quickly, with fast and intense action but there's also love story developing between Dana and Ethan.
Be warned that Karen Rose focus on the killer's POV also, so there's lots of chilling and nasty scenes in this story. I guess that's the mark of a good writer but I don't want to be in sick person's head and be shocked when reading a book! I like chilling and atmospheric thrillers but I prefer/want it without the gore. There were too many scenes that were disturbing and left me with a very uneasy feeling [I hate to imagine what went on in author's head when she wrote this story].
You can find book relationship in here: my link text
Series: Chicago, #3
Security expert Ethan Buchanan has vowed to track down the ruthless woman who kidnapped his godson – and falling for Dana Dupinsky, the director of an inner-city woman’s shelter, is not in the plan. Yet her very presence seems to chase away the ghosts that haunt him, and her skillful evasion of personal questions raises his hunting instincts. For a brutal killer is weaving a web of revenge, and Dana is the next victim on the list
This is a strong, chilling, solid romantic suspense read. I like that the plot moves on quickly, with fast and intense action but there's also love story developing between Dana and Ethan.
Be warned that Karen Rose focus on the killer's POV also, so there's lots of chilling and nasty scenes in this story. I guess that's the mark of a good writer but I don't want to be in sick person's head and be shocked when reading a book! I like chilling and atmospheric thrillers but I prefer/want it without the gore. There were too many scenes that were disturbing and left me with a very uneasy feeling [I hate to imagine what went on in author's head when she wrote this story].
You can find book relationship in here: my link text
April 26, 2017
Loved this 4th book in her Romantic Suspense series!!!!!
April 6, 2019
The fourth novel in Karen Rose's Romantic Suspense/Chicago series and despite having my reservations about this series this instalment was definitely more enjoyable with improvement in plotting and even a couple of minor twists to counteract the improbable elements of the storyline. And meeting characters from previous books and including them in the current storyline also adds cohesion to the series. I still have issues with how the romantic elements are woven through the plot but this is part of the this author's writing style although I do think some other authors in this genre do it more skilfully.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
December 5, 2018
Wederom een heerlijk boek. Spannend, sexy, intrigerend. Gedegen romantic suspence.
De cover past er goed bij.
De cover past er goed bij.
December 21, 2018
It's been about three years since I've read a Karen Rose book, as the last two I read (Did You Miss Me? and Watch Your Back) were not very good. It seems that the longer her books get, the less that actually happens in them! I decided to give one of her earlier efforts that I hadn't read yet a try, and was quickly reminded why I took such a long break. The same issues are there:
There is absolutely no reason for this romantic thriller to be 593 pages long. None at all! The first 300 pages were practically filler.
The romance is all insta-love, with electricity in their touches and fate meaning for them to be together, etc etc etc zzzz zzzz zzzz, all delivered with lots of cringeworthy dialogue.
Both main characters' baggage comes in the form of guilt over not being able to save someone from being killed. It's the same FOR EVERY DAMN MAIN CHARACTER KAREN ROSE CREATES!!!!
After about 300 pages, this begins to pick up speed to become a fairly captivating thriller. It was good to see how Sue Conway intended for the pieces of her revenge plan to come together, and why she was killing who she was killing. Unfortunately, the sequences from her point of view were far more interesting than the morose martyrdom of Dana Dupinsky and Ethan Buchanan. It's not a good sign when you start skimming over the material involving the h and H.
The plot is simple. Sue Conway is free from prison and out for revenge against those who put her there. She kidnaps 12 year old Alec Vaughn and takes refuge in a women's shelter run by Dana Dupinsky. Meanwhile, Alec's parents have roped in Ethan Buchanan, a P.I., to help locate Alec because they don't want the police involved. Ethan and Dana meet and fall into insta-love with neither realising what connects them.
If you want to read a fairly pacy romantic thriller without committing to a 593 book, I can boil down the first 300 pages for you without spoiling anything:
Ethan and Dana meet for breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. Over and over again.
Ethan views bus station video footage to try and locate the kidnapper and Alec. Over and over again. Seriously, it was insane. And so boring. The reader already knows where Alec is! Waiting for Ethan to catch up was not exactly enthralling.
Evie is surly at Dana and other people.
Ethan's business partner Clay Maynard phones him up for progress reports and to tell him to get some sleep.
Sue kills a couple of people.
After about 300 pages, a decent plot twist is delivered and the story really kicks into gear. It's up to you if you want to slog through that many chapters to get to that point!
This is more a 2.5 rating, but rounded up to 3, because it was fairly easy to read, despite its length. Ethan and Dana are more than a bit tiresome with all their virtuousness and martyrdom, but supporting character Evie is quite interesting, and the pace always enlivened when Sue was up to her nasty business. She was quite the sociopath! I think Rose started hitting her stride shortly after this book. There are many books after this one that I've given 4 stars to. Sadly, her more recent works have indicated a slide in quality and a quadrupling in length!
There is absolutely no reason for this romantic thriller to be 593 pages long. None at all! The first 300 pages were practically filler.
The romance is all insta-love, with electricity in their touches and fate meaning for them to be together, etc etc etc zzzz zzzz zzzz, all delivered with lots of cringeworthy dialogue.
Both main characters' baggage comes in the form of guilt over not being able to save someone from being killed. It's the same FOR EVERY DAMN MAIN CHARACTER KAREN ROSE CREATES!!!!
After about 300 pages, this begins to pick up speed to become a fairly captivating thriller. It was good to see how Sue Conway intended for the pieces of her revenge plan to come together, and why she was killing who she was killing. Unfortunately, the sequences from her point of view were far more interesting than the morose martyrdom of Dana Dupinsky and Ethan Buchanan. It's not a good sign when you start skimming over the material involving the h and H.
The plot is simple. Sue Conway is free from prison and out for revenge against those who put her there. She kidnaps 12 year old Alec Vaughn and takes refuge in a women's shelter run by Dana Dupinsky. Meanwhile, Alec's parents have roped in Ethan Buchanan, a P.I., to help locate Alec because they don't want the police involved. Ethan and Dana meet and fall into insta-love with neither realising what connects them.
If you want to read a fairly pacy romantic thriller without committing to a 593 book, I can boil down the first 300 pages for you without spoiling anything:
Ethan and Dana meet for breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. Over and over again.
Ethan views bus station video footage to try and locate the kidnapper and Alec. Over and over again. Seriously, it was insane. And so boring. The reader already knows where Alec is! Waiting for Ethan to catch up was not exactly enthralling.
Evie is surly at Dana and other people.
Ethan's business partner Clay Maynard phones him up for progress reports and to tell him to get some sleep.
Sue kills a couple of people.
After about 300 pages, a decent plot twist is delivered and the story really kicks into gear. It's up to you if you want to slog through that many chapters to get to that point!
This is more a 2.5 rating, but rounded up to 3, because it was fairly easy to read, despite its length. Ethan and Dana are more than a bit tiresome with all their virtuousness and martyrdom, but supporting character Evie is quite interesting, and the pace always enlivened when Sue was up to her nasty business. She was quite the sociopath! I think Rose started hitting her stride shortly after this book. There are many books after this one that I've given 4 stars to. Sadly, her more recent works have indicated a slide in quality and a quadrupling in length!
December 18, 2018
Zij stelt dus nooit teleur.
February 1, 2020
I was surprised, as most of the readers, that the villain in this book is a woman. Moreover, the fact that her identity is revealed at the outset is also not so often thing in this type of books and it detracts slightly from the tension and excitement of the story. So this book is not so much about ''who did it'' but ''why''. Rose is a genius at characterization and this is particularly evident in her portrayal of the killer-woman, a manipulative sociopath who comes as close to pure evil as is humanly possible. I never understood her fixation with Dana and Evie because her primal target supposed to be the Vaughn family, but some people are just crazy, I guess that would be the explanation. She is preparing the final revenge and she leaves a trail of bodies in her wake, some of which were gruesomely killed, but there was just something about her that didn’t seem quite as intense to me. I’m probably not explaining it very well, because I’m not entirely sure what to attribute that feeling to myself. Maybe it was her being a woman, but most of the time,I didn’t feel quite the same sense of fear and loathing toward her that I did with the previous villains.
Karen Rose's books always impress me with their expert plotting and taut, edge-of-you-seat suspense. But even though the suspense and mystery tend to be more of the focus in her stories, she doesn’t skimp on the romance. Well I was glad that the love story was not so ''sexual'' in this one. Yes there was one or two erotic scenes but I would describe Dana's and Ethan's love as sweet and romantic. The secondary cast is mainly comprised of characters from previous installments in the series and it is nice to catch up on them.
So sorry that took me almost two weeks to read this book, but sometimes job obligations and personal life interfere. Looking forward to the next book in this series ''You can't hide''.
Karen Rose's books always impress me with their expert plotting and taut, edge-of-you-seat suspense. But even though the suspense and mystery tend to be more of the focus in her stories, she doesn’t skimp on the romance. Well I was glad that the love story was not so ''sexual'' in this one. Yes there was one or two erotic scenes but I would describe Dana's and Ethan's love as sweet and romantic. The secondary cast is mainly comprised of characters from previous installments in the series and it is nice to catch up on them.
So sorry that took me almost two weeks to read this book, but sometimes job obligations and personal life interfere. Looking forward to the next book in this series ''You can't hide''.
November 8, 2015
4 STARS
"After kidnapping 12-year-old Alec Vaughn, Sue Conway poses as an abused mother at a shelter for battered women. However, the more shelter director Dana Dupinsky gets to know Sue, the more alarmed she becomes. The only hope may be security expert Ethan Buchanan, who has joined the search for the missing Alec--his godson." (From Amazon)
OMG -- Sue scared the stuffing out of me! A great suspense novel and even better as a romantic suspense story. I like that we meet up with Dana again and visit some other characters from Don't Tell and of course Mia!
"After kidnapping 12-year-old Alec Vaughn, Sue Conway poses as an abused mother at a shelter for battered women. However, the more shelter director Dana Dupinsky gets to know Sue, the more alarmed she becomes. The only hope may be security expert Ethan Buchanan, who has joined the search for the missing Alec--his godson." (From Amazon)
OMG -- Sue scared the stuffing out of me! A great suspense novel and even better as a romantic suspense story. I like that we meet up with Dana again and visit some other characters from Don't Tell and of course Mia!
September 17, 2016
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Karen Rose is one of those seemingly rare authors who has not failed me yet, but probably because her books tend to be longer and harder for me to fit into my reading schedule, I only seem to get around to reading one every couple of years. I really need to rectify that, because her books always impress me with their expert plotting and taut, edge-of-you-seat suspense. But even though the suspense and mystery tend to be more of the focus in her stories, she doesn’t skimp on the romance. Nothing to Fear was no exception to these rules. The characterizations are complex and tightly woven, as is the plot. I was kept guessing as to the villain's motivations for quite a while and there were a few twists that I didn’t see coming. For the most part, it all unravels slowly over time, but there were also parts of the story where I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how everything was going to turn out. So overall, this was a great story that kept me engaged throughout.
Dana was introduced in Karen Rose’s first book, Don’t Tell, as the social worker and director of Hanover House, who helped Caroline escape her abusive husband. She’s still working in that capacity in this book and unknowingly ends up harboring a woman who kidnapped a young boy and has murdered multiple people in cold blood. Dana is a kind, caring person, who wants to help women escape their abusive pasts and start over fresh. She’s extremely self-sacrificing and so committed to her work as to be somewhat of a risk-taker, which tends to upset the people closest to her. She has very deep-seated and complex reasons for what she does, but I won’t go into that too much so as to not give away spoilers. It was very enjoyable to peel away the layers and figure out the woman underneath, so I don’t want to take that away from readers. But suffice it to say that she’s been avoiding any relationships, not because she’s afraid of men, but because she feels her work is too demanding to allow her to get involved with someone. When she first meets Ethan and feels the electric connection between them, she thinks it will just be a fling, because she also knows that he’s from out of town. I liked, however, that her heart was open to the possibility of more when faced with the intense emotions she feels for him. While some of the people in Dana’s life feel she places herself in too much danger, I had to admire her for her bravery and keeping a cool head under intense pressure. I also couldn’t help but love her for her big heart and the work she does that has helped so many women and children.
Ethan is a former marine who had every intention of making it a career until he was wounded in Afghanistan. Now he experiences blinding migraines that can temporarily sideline him. He and his friend started up a security firm, where Ethan mostly does the computer work. He’s drawn into the kidnapping by the brother and sister-in-law of his former best friend who was killed in the war. He also happens to be godfather to their son, the boy who was kidnapped, so he’ll do whatever he has to do to get Alec back. Like all of Karen Rose’s heroes to date, Ethan is a great guy. Much like Dana he has a very complicated background that drives him to do the things he does. Even though he wants to involve the police, he’s moved enough by the parents’ fear for their son’s well-being that he’s willing to go it alone with only Clay, his friend and business partner’s help. He becomes so obsessive about getting Alec back that he doesn’t eat or sleep properly for days. Then Dana comes into his life, helping him to slow down just a little. He feels the instant electrifying connection every bit as deeply as Dana does, and knows he’d regret it if he didn’t at least try to get to know her. I loved him for his unwavering trust in Dana and for intuitively knowing there were things in her past that needed to be uncovered. He’s also a kindhearted person and a tender lover.
As with all of Karen Rose’s previous books, the villain here is pretty dastardly. This is the first of her books I’ve read where the villain is a woman. We know from the beginning who she is, at least in the respect of knowing her name, which changed the dynamic for me somewhat. The only one of the author’s books I’ve read so far where this was the case was Don’t Tell, and in all honesty, I felt like Caroline’s husband had more teeth than Sue/Jane, which is rather weird to say considering all the horrific crimes she committed. After analyzing her action, I don’t know that it was so much the character being female, as it was the way in which she commits her crimes. With the previous villains, they were out there terrorizing the town and you didn’t know who they were or in the case of Caroline's husband, he was hunting her down, leaving mayhem and destruction in his wake. With Sue/Jane, she has a detailed plan in mind and even though things don’t always go her way, her motto is “Adopt, adapt, and improve.” This in some ways made her actions seem a bit more impulsive, not in the sense that she doesn’t still have a master plan, but each murder she commits seems to be fairly quick albeit brutal. Granted the grand finale she’s working toward is the stuff nightmares are made of and she leaves a trail of bodies in her wake, some of which were gruesomely killed, but there was just something about her that didn’t seem quite as intense to me. I’m probably not explaining it very well, because I’m not entirely sure what to attribute that feeling to myself. Maybe it was her being a woman, but most of the time, I didn’t feel quite the same sense of fear and loathing toward her that I did with the previous villains. The thing I did like about the Sue/Jane character, though, was the psychology behind what she was doing, which was pretty fascinating. On the one hand, she could probably be considered a bad seed, because there are plenty of people who’ve gone through horrible circumstances not unlike those she endured and don’t turn out the way she did. On the other hand, there was a part of me that while I wouldn’t exactly say I sympathized, I could kind of understand the why of her actions, which to me is a very well-written character.
Additionally, the author utilizes her complex character web with many characters we’ve already met or who will eventually get their own books appearing. Max and Caroline (Don’t Tell) as Dana’s friends, play fairly significant roles, as does Max’s brother, David, who helps Dana out at Hanover House. Also there’s her friend and assistant, Evie, who’s almost more like a sister and who’s still pretty young. We get to see how her experience with Caroline's husband in Don’t Tell has changed her, but at the same time, she’s still pretty sassy and occasionally a bit immature. The things I love about her character, though, are that she loves kids and is very kind to Alec, and despite everything she went though previously, she’s pretty resourceful under pressure. I think she made great strides in this book, and I look forward to her maturing a bit more to become the heroine of I Can See You. When bodies start turning up in Chicago and the cops are finally brought in on the case, we get to see Abe (I’m Watching You) and Mia (who was also in Abe’s book, but becomes the heroine of Count to Ten) again. Their commander, Lieutenant Spinelli, and Julia, the ME, show up too, along with new law enforcement officials from Maryland. There’s also Ethan’s best friend, Clay, who’s always looking out for him like a mother hen and who becomes the hero of Watch Your Back. Last but not least, is Alec, who’s a good kid who doesn’t let his disability get the best of him, and his parents who are harboring some pretty big secrets of their own.
Overall, Nothing to Fear was a tense and enjoyable read. One might think that slight misgivings about the villain would have dropped my star rating, but I decided not to. In the end, I couldn’t deny that the book was every bit as well-plotted as the previous ones and the characterizations are undeniably deep and complex. The tender romance also earned it a few extra points. Despite Dana and Ethan’s relationship developing within a matter of only one week, their connection was strong and heartfelt. I could just tell that they were meant to be together. So I couldn’t not give it the full five. I’m eager to read more of Karen Rose’s books, just so that I can visit with these wonderful characters again. So I’ll have to try not to allow so much time to pass in between next time.
Karen Rose is one of those seemingly rare authors who has not failed me yet, but probably because her books tend to be longer and harder for me to fit into my reading schedule, I only seem to get around to reading one every couple of years. I really need to rectify that, because her books always impress me with their expert plotting and taut, edge-of-you-seat suspense. But even though the suspense and mystery tend to be more of the focus in her stories, she doesn’t skimp on the romance. Nothing to Fear was no exception to these rules. The characterizations are complex and tightly woven, as is the plot. I was kept guessing as to the villain's motivations for quite a while and there were a few twists that I didn’t see coming. For the most part, it all unravels slowly over time, but there were also parts of the story where I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how everything was going to turn out. So overall, this was a great story that kept me engaged throughout.
Dana was introduced in Karen Rose’s first book, Don’t Tell, as the social worker and director of Hanover House, who helped Caroline escape her abusive husband. She’s still working in that capacity in this book and unknowingly ends up harboring a woman who kidnapped a young boy and has murdered multiple people in cold blood. Dana is a kind, caring person, who wants to help women escape their abusive pasts and start over fresh. She’s extremely self-sacrificing and so committed to her work as to be somewhat of a risk-taker, which tends to upset the people closest to her. She has very deep-seated and complex reasons for what she does, but I won’t go into that too much so as to not give away spoilers. It was very enjoyable to peel away the layers and figure out the woman underneath, so I don’t want to take that away from readers. But suffice it to say that she’s been avoiding any relationships, not because she’s afraid of men, but because she feels her work is too demanding to allow her to get involved with someone. When she first meets Ethan and feels the electric connection between them, she thinks it will just be a fling, because she also knows that he’s from out of town. I liked, however, that her heart was open to the possibility of more when faced with the intense emotions she feels for him. While some of the people in Dana’s life feel she places herself in too much danger, I had to admire her for her bravery and keeping a cool head under intense pressure. I also couldn’t help but love her for her big heart and the work she does that has helped so many women and children.
Ethan is a former marine who had every intention of making it a career until he was wounded in Afghanistan. Now he experiences blinding migraines that can temporarily sideline him. He and his friend started up a security firm, where Ethan mostly does the computer work. He’s drawn into the kidnapping by the brother and sister-in-law of his former best friend who was killed in the war. He also happens to be godfather to their son, the boy who was kidnapped, so he’ll do whatever he has to do to get Alec back. Like all of Karen Rose’s heroes to date, Ethan is a great guy. Much like Dana he has a very complicated background that drives him to do the things he does. Even though he wants to involve the police, he’s moved enough by the parents’ fear for their son’s well-being that he’s willing to go it alone with only Clay, his friend and business partner’s help. He becomes so obsessive about getting Alec back that he doesn’t eat or sleep properly for days. Then Dana comes into his life, helping him to slow down just a little. He feels the instant electrifying connection every bit as deeply as Dana does, and knows he’d regret it if he didn’t at least try to get to know her. I loved him for his unwavering trust in Dana and for intuitively knowing there were things in her past that needed to be uncovered. He’s also a kindhearted person and a tender lover.
As with all of Karen Rose’s previous books, the villain here is pretty dastardly. This is the first of her books I’ve read where the villain is a woman. We know from the beginning who she is, at least in the respect of knowing her name, which changed the dynamic for me somewhat. The only one of the author’s books I’ve read so far where this was the case was Don’t Tell, and in all honesty, I felt like Caroline’s husband had more teeth than Sue/Jane, which is rather weird to say considering all the horrific crimes she committed. After analyzing her action, I don’t know that it was so much the character being female, as it was the way in which she commits her crimes. With the previous villains, they were out there terrorizing the town and you didn’t know who they were or in the case of Caroline's husband, he was hunting her down, leaving mayhem and destruction in his wake. With Sue/Jane, she has a detailed plan in mind and even though things don’t always go her way, her motto is “Adopt, adapt, and improve.” This in some ways made her actions seem a bit more impulsive, not in the sense that she doesn’t still have a master plan, but each murder she commits seems to be fairly quick albeit brutal. Granted the grand finale she’s working toward is the stuff nightmares are made of and she leaves a trail of bodies in her wake, some of which were gruesomely killed, but there was just something about her that didn’t seem quite as intense to me. I’m probably not explaining it very well, because I’m not entirely sure what to attribute that feeling to myself. Maybe it was her being a woman, but most of the time, I didn’t feel quite the same sense of fear and loathing toward her that I did with the previous villains. The thing I did like about the Sue/Jane character, though, was the psychology behind what she was doing, which was pretty fascinating. On the one hand, she could probably be considered a bad seed, because there are plenty of people who’ve gone through horrible circumstances not unlike those she endured and don’t turn out the way she did. On the other hand, there was a part of me that while I wouldn’t exactly say I sympathized, I could kind of understand the why of her actions, which to me is a very well-written character.
Additionally, the author utilizes her complex character web with many characters we’ve already met or who will eventually get their own books appearing. Max and Caroline (Don’t Tell) as Dana’s friends, play fairly significant roles, as does Max’s brother, David, who helps Dana out at Hanover House. Also there’s her friend and assistant, Evie, who’s almost more like a sister and who’s still pretty young. We get to see how her experience with Caroline's husband in Don’t Tell has changed her, but at the same time, she’s still pretty sassy and occasionally a bit immature. The things I love about her character, though, are that she loves kids and is very kind to Alec, and despite everything she went though previously, she’s pretty resourceful under pressure. I think she made great strides in this book, and I look forward to her maturing a bit more to become the heroine of I Can See You. When bodies start turning up in Chicago and the cops are finally brought in on the case, we get to see Abe (I’m Watching You) and Mia (who was also in Abe’s book, but becomes the heroine of Count to Ten) again. Their commander, Lieutenant Spinelli, and Julia, the ME, show up too, along with new law enforcement officials from Maryland. There’s also Ethan’s best friend, Clay, who’s always looking out for him like a mother hen and who becomes the hero of Watch Your Back. Last but not least, is Alec, who’s a good kid who doesn’t let his disability get the best of him, and his parents who are harboring some pretty big secrets of their own.
Overall, Nothing to Fear was a tense and enjoyable read. One might think that slight misgivings about the villain would have dropped my star rating, but I decided not to. In the end, I couldn’t deny that the book was every bit as well-plotted as the previous ones and the characterizations are undeniably deep and complex. The tender romance also earned it a few extra points. Despite Dana and Ethan’s relationship developing within a matter of only one week, their connection was strong and heartfelt. I could just tell that they were meant to be together. So I couldn’t not give it the full five. I’m eager to read more of Karen Rose’s books, just so that I can visit with these wonderful characters again. So I’ll have to try not to allow so much time to pass in between next time.
May 14, 2019
This is the story of Dana, Caroline's best friend from the first book of the series, and Ethan,a security expert who crosses her path when he's in town following the trail of his godson's kidnapper.
The villain in this book is a woman, which showed a whole new side of cruelty, and being in her head was interesting and disturbing at the same time.
The plot was engaging, with different threads interweaving to bring out a whole pattern near the very end, explaining the links behind the victims and the villain's motives.
I am not sure if it was the narration, which I did not like, or the characters themselves, or a combination of the two, but I was less than impressed with them. Ethan was alright, a normal man with a heavy burden and time working against him. His reluctance to share his real reasons for being there, although understandable, made the whole situation worse, but it was nothing compared to Dana's.
Dana I did not like one bit, despite wanting to. She has a huge martyr complex that initially annoyed me a bit, but I was more than willing to stick with her while she worked through things, especially since she was clearly a good person who went above and beyond to help others. Unfortunately she only got worse and my patience with her dwindled rapidly, which wasn't helped at all by the way the narrator chose to portray her.
Misplaced guilt over the death of her mother and her distant past, the weight of the world on her shoulders and her shying away from any sort of relationship for illogical reasons, among other things, were a few too many issues for me.
Hopefully I'll like the heroine of next book in the series, Dirty Secrets, better.
Previous book reviews:
✦ I'm Watching You (Romantic Suspense, #3)
✦ Have You Seen Her? (Romantic Suspense, #2)
✦ Don't Tell (Romantic Suspense, #1; Chicago, #1)
The villain in this book is a woman, which showed a whole new side of cruelty, and being in her head was interesting and disturbing at the same time.
The plot was engaging, with different threads interweaving to bring out a whole pattern near the very end, explaining the links behind the victims and the villain's motives.
I am not sure if it was the narration, which I did not like, or the characters themselves, or a combination of the two, but I was less than impressed with them. Ethan was alright, a normal man with a heavy burden and time working against him. His reluctance to share his real reasons for being there, although understandable, made the whole situation worse, but it was nothing compared to Dana's.
Dana I did not like one bit, despite wanting to. She has a huge martyr complex that initially annoyed me a bit, but I was more than willing to stick with her while she worked through things, especially since she was clearly a good person who went above and beyond to help others. Unfortunately she only got worse and my patience with her dwindled rapidly, which wasn't helped at all by the way the narrator chose to portray her.
Misplaced guilt over the death of her mother and her distant past, the weight of the world on her shoulders and her shying away from any sort of relationship for illogical reasons, among other things, were a few too many issues for me.
Hopefully I'll like the heroine of next book in the series, Dirty Secrets, better.
Previous book reviews:
✦ I'm Watching You (Romantic Suspense, #3)
✦ Have You Seen Her? (Romantic Suspense, #2)
✦ Don't Tell (Romantic Suspense, #1; Chicago, #1)
February 25, 2012
Overall Rating: 4.95 // Action: 5 / Emotion: 4.5 / Romance: 4.5 / Sensuous: 4.5 / Suspense: 5 // Humor: 4 / Teary: 3
As with previous Rose books, Nothing To Fear has all the requisite characteristics to make it a must read. {1} An intelligent, determined, flawed, hunky alpha hero, who immediately falls under the spell of {2} a likewise strong-willed, attractive heroine, who is determined to help right some of life's injustices; {3} amazingly well-written, well-developed, realistic supporting characters who greatly add to the depth of the story; {4} lots of action that keeps the story moving at a quick pace; {5} two chilling villains that aid the edge-of-your-seat suspense; {6} a special sense of romance and intense interest that flows between Ethan and Dana; {7} spicy, heated, magical love making; {8} a visit with several of the stars from Rose's previous books; {9} the continued development of characters who will eventually have their own books; {10} great dialogue; {11} a bit of humor; {12} a few teary moments; and {13} an action-packed, tense finale where the hero gets to help rescue the heroine, which leads to the requisite happily-ever-after.
This is second time to have read Nothing To Fear . It is going to remain on my "to be re-read list." Rose writes such amazing stories containing so much action, suspense and varied and intriguing characters, that it is easy to become so immersed in the story that it is next to impossible to put the book down.
A more in-depth, detailed review of Nothing To Fear appears at Wolf Bear Does Books.
As with previous Rose books, Nothing To Fear has all the requisite characteristics to make it a must read. {1} An intelligent, determined, flawed, hunky alpha hero, who immediately falls under the spell of {2} a likewise strong-willed, attractive heroine, who is determined to help right some of life's injustices; {3} amazingly well-written, well-developed, realistic supporting characters who greatly add to the depth of the story; {4} lots of action that keeps the story moving at a quick pace; {5} two chilling villains that aid the edge-of-your-seat suspense; {6} a special sense of romance and intense interest that flows between Ethan and Dana; {7} spicy, heated, magical love making; {8} a visit with several of the stars from Rose's previous books; {9} the continued development of characters who will eventually have their own books; {10} great dialogue; {11} a bit of humor; {12} a few teary moments; and {13} an action-packed, tense finale where the hero gets to help rescue the heroine, which leads to the requisite happily-ever-after.
This is second time to have read Nothing To Fear . It is going to remain on my "to be re-read list." Rose writes such amazing stories containing so much action, suspense and varied and intriguing characters, that it is easy to become so immersed in the story that it is next to impossible to put the book down.
A more in-depth, detailed review of Nothing To Fear appears at Wolf Bear Does Books.
May 6, 2012
Karen Rose is one the best romantic suspense authors out there, hands down. Nothing to Fear, is a 2007 copyright, with over 500 pages,you get a lot of bang for your buck.
Dana has a women's shelter. She meets battered women and their children at the bus station,escorting them to the shelter. One night an elderly lady is being mugged and Dana jumps in to help. So, does Ethan. There is an instant connection between them. But, Ethan lives in D C, and is only in Chicago to look for his godson who has been kidnapped. Hoping to find something on the tapes at bus stations, Ethan meets Dana. He knows there is something going on between them right away. But, both of them are keeping secrets from each other. While Ethan combs through tapes day and night, Dana meets a battered woman with a little boy. Little does she know who this child is and the connection he has to Ethan.
There is hot romance, twist and revelations, tears and healing as they battle a cold blooded killer bent on revenge. I highly recommend all Karen Rose novels. I haven't read one yet I didn't like.
Dana has a women's shelter. She meets battered women and their children at the bus station,escorting them to the shelter. One night an elderly lady is being mugged and Dana jumps in to help. So, does Ethan. There is an instant connection between them. But, Ethan lives in D C, and is only in Chicago to look for his godson who has been kidnapped. Hoping to find something on the tapes at bus stations, Ethan meets Dana. He knows there is something going on between them right away. But, both of them are keeping secrets from each other. While Ethan combs through tapes day and night, Dana meets a battered woman with a little boy. Little does she know who this child is and the connection he has to Ethan.
There is hot romance, twist and revelations, tears and healing as they battle a cold blooded killer bent on revenge. I highly recommend all Karen Rose novels. I haven't read one yet I didn't like.
July 15, 2009
The romance was kinda lukewarm in this book, and I didn't really care for the heroine. She seemed to be drowning in self-hate or self-pity, it all got tiresome at some point. The chemistry between the hero and heroine seemed to sizzle in the beginning until it sort of dragged on and on with splatter of corny dialogs here and there to die a very boring death.
However, I did enjoy the mystery plot with a couple of surprises thrown in. Unfortunately, she's no Linda Howards. All in all, not a great book but I wouldn't consider it a bad book either.
However, I did enjoy the mystery plot with a couple of surprises thrown in. Unfortunately, she's no Linda Howards. All in all, not a great book but I wouldn't consider it a bad book either.
March 18, 2016
This was one intense chilling read. A kidnapped child, a crazy high body count, and the fact that the villian was a woman made it even more horrifying. I'm still creeped out a couple of days after finishing. This series is wild. 5 stars.
April 3, 2019
Book club read for April 2018.
2.5
Lots of glowing reviews for this book so I'm just going to say "It's not you, it's me". Yet another Karen Rose book that falls totally flat for me.
2.5
Lots of glowing reviews for this book so I'm just going to say "It's not you, it's me". Yet another Karen Rose book that falls totally flat for me.
March 27, 2008
Good book, though a bit on the dark and semi-gorey side. I don't think I liked it as much as the other two Karen Rose books that I've read, but I did enjoy reading it. Like "Have You Seen Her" one of the things I liked about this book was the character continuity. Dana was in "Don't Tell" as a secondary character, so it was nice to read her story. And I liked seeing what Caroline and Max (from Don't Tell) were up to. Plus Rose also brings back Evie. (I hope someday she gives Evie her book).
Anyway, the book had a good plot. I think it helps to have read "Don't Tell" first because you have a more clear picture of some of the nuances about what Dana does. But even so, the plot was stand alone. Like Rose's other books, she doesn't keep the antagonist a secret. You know from pretty much the first page who the bad guy is going to be. I'm not sure how much I like that. It takes away some of the suspense. Aside from that, I like how the plot was built-up and worked with. The story kept me into the book. And the romance was pretty good. I liked Dana and Ethan. They worked pretty well together.
One of the negatives of the book, in my opinion, was that I think Rose spent too much time on the antagonist. I just felt there were too many pages dedicated to the bad guy's POV. I didn't need that much to have the story work, and I really didn't need some of the gory details that came out in those POV sections. I sometimes ended up skimming through those parts. But it didn't kill that the book, it just made it about longer than it needed to be.
Anyway, the book had a good plot. I think it helps to have read "Don't Tell" first because you have a more clear picture of some of the nuances about what Dana does. But even so, the plot was stand alone. Like Rose's other books, she doesn't keep the antagonist a secret. You know from pretty much the first page who the bad guy is going to be. I'm not sure how much I like that. It takes away some of the suspense. Aside from that, I like how the plot was built-up and worked with. The story kept me into the book. And the romance was pretty good. I liked Dana and Ethan. They worked pretty well together.
One of the negatives of the book, in my opinion, was that I think Rose spent too much time on the antagonist. I just felt there were too many pages dedicated to the bad guy's POV. I didn't need that much to have the story work, and I really didn't need some of the gory details that came out in those POV sections. I sometimes ended up skimming through those parts. But it didn't kill that the book, it just made it about longer than it needed to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2010
Style-wise, this wasn't bad--at least on romance novel terms and it flowed well. It was particular turns of plot that had me give up on it after Chapter Six, 117 pages into this contemporary novel of "romantic suspense." Strike One: at the start of this novel a child is kidnapped, and not only don't the parents call the police because of the kidnapper's demands, the friend they bring in who is a security professional goes along with that--even though it means covering up someone was also murdered at the time of the abduction. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Strike Two: that friend, our hero, literally bumps into our heroine, the head of the women's shelter the female kidnapper took refuge in. Quel coincidence! Strike Three: love at first sight and touch. Call me cynical, but I always find that eye-rolling, especially the way it's pointed up here. And if baseball allowed me to extend the metaphor, let's just say there'd be a strike four and five plot-wise within those first 100 pages.
November 28, 2017
Oh where to start with this? Plot generally pretty good and gripping. Enjoyed the way the two elements gradually came together and the unexpected plot twists.
Was not expecting all the sex. I’m not adverse to sex but I found it completely unnecessary and the language used made me cringe and laugh in equal measures. I found myself thinking “here we go again” every time the people in question met.
So despite it being a pretty good crime thriller I didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have. I’m not a prude I just prefer my crime thrillers to be just that, not some sort of Mills and Boon crossover.
Was not expecting all the sex. I’m not adverse to sex but I found it completely unnecessary and the language used made me cringe and laugh in equal measures. I found myself thinking “here we go again” every time the people in question met.
So despite it being a pretty good crime thriller I didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have. I’m not a prude I just prefer my crime thrillers to be just that, not some sort of Mills and Boon crossover.
January 26, 2015
Wow, scariest bad guy ever! I found the book quite riveting but very disturbing and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. This villain is insanely diabolical.
I love the plot and the romance was quite good. Their first meeting was beautiful and I also thought the way Ethan described the meeting to Clay was quite something. That being said, I found that I didn't like Dana and found her quite irritating in last part of the book.
It was good that most of the cast were people we met in previous books and I am hoping that we'll continue to see how their lives play out.
I love the plot and the romance was quite good. Their first meeting was beautiful and I also thought the way Ethan described the meeting to Clay was quite something. That being said, I found that I didn't like Dana and found her quite irritating in last part of the book.
It was good that most of the cast were people we met in previous books and I am hoping that we'll continue to see how their lives play out.
August 25, 2021
As much as I love the characters in this book, I find that this is not one of my favourites and I struggle to really put my finger on why that is.
Dana is someone that we see in previous books helping others and never really taking anything for herself. In this book, we find out why and once again, it's another damaged character with a traumatising back story. I find that I didn't quite become as emotionally connected to this book as I did with others, but that's not to say it doesn't have its sad moments.
Still an excellent book regardless though and I would still recommend. 📚📚📚📚📚
Dana is someone that we see in previous books helping others and never really taking anything for herself. In this book, we find out why and once again, it's another damaged character with a traumatising back story. I find that I didn't quite become as emotionally connected to this book as I did with others, but that's not to say it doesn't have its sad moments.
Still an excellent book regardless though and I would still recommend. 📚📚📚📚📚
September 21, 2017
Depois de tanta espera, tanto desespero pela demora, foi uma desilusão, não gostei por aí além… Sem dúvida, o “Morre por Mim” e “Chegou a tua Hora” são melhores. No entanto, adorei o modo como o Ethan e a Dana se conheceram e a história de amor deles, deixam-me perdida estas coisas…
March 26, 2022
Another very good addition to the series. Ghastly killer as usual! And as usual I read these books for the great relationships between many of the characters. I look forward to meeting a few of them again as I read through the series.
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