Fugitive Harbor

by Cassie Miles

On the run with no memory,

he’ll have to trust a woman from his past to save his future.

On the shores of her lighthouse on a stormy night, the last thing Ava Donovan expected to see was her old flame Liam Brody. While investigating a nearby shipwreck, Liam’s business partner was murdered at sea. With no memory of the incident, no alibi and in need of refuge, Liam finds safe haven with Ava, her lighthouse providing a perfect hideout from those trying to catch him. Finally reunited, Ava will stop at nothing to help Liam restore his memory and, with it, the truth behind the brutal murder. But will love be enough to recover what was lost…before time runs out?

From Harlequin Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published January 21, 2025

About the author

Cassie grew up in a small town at the very tip of southern Illinois. A tomboy, she spent most of her time outside and got into big trouble for breaking the trellis while climbing out her second-story bedroom window.

When her family moved to L.A., major culture shock ensued. She discovered that grapefruits grew on trees, television offered more than two channels, and all the other girls had breasts. While hiding out and waiting for her chest to develop, she read voraciously, raiding her mother's bookshelf for Mickey Spillane when she finished all her Nancy Drew novels.

Another move took her family to Denver, the place Cassie still calls home.

She graduated from North Central college outside Chicago, got married, and returned to Colorado where she worked in personnel at the Denver Post and lived in a mountain cabin without running water. Upon learning she was pregnant, a return to civilization seemed prudent. She settled in Denver, raised two amazing daughters, and started writing for Harlequin. After her divorce, she took a break from romance and wrote straight suspense.

During her frantic years as a single mom, writing books and working odd jobs to supplement her income, she hardly had time to breathe, much less to dream. Then something remarkable happened. She fell in love with a tall, sexy man who was an aerial photographer and the author of tough-guy mystery novels. Fortunately, he loved her back. She found her real-life hero, inherited three more grown kids and three grandchildren.

Cassie started writing romance again, loving every minute of a life filled with laughter, crazy road trips, sailboats, and journeys to Oregon with long walks on rocky beaches.

Not too long ago, the love of her life developed inoperable pancreatic cancer. With supportive friends and family standing by, he died at home.

Cassie now lives alone, surrounded by beautiful memories. She has no regrets and considers herself lucky to have found her soul mate, the man with whom she shared a perfect love.

Pseudonym/s: Kay Bergstrom

Reviews

[Doris Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book

[K McKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book sounded intriguing and the Oregon lighthouse setting sounded appealing. There is a good mystery and ongoing tension from one of the main characters being on the run and in hiding. The setting effectively adds to the story. Overall, though, the writing style didn’t completely work for me, which I recognize is largely a personal preference. Some of the dialogue struck me as somewhat stilted and odd, and the relationship between the characters seemed to develop very quickly for how much time they had spent apart. There are a couple of little errors in the book which can easily be fixed before its official release. Again, not a bad book, just not entirely my taste. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own and offered voluntarily

[Katie Mettner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie had me at lighthouse! I saw the cover and knew I had to read this one, as I love lighthouses and the mysteries they often hold. This one was no different when we discover Liam who needs Ava's help to save himself from a murder charge and life behind bars. As a man on the run, he turned to the woman he had a long-held crush on for multiple reasons, one of which was her connection to the dearly departed.

Liam is accused of killing his business partner, but he remembers nothing. Or didn't, until he cuts and runs from his house arrest to reconnect with Ava at the lighthouse. She's from the same town as his partner, and her family still lives there, so he hopes she can do some detective work to help clear his name. At least until he remembers what happened on the boat that day.

Ava is more than a little surprised to see her former professor. Working to renovate an old lighthouse and cottage, she was aware of the charges against him but never dreamed she'd see him again until he stood in her foyer, desperate for help. She always felt like he was the 'one who got away,' but the attraction hadn't dimmed any over the years. Now, he needs her help, and she'll do whatever she can to get him out of this jam.

There are plenty of twists and turns, possible bad guys, and sweet romance to keep you turning pages late into the night.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ava is working on renovating a lighthouse when a guy from her path Liam shows up as a fugitive with no memory of a crime that was committed. She's already weary of the police and Liam is just trying to figure out what really happened and now Ava is in a position to maybe help him look into the crime to prove his innocence.

I really enjoyed reading this mystery suspense novel. I enjoyed watching as they work together to figure out what really happened, Ava is a amateur sleuth and in her own way trying to find connection together in question those in suspicion. This had a small town with everyone being loose-lipped and closely know each other so in a way they're tight-lipped and protecting those they care about. But it was interesting seeing how they work together to piece things to redeem Liam from being considered a murderer, there was a small romance going on between the two which didn't it really distract from what was going on. Overall this was a pretty good book if you like mystery suspense novels you might like this.

[EuroHackie]

Less than 100 pages in, and I can already tell this isn't for me. There's the ick factor of the past relationship (Liam was Ava's professor at college), the asshole/idiot cop "villain" with a personal hatred of Ava's family, Liam basically only wanting to use Ava's family connections to a town to help solve his case, and both of them showing themselves to be complete idiots (Ava losing her gun with zero struggle, Liam "evading" the US Marshal by ditching his GPS-tracked car and ankle bracelet), even when trying to sell themselves via dialog as the contrary. I'm sorry, you cannot convince me these people are clever.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet, simple romance with a little mystery thrown in. I felt like the connection was rushed to begin with, and there were quite a few names to keep up with, but once I caught on to who everyone mentioned was, it was ok. I liked the mystery and the ending. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the advance copy.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great murder mystery with some romance. Surprisingly, it was not very spicy for a Harlequin, much more focused on solving the mystery. Small town dynamic, interpersonal relationships, historical references to lighthouses and architecture, and of course, solving the mystery. It was a fun and entertaining read, not too stressful or violent.

[K A Davis]

Great read

I have a decent knack for figuring out who did it, but not with this book. I have read several books by Cassie Miles, she's a good author and I will continue reading her books.

[Harlequin Books]

Romantic Suspense, Animal Fiction, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
Lighthouse Mysteries (Book #1)

[Karen Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debated between 3-4 stars. The mystery is good but it never grabbed ahold of me so I felt like I had to keep reading.

[Sheri Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read

[Karen Torrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it started slow but before chapter 3 ,I was hooked. Another day of no work. The descriptions of the lighthouse and surrounding buildings just added to this great book.

[Melanie Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well crafted mystery and a love revisited take center stage in this novel. Liam's reappearance into Ava's life takes a very unexpected turn but she shows more than a little bit of moxy when she jumps headlong into mystery and let's her heart lead the way. At first, I got a tiny bit of a cringe feeling with a professor and former student until it was disclosed that he was not much older than her and that he was never inappropriate with her.
The mystery was another good one with plenty of suspects. As someone who is very family oriented, it was nice to see Ava's family stand by her side and help throughout the story. The tie between past and present also was a great addition to the story. The character of Liam was one of strong moral fiber keeping himself from fully loving Ava until he knew himself.
This was a good mystery and very much worth reading. I don't believe I ever read anything else by this author but that will be changing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing murder mystery. Good main characters. Several bad guys. Probably rated this book all five stars as I am a fan of lighthouses. Prejudice aside, it is still an action-packed romantic suspense. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.