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Taming the Night
The award-winning author of twenty-five beloved romances, Paula Detmer Riggs now turns her superb talents to a compelling new love story.
Dr. Summer Laurence knows the horror of addiction from the wrong side. But after life-changing therapy, she becomes a drug counselor, hoping to help young kids before they get into trouble. When Summer's dear friend Dottie offers her an old house to convert into a counseling facility, Summer jumps at the chance to make her Phoenix Ranch dream come true.
There's only one Dottie's suspicious nephew, Brody Hollister, the local chief of police. Brody despises drug users and thinks counseling is useless for most of them. But there is something about Summer he can't ignore. Her smile touches a place in his heart that was damaged on a terrible night years ago. He no longer believes in second chances, least of all for himself. Yet when he's in Summer's arms, he is tempted by possibilities. . . .
Dr. Summer Laurence knows the horror of addiction from the wrong side. But after life-changing therapy, she becomes a drug counselor, hoping to help young kids before they get into trouble. When Summer's dear friend Dottie offers her an old house to convert into a counseling facility, Summer jumps at the chance to make her Phoenix Ranch dream come true.
There's only one Dottie's suspicious nephew, Brody Hollister, the local chief of police. Brody despises drug users and thinks counseling is useless for most of them. But there is something about Summer he can't ignore. Her smile touches a place in his heart that was damaged on a terrible night years ago. He no longer believes in second chances, least of all for himself. Yet when he's in Summer's arms, he is tempted by possibilities. . . .
408 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 26, 1998
48 people want to read
About the author
Paula Detmer Riggs
57 books16 followersPaula Detmer Riggs was born in 1944 and earned a BS from the Miami University in 1965. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc.. She's worked professionally as a ember of the writing faculty of San Diego State University, Long Beach State University, and Irvine State University. Paula Detmer Riggs has written for Silhouette Desire and Silhouette Intimate Moments.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 10, 2013
TAMING THE NIGHT refers to coping with the past when sleep finally takes over. Summer Laurence had a privileged childhood but somewhere along the way she took things for granted. And got into trouble with drugs. The drug-dealing man she thought she loved got her pregnant and then left her to cope with the fall-out. She spent time in jail and was forced to give up her baby.
Fast forward sixteen years later and she has made a new life for herself. Summer is now a psychologist who works with young people with dependency issues. She meets Dottie Hollister, a wonderful woman in her 60's, who invites her to set up a counseling facility in her own backyard. She is also a matchmaker of sorts and thinks Summer is the ideal woman for her nephew Brody, the chief-of-police in Osuma, Washington.
Brody lost his pregnant wife years ago to a kid on drugs. Afflicted with a stutter he acquired in childhood, it still flares up when he is under duress. The law officer and Summer meet, they clash, sparks fly and a relationship begins. There are also a few secondary stories that take place. Brody's teenage daughter starts to date and Dottie's former love eventually enters her life.
This could have been a great romance. Ms. Detmer Riggs did a good job with plot development for roughly the first 2/3's of the book. She also did a wonderful job with Brody and his stuttering. Then, for some reason, it was like she developed a case of the hiccups while writing. Issues developed that felt forced. Things didn't gel. The flow of writing was no longer smooth. Don't get me wrong, everything is resolved by the end of the story but this matter detracted from the romance and left me to give the story a very generous three stars.
Fast forward sixteen years later and she has made a new life for herself. Summer is now a psychologist who works with young people with dependency issues. She meets Dottie Hollister, a wonderful woman in her 60's, who invites her to set up a counseling facility in her own backyard. She is also a matchmaker of sorts and thinks Summer is the ideal woman for her nephew Brody, the chief-of-police in Osuma, Washington.
Brody lost his pregnant wife years ago to a kid on drugs. Afflicted with a stutter he acquired in childhood, it still flares up when he is under duress. The law officer and Summer meet, they clash, sparks fly and a relationship begins. There are also a few secondary stories that take place. Brody's teenage daughter starts to date and Dottie's former love eventually enters her life.
This could have been a great romance. Ms. Detmer Riggs did a good job with plot development for roughly the first 2/3's of the book. She also did a wonderful job with Brody and his stuttering. Then, for some reason, it was like she developed a case of the hiccups while writing. Issues developed that felt forced. Things didn't gel. The flow of writing was no longer smooth. Don't get me wrong, everything is resolved by the end of the story but this matter detracted from the romance and left me to give the story a very generous three stars.
April 30, 2011
Summer's life has been though. As a teenage addict she made a mistake with tragic consequences - she trusted a man who was playing her all along. 16 years later she is a successful psychologist who wants to open a treatment home for teenagers struggling with substance abuse. She found a perfect place for Phoenix House thanks to her friend Dottie. If only Brody, Dottie's nephew, wasn't around...
Brody has a reason for hating junkies - his wife and unborn son were murdered by one. After that he took his daughter and moved back home. Now he's a chief of police in the town. He's a shy man, mostly because of his stutter. From the moment he sees Summer he is attracted to her - if only she didn't represent something he hated.
Brody's prejudice against junkies has deep roots - so his reaction when he found out about Summer's past is understandable, but his later attempts to drive her away simply because of his pride were bad. He said some unforgettable things. Don't get me wrong, he's a good man, a loving father, but some things are just too much.
Summer is still struggling with past betrayals so her fears are understandable, but again near the end of the book I just wanted to slap her - she was totally unreasonable and encased in pure ice.
As for the story - everything was great until the last 50 pages or so. Suddenly characters started acting weird, everything was getting hard to follow. And I just don't like the ending. At all.
But luckily the beginning was okay, so the book has a higher rating than it would've had got for the ending.
Rating:
3.5 stars.
Brody has a reason for hating junkies - his wife and unborn son were murdered by one. After that he took his daughter and moved back home. Now he's a chief of police in the town. He's a shy man, mostly because of his stutter. From the moment he sees Summer he is attracted to her - if only she didn't represent something he hated.
Brody's prejudice against junkies has deep roots - so his reaction when he found out about Summer's past is understandable, but his later attempts to drive her away simply because of his pride were bad. He said some unforgettable things. Don't get me wrong, he's a good man, a loving father, but some things are just too much.
Summer is still struggling with past betrayals so her fears are understandable, but again near the end of the book I just wanted to slap her - she was totally unreasonable and encased in pure ice.
As for the story - everything was great until the last 50 pages or so. Suddenly characters started acting weird, everything was getting hard to follow. And I just don't like the ending. At all.
But luckily the beginning was okay, so the book has a higher rating than it would've had got for the ending.
Rating:
3.5 stars.
October 1, 2019
Dr. Summer Laurence was convicted of drug use and distribution while 17 and 7 months pregnant with the undercover cop's child. Devastated by his denial of her, loss of her daughter and her family disowning her, she resolves to help others and gains a Ph.D and becomes a psychotherapist trying to open her own rehab center in WA.
Her problem lies with Sheriff Brody Hollister. Brody lost his wife and unborn child to a dope addict who murdered them to get back at Brody while just out of rehab. The sparks fly between them, but both have problems to overcome. Summer takes on a boy for rehab, that eventually starts to make progress outwardly, but is secretly still doing drugs. When he's caught by Brody's daughter Kelly, he tries to kill her. Summer also gets caught in the middle. They FINALLY work it out, ending is so-so. Several bedroom scenes - some unbelievable with Summer's previous hang-ups after prison and losing her daughter. Overall okay, but ending weak.
Her problem lies with Sheriff Brody Hollister. Brody lost his wife and unborn child to a dope addict who murdered them to get back at Brody while just out of rehab. The sparks fly between them, but both have problems to overcome. Summer takes on a boy for rehab, that eventually starts to make progress outwardly, but is secretly still doing drugs. When he's caught by Brody's daughter Kelly, he tries to kill her. Summer also gets caught in the middle. They FINALLY work it out, ending is so-so. Several bedroom scenes - some unbelievable with Summer's previous hang-ups after prison and losing her daughter. Overall okay, but ending weak.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2013
Be ready to cry buckets and buckets of tears. Oh man, Summer's and Brody's pasts is the stuff made for melodrama. She's been broken and pulled her self back together and he's gone thru a trauma and is trying to live a normal life again. I loved both characters and am really glad I got a chance to read this story.
Misunderstandings are always the bane of my existence but they were very well done here because they spoke to each other and learned from each other. I always appreciate stories that tug at my emotions and this one definitely pulled hard, even tho sometimes I got a little overwhelmed by the amount of excess unnecessary information and skipped a bit.
I will definitely look for more by this author.
Misunderstandings are always the bane of my existence but they were very well done here because they spoke to each other and learned from each other. I always appreciate stories that tug at my emotions and this one definitely pulled hard, even tho sometimes I got a little overwhelmed by the amount of excess unnecessary information and skipped a bit.
I will definitely look for more by this author.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews