A Stranger on Her Doorstep

by Julie Miller

She senses he's in danger because of his past.
If only he could remember why...

Ava Wallace feels safe in her remote cabin with her therapy dog, Maxie--until a wounded man collapses at her door. He remembers being a marine, but he has no idea who left him for dead or how he ended up in the mountains of Wyoming. As the stranger begins to recover his memory, he and Ava begin to trust each other. But every recollection brings them closer to a deadly revelation...

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Harlequin

251 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 8, 2021

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

USA TODAY Bestselling author Julie Miller writes breathtaking romantic suspense. She's won a National Readers Choice Award and two Daphne du Maurier Awards among other prizes. She was also honored to receive a Career Achievement Award from RT BookReviews and has been a finalist for many national and international awards. Her books have appeared on the USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, Amazon and BookScan Top 100 Romances bestseller lists.

Writing about Kansas City cops, Julie has crafted bestselling, award-winning books for Harlequin Intrigue. In addition, Ms. Miller publishes romantic suspense books with a military twist. Millions of copies of her books have been sold in print and digital formats around the world.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book that started with a rush, and the intensity never let up. The story opens with Luke hurtling down a mountain in Wyoming in an SUV with no brakes and two other SUVs in hot pursuit. When the inevitable happens, and the SUV crashes, two men haul a dazed Luke out of the vehicle. Hearing them talk about putting a bullet in his head leaves him with two options: die or try to escape. So Luke rolls off the side of the road and down a steep drop, sustaining more injuries before stumbling away to look for help. He eventually ends up knocking on the door of an isolated cabin.

Ava Wallace (aka author A. L. Baines) moved to her grandparents' cabin from Chicago after surviving a horrific attack that left her scarred and suffering from PTSD. With her big white dog, Maxie, Ava avoids people as much as possible and is not pleased to have a strange man pounding on her door. Doing her best to ignore her anxiety, Ava provides first aid before driving him to the local hospital. Complicating matters, Luke can't remember his name and thinks he is a character from her series, of which he's a huge fan). I loved this scene which was at the same time hilarious and heartbreaking.

Sure he's in danger, Luke convinces Ava to let him stay with her while he tries to recover his memory. Instinct tells Ava he's right, but the last time she helped a strange man, it didn't end well for her. I loved the combination of romance and suspense. As Luke learns more about Ava's past, his admiration for her grows, as do stronger feelings. I loved how he saw past her scars to the strong and resilient woman she is. His unstinting respect goes a long way toward changing Ava's view of herself as damaged goods. Likewise, Ava's growing trust helps Luke face some things from the past that still haunt him. I especially enjoyed the mixing of their real lives with those of the characters in Ava's books. I loved how Luke saw so much of Ava in her character of Willow. The ending was fantastic. I loved their conversation on the cabin's porch, especially Luke's teasing about her book.

The suspense of the story kept me glued to the pages from the start. From Luke's hair-raising trip down the mountain to the final confrontation with the bad guys, I never knew what would happen next. The biggest question was whether Luke would get his memory back before the bad guys caught up with him. Each new memory revealed another puzzle piece and added to the surety that Luke was caught up in something big. The final confrontation was a nail-biter, with Ava caught up in her worst nightmare before Luke's arrival. Luke's comment to "Summon the dragon" was the perfect way to take down the final adversary.

[Jeriann Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

STRANGER ON HER DOORSTEP

Julie Miller turns out a terrific romantic suspense in her newest release for Harlequin Intrigue, Stranger On Her Doorstep. 5 huge stars for her spin on the "amnesiac needing help" scenario.

The story opens on a recently retired Marine Capt Luke Broughton careening down a Wyoming mountain road with sabotaged brakes and never lets up from there. Left with the choice of being shot or rolling under the barricade and taking his chances with the cliff he opts for the latter. Seriously confused with a head injury and a gunshot he ends up at a lone mountain cabin begging for help from the reclusive young woman who lives there.

Ava Wallace (aka best selling author A.L. Baines) is hiding out in her mountain cabin for two years dealing with severe PTSD following an attack. Her only companion is her Great Pyrenees mountain dog, Maxie. Electing to ignore her anxiety, Ava renders badly needed first aid, saving Luke's life. (Except he thinks that he is a major character from her saga named Larkin Bonecrusher. Because he's a huge fan. That would make her this female warrior, Willow Storm.)

I loved how Julie wove the elements of the saga between Willow and Larkin into the real life drama taking place around Luke and Ava. As Luke struggles with his memory things become even more tense and Ava finds herself drawn to help the wounded warrior, finding a new strength along the way. Dealing with his own PTSD, Luke is perfect for Ava.

Julie Miller never disappoints and you will enjoy this fast paced story. I was certainly rooting for these two to get their HEA. 5 big stars!

[Jo-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This exciting book opens on a recently retired Marine Capt. Luke Broughton careening down a Wyoming mountain road with tampered brakes and two SUVs on his tail. When his vehicle crashed, the men who were following him pulled Luke out of the vehicle. He was not in very good shape but when he heard them talking about putting a bullet in his head, he had to try to escape. So Luke rolled off the side of the road and down a steep embankment, getting more injuries. But being hurt was better than being dead. As he wandered in the remote forest, he found a cabin where he stopped for help.

Ava Wallace (aka best-selling author A.L. Baines) had hidden in her mountain cabin for two years dealing with severe PTSD following an attack. Her only companion was her powerhouse of a dog, Maxie. Electing to ignore her anxiety, Ava administered first aid, saving Luke's life. He couldn't remember who he was but thought that he was a major character from her books named Larkin Bonecrusher. Because he's a huge fan. That would make her the female warrior, Willow Storm. It was strange that he could not remember his name or who wanted him dead but he could remember the books.

Suffering from PTSD, it was hard for Ava to be with people but she let Luke stay knowing he needed to heal and that he was in danger.

I loved how the elements of the saga between Willow and Larkin were woven into the real life drama taking place around Luke and Ava. As Luke struggled with his memory, things became even tenser and Ava found herself drawn to help the wounded man, finding a new strength along the way. Dealing with his own PTSD, Luke was perfect for Ava.

This action-packed story was exciting right to the end. The ending was fantastic! Romantic suspense fans with love this book.

[Kathy B. (NE) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know when I pick up a Julie Miller book, I'm in for an exceptional read, and her latest book, A Stranger on Her Doorstep, is no exception. This time, instead of her beloved Kansas City setting, we get to enjoy this installment in the mountains of Wyoming. I don't like to give a plot summary as you can read that on the back cover, but suffice it to say that Luke and Ava complement each other in their quest to uncover who wants Luke dead, and their journey to their HEA . Maxie, Ava's powerhouse of a dog, completes the book's crime solving trio. I'm not a fantasy reader, however, Ms. Miller has woven the genres of fantasy and romantic suspense together so seamlessly, that I found myself enjoying the fantasy elements of this novel more than I thought I would. In my opinion, you can never go wrong picking up a Julie Miller book! Highly recommend!

[Jen_C · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

Won an autographed copy from the author.

[TINNGG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I did finish it -eventually.

Was not really in the mood for what amounts to a bread and butteresque romantic suspense. But it’s in my possession so must be read. It is…completely unrelated to her long-running Kansas City series, which is nice in that there’s no name dropping to remind us it’s part of a series, or quietly pondering there actually being any single cops left. Anyway…

For a former MP our H qualifies as smart but dumb. Logic would indicate that if the new hire finds suspicious activity so easily and quickly, the boss is likely in it up to his eyeballs. Our H told his boss, thus setting the stage for the company wanting him dead.

Add to this a local sheriff who is completely oblivious to the h’s issues, and also less than honest, to absolutely nobody but possibly the h’s surprise. And of course, the h herself who, having been victimized in the past, is exceedingly wary.

I mean; it isn’t a bad book. It’s just not a great book either.

[Holly Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, yes it is a romance, and yes as such it is predictable....BUT, there is something in the story that is just sweet...Luke Broughton is a former Marine Captain working for a company that wants him dead to that end they run him off a mountain and when they catch him his option B is to literally fall off the mountain or be shot in the head....He survives the fall and makes his way to a cabin to collapse on the doorstep...Ava Wallace is a writer but 2 years earlier had a very traumatic experience so has not written a new book since...Luke winds up on her doorstep not knowing who he is or why he is running in saving his life Ava is putting herself in grave danger with her Great Pyrenees Maxie by her side Ava must fight to regain her life and help Luke regain his falling in love was not in the plan but if they both survive this it just might be....

[Monae Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good mystery/intrigue story. This wasn’t a romance in my opinion.

This story centers around a woman named Ava Wallace who writes Fantasy book involving dragons 🐉. A while back she was attacked by a guy who was never caught. You also meet a guy named Luke Broughton who was in the military. Someone tried to kill him but he got away and ended up on Ava’s doorstep. Ava lives under a pen name because of what happened to her. Luke used to be in the military but he was discharged. Someone tried to kill him so he ends up on Ava’s doorstep. You learn that she was physically assaulted and he was almost killed. You learn who the bad guy was. I felt that as a fantasy writer she could have talked more about her book in this story. Luke passes out on her doorstep where you learn that he has amnesia. This had a good mystery but I didn’t feel that this was a romance.

[Briana Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading "A Stranger on Her Doorstep" by Julie Miller, and I absolutely loved it! I’d give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. The romance and suspense in the book were perfectly balanced, keeping me hooked from start to finish. The storyline was intriguing, with well-developed characters and unexpected twists that added so much depth. Julie Miller did an amazing job of blending the romantic elements with the suspense, making it both thrilling and heartwarming. If you're a fan of romantic suspense novels, this book is definitely a must-read!

[Latesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thriller that had me guessing throughout the story. A random act of kindness nearly costs Av Wallace her life. As she slowly recovers, she hides in the woods of Wyoming, fighting panic attacks and trying to rebuild her life. A stranger collapses on her porch in dire need of medical assistance. Can Ava overcome her fears to help and if so, at what cost to herself and her sanity?

[Rebecca Neustel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowzer!!

Wowzer…was this ever a great romance! I read it in one sitting, and I definitely plan to read it again. I know there’ll be parts I missed the first time around.

As Julie Miller is one of my favorite authors, it doesn’t really surprise me how much I loved this. I highly recommend you purchase and read this.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spannend boek, het begint meteen met actie. De spanning tussen Luke en ava vind ik ook leuk. Maar het is niet echt een thriller. Had ook verwacht dat er aan het eind iets meer actie zou zijn. Vind het ook jammer dat aan het eind niet verteld hoe het verder afloopt.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story, it kept me interested from page one.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

HIntrigue pub’d Aug 2021
Well .. so-so for me. First book i have read by this author.
Another HI dud 4 me.

[Penny Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Bonecrusher”

A Stranger on Her Doorstep is a riveting, intense read. Julie Miller has penned an exciting love story that you won’t be able to put down.

[Colleen Coughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced action with a nice variety of challenges and obstacles. If PTSD were so easily resolved.

[Gail Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wounded hero meets wounded heroine. We all know what's going to happen by the end of the book, and this one was a fun journey to get there.

[Jennifer Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. I really enjoyed it. The hero is so sweet.

[Laura R · Rating 5 out of 5]

The suspense in this story starts right at the beginning with Luke's harrowing ride down the mountain - being chased by two SUVs, and his vehicle has no brakes. Throw in a fall off the side of the mountain, several gashes, a head injury, a bullet wound, and amnesia - well, what more could you ask for. We get to follow along as Luke tries to get back his memory and we learn about what happened to Ava that has caused her to live as a recluse in a cabin in the mountains. As the story unfolds, Luke and Ava help each other to heal. There are many twists along the way and you will be kept on the edge of your seat.

[Terryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Both characters have suffered a trauma in their lives. He an ex marine wounded in combat and she a victim of a kidnap and torture. Both suffering PTSD. He now works for a company that is dealing in security and soon his life is in danger when he comes across a threat to national security. He is nearly killed but manages to escape and find refuge in a cabin. She is an anonymous author famous for a book series. He has lost his memory and she has trust issues. Together, along with her dog, their cope with their issues and eventually solve the mystery surrounding the security firm. HEA ending.

[Susan Medsker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Julie Miller's books. They are always engrossing, with great characters and plenty of action. This one did not disappoint. I loved the characters and how they interacted. There was plenty of action and just the right amount of romance.

When trying to find this book on Goodreads, I came across it listed under another Julie Miller that is not this author. So be careful to find the right author when looking for the listing of this book. I had to search for the ISBN to find the right one.

[Annabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling easy read with a tough but wounded heroine.
Amnesia has never been a favourite trope but I feel like this one just had too many ideas and didn't quite nail them with the precision of some of her other books like Assumed Identity from her Task Force series.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it.Would have loved it if they wouldnt have fallen in love within 2 days.
The story which FL was writing was intiguing.I wish the author actually writes that kind of book. It would be really interesting to read.