She Can Run Ballet dancer Tommie Purnell has finally left her troubles behind her. After a devastating scandal derails her dancing career in New York, she flees to Houston for a fresh start. Once her new dance studio takes off, the rest of Tommie's life follows suit. But when a local woman connected to Tommie turns up dead, Tommie is petrified...and doesn't know where to turn.
But She Can't Hide When veteran homicide detective Paulo Sanchez walks through her door, Tommie wonders if her troubles have just doubled. She and Paulo had a torrid attraction years ago. . .but she's sworn off men because of too many broken dreams. Yet their sizzling attraction can't be denied, and as their passion intensifies, the killer's body count also rises. That's when all clues point toward the one person Tommie thought she could finally believe in...
Maureen Smith is a USA Today bestselling author who has garnered critical acclaim for her sensual romances and heart-pounding romantic suspense. She has won a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award (nominated for seven total) and numerous Emma Awards. She also writes sexy women’s fiction under the award-winning pen name Naomi Chase.
Before becoming an author, Maureen interned with a former U.S. presidential candidate, worked at the famous Watergate complex, and enjoyed a stint as a reporter and freelance writer. She is married to her college sweetheart and they have two children.
Visit Maureen’s website and join her mailing list to receive updates about new books, current projects, and upcoming appearances.
If you ignore that this took space in under a week/pretend it’s over a longer span of time, this will be a very good read.
Timeline and minor unrealistic bits aside, I really enjoyed this! I think this was my first romance/thriller and I was not expecting to enjoy it as much I did. Truly deliciously binge-worthy in an intoxicating way.
I decided last month that I will reread some romance books from throwback authors but on audio this time.
Two things I've noticed/remembered so far in my rereads: 1) Romantic Suspense needs a comeback in my daily reading. 2) Hearing the word engorged has me thinking the audio aspect might be a bad idea. 😂
I liked this book. It wasn't that predictable and I liked the viewpoints of each of the characters. I thought the relationship progressed at warp speed without much more than the lust factor however. At any rate, I still enjoyed the book.
What a super hot page turner! This book has everything: love, sizzling romance, jealousy, betrayal, shocking suspense, and an ending that I did not see coming! Tommie Purnell is so beautiful that men lie, cheat, and kill to get next to her. Seriously! So if hot homicide detective, Paulo Sanchez is not careful, he could spend 24/7 just trying to solve all of the crimes being committed by the men obsessed with her!
Oh my goodness! I don't know how this book got pass me! I loved it! Mystery, murder, HOT passion ... from the first to the last page, this book is action packed. This is s MUST read if you haven't read it already!
Well....did not see that coming. I don't understand one thing, why was he so obsessed with her? I mean beautiful women are everywhere but you don't stalk and kill them.
This was a real page tuner. Unfortunately, I felt very disappointed with the ending as it felt very anticlimactic. It makes zero sense that everything happened within a week including a proposal! We didnt actually see the couple grow into their relationship or deal with the aftermath of the stalker. While I really liked Tommie I expected more from Paulo. I just couldn’t seem to move from his manwhore image and I still hate how unapologetic and amused he was at humiliating Tommie the first time they met years ago. I just can’t believe he went from fighting his lust for Tommie to confessing his love and a proposal in only one week. It also seems pretty far fetched for every man who mets Tommie to became obsessed with her to the point of murder.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Interesting couple who found a second chance at love and redemption. Tommie and Paulo are exciting. This was great mystery. You don’t see the twist until the end. Lots of naughty men especially orbiting Tommie (Roland, Julius, and Richard).
My first time reading a Suspenseful Romance and my god, it definitely won’t be the last. Just when you thought you knew where it was going … 😂. 10/10 I can’t wait to dive deeper into her catalog
This book kept you on the edge of your seat with each turn of every single page. I loved the suspense as well as the passion. It was definitely a great read.
What a great piece of literature. From the opening to the last line and every chapter in between a Riviting explosion of suspence. Thoroughly enjoyable!
Detective Paolo Sanchez is on a mission to find a murderer and get Tommie Purnell off his mind and catching the murderer is the more sure of the two. Tommie Purnell is a dancer making a name for herself as an instructor in Houston but she has an admirer who will do anything to get close to her. Paolo and Tommie have met before and have never been able to forget each other and now due to a murder and family connections, they can't stay away from one another. This is one sexy book. Paolo is good looking, funny, and protective in a way that makes him a perfect hero. In typical cop fashion, he's been divorced and is a womanizer. He' s wanted Tommie since the first time he laid eyes on her and lets her know it at every opportunity. Tommie wants to be able to resist what Paolo is offering without falling completely under his spell but it might not work.
There is a real mystery going on here and you won't get it until the end and you'll wonder how you missed the clues. But there are no clues. Ms. Smith really keeps her murderer under wraps until the very end, so that means everyone is a suspect---even Paolo. But of course, good wins in the end but what a ride getting there. This is a very good, page-turning read.
P.S. There are some connections to previous novels by Maureen Smith (Weapon of Seduction and Whisper My Name) in this book, my suggestion is to read those books as well. Eventhough this book can be read as a stand alone, the other books are just as hot and mysterious.
This one kept me guessing right up until the killer was revealed - and I was beyond shocked to find out who it was! I don't want to give anything away, so all I'll say is that the killer was probably the only person I didn't suspect. Really interesting cast of characters in this book. I was initially hesitant about reading this one because I thought that the interracial romance would be the focus, so I was pleasantly surprised that the author didn't make a big deal of it. Maureen Smith has become one of my faves, and she definitely didn't disappoint with this one. Glad I took a chance and read it!
This was the first book I read by this incredible author. I absolutely loved my journey through the pages of this book. The combination of a great mystery and a steamy love story was awesome. I also loved the fact that I didn't figure out who the killer was until just before she revealed him. Bravo...
Romance suspense is not my favorite genre, but I'm slowly being pulled to the other side! Maureen Smith is the truth with the suspense and steam...wowzers. I would've never guessed who the stalker/killer was! The chemistry between and Tommie and Pablo had literally twisting in my seat! Highly recommended.
Awesome storyline. Mystery, suspense, passion, excitement all in one place. Maureen Smith had me anxious to get to the end and had me second guessing myself throughout the plot as I tried to guess who the killer was.
The author started out slowly but as you keep reading the twist and turns pick up. The mystery was not unraveled until the very end. There were several potential guilty parties to choose from. Paulo and Tommie had chemistry and passion galore.