Marji Laine here.
Roxanne reminds me of one of my
all-time favorite authors, Phyllis A. Whitney. Whitney had a habit of setting a
heroine in the midst of unknown hostility where unexplained events covered
intentional attacks. Her writing, if memory serves, was either from an omniscient (narrator-type) viewpoint or only from a single
point of view, bu
t as the stories progressed, attacks grew more pronounced and
more dangerous.
Roxanne, thankfully, uses a dual
point of view between the hero and the heroine and even throws in a few other
characters from time to time to give a more colorful background. But in the
same way as Whitney's heroines, Lauren, faces seemingly inescapable problems.
This is an emotionally-charged
story with a good amount of tension and rich characters. It adds multi-layered
characters, Lauren and Michael, with strong back-stories, reasonable reactions,
and even defining quirks. Amidst past problems and their current hopes and
goals, both Michael and Lauren find joy, laughter, and make embarrassing and
even heart-breaking mistakes.
A troubled young daughter and an entourage
of various pets add to this heart-warming story. Even the goat has a
personality!
Dangerous Past has a mild level of
suspense, particularly at the beginning as the backdrop of the story is laid
with the initial interactions of the characters. Michael and Lauren, though,
with their various secrets, hidden needs, and quiet desperation, intrigued me.
The story itself amped up its flavor of suspense throughout, and the final scenes
satisfied completely, leaving me eager to read more of this series.
Here’s a little more about this story.
She needs to hide from her past. He
only wants to be left alone. What could possibly go wrong?
Michael is searching for a quiet life in a small town. Alone. When his elderly, vagabond Aunt Bertie announces her plans for yet another summer in Europe, he agrees to stay at her home on the shore of Briar Lake. It’s perfect timing, while he hunts for a house to buy and a location for his law practice.
A WOMAN WITH A TROUBLED PAST
A housemate? No way. Bertie’s menagerie is of epic proportions—thanks to the homeless animals she constantly adopts. Lauren promised to move in and care for them this summer. It’s a promise she cannot break to the woman she has loved as an "extra grandmother" since childhood—even if she fears this forced proximity to a man who could uncover her darkest secrets.
But there’s another problem… one
that could end her life.
Roxanne Rustand is the USA Today Bestselling author of forty romance and romantic suspense novels—in both Clean & Wholesome and Christian genres. Her books have sold over 2.9 million copies.
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