This is the first romantic suspense I’ve read by Jane Blythe, and I found her style to be captivating. The storyline revolves around a jewelry store robbery, a traumatized store owner, a crazed stalker, and an ex-husband/FBI agent assigned to track down the culprits.
Let’s meet Hannah Buffy, a divorced jeweler trying to rebuild her life after a traumatic event that shattered her marriage to FBI Agent Tom Drake. Three years ago, they both endured immense pain and decided to go their separate ways.
Fast forward to just a few days before Christmas, when Hannah’s jewelry store is robbed at gunpoint. Overwhelmed by her fear of guns, she fails to give the robbers the safe’s code, resulting in oner of her employees being shot. The FBI is called in to investigate a string of jewelry store robberies across the city, and to Hannah’s shock, the agent assigned to the case is none other than her ex-husband, Tom. Their reunion is fraught with tension, as Tom’s instinct to protect Hannah clashes with her fierce independence. Yet, neither can deny the lingering love between them.
Despite repeatedly insisting she doesn’t need Tom’s help; Hannah finds herself grateful for his presence during terrifying moments. Someone breaks into her home, leaving a heart-shaped red box and a bouquet on her kitchen table. Later, a stalker holds her hostage at gunpoint in her own home. In each instance, Tom is there to save her, despite her protests.
The author skillfully weaves a web of suspense, planting enough red herrings to keep readers guessing about the culprit behind the robbery—and whether it’s tied to Hannah personally, as the other citywide robberies are solved. Suspects include Garry Smith, her ex-boyfriend; Dr. Bryce McCracken, a therapist with unconventional methods for treating trauma; Vincent Zimmerman, the neighbor’s son who works part-time at the jewelry store; and Jeff Shields, a longtime employee who previously worked for the store’s former owner.
Overall, this was a fast-paced, enjoyable read about a second chance at love. While the repeated emphasis on Hannah’s resistance to Tom’s help was hammered a bit much, the story’s twists and turns kept me engaged, as did the gradual unraveling of her traumatic past. Thankfully, Hannah and Tom got their happily-ever-after, but it took some work to get there. A great introduction to the series. Two thumbs up!
Rating: 4 Stars
Some of my favorite lines:
With time, she had learned to manage all those
things. The fear was still there, like a distant shadow hovering in the recesses
of her mind. The compulsion to vigilantly study her surroundings and to check
and recheck her home each night was always there. Hannah knew those things
would never leave her, but so long as she could manage them, then she felt like
she had overcome what had happened to her.
She just wished that Tom had seen it the same
way.
He had wanted to fix everything for her, and
what had happened couldn’t be fixed. It could only be treated.
He had been supportive of her seeing a
therapist and comforted her more nights than she could count when nightmares
had plagued her. But he couldn’t shake the need to save her. She hadn’t needed
a savior; all she’d needed was her husband.
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