Julianna Morris, Honor Bound

Honor Bound

Julianna Morris

Harlequin SuperRomance, Jun 7 2011, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373717132

In Sand Point, Oregon, eighteen year old Kelly James wonders why her relationship with Ben Santoni ended. Kelly is also worried about her single mom Shanna who falls in love all the time and expects them to marry her like this Nate guy she is seeing. When Shanna crashes the car killing herself, Kelly as the passenger expected Ben to rescue them, but another first responder Mitch Lawson arrived instead.

Fifteen years later, Ben is the police chief and widower Kelly Lawson is the city hall public relations specialist. She is also a mystery writer under another name whose novels have been donated by her publisher to the town library. However two men were recently murdered as described in her books. When he learns the identity of the author and that someone is conducting surveillance of her home, Ben tries to protect the woman he never stopped loving.

Although the heroine holds Ben in contempt for not being there for her during the tragic accident fifteen years ago seems over the top of Mt. Hood even factoring in shock and grief, fans will enjoy this second chance police procedural romance. The investigation is fun to read as fact follows fiction.

Harriet Klausner