Week ending 19 Feb 2011

The Week Ending 19 February 2011 (pictured):

eHarlequin.com

• The Doctor’s Deadly Affair (Doyle, Stephanie)
• Her Singapore Fling (Hunter, Kelly)
• Bone Deep (Johnson, Janice Kay)

The Week Ending 26 February 2011 (Not Pictured):

Amazon.com (gift certificate)

• The Red Heart of Jade (Liu, Marjorie M.)

The rules are very simple: spotlight a book written by an author whose first or last name begins with the featured letter. Include the book cover, title and author, a synopsis, and link(s) to retailer(s). If it’s a book you’ve already reviewed, link to the review. Return to Reading at the Beach and leave a link in the comments.

This week’s letter is: J

This week pick: Janice Kay Johnson — The Man Behind Cop

The Man Behind the Cop by Janice Kay Johnson

From My Review: The Man Behind the Cop is an intense read. The book deals with domestic abuse and kidnapping. Both the main characters are in professions that deal with these issues on a daily basis.

Most of the story is told through the eyes of Bruce Walker, a homicide cop with the Seattle Police Department. Bruce participates in the Big Brother program and he is a mentor to twelve-year-old Trevor DeShon. He is also about to start teaching self-defense classes at a women’s mental health clinic where the heroine, Karin Jorgenson, works.   (Go here to read more).

Why this book?: One of the first Superromances I ever read was one of Ms. Johnson’s. I really like her writing style. It was also one of my favorite reads of 2009.  Note:  Sometimes she’s listed as “Janice Johnson”.

Note: The link below is to Fantastic Fiction, which has a variety of purchase options (including on-line secondary markets) for the US and UK.

The Man Behind the Cop (Janice Kay Johnson) at Fantastic Fiction.

The Man Behind the Cop

Author: Janice Kay Johnson
Copyright: 2008 (Harlequin); 243 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-373-71489-6
Series: Harlequin Superromance #1489
Sensuality: Warm

Who: Karin Jorgenson and Bruce Walker
Where: Seattle, Washington

The Man Behind the Cop is an intense read. The book deals with domestic abuse and kidnapping. Both the main characters are in professions that deal with these issues on a daily basis.

Most of the story is told through the eyes of Bruce Walker, a homicide cop with the Seattle Police Department. Bruce participates in the Big Brother program and he is a mentor to twelve-year-old Trevor DeShon. He is also about to start teaching self-defense classes at a women’s mental health clinic where the heroine, Karin Jorgenson, works.

Karin is a counselor at A Woman’s Hand. Her patients are women who have been abused or have been raped. One of her patients, Lenora, has finally decided to take her children and leave her abusive and controlling husband. Karin has given her specific instructions on what NOT to do when leaving an abusive relationship. Unfortunately, Lenora fails to heed all the advice and she is brutally attacked outside the clinic. Lenora is grievously wounded and it is not known if, or when, she will regain consciousness. Worst of all, her children have been taken and their safety is in question.

Close by when the attack occurred – but not close enough to have seen or stop it — Bruce takes the case. He is the product of an abusive household. His father was controlling and he took his anger out on his sons. Bruce’s mother never did anything to stop it nor had the guts to take her sons and leave. Being a cop and volunteering to mentor Trevor, and teaching self defense to abused women are his way of helping others in similar situations. Bruce’s biggest fear is that he’ll turn into his father. He doesn’t dare risk getting seriously involved with a woman and having kids is even further out of the question. He’s extremely fond of Trevor, but let’s the boy down when he refuses to be his foster father after Trevor’s mother disappears. Disappointing Trevor bothers Bruce and the situation is made worse, as far as Bruce is concerned, when child services informs him that Trevor’s father will be getting custody of the boy. Wade DeShon, a recovering alcoholic, used to hit his wife. Bruce is convinced that Wade hasn’t changed at all.

Bruce and Karin have an instant attraction and Bruce can’t seem to stop thinking about her. While he’s investigating the disappearance of Lenora’s children, he finds himself wondering what her opinion would be on things he learns and what she might be doing at any given moment. As for Karin, she’s fallen in love with him, but she also realizes that she has her work cut for her. She wants to help Bruce understand that he isn’t like his father and that he’s great, loving man. Bruce’s ability to excuse Trevor’s drug addict mother — who’s probably dead — but can’t give Wade the benefit of the doubt, frustrates Karin. He can’t seem to accept that some people can change, especially if there is a strong motivation for the change.

This is definitely Bruce’s book. He’s a great character, even when he’s stubbornly clinging to the belief that he’ll morph into his father if he got too angry or pissed off. Fortunately, Karin is a grounded, quiet person. Normally. The scene where she gets into his face about his issues is my favorite.  It didn’t surprise me when this book was nominated for a RITA.

Started: 19 March 2009
Finished: 23 March 2009

Rating:

LOVED IT !!

What Others Have Said:
All About Romance
The Good, the Bad and the Unread (Wendy’s)
The Good, the Bad, and the Unread (Sandy M.’s)

Snowbound

Author: Janice Kay Johnson
Copyright: 2007 (Harlequin); pgs. 276
Series: Harlequin SuperRomance # 1454
Sensuality: Warm

Who:  Fiona MacPherson and John Fallon
Where:  Cascade Mountains, Oregon

Teacher Fiona MacPherson and eight of her students are returning from an academic competition when they are stranded in the Cascade Mountains by a November snowstorm.  The forecasters misjudged the speed of the storm, and Fiona had expected to be home long before it was supposed to start.  Fortunately, one of the students recognizes a half-buried sign that marks the road leading to Thunder Mountain Lodge.

The lodge doesn’t have a phone or internet service, the shortwave radio hasn’t been repaired after having coffee spilled on it, and cell phone service in the area is terrible even when the weather is nice.  Even so, Fiona is able to make contact with her principal.  With no improvement in the weather forecasted for the near future, she and the students are stuck there until the snowplows come.

The innkeeper, John Fallon, isn’t exactly happy to see them.  A wounded veteran who isn’t coping with his problems as well as he could be, John bought the lodge for the solitude and fresh air.  Since coming back from the war, he doesn’t like being around large crowds.  The lodge isn’t large and it isn’t always full of guests, which gives John the peace and solitude he craves.  Fiona and her charges disrupt one of those periods of solitude.

John has nightmares and flashbacks of the attack that left him wounded and several other dead, including children.  He refuses to talk about the incident and deal with his feelings of guilt.  He’s avoided his parents and sisters, and he’s avoided all other emotional involvement.  His responsibilities as an innkeeper keeps him busy and physically active, but it’s not enough.  On one hand, John’s not addicted to medication or alcohol, or engaging in other self-destructive behavior; but on the other, he’s also not addressing the main issue.

The arrival of Fiona changes everything.  Her caring, optimistic personality has John both attracted to, and frightened by, her.  He finds himself falling for her, wanting her.  John’s amazed to learn that Fiona’s attracted to him, too — but she won’t act on it because of the students.  They share a passionate kiss in the laundry room that puts that restraint to the test, but the arrival of snowplows brings them back to reality.  For the first time, John is not looking forward to being alone.

Using the computer at the library in the nearby town, John and Fiona keep in touch via email.  He eventually asks her to come for Christmas, and she jumps at the chance.  Even so, he’s still surprised to see her when she arrives.  Fiona has come to find out if they have a future together, because she has fallen in love with him.  But something that started out so promising, ends in disaster.  John avoids telling her anything meaningful about himself, and won’t tell her about what happen in Iraq.  He’s afraid to open up to her — he fears she’d be horrified and reject him.   Fiona cares about him, but if he won’t admit to a problem, how can she help him?

I loved this book.  It’s emotional, especially the last third of the book.  I thought the story unfolded believably, and the characters were likable (the hero is a reader).  The story isn’t holiday themed, despite the big red bow on the cover.  The book also won the 2008 RITA for Best Contemporary Series Romance.

Started: 12 November 2008
Finished: 19 November 2008

Rating:

LOVED IT !!