Book Review - Did you miss me? by Karen Rose

Author: Karen Rose
Title: Did you miss me?
Publisher: Signet 2/5/2013
ISBN-13: 9780451414090

Goodread's synopsis:

Baltimore prosecutor Daphne Montgomery pulled herself out of a damaged past to build a solid life for herself and her son. But after she helps to convict a killer, her confidence is shattered once again by the news that her son has been kidnapped.

Daphne believes it’s connected to the recent high-profile trial, and at first FBI special agent Joseph Carter agrees. But together they find the reality to be even more troubling, and it runs deeper than Daphne fears. With her son’s life in jeopardy, she must unlock a dreadful secret about her past—and confront a truth that will change everything for those closest to her. And, if she survives, threaten the lives of everyone she loves.

 

 

This was my first Karen Rose book, and I will definitely be reading a few more from this author.  I picked this book because I wanted to try out a few romantic suspense books and this was a new release with a cool looking cover.  

Thoughts:
1.  Karen Rose weaves suspense and romance in a very believable way.  This book is heavier on suspense than romance, but it fits.  Too many sex scenes would have weighed this book down.  It gets steamy, but it isn't overly done.
2.  The plot twisted and turned and had so much going on that I never lost interest in what was happening. 
3.  I didn't have a clue how the 'bad guy' and the heroine were connected until well into the middle of the book.  And it was one small sentence that led me to think I was on the right track.  Karen does a great job of hooking you with each chapter.
4.  The emotion of this book felt real.  I found myself wondering what I would feel if my child, however old, had been taken.  What would I do?  This heroine's actions make total sense based on her history.   
5.  There were so many characters in this book, it took a lot of concentration to keep them all straight in my mind.  The characters were well developed, so this helped to identify them, but I could have done without a few of them.  Since I haven't read any of the books leading up to this new release, I can't say whether this is typical, or if the author is just inserting characters from past and future books.  I know this happens a lot in series romance.  As an avid series romance reader, I enjoy the insertion of past characters.  But since this author's books are meant to stand on their own, I think a few of the insignificant characters could have been left out.
6.  The main female character has a physical characteristic that defines a lot about her personality.  The way the author described this attribute was harsh at times.  It made the character very real, but also left me feeling that she wasn't attractive.  In the end, we realize that it's not as bad as it seems to her, especially to the hero.  But (and I might sound totally shallow) I want the heroine to be beautiful.  I don't want to picture my main romantic characters with large physical flaws.  That might not be how everyone feels, but that's what I want.  Again, in the end, we see this attribute from the hero's perspective and he sees her beauty, but by that point, I had weird images of her in my mind.

Overall, I loved the book and will be reading more of Karen Roses' romantic suspense novels.  I am very intrigued by all of her characters and can't wait to find out where the other love plots take us!