Review: I Can See You

I Can See You
Karen Rose
Romantic Suspense
Book 10 in Loosely Connected Series
Grand Central Publishing/August 5, 2009 (HC)

From the inside cover ~

Eve Wilson's face was once scarred by a vicious assault. Terrified and ashamed, she escaped to the online realm, where she could choose the face she allowed people to see. Years later, her outer scars faded and inner scars buried, Eve has fought her way back to the real world and is determined to help others do the same. Now a graduate student, moonlighting as a bartender, Eve researches the addictive powers of online communities. When her test subjects begin turning up dead of apparent suicide, Eve doesn't know where to turn.

Homicide detective Noah Webster is one of the few people who believe the victims are connected murders. Eve becomes Noah's online guide and realizes that the handsome detective may have secret scars as painful as her own. As Eve and Noah chase a killer who is always one step ahead of them, together they try to overcome the tragedies of their pasts and learn to trust again, but soon discover that danger is much closer than they think.

We first met Eve in Rose's first book, Don't Tell where she was a teenage runaway caught in a dangerous situation. Then we met her again in Nothing to Fear where she has another run in with a dangerous psycho. It's been six years since that first book, now it time for Eve's story.

Eve Wilson has been damage, both physically and psychologically. But she is nothing if not a survivor. Eve's courage and determination, along with her kindness, have made her a favorite character of many fans. Ms. Rose doesn't disappoint in telling Eve and Noah's story. Eve has moved from Chicago to Minneapolis where she is a student, working on her master's degree and bartending to support herself. I liked that Eve didn't play the victim, but decided to do something to help people by becoming a therapist. She does keep to herself, having a few close friends but mainly spending her time studying and working. I think it would have been out of character had she become a party girl or social butterfly since she wasn't either of those previously. She does have a particular interest in Detective Noah Webster but it's not something she's willing to share with anyone, especially not Noah.

Noah Webster is a good cop who's fighting his own ghosts while doing a job he loves. His childhood wasn't a happy one but he has known happiness and he's also known great loss. I think he was a good fit for Eve because of knowing the degree of loss that he did. He understood her wariness and her unease at trusting easily. They both had a lot of baggage which I think made them more compassionate. Noah doesn't rush Eve, giving her time to sort out her feeling and accept their relationship. Had he rushed her, it would have been completely in her character to shut him down or run. Good thing Noah is a smart man.

The suspense runs high, as Rose is good at keeping the reader on the edge of the seat. There are twists and turns, surprises for both the reader and the characters. I thought the use of the online world of Shadowland clever and found it fascinating how it was populated with the variety of people from every walk of life. It wasn't surprising that Eve got into the play - it gave her a place where no one knew her background or could see her scars. It's not all fun and games and Eve quickly learns that her research might be connected to Noah's cases, bring them together after they've both tried keep their distance. This wove the romance right in with the suspense, giving the story a perfect balance of both.

One thing I often look forward to when reading this loosely connected series are catching up with characters from previous books. There are two such characters that stand out for me this time around. David Hunter and his nephew by marriage, Tom Hunter. David and Tom both knew Eve from Chicago and are part of her extended family. They are a perfect example of a family made from choice not necessarily from blood. Both Hunters are very protective of Eve, with David more than willing to go up against Noah if he thinks Noah won't treat Eve right. Love that tight, family bond so many of Rose's character have. It helps to balance the darkness of her villains.

I Can See You is easily one of my favorites of Karen Rose and that's saying something since so many of her novels have proven to be such exceptional reads. It was easy to pick up the next book, Silent Scream, which just so happened to be David Hunter's story. And it also turned out to be a favorite too. Is it any wonder I adore Karen Rose's writing? Her next release, You Belong to Me releases on June 7 here in the states. It was released in the UK back in January and has received wonderful reviews.

Rating: A