Guilty Secrets

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: Nurse practitioner Nell Dolan, nicknamed the Angel of Ark Street, cannot afford a single mistake that might bring undue scrutiny. So when a reporter appears on her doorstep just when her pharmacist reports missing drugs, she is understandably concerned. Moreover, Nell has secrets that she cannot afford to have come to light, especially with the clinic's need of donations.

Joe's injury while reporting in Iraqi damaged him in ways no one can understand. His hard cynicism extends to his stateside investigations, even the expose he intends to write regarding the Ark Street clinic. The less Nell willingly reveals, the more Joe's investigative side becomes piqued. Soon he finds his loyalties torn, however, between his devotion to his career and his feelings for the enigmatic Nell.

Few authors truly excel at presenting consistently excellent reads in series romance, but author Virginia Kantra has established herself at the top of the list. As always, Kantra creats powerfully memorable characters that are deeply wounded and marvelously memorable. In GUILTY SECRETS, Nell and Joe seek healing in an unexpected relationship that they are both terrified to trust. While she appears amazingly misguided at times, Nell's gracefully handing of potentially dangerous situations and sincerely good heart certainly redeem her. Indeed, perhaps it is Nell's contradictory personality that truly draws the reader in. She is powerful and resourceful on one hand, and dangerously codependent on the other. Certainly it lures Joe into loving her despite his innate cynicism. In addition, Kantra does a marvelous job of bringing a dangerous world, with its seamy underbelly, vividly alive. While GUILTY SECRETS may not be her very best offering, it still comes highly recommended.