We finally have our Dani and Diesel story! I’ve been wanting this story since Diesel first laid eyes on Dr Dani and I’m not disappointed!

If you’re unfamiliar with Karen Rose she writes romantic suspense (which I always find to be a rather sneering descriptor of books that tend to be quite heavy on violence and terror, but because they also include love stories and sex they’re shuffled into ‘romantic suspense’) books which all take place in the same universe. If this is your first dive into Rose’s world you won’t be lost, the story can be read alone, but for a deeper understanding and love of the characters it’s well worth reading others, at least the rest of the ‘Cincinnati’ series. There are a few series dotted around the US, and they do interact, so it’s an enjoyable world to get lost in if it’s up your alley.

As mentioned, this is the latest instalment of The Cincinnati Series, and tells the story of Dani and Diesel. These characters have featured in previous Cincinnati books and are beloved by most readers, who have been asking for their story for a while now! Karen Rose is a master of psychological thrillers, the kills tend to be gory and disturbing, the motivations clear. Now, as we’re in romantic suspense territory, obviously we know that any danger our heroes are in (and there always tends to be some, shot or kidnapped etc) will be resolved and we’ll get our happy ending. That’s not to say that everyone survives or has a fun time, because there are a fair few deaths in these books, but there will always be a happy ending for the main characters, which is a large part of why I enjoy them, as it’s nice to have that certainty to retreat to when life gets tough. Adult fairy tales could be a good descriptor!

The storyline here revolves around some deeply disturbing issues. Human trafficking, child sex abuse, parental abuse and neglect, disability and chronic illnesses. Dr Dani Novak is a woman who has quite a chunk of stuff to deal with, that I won’t go into here for fear of spoiling this and previous books, which means she’s been keeping Diesel at arms length for quite a while. That gets blown out of the water when Diesel brings two brothers to her clinic, that he knows through his job of coaching football (I’m British, it’s NOT soccer!) for children. The elder sibling has apparently taken on the majority of the responsibilities for caring for his baby brother, but is apparently injured and very scared. There are some very harrowing moments where the truth of what has happened to this poor child are revealed, but luckily for him he has been taken in by the family that has been created over previous books, encompassing police, FBI, journalists and doctors, and they set to work unravelling the crimes that this child has witnessed and experienced.

It’s not always an easy read. I’d imagine it would be quite triggering (in the true psychological term) for some people, as there are some very unpleasant, yet very realistic, topics tackled. If you want true realism though Karen Rose may not be for you, as the characters are all so very GOOD. They really are the sort of people you’d find in a fairy tale, where the heroes are just and true, and good always prevails in the end. It’s wonderful to lose yourself in that world, but if you have enough experience with the real world you’ll know how sadly unrealistic it is to find so many genuinely good people, who are all connected. That doesn’t detract from what Rose creates, just suspend your disbelief for a while and read about people who always do the right thing and always get their happy ending eventually!

(There is some sex, but it’s in no way excessive and doesn’t approach some other books in this genre. There’s just enough to get the point across, but not enough to make you want to tap out of the book entirely!)