In Confidence [Mass Market Paperback]

Karen Young (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2004

The danger lies in keeping secrets.

The irony of life is not lost on high school guidance counselor Rachel Forrester: while she is educating teens about good choices, her own life is spiraling out of control. First, she learns her husband is having an affair. Second, her aging mother collapses. And third, Cameron Ford is back in her life -- again.

As Rachel struggles to get her life in order, her fifteen-year-old son, Nick, forges a bond with the taciturn Cameron. Oddly, it is this bond that opens new doors of healing and promise for them all. And it's Cameron whom Nick trusts with a dangerous secret -- a secret that may be connected to the death of Cameron's son, Jack, five years ago . . . a secret that could endanger them all.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Mira (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778320243
• ISBN-13: 978-0778320241
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #897,396 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Six Star Read, February 13, 2004

By 

Jody Allen (US) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Confidence (Mass Market Paperback)

Karen Young doesn't disappoint readers. This latest offering is "classic" Young. What readers will love is her ability to keep the romance at the forefront of a suspenseful tale of incredible evil. Ms Young doesn't let either main plot take over at the expense of the other. Her characters are not only well fleshed out, but are the type of characters the reader can identify with and cares about when the last page is turned.

Romance fiction offers readers a wide variety of choices in the sub-genres, but every romance reader demands the "romance" always remain at the heart of the story. In IN CONFIDENCE , Ms Young hasn't forgotten that simple rule and the reader is rewarded with a fantastic page turner they can't put down.

Brava!!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SUPERB AND BELIEVABLE!, February 28, 2004

By 

Roberta Hawes (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Confidence (Mass Market Paperback)

Rose Hill, Texas, 1998 - After the death of his son, New York criminology writer Cameron Ford accuses Rachel Forrester - the high-school guidance counselor - for letting his son Jack commit suicide. Rachel counseled the gifted young athlete no less than six times and Cameron is adamant she should have been aware of Jack's emotional crisis. With hostility and anger he calls her inept at her job, faulting her for his son's death. Overwhelming feelings of guilt from being an absentee parent serve as the catalyst for him to put the blame elsewhere. This convincing and excellently written first scene exhibits a parent's understandable grief at such a tragic loss and sets the stage for the suspense and intrigue that follows.

Rose Hill, five years later - Rachel is still endeavoring to guide teens into adulthood by helping them make good choices. But her life plummets out of control after she finds her husband Ted, a physician, is having an affair with the wife of his partner. Rachel suddenly finds she is without a home and she and the kids, 15 year-old Nick and 9 year-old Kendall go live with her mother. Rachel - aware Cameron is the next-door neighbor - does her best to keep the kids away lest they disrupt him as he tries to meet his deadlines. As Rachel deals with the trials of a failed marriage, Nick becomes friends with the solitary Cameron. This camaraderie allows Nick to reveal a shocking secret that connects to Jack's death. It is the nature of this secret and why it has been kept that begins to put them all in jeopardy.

Kendall and Nick are two reasons Cameron's closed and bitter heart begins to heal a fraction each time he interacts with them. They come to regard him as a better father figure then they do Ted and as friendship and respect build Rachel and the writer begin to fall in love. But something corrupt that threatens Rachel's son and other Rose Hill High athletes must be exposed before a permanent relationship develops.

Karen Young brilliantly portrays each character with refreshing and superb believability. The story never lags while the subplots tie together each of the characters and the issues they face. The deplorable actions of a man abusing his power with young male students are skillfully handled and keeps the conflict of the story at a high level. But this is also about a woman that meets her problems straight on, grows emotionally and comes to enjoy a healthy and satisfying relationship. In Confidence reaffirms that love, trust and honesty help us meet the challenges we face in life. It is an excellent must-read with a perfect ending. Please don't miss it!

Roberta Hawes

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars exciting romantic suspense, February 1, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Confidence (Mass Market Paperback)

In Rose Hill, Texas in 1998, New York based author Cameron Ford attacks high school counselor Rachel Forrester for failing to stop his son from committing suicide. Cameron, who feels guilty for not being there when his son Jack needed him, takes it out on Rachel, who had six sessions with the star athlete before he killed himself.

Five years later, Rachel catches her husband Ted, a doctor, sleeping with his partner's wife. Ted blames Rachel insisting that he loves Francine Dalton. The partner forces Ted out of the practice, squeezing him economically. Rachel and their two children move to her mom's home, next door to Nick. As the kids find Nick more of a father than Ted, Rachel and the author fall in love. However, something sinister involving high school sports and her teenage son must be dealt with before anything permanent can occur.

The Forrester family and Cameron keep this exciting romantic suspense from falling into a low level conspiracy tale as the story line contains several intertwining subplots that tie together through healthy and dysfunctional relationships. Cameron and Rachel are a delightful duo and her kids and mom provide depth. On the other hand Ted is so pathetic that readers will easily write him off as a loser who subtracts from a solid family drama. The sinister conspiracy that is ancient history (four decades ago) would seem unreal, but with recent headlines involving priests and cover-ups appears genuine, making for a terse thriller.

Harriet Klausner