Dangerous Dilemmas [Mass Market Paperback]

Evelyn Palfrey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2007

"I'll fix it for you. You don't have to cry," said the tall man with the deep, Barry White kind of voice.

But Audrey Roberts wasn't just crying about her flat tire. Her tears were for things that couldn't be mended. After all, how do you fix the pain of finding your lawyer husband in bed with someone else? And how do you heal the wound of having your only son face trial for a murder he insists he didn't commit?

Houston cop Kirk Maxwell might not have known the details of Audrey's life, but he could recognize a person who had reached a breaking point. He had reached his own after the death of his wife. Now he's responding to Audrey's with a surge of protectiveness -- and passion.

But Audrey soon finds that Maxwell's affections have created a dangerous dilemma for both of them. Realizing that Maxwell was the arresting officer in her son's case, Audrey must decide what is more important: fighting for her child...or her own heart.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Palfrey's third work of African-American commercial women's fiction (after Three Perfect Men, which she self-published, and The Price of Passion, from S&S) falls short of delivering suspense, burying readers in a cliched if sweet story of one woman's trials with both romantic and familial love. Palfrey's apparent wishes are commendable: she seems to want to offer a mature, intelligent tale to set readers thinking about what they would do if faced with the dilemma the protagonist must deal with. Audrey Roberts's life is certifiably awful. Her son, Malcolm, is being held in a Houston jail on murder charges, and she learns that her husband of 25 years is having an affair with a man. Things must get worse before they get better: on a visit to her son, Audrey's rental car gets a flat tire, and she's rescued by a tall, dark and handsome stranger named Kirk Maxwell. All seems heavenly ("Audrey looked up into his black eyes and felt herself drowning in his tenderness") until she learns that Maxwell is Malcolm's arresting officer. She now must decide what's more important helping her son win his case or having a heated love affair with Malcolm's legal arch enemy. The concept may be unique, but Palfrey's clunky sentences and overloaded plot (she throws in AIDS, racism, a crumbling marriage, a disintegrating family and more) make for a largely unfocused effort. (June)Forecast: Palfrey's modest following in the African-American community will generate interest, but the chances of her garnering praise from Essence magazine and other African-American publicity outlets (as she has in the past) are slim, given this book's weaknesses.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Booklist

You think you've got problems. Meet Audrey Roberts. Her daughter no longer needs her, she finds her husband in a devastatingly compromising position, and her son is a suspect in a murder. The good news is that on one of the most trying days of her life, she meets a handsome stranger. The bad news is that he's the detective who put her son in jail. This is not your typical romance novel. Audrey is a bit zaftig and no longer young. She's a real person with real problems who has hopes and dreams just like the rest of us. The romance with Kirk Maxwell, a cop on the verge of retirement, is also true to life. He, too, has his own issues to overcome. Some readers may fidget during a detour to cover the suddenly budding relationship of secondary characters, but all in all Palfrey's romance is a refreshing spin on the usually formulaic genre and is well worth reading. Maria Hatton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books (January 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141652696X
• ISBN-13: 978-1416526964
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,291,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Evelyn Palfrey is a native Texan who writes romantic suspense for the 'marvelously mature.' She writes about issues that are relevant to the middle passage of life--and having a ball doing it!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent reading,, September 26, 1999

By 

Carlotta - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dangerous Dilemmas (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book,the 1st book I read by this author was The Price Of Passion.I was impressed,I just had to order her other books.I can tell you I was not disappointed.This book is excellent,you can't help but feel for the characters.Audrey is trying to cope with so many things that have hit her all at once.I also like the fact that Audrey is not slim,the author makes you believe.Everybody is not perfect but we are human.I just think this book was great reading.I have now read all books printed by Ms Palfrey, and I must say you have got to read them all. I am eagerly awaiting for her next novel!!!!!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good to last page..., October 13, 1999

By 

Tanya - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dangerous Dilemmas (Paperback)

I've just finished reading "Dangerous Dilemmas" and I must say I'm breathless. I feel as if I just closed the page on some of my good friends. I've grown to know and love the characters in each novel. Evelyn, your novels are full of love, suspense and spice. I can't wait for the next novel. Be Blessed!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming and Romantic, August 16, 2001

By 

Cydney Rax "rmn1994" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dangerous Dilemmas (Paperback)

Dangerous Dilemmas is the story of a Dallas mother named Audrey Roberts, a woman whose life should be secure but isn't. She's been married for twenty-five years to a lawyer, she has two young adult children, she enjoys traveling, everything should be set. But then her world is uprooted when her son, Malcolm, is accused of killing a man in Houston, a horrible crime that Audrey cannot imagine her son committing. She's ready to fully support her son, but her husband, whom she thought she knew, is someone she really didn't know at all, when she discovers him in bed with someone she knows. They prepare to divorce and Audrey questions who she is as a woman, why would her spouse choose to be with the person she caught him with in bed?

To make matters worse, one day her vehicle breaks down, and she's at an emotional low when an attractive police officer happens to offer her some assistance. Fortunately, his entrance into her life gives her the turnaround she needs. Maxwell is strong, feisty, attentive, and a calming presence. But just when things start to get comfortable, Audrey discovers that Maxwell was the arresting officer in her son's case. The odds seem to be against this couple ever developing a romantic liaison, things are too close to home, yet through the power of persistence, the gentleness of love, and the basic human need of understanding and support, Audrey and Maxwell carve out a place for one another, and open up their hearts to a tender romance for two people who've known hurt in the past.

Through Dangerous Dilemmas, Evelyn Palfrey has written a realistic and charming tale of romance that restores hope into the possibilities of love against all odds. Her style is warm, endearing, and you may enjoy the playful banter between the two main characters. Dangerous Dilemmas is a solid winner, a highly recommended read, one that will take you away and let you escape as you imagine your own possibilities of love and fulfilling relationships.