Customer Reviews

Lovers in Hiding (Hide and Seek, Book 3) (Harlequin Intrigue Series #644)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Susan Kearney's HIDDEN YEARS series concludes with LOVERS IN HIDING, the story of the youngest of three children torn apart by the deaths of their parents--and drawn back together in danger as adults.

Melinda is a wonderful heroine! Quirky, independent, free-spirited--the perfect foil for serious, intellectual Clay. I love amnesia stories, but since Melinda's condition is temporary, the thrill of learning details little by little added a fresh twist to a suspenseful storyline. And finally learning the depth of danger behind the CIA's involvement in this series is a great payoff. Brava, Susan Kearney!

I have read all of Susan Kearney's 'In Hiding" series. I thought they were all fairly realistic, considering the wild situation the characters are in. The characters were well developed. The women were strong and the men were interesting. Great!

Having said that, this book is my least favorite in the series. I thought that it was just a little bit too pat, particularly the ending. I kind of felt that it ended suddenly. However, just because it's not as good as the others doesn't mean that it is not good.

Enjoy! I did. I thought that Melinda was a strong woman who knew how to be soft and vulnerable. I thought that Clay did a very good job of learning what was important in life. I enjoyed reading about their predicament as well.

Susan Kearney concludes her Hide and Seek series with the implausible "Lovers in Hiding." CIA code analyst Clay Rogan is sent to track down Melinda Murphy. Melinda's long-lost brother recently came into possession of an old notebook belonging to their secret agent parents and sent a copy to Melinda. Clay's mission is to get the notebook and decode it. But when he finds Melinda, she's under attack and drowning. He saves her, only to discover she has amnesia. Can he unlock the location of the notebook from her mind and protect her from the men who are also after it?

Kearney has gained fans for writing fast-paced stories that keep readers turning pages. They are easy reads that go down quickly. Like most of her books, "Lovers in Hiding" goes by fast, fast, fast. If all you're looking for is a fast read that you'll forget as soon as it's over, "Lovers in Hiding" is an acceptable choice. If you're looking for something more, like characters, believable plots or any plot whatsoever, "Lovers in Hiding" would not be a good choice. There is simply nothing to this book other than the fast pace. There's no mystery to solve because the villain's identity is so obvious from the start. There's no plot to follow. The hero and heroine meet, they run and run and run (and run and run and run and run) and they live happily ever after. The end. There's not much of a love story. The book takes place over a very short period of time and the characters are always running, so they have to fall in love almost instantly. This is the kind of story where characters who just met are hot and heavy for each other within a half an hour. I believed Clay and Melinda were in lust. I did not believe they were in love. There are no characters. Kearney gives a few basic facts about Clay and Melinda but never gives them any dimension or development. The reader never gets to know the characters. It is impossible to believe they got to know each other. Good Intrigues are able to provide a strong relationship, emotional romance, well developed characters and an interesting plot. "Lovers in Hiding" has none of these. I've been able to recommend Intrigues with weak romances if the mystery is that spectacular, or weak intrigue because of a stunning love story. "Lovers in Hiding" doesn't provide either.

"Lovers in Hiding" is also contrived and not very well thought out. The author changes the rules of Melinda's "amnesia" from page to page, shifting what she remembers and doesn't remember until it's impossible to believe she has amnesia. Her "amnesia" lasts for about two seconds and a couple of pages before she starts to remember. One minute she doesn't know anything, the next she's spouting off all of these details about her life, the next she's still claiming she has amnesia. Melinda conveniently remembers everything about her life when she needs it and conveniently can't remember anything that would make the story end sooner, like where the journal is. It doesn't make any sense. She remembers nothing. She remembers everything. No, almost everything. Then she remembers more. But she still can't remember one little thing.... And this is all within the first few chapters. This seems like an obvious attempt by the author, who knows that amnesia books sell well, to get fans of amnesia books to buy this one without her having to write an amnesia book, much the way she did the secret baby plot in "Cradle Will Rock" while having her characters ignore how real people would react to the discovery of a secret child. Kearney's treatment of the CIA is also amateurish and unconvincing. While authors like Gayle Wilson have written dramatic, believable stories about intrigue in the CIA, Kearney's version is lightweight, as realistic as a bunch of kids playing cops and robbers. On a more positive, the ending is typically exciting. Kearney's books are never boring and the climax and epilogue of "Lovers in Hiding" are very nice.

Kearney's fans will likely know what to expect from her and enjoy this one as well. Her stories move so fast some readers may not have time to think about the story any more than the author did. While I've enjoyed some of her books ("A Night Without End," "Little Boys Blue"), this is not one of them. It doesn't approach her worst ("Deceiving Daddy," "Priority Male," "Lullaby and Goodnight"). That doesn't make it good either.

Clay Rogan alias "The Viper" - code breaker and many other talents.
Melinda Murphy - 25 year old sister to Jake Cochran and Alexandra Golden, who is fiancee of Roarke Stone.
Lional Tower - head of the CIA and Clay's boss
Sam Bronson - left a very interesting package for Melinda.
Herbert Silverberg - covert operater and college of Melinda's mother.
Barry Lee - another one interested in seeing justice done.

All are looking, unbeknownst to most, for the triple agent who wants to end the life of anyone who can expose him.

Another very good thriller -- good plot on the run - just bogs the story down when they take time out for some hanky-panky - kills the sense of self-preservation - ah well, can't have everything.

will Recommend the conclusion of the trilogy for the stories sake -

Third book in the "Hide and Seek" trilogy by Kearney: The Hidden Years (#636), Hidden Hearts (#640), and Lovers in Hiding (#644).

Description from the book back cover:

He was big and strong and sexy ... But he was a complete stranger! So why was she lying in his arms on a public beach? He said he'd rescued her when a blue sedan had forced her car into the ocean, but she couldn't remember anything ... CIA analyst Clay Rogan was sent to find and decode the documents Melinda Murphy's brother had mailed to her. But first he had to keep her safe from the killers pursuing her. Harder still, he had to fight the desire that glittered between them. Clay was determined to win the battle with their deadly enemies -- but with Melinda, all he could think about was surrender!

Excerpt from the book:

Damn it. I told you to breathe." Her eyelids fluttered. Maybe she responded to the urgency in his tone. Maybe her lungs needed time to fill with air, but whatever the reason, he couldn't have been more relieved when she coughed. Her trembling hand rose to her head and she mumbled, "Hurts." Her eyes opened, and her pupils were very large, surrounded by the creamiest hew of caramel iris he'd ever seen. Dark hair covered her forehead, and when he smoothed back the wet strands, he discovered a lump the size of a golf ball on her forehead. He held up two fingers. "How many?" "Four?" "Great, you're seeing double." "That's why there's two of you," she muttered, then closed her eyes. "Oh, no you don't. Melinda, you can't go to sleep. You have a head injury. Maybe a concussion." "Hurts." Helpless, she lay in his arms, but at least her deadly gray pallor had receded to a much more healthy-looking olive tone. "You need a doctor." "I need--" Her eyes suddenly opened again, and she bolted into a sitting position, wincing at the pain the effort cost her. "Who are you?" She sounded as suspicious as an operative on his first assignment, and he almost smiled. He supposed many women might be frightened by his appearance, black leather pants and a black t-shirt--all sopping wet. His size alone could intimidate most men, and he hadn't bothered shaving this morning, so his jaw sported more than a five-o'clock shadow. For her to wake up in the arms of a stranger had to be unnerving, especially one as scruffy looking as he probably looked. Of course, she wasn't exactly ready for a beauty pageant either--not with that bump on her head that was starting to turn a wicked shade of purple or with her tight tank top plastered to her breasts and short shorts that outlined her hips and muscular thighs. Instead she appeared a prime candidate for a wet t-shirt competition. Thank God, a man like him would never be attracted to his charge. He didn't go for petite, curvy brunettes with eyes like melted taffy. He preferred his women, cool, blond and intellectual. Melinda Murphy, with her delicate jaw, and suspicious glare looked precisely like the type of woman who was trouble with a capital T. She'd nearly died, he reminded himself and she wasn't out of danger, yet. He didn't want to scare her by mentioning the men after her, not while her hands trembled and her eyes reflected confusion. "I'm Clay Rogan. When I saw your car go under--" Bewilderment filled her eyes, and she frowned, her full lips forming a lusty pout full of suspicion. "My car? Under water?" "I'm lucky I got you out. I'm afraid I couldn't do much about the--." Her head jerked back and forth in denial, her eyes wildly searched the churning waves as if she'd lost a dear friend. Her bottom lip quivered. Oh, hell, she was going to cry. "Don't cry." He hated when women cried, because then he gave in to their demands and hated himself for it later. Only this half-drowned mermaid wasn't making demands. Yet she was so suspicious of him that he didn't know whether to feel sorry for her. Her eyes brimmed. "Don't," he repeated, softly but firmly, like he would to an injured child. She paid absolutely no attention to his demand. Tears overflowed her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. He bit back a curse and gently lifted her into his lap, cradling her against his chest, tucking her head beneath his chin. Her entire body shook, a sob escaped and instead of offering her additional reassurances, his first thought was how holding her in his arms made him feel like keeping her there for a long time. She had a toned body, teasing curves and a bottom lip he wanted to taste. What the hell was wrong with him? Forcing his thoughts back to practical matters wasn't easy, usually his focused mind stayed on the subjects he intended it to. But her combination of strength and defenselessness called to him on a level he couldn't quite comprehend. He only knew he had to regain control of himself, before he did something stupid--like kiss her. "Are you in pain? You need a doctor?" "Not a doctor. I need a psychiatrist." A shrink? Was she crazy? Actually he must be the insane one around here. She wanted a shrink. And he wanted to kiss her. What kind of a secret agent was he anyway? A bad one. Damn it! This mission would be hard enough with a reasonably sane woman. And Melinda Murphy seemed anything but reasonable. Or sane. In fact she hadn't made much sense since the moment she'd opened those soulful toffee-colored eyes and raised his protective armor. Perhaps he needed to humor her. "Okay. Why do you need a psychiatrist?" "Because I have no memory."

If you're looking for a mystery story, this one doesn't fill the needed twists and turns. But as suspense-romances goes, this one
does excellent in the character portrayals and passion scenes.
Clay Rogan, a CIA analyst, is assigned to find and decode secret documents that were likely sent to Melinda Murphy, via her brother. He knows she's in danger and manages to safe her just in time... But as he continues with his secret role of bodyguard, who also finds it difficult to deny a growing attraction for Melinda.

There's always a push pull in a Harlequin Intrigue. The best ones are fast paced and also take place within a short time frame to keep the tension up. So the love story also has to move fast. One thing I like about Sue Kearney's books is how well she combines the two elements. Lover's in Hiding is an excellent example of her skill with this genre. And it's a great finish to her series.