Never Tell (Mira S.) [Mass Market Paperback]

Karen Young (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mira S. | Publication Date: June 1, 2005

Nine Years ago, a car crash robbed Erica Stewart of her family, and since that time the artist has focused on her thriving Houston boutique. No one is more surprised than Erica when a new man walks into her life. Texas born and bred, Hunter McCabe is a successful architect who is smitten the moment he meets Erica. He's determined to pursue her--despite her efforts to keep him at a distance. But someone is watching the dance of attraction between Erica and Hunter with growing alarm. Someone who understands the dangerous connection between Hunter's powerful politically connected family and the accident that shattered Erica's life.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Erica Stewart is overwhelmed by the success of her Houston quilt-design shop, but she has lived a monastic life for the last nine years. Her husband and daughter were killed in a hit-and-run accident that left her in a coma and wiped out her memory of the horrific event. Now, with all the notice she is receiving, in walks a man she has a hard time distancing herself from. Architect Hunter McCabe is a Texan to the bottom of his soles and is instantly smitten with the beautiful designer. The more she pushes him away, the harder he tries to break through her shell. As the two become involved, Hunter's family members try to keep them apart, and it becomes apparent that they know more about Erica than they will admit to him. Hunter helps Erica as snippets of her memory return, and soon Erica's life is in danger, while Hunter pushes for answers that may keep him and Erica permanently apart. Young's romance is suspenseful and entrancing. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Full of mystery, passion, and suspense, Young's dramatic romance is downright captivating." -- Booklist on Private Lives

"Karen Young is a spellbinding storyteller." -- Romantic Times

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Mira (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778321436
• ISBN-13: 978-0778321439
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #999,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Although I've written 35 books, I'm convinced that I didn't choose a career as a writer; it chose me. After numerous long distance moves necessitated by my husband's career, I decided to try writing a book out of sheer desperation. When a major publisher bought that book, I knew that I had found a career! Rather, it had found me.

But my world changed when my husband died ten years ago. One of the most joyous changes was that I was drawn back to my childhood faith, which led me to explore the possibility of writing inspirational fiction. Good inspirational fiction is not about adding a religious component to a book. It is so much more. My books have always included the tension between right and wrong, but I mostly avoided adding the spiritual tension-- those hard questions and struggles when characters inevitably dealt with trouble.

In writing romantic suspense, my plots always depict contemporary women in extraordinary circumstances. While solving the mystery, my character(s) deal with the real issues of life - the ups and downs of relationships, of the difficulty in balancing career and marriage and motherhood, with the challenge of blended families. Now I also freely explore the presence of a spiritual dimension in my characters along with the mystery element. I can fully flesh out my characters, adding the physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual. Writing such a message feels satisfying and fulfilling.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a whole lot of suspense in this lengthy melodrama, August 1, 2006

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Never Tell (Mira S.) (Mass Market Paperback)

Artist Erica Stewart has spent the last nine years living in a vacuum of grief, mourning the loss of her husband and daughter in a hit and run accident. Socialite Lillian Trask has spent the last several years as her behind-the-scene benefactor. When her son Hunter meets the attractive artist and falls head over heels for her, Lillian makes every attempt to discourage him as she feels he's better suited to family friend Kelly Colson. CEO Morton Trask is up for an ambassador post and wants to avoid controversy at any cost. His marriage to Lillian isn't a love match; as a wealthy widow, she was the perfect wife for his future plans. But their troubled daughter Jocelyn and his estranged relationship with his step son give him constant grief. As Hunter woos Erica, he can't understand why she isn't returning his feelings. When she confides in him about her family and that she's starting to remember bits and pieces (coming through in her art), he's determined to help her come to terms with the accident that claimed her family. As she regains her memory, it's clear that someone wants her dead before she can identify the driver.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the that someone in the Trask family was behind the wheel that fateful night, the only question is who. Though the lead couple oozes chemistry, I found Young's latest really hard to stay focused on - it's nearly 500 pages and could easily have been trimmed to avoid character clothing choices, hairstyles, and other plot redundancies.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good romantic suspense, June 3, 2006

By 

bbvector, LORE Reading Group (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Never Tell (Mira S.) (Mass Market Paperback)

Houston artist Erica Stewart is achieving amazing success with her clothing and quilt designs. Never far from her mind are thoughts of her husband and baby who were killed by a hit and run driver nine years ago. The killer wasn't caught.

Erica was in a coma and her memories are incomplete about the accident. She withdrew from the world until her friend, Jason, proposed a business partnership. They opened a boutique featuring Erica's designs and Jason's irrepressible sales chutzpah. Erica is happy with her success but somewhat suspicious of the seeming ease it has happened.

Hunter McCabe is buying a present for his mother's birthday. He chooses one of Erica's jackets, meets the designer and falls for her instantly. Hunter is a successful architect. His father died when he was two and his mother remarried an ambitious jerk four years later.

Hunter pursues Erica but she's wary, unwilling to risk love. Hunter isn't discouraged. Then Erica begins dreaming of the accident and images - memories? - of the accident resurface and threaten their relationship and lives.

Good chemistry between Erica and Hunter. Jason was a terrific friend. Thought the villain's storyline and actions were stupid; leave that out and it's a much better story.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brillantly Portrayed!, June 15, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: Never Tell (Mira S.) (Mass Market Paperback)

Karen Young once again does not disappoint her fans. With brilliantly portrayed characters and a merciless villain, you will read NEVER TELL in one sitting. This compelling plot will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end!

Lillian Trask could easily spend the rest of her life in Houston but her husband, Morton, the legendary CEO of CentrixO, stuns her with the news that he may be up for an ambassadorship. That means leaving her son, Hunter, and not being on hand for their distressed daughter, Jocelyn. It also means she would stop secretly aiding the career of clothing designer Erica Stewart. A close family friend tells Hunter his mother would like an Erica Stewart original as a gift and it is here where things start to get complicated for Hunter McCabe.

When Hunter meets Erica, he rapidly falls in love but can not understand why she wants nothing to do with him. He chooses a gift, gives it to his mother for her birthday and can't stop talking about the woman he just met. Lillian sees that her son is smitten with Erica yet Hunter is miffed when his mother, who is always gracious, turns ashen and acts oddly. The concerned Lillian tells Morton that Hunter is love-struck with Erica but he tells her to just deal with it. Hunter, now deeply in love, is determined to find out why his family has an attitude about Erica. Then, much to his horror, someone makes an attempt on her life when she starts recalling repressed memories of when she lost husband and baby in a hit and run accident nine years earlier. Hunter sets out to deal with her attacker and to protect her while they both struggle with the nasty secrets they discover have been lurking in the closet for many years.

Set in the beautiful Texas hill country as well as Houston, Karen Young writes another terrific must read. Romance is at the core of the story with a strong-willed heroine and a determined hero. This excellent page-turner confirms to us that it is love, honesty and trust that help us to do the right thing. Please don't miss NEVER TELL - you'll be sorry if you do!