No One but You

Struggling to support herself and her young son, Sadie Harris takes on a job for Dawson Reed, a man just acquitted of killing his parents. Narrator Veronica Worthington expresses Sadie's desperation to get away from her abusive ex-husband. Worthington also brings out Dawson's anguish over his parents' murder as he tries to restore the family farm in order to bring his handicapped sister home. While Worthington is able to get the listener to sympathize with both Sadie's and Dawson's hardships, she doesn't give distinctive voices to the characters, and the listener has difficulty differentiating the speakers. However, the story itself has enough substance to offset this issue. S.B. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

June 15, 2017

Most folks in tiny Silver Springs, CA, think Sadie Harris is crazy to consider working for a man everyone believes murdered his parents, but nearly divorced Sadie is desperate to escape her jealous ex, make ends meet, and take care of her five-year-old son. When artichoke farmer Dawson Reed offers Sadie the job of housekeeper and caregiver for his mentally challenged younger sister, she accepts--and sets off a chain of events that quickly become a lot more dangerous--and sensual--than anyone could have imagined. An unsolved murder, threatened but determined protagonists, and a well-rendered villain keep the action and the plot moving forward. Once again, Novak nails the small-town vibe with her classic combination of unvarnished truth and down-home charm. VERDICT This warm, suspenseful romance has enough of a chill factor to keep readers on edge until the end. Novak (Finding Our Forever) lives in the Sacramento, CA, area.

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