The Sheriff's Amnesiac Bride (Silhouette Romantic Suspense) (The Colton Family)

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques It is Sheriff Jericho Yates's wedding day. He is about to marry a long time dear friend in a marriage of convenience when trouble drives into the town of Esperanza, TX. Tires start squealing and bullets flying when out of the midst of it she appears. Rosie is lost. She has no memory of who she is, who the father of her unborn child is, or how she ended up in town on the church steps just in time to interrupt a wedding. Someone thinks she knows something however and if Rosie doesn't regain her memory soon, she will die for answers she doesn't even know she has. It is up to Jericho to protect Rosie, but he never expected the price would be his heart and soul. Ever since I first started reading Linda Conrad (about halfway through her Night Guardians series I "discovered" her) I have been an avid fan and eagerly anticipate each new book she releases. I was a little curious what I'd think of this one since it is from a continuity series I hadn't read before. Happily, Linda's voice shines through and I found everything I've come to expect from one of her novels. We have strong characters with hearts of gold, riveting action and suspense, and highly emotional relationships between characters. Linda Conrad successfully takes multiple plot devices (marriage of convenience, secret baby, and amnesia victim) and combines them in such a way that they become a compelling page turner of a romantic suspense novel with The Sheriff's Amnesiac Bride. Action starts on the very first page and doesn't quit until the final showdown. I liked the fact that we readers also aren't quite sure why the villains are after Rosie since she cannot recall the reason. We know she has something they will kill to recover yet we have no idea what that mysterious item is. As the story unfolds and flashes of memory return to Rosie, we have to put the pieces together at the same time she does. Conflict between Jericho and Rosie is beautifully written. Jericho's protective instincts came screaming to the forefront as soon as Rosie stumbled up to the church. Rosie is desperate though she doesn't remember why and she responds to Jericho in a way she doesn't quite understand. The poignancy of their growing love is made all the more powerful by the fact both fear what will happen once she regains her memory and remembers who her baby's father is. Upon finishing Linda's addition, The Sheriff's Amnesiac Bride, to the Colton's Family First series I had to go back and order the preceding books in the series to find out more about the citizens of Esperanza, Texas. I also look forward to the remaining books in the miniseries. © Kelley A. Hartsell, October 2008. All rights reserved.