Review: You Belong to Me by Karen Rose

Series:	Baltimore #1
Pub. Date:	June 7, 2011
Publisher:	Berkley
Length:	480 pgs
Source:	Library

Karen Rose has been on my TBR for such a long time... but I never quite knew where to start and was daunted by the back list, fearing that I would need to read from the beginning to understand what was going on. But I decided to just jump in here with the first in a mini-series (#1 in Baltimore series), but which is actually #12 in Rose's Romantic Suspense collection. I am happy to report that I was able to jump in just fine without feeling lost or not knowing who long-standing characters were. So if you are trying to get your feet wet in the Rose water like me, come on in, temperature is fine! And check out the character web below if you need to know how the characters for the Baltimore series intersect.

So our heroine is quite the contradiction in terms. Dr. Lucy Trask is the Medical Examiner in Baltimore, and purposely tries to live a boring and unexciting life. Except for those nights when she dresses up in leather, studs, spike heels, and plays her electric violin for a heavy metal club. Intrigued? I was. I enjoyed learning about Lucy and her past, and just why she tried not to give into temptation and excitement. I thought she made a good and capable heroine, and didn't have any of those annoying heroine traits that we usually complain about.

Our hero is a hunky homicide detective, JD Fitzpatrick, who had a complicated childhood and complicated marriage. JD was just what you look for in a romance hero - a sexy tough guy that wants to take care of his woman, but also has a little bit of vulnerability himself. I loved his relationship with his partner and her daughter, and I enjoyed watching him get back into the romance game with Lucy. One of my favorite aspects was that he let her be her own person, and he didn't jump into rescue her when she didn't need it... but he was always there in the background being supportive.

The relationship between these two unfolded at a nice pace with the story. Things could definitely get hot and heavy between the Doc and the Detective... and the chemistry added excitement of a different flavor (as compared to our serial killer suspense). Speaking of our serial killer, you pretty much know who he is throughout the story. I always like getting a peek inside the killer's brain so that we understand his reasons and motives, crazy as they may be. This particular person made a good villain, and the underlying story as to why he was acting out was tragic.

So I'm definitely glad that I have tackled my first Karen Rose, and I'm sure there will be many more to come for me. 

Purchase Links

Character Web

About the Author

Karen Rose is the award-winning, #1 international bestselling author of more than twenty novels, including the bestselling Baltimore and Cincinnati series. Her books have been translated into twenty-three languages and have placed on the New York Times, Sunday Times (UK), and Germany’s der Spiegel bestseller lists. She lives in Florida. Connect with her online at karenrosebooks.com, and facebook.com/KarenRoseBooks.