~Shadows in the Moonlight~

by Jeanne Sumerix

      Heroine:  Formerly heavy

    25-year-old forest ranger Penny Hart, desperate to put her father's death behind her, is making some major changes in her life.  She's lost 100 pounds, applied for a job transfer, and is moving out on her own for the first time.  But just as the young woman thinks she's put together a solid plan for a new lease on life, her mother throws her a curveball.  Penny's dreams of peaceful solitude fade when she discovers that her late father's partner, the sexy and guilt-ridden FBI agent Mack Holsey, has ensconced himself in the Hart family retreat: the very place where she intended to make her fresh start!

   Penny wants the cabin to herself and starts scheming of ways to get rid of her unasked-for roommate. But a mysterious hit-and-run accident coupled with unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding her father's death keep the handsome agent firmly entrenched in her home and her life.  She's brave enough to throw herself headlong into fighting forest fires, but can Penny survive the dangers of falling in love?

      What worked for me:

    This story had an interesting premise, a hunky hero with a decent personality, and a heroine with a wild job.

     I liked the fact that even though Penny has lost a lot of weight, she doesn't dwell overmuch on the size of her body.  (Except for those times when she feels she is on uncertain ground with the man in her life, but what woman hasn't done that?)  

What didn't work for me:    

     The flow of the writing became somewhat stilted as the story progressed, and I felt that the book was longer than it really needed to be.  With some judicious whittling down it could have been a tighter, faster-paced read. (Note: the edition I reviewed was not the version which you'll find on store bookshelves, so some of these issues may have been addressed in the final editing session.)

Overall:

     The plot definitely had some great potential.  Fans of mystery/suspense or multicultural novels may want to have a look at this one, but beware that it does have some rather steamy sex scenes.  

     If you liked "Shadows in the Moonlight" you might also enjoy "Walking After Midnight", "Looking for Laura",  "Serious Risks", "Love by the Pound", and "Teacher's Pet".

Have you read this book and have a comment to make on it? Join a discussion about the book at the Dangerous Curves forum or submit a review to this website.