Hideaway (Hideaway, Book 1)
In this gentle romantic suspense novel for the Christian market, a competent physician finds faith, love and healing after her world crumbles. When Dr. Cheyenne Allison is unable to save the patient she loves the most, she is threatened with a lawsuit and ordered to go on leave. Angry with God and at loose ends, Cheyenne repairs to a dilapidated house on 65 acres of land in Hideaway, a rural Missouri town where she hopes to find quiet and healing. But country life is anything but peaceful. It's not long before the good-looking divorce Dane Gideon cajoles her into helping with a dyslexic teen at his ranch for troubled boys, and the widowed mayor, Austin Bartow, angles for a date. Tension simmers when a vandal wreaks havoc on the town, and Bartow blames a boy at the ranch. Cheyenne finds herself caught up in the melee, which culminates when a beloved elderly friend turns up missing. The tension is low-key; the romance between Dane and Cheyenne simmers but never boils, and Cheyenne's search for faith is slow and rather refreshingly undramatic. Some scenes feel wooden, however, especially when a young teen is accidentally electrocuted and Cheyenne works to save his life. Genuine humor and an interesting cast of characters keep the story perking along, and although some of the plot twists are a stretch, there are a few surprises. CBA readers who appreciate escapist romance with a dollop of suspense should find this an enjoyable read.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.