Killing Me Softly is a passionate story of love, lies, and betrayal set in the beautiful and mysterious bayou country of Southern Louisiana. The setting along tells readers they are in for a real treat.

Eighteen months ago, reporter Savannah Trahan is believed murdered… by her police officer boyfriend Cain Robichaud. But with no body to prove it, all people have are suspicions since Cain was found at the scene of the crime with her blood all over him. His career in the force ruined and having lost the love of his life, Cain is left with nothing but memories and his passion for photography.

Now, another reporter has arrived in town, investigating the disappearance and supposed murder of Savannah. But Renee Fox has her own secrets as well. She is really Savannah, not dead, but with a new face and identity, hoping to get to the bottom of her own death. Believing herself betrayed but the one person she loved more than life, Savannah has given herself one week to prove Cain’s involvement in her murder.

However, Renee never counted on the overwhelming love she would feel for Cain upon seeing him again. Cain is drawn to this mysterious woman though he struggles with the attraction, convinced he is betraying Savannah’s memory. Someone knows the truth though, and will do whatever is necessary, even continue to commit murder, to keep the truth from surfacing. Now Cain and Renee must put side their doubts and fears to work together to solve the mystery.

Having read and enjoyed the Midnight Secrets trilogy by Jenna Mills, which continues the story of the Robichaud family, I could tell there was so much more to the background of these sexy suspense novels. Now, jumping back in time to read the book that started it all, Killing Me Softly, I can finally learn the history. Though events here don’t directly impact the events in the additional books, it was well worth going back to the beginning.

What a fast paced thrilling romance! From the opening scenes with Cain finding Savannah’s body, and the subsequent heart-rending agony it causes, we know Jenna is targeting our emotions as much as our curiosity. I know I couldn’t resist the immediately submersion in Cain’s life, and immediately wanted to know how he would recover.

Fast forward a year and a half and it is quite apparent the tragedy has scarred Cain permanently. His reputation irreversibly affected by the suspicions of the locals, is it any wonder Renee immediately gets his guard up when she starts asking questions? Renee too has been permanently scarred, physically and emotionally by her own near-murder. Barely alive, her heart is crushed by the apparent involvement of Cain in what happened to her. Even so, the attraction between them is so sensual and seductive that the heat builds to a level that can rival the sultry nights of Southern Louisiana itself. This just makes us long even more for Renee and Cain to find the happiness previously stolen from them.

Suspense increases ten-fold as Renee/Savannah finds more and more clues to the mystery and discovers her life to be in danger once more. Her mind tells her one thing, her heart another, where Cain is concerned, which only adds to the rising tension in the novel. Our own interest in the outcome only grows as all the evidence is slowly unfolded and we come to understand why Cain’s supposed betrayal had such on Renee’s new life. As clues were uncovered, I know my guesses were a growing maelstrom of varying possibilities as I tried to solve the mystery. So many twists are revealed that I had a hard time deciding whether my own thoughts were right or not.

If you are looking for a real page turner that has more twists and turns then the wildest of roller coasters... if you are looking for a passionate love story full of heart-felt emotion, then by all means, Killing Me Softly is a real winner. I guarantee you’ll find abundant thrills and chills, and a sensual love story that will more than satisfy.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, August 2007. All rights reserved.