33rd out of 850 books
—
1,047 voters
Don't Tell (Romantic Suspense #1)
by
Karen Rose
It was a desperate plan. But Mary Grace Winters knew the only way to save herself and her child from her abusive cop husband was to stage their own death. Now all that remains of their former life is at the bottom of a lake. Armed with a new identity in a new town, she and her son have found refuge hundreds of miles away. As Caroline Stewart, she has almost forgotten the n...more
Paperback, 501 pages
Published
December 1st 2006
by Forever
(first published 2003)
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Don't Tell was a very touching, emotional book. It was one of the better romantic suspense books that I have read lately. It was the first Karen Rose book I have experienced, but I can tell that this will be another series that will be a must read for me.
Mary Grace Winters was pregnant and married at age fifteen to a violent, abusive man. She sustained numerous injuries at his hand, and after nearly losing her life when he pushes her down the stairs for the second time, she realizes that she wil...more
Mary Grace Winters was pregnant and married at age fifteen to a violent, abusive man. She sustained numerous injuries at his hand, and after nearly losing her life when he pushes her down the stairs for the second time, she realizes that she wil...more
This is my first Karen Rose book and by the first page I knew this was going to be riveting. Karen Rose is an excellent storyteller and she keeps everything trim and moving at a lightning fast pace. This was truly an edge-of-your-seat thriller and I enjoyed it immensely. As I was reading this I kept thinking that this would make a hugely successful movie; then I remembered Sleeping With The Enemy. I kept getting flashbacks of the movie and this book mixed up in my head but I tried not to let tha...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I did a quickie review of this book on my blog because someone asked my opinion on it:
Don't Tell is the first book in the Romantic Suspense Series by Karen Rose. Although you can read every book as a standalone, they are related because of reappearing characters in the form of friends, relatives, partners, etc. Personally, I think you can experience and enjoy the books more fully when they are read in order.
In Don't Tell we meet Mary Grace Winters or Caroline Stewart, as she calls herself now, w...more
Don't Tell is the first book in the Romantic Suspense Series by Karen Rose. Although you can read every book as a standalone, they are related because of reappearing characters in the form of friends, relatives, partners, etc. Personally, I think you can experience and enjoy the books more fully when they are read in order.
In Don't Tell we meet Mary Grace Winters or Caroline Stewart, as she calls herself now, w...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This is book #1 of a two parter.
Book #2 is "Nothing to Fear." And Mia Mitchell appears again in "Count to Ten" (as a main character). Also, Lt. Spinelli (sp?) appears in one of this author's books, but I can't remember which. Yet. Really each of the books can be read as stand alones. But, "Don't Tell" and "Nothing to Fear" should be read in order as events that happen in this book are discussed and play a role in the latter.
I didn't care for the two main characters in this book. The suspense is...more
Book #2 is "Nothing to Fear." And Mia Mitchell appears again in "Count to Ten" (as a main character). Also, Lt. Spinelli (sp?) appears in one of this author's books, but I can't remember which. Yet. Really each of the books can be read as stand alones. But, "Don't Tell" and "Nothing to Fear" should be read in order as events that happen in this book are discussed and play a role in the latter.
I didn't care for the two main characters in this book. The suspense is...more
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4 stars
Dark. A very dark Romantic Suspense book. And still very hopeful, too.
Caroline (formerly known as Mary Grace Winters) had escaped her nightmare of an abusive marriage once. Now she's working on getting a degree and supporting herself and her son. It's been seven long years of freedom, and has never been tempted into intimacy by any man. But then she meets the new history professor Max Hunter.
Dramatic break... *cue in spooky music*
And we with Detective Rob Winters, the sociopathic, evil so...more
Dark. A very dark Romantic Suspense book. And still very hopeful, too.
Caroline (formerly known as Mary Grace Winters) had escaped her nightmare of an abusive marriage once. Now she's working on getting a degree and supporting herself and her son. It's been seven long years of freedom, and has never been tempted into intimacy by any man. But then she meets the new history professor Max Hunter.
Dramatic break... *cue in spooky music*
And we with Detective Rob Winters, the sociopathic, evil so...more
I had never read any Karen Rose novels but a friend of mine mentioned I might like her books.
When it comes to genre I am a little bewildered. The front of the book as well as the jacket information gives the impression that her books are thrillers. Yet her website seems to suggest that she writes `Romantic Suspense' books. After finishing her book I am not sure I would quite call her genre this but can see that she does have a romantic element running through the story.
Having said that this book...more
When it comes to genre I am a little bewildered. The front of the book as well as the jacket information gives the impression that her books are thrillers. Yet her website seems to suggest that she writes `Romantic Suspense' books. After finishing her book I am not sure I would quite call her genre this but can see that she does have a romantic element running through the story.
Having said that this book...more
Overall Rating: 5 // Action: 4.5 / Emotion: 5 / Romance: 4 / Sensuous: 3.5 / Suspense: 5 // Humor: 16 / Tears: 17
After reading a Karen Rose novel, went out and purchased everything she wrote. Absolutely love her books. She jumped onto "Favorite Authors" List with super-sonic speed.
Karen Rose's debut book, Don't Tell , is a must read for Romantic Suspense readers who like: {1} an amazingly strong heroine; {2} a hunky, flawed, but eventually comes to the rescue hero; {3} emotional and physical att...more
After reading a Karen Rose novel, went out and purchased everything she wrote. Absolutely love her books. She jumped onto "Favorite Authors" List with super-sonic speed.
Karen Rose's debut book, Don't Tell , is a must read for Romantic Suspense readers who like: {1} an amazingly strong heroine; {2} a hunky, flawed, but eventually comes to the rescue hero; {3} emotional and physical att...more
A Chilling Reminder
She's been hiding for seven years, keeping her son and herself safe from the madman who had brutally abused them and almost killed her. Mary Grace and Robbie Winters are painful memories and Caroline Stewart has done everything in her power to help her and her son Tom do more than survive, but thrive. Seven years after fleeing from a violently abusive spouse and assuming a new identity, Caroline has gotten her GED and is working her way through college, just a semester away fr...more
She's been hiding for seven years, keeping her son and herself safe from the madman who had brutally abused them and almost killed her. Mary Grace and Robbie Winters are painful memories and Caroline Stewart has done everything in her power to help her and her son Tom do more than survive, but thrive. Seven years after fleeing from a violently abusive spouse and assuming a new identity, Caroline has gotten her GED and is working her way through college, just a semester away fr...more
For me in a way the 3 star rating is s gift. It's a gift in that this is not a book of the type I read, heavily romantic and so on it's not a book I would have chosen. On the other hand, it's not badly written and it deals with a difficult topic that might bear being looked at more openly.
This is one of my late wife's books. When she passed I moved to a much smaller place and my library has had to be severely pruned. I couldn't bring all my book shelves and the shelves I do have are double loade...more
This is one of my late wife's books. When she passed I moved to a much smaller place and my library has had to be severely pruned. I couldn't bring all my book shelves and the shelves I do have are double loade...more
Oct 05, 2012
Sweetestsummer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
romance-suspense
OMG this is soooo good, so intense and such a thriller!
Rob is a sicko and wants everything to go his way. He kill without hesitation and is heartless even to this own son.
Caroline/Mary grace had a sad past with her own parents and rob. She totally deserve max and vice versa. Though I hate her at certain parts of the book. I came to understand why she behaved that way.
Max is such a cutie! He is attracted to Caroline right from the start! ^^ however his own self pitying thingy pissed me off at...more
Rob is a sicko and wants everything to go his way. He kill without hesitation and is heartless even to this own son.
Caroline/Mary grace had a sad past with her own parents and rob. She totally deserve max and vice versa. Though I hate her at certain parts of the book. I came to understand why she behaved that way.
Max is such a cutie! He is attracted to Caroline right from the start! ^^ however his own self pitying thingy pissed me off at...more
I'm sure I'll be crucified for saying this, because it seems that everyone loved this book but... I just wasn't feeling it.
Yes, Rose conveys the fear, anguish, and terror a woman must endure in an abusive relationship. She also clearly shows the strength and determination that is needed to get out of such a horrible situation. On those counts, bravo.
My issue with this book was the relationship between Caroline and Max. It comes across as just a lot of "i love you's" and fights with no time in b...more
Yes, Rose conveys the fear, anguish, and terror a woman must endure in an abusive relationship. She also clearly shows the strength and determination that is needed to get out of such a horrible situation. On those counts, bravo.
My issue with this book was the relationship between Caroline and Max. It comes across as just a lot of "i love you's" and fights with no time in b...more
She succeeded in escaping her abusive husband, creating a new identity and new life for herself and her son. But just as she's finally feeling safe after seven years, learning to trust again, learning to love, her past is about to come crashing down around her...
This is the first book by Karen Rose that went through my hands, but it certainly won't be the last. I heard only good things about her books and now I have proof they were all true.
This was and amazing story, a full-fledged thriller wit...more
This is the first book by Karen Rose that went through my hands, but it certainly won't be the last. I heard only good things about her books and now I have proof they were all true.
This was and amazing story, a full-fledged thriller wit...more
This was a gift to my from a friend last Christmas (God knows how much thankful I am to that person for choosing this one, although she did say it was only because the cover looked nice.), and this is one of the books that, although unpopular, is a good read and greatly recommended.
Only a few books have the ability to make my heart hammer against my chest because of the sheer tension, and Don't Tell is one of them. I would find myself rapping my fingers restlessly against the table, and I would...more
Only a few books have the ability to make my heart hammer against my chest because of the sheer tension, and Don't Tell is one of them. I would find myself rapping my fingers restlessly against the table, and I would...more
This book was satisfactory on many counts:
The villain was evil, brutal, monstrous, and violent. As he intelligently hunted down, threatened, and killed others to find Caroline, it built up a real, scary anticipation for the end.
The romance was believable, sweet, and rewarding. The H/H both brought a lot to the table and helped each other grow (getting over disability issues, residual trust/fear issues). Max is gentle and slow with Caroline, while still making her feel very much wanted. Caroline...more
The villain was evil, brutal, monstrous, and violent. As he intelligently hunted down, threatened, and killed others to find Caroline, it built up a real, scary anticipation for the end.
The romance was believable, sweet, and rewarding. The H/H both brought a lot to the table and helped each other grow (getting over disability issues, residual trust/fear issues). Max is gentle and slow with Caroline, while still making her feel very much wanted. Caroline...more
I picked this up for £1, thinking it was an average crime book. Started reading and got to the part where Max is introduced, at which point things began to get a little too Mills & Boon for my tastes. After looking Karen Rose up, I realise now of course that she writes romantic suspense.
Romance novels tend to annoy me. This one was no exception.
Max. The hero. Thinks that no woman can ever fall for him because he walks with a cane. Has he not seen House? Canes are cool. Everyone loves canes....more
Romance novels tend to annoy me. This one was no exception.
Max. The hero. Thinks that no woman can ever fall for him because he walks with a cane. Has he not seen House? Canes are cool. Everyone loves canes....more
“You had wings. Okay, fine. Now you don’t. I wanted to be a ballerina. But I wouldn’t have had that even if I hadn’t fallen down a flight of stairs and broken my back, spent years of my life fighting to walk again. Know why?"
"Why?" Stunned, he could only mouth the word, unable to find his voice.
"Because I never had enough money to eat. I never had a brother to care about me. I never had a father to love me enough to cry over me. I didn’t have shoes to wear to school, much less ballet slippers...more
"Why?" Stunned, he could only mouth the word, unable to find his voice.
"Because I never had enough money to eat. I never had a brother to care about me. I never had a father to love me enough to cry over me. I didn’t have shoes to wear to school, much less ballet slippers...more
Jun 05, 2011
Jonetta
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Jonetta by:
Lauren
Mary Grace Winters finally found a way to escape her abusive husband and reinvented herself as Caroline Stewart and moved to Chicago with her seven-year old son, now named Tom. For the next seven years, she managed to pull herself up by her bootstraps, with the help of a shelter and a kind employer, and create a happy and productive life. Caroline got her GED and went to work for the head of the history department at a small college. Following the death of the chair, a new history professor, Max...more
Well would you look at what I've just found. I read this book years ago on the long flights between Australia and Spain and can remember really enjoying it. However, as per usual with the course of time, I'd forgotten all about it. Another reason for loving GoodReads, I guess.
Karen Rose writes a really good balance between the romance and the suspense/thriller aspects of this novel and her characters are well-rounded and relatable. I mean, what kind of mother wouldn't do all she could to save he...more
Karen Rose writes a really good balance between the romance and the suspense/thriller aspects of this novel and her characters are well-rounded and relatable. I mean, what kind of mother wouldn't do all she could to save he...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Max isn't a cop or FBI agent but a history professor. Nevertheless, he's hunky and attractive. Improbable, in my experience, but this is Romantic Suspense Fiction so anything's possible.
I did not like this as much as the other Rose books but it was way better than Have You Seen Her which had the most unattractive hero ever.
I did not like this as much as the other Rose books but it was way better than Have You Seen Her which had the most unattractive hero ever.
Don't Tell had everything you could want from a romantic suspense book. A deep rooted hatred for evil that Caroline must overcome if she ever wishes to find true love. This was almost painful to watch play out. I have a great deal of respect for women in these situations and I feel that Karen Rose, did an amazing job of portraying the very real evil that lives behind closed doors. I loved Caroline's support system and the fact that Dana didn't take ANY crap from Caroline and told her like it is....more
Zwei Frauen - zwei Leben?
Mary Grace Winters wird mit schweren Verletzungen ins Krankenhaus eingeliefert.
Ihr Ehemann ist Polizist und sorgt um ihren Zustand.
Voller Fürsorge und Hingabe kümmert er sich um seine Frau, die offensichtlich depressiv ist und keine Selbstachtung hat. Einige Monate später verschwindet Mary Grace. Manche sagen, sie hätte ihn verlassen, weil er sie betrogen hatte, andere haben ihn im Verdacht, ihr etwas angetan zu haben. Diesen Verdachtsmomenten wird nicht nachgegangen, Ze...more
Mary Grace Winters wird mit schweren Verletzungen ins Krankenhaus eingeliefert.
Ihr Ehemann ist Polizist und sorgt um ihren Zustand.
Voller Fürsorge und Hingabe kümmert er sich um seine Frau, die offensichtlich depressiv ist und keine Selbstachtung hat. Einige Monate später verschwindet Mary Grace. Manche sagen, sie hätte ihn verlassen, weil er sie betrogen hatte, andere haben ihn im Verdacht, ihr etwas angetan zu haben. Diesen Verdachtsmomenten wird nicht nachgegangen, Ze...more
Foi uma leitura que entreteve, que fluiu com algum interesse, mas que não correspondeu totalmente às minhas expectativas, sem, no entanto, me fazer desistir da autora. Contudo, espero que os próximos livros me façam ficar mais agarrada à história do que este, que não primou pela originalidade nem teve grandes reviravoltas. O enredo vai-se desenvolvendo da forma esperada até ao confronto final, nada de surpreendente, portanto.
É um livro sem dúvida para o público feminino, com ênfase na parte româ...more
É um livro sem dúvida para o público feminino, com ênfase na parte româ...more
This book was really well written the characters really came to live and the suspense was the kind that really made me sit on the edge of my chair and bite my nails.
The romance was well done, but i did find my self skipping bits to it to figure out what was happening on the suspense side. The characters were earthy and real and the only point for which I'm skipping a star is the hero whose problems seemed a bit immature (and he seemed immature in facing them) in front of the heroine's. On the o...more
The romance was well done, but i did find my self skipping bits to it to figure out what was happening on the suspense side. The characters were earthy and real and the only point for which I'm skipping a star is the hero whose problems seemed a bit immature (and he seemed immature in facing them) in front of the heroine's. On the o...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
What I didn't like about this book was that the author uses the very serious and very real subject of spousal abuse as an excuse to come up with the most blatantly trashy lovel story one could possibly imagine.
She uses every cliché for love stories that is out there: of course the heroine is (naturally) blonde, petite and has blue eyes, of course the hero is tall, dark, handsome and brooding, of course it's love at first sight for both, of course he's a young, good-looking intelligent history p...more
She uses every cliché for love stories that is out there: of course the heroine is (naturally) blonde, petite and has blue eyes, of course the hero is tall, dark, handsome and brooding, of course it's love at first sight for both, of course he's a young, good-looking intelligent history p...more
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(1)romantic suspense
Karen Rose is the author of numerous romantic suspense books.
Though most of the books can be read as stand-alones, all of her books (except the Hot Pursuit anthology) take place in the same "universe" and have many connected characters. Some of the books...more
More about Karen Rose...
(1)romantic suspense
Karen Rose is the author of numerous romantic suspense books.
Though most of the books can be read as stand-alones, all of her books (except the Hot Pursuit anthology) take place in the same "universe" and have many connected characters. Some of the books...more
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“I’ve sweated and grunted and pushed myself until I thought it would be easier to give up and die. '
- Caroline”
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1 person liked it
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- Caroline”

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