Passion to Die For

The Copper Lake Series - with the Calloway Brothers #5

by Marilyn Pappano

"I wish to God you were dead."

Little did Ellie Chase know those would be the last words she ever spoke to her estranged mother. When Martha's body was found the next morning, all eyes were on Ellie... who couldn't remember what she'd done that night. So when Tommy Maricci—the man she refused to let herself love came to her rescue, she couldn't say no.

Tommy believed in his former girlfriend's innocence—no matter how damning the evidence against her was. She may have broken his heart, but he took her into his home for protection. Because if Ellie wasn't the killer, someone had set her up. And Tommy refused to let anyone hurt the woman he loved.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Harlequin, Contemporary, Ebooks, Contemporary Romance

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Award-winning and bestselling author, international traveler, feted at a Hollywood premiere . . .

All true . . . but my regular life is a whole lot more routine. Deal with the five big puppers who share our house, babysit our grandson, battle the jungle that is our yard, pray for summer in winter and dream of winter in summer, and hunker down at the computer -- that's my real life.

I grew up in Oklahoma and had the fun of living in Georgia, Alabama, California and the Carolinas, thanks to my husband's Navy career. When he retired, we came home to Oklahoma and have lived in the same house for seventeen years. That's a real "Wow!" for someone used to the nomadic military life.

Writing was the perfect career for all that moving. Have computer, will travel. I've set books, or part of them, in every state we've lived in and been inspired by every place I've ever been. I've now written somewhere around 80 books, and I think I've got only about 8,000 stories left to tell.

My biggest hobby is starting new projects -- starting. Not completing. I'm still not done with the cross-stitched Army seal I started when our son joined out of high school. He did tours in Georgia, Colorado, Korea, Italy, Iraq, Afghanistan and Louisiana, and has been out for a few years. So I'm a little slow.

I like to think about getting organized, painting my living room in cool beachy colors, and turning my entire five-acre yard into a garden. I also dream about having every room in my house clean at exactly the same time, but I live by the motto of the woman who taught me to quilt: A clean house is the sign of a bored woman.

And I've never been bored.

Reviews

[Mojca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellie Chase thought she was safe in the little town, where the only pain she had to endure was watch her ex-boyfriend bring another woman to dinner at her restaurant.

But the evening wasn't over yet. Fate had another surprise in store for Ellie, a ghost from her past. A ghost that could and surely would destroy everything Ellie has worked so hard to obtain.

Well, this book is great proof why you should stick with something until the very end (or at least until the middle). Because it started so slow and rather boring, I was seriously contemplating leaving it be and read something else. But something told me to keep reading...And I ended up finishing it in one sitting (okay, maybe I was a little more horizontal, but let's not split hairs).

Anyway, yeah, it started slow, uneventful, yet another story where the guy dumps the girl, leaving her pining...But it turned out quite differently. It was the girl that sort-of dumped the guy when he gave her the ultimate ultimatum - "I want it all or nothing". Imagine that. The guy wanted to get married, have kids, the works, and the girl dragged her feet.
Talk about refreshing.

And of course, six months later she was still dragging her feet, pining after him as much as he pined after her (didn't these people ever heard of communication?), when her past came marching back into her life...And we learned she had a pretty good, solid reason for dragging her feet, for not daring to hope, trust, love. Talk about emotional scars and baggage. She had it all, an probably a T-shirt to prove it.

Though this story was, of course, heroine-centric, I came to love the hero the most. Though not possessing a very manly name (I know he was of Italian descent, but Tommy), he was true hero material. He defied the heroines belief he would want nothing to do with her after he learned the truth, he stuck by her when things got rough, when most people would give up and turn their backs on her, forgave her for lying to him, forgave her for pushing him away, and still loved her in the end.
He truly made me wish I lived in Romancelandia.

The only problem with this book was the suspense part. Sure it was gripping and nail-biting worthy when it started, but when the truth came out and the culprit and the reasons were known, it just struck me as a little far fetched.

Besides the rather unsatisfying suspense plot (and ending) and the slow start, there were absolutely no other obstacles for me to really enjoy this story.

[Stuart Aken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This romance is more than a mere love story, otherwise, as a man, I wouldn't have read it. With its undertones of menace, thread of injustice, mystery to be solved and unspoken comments on small town American life this is a novel that should attract readers from both genders and all adult age ranges.
The characters are alive and, whether nasty or nice, cynical or naive, beautiful or ugly, they portray traits we can all both recognise and empathise with. The main story, of unrequited love, is interwoven with another that deals with jealousy, intrigue, hatred and injustice.
The reader is driven to first trust the heroine and then doubt that trust, as she grows through the experiences she faces and even doubts herself. The hero remains a stalwart but retains his professional concerns and suspicions so that he is reluctant to make the conclusions necessary to end the doubts he's faced with.
I won't spoil the story by alluding to the ending, except to remark that it is apposite; it fits without being contrived.
As a reader of many different styles and genres, I found I was drawn into this novel by the characters very early on. The mystery and intrigue kept me absorbed and the emotional content, coupled with the well-drawn characters, carried me through to the ending.
A book I enjoyed and can happily recommend to men and women alike.

[Mrs. Missive · Rating 2 out of 5]

The troublesome past smacked into the lead characters before we really got a chance to know them in my opinion. And with how serious the tone was the love scenes seemed a little cheesy. I finished it to find out what happened, but it wan't a fun journey.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellie Chase has been running from her past for as long as she can remember. She moved to a small town, started her own restuarant, and fell in love with Tommy Maricci. But, no matter how much she has turned her life around, she can't let the past rest and move on. Which pretty much cost her her relationship with Tommy. But suddenly, Tommy notices a strange woman talking with Ellie and notices the fact that she doesn't look happy talking to the woman. When the woman suddenly turns up dead and Ellie can't remember what she did that night and some cops were ready to arrest her right then, but he believed in her innocence. When her past secrets come out, Tommy will learn why Ellie couldn't give him her love and who the mystery woman really was.

[Ishanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was short and sweet. I learned not to judge a book by it's cover. After taking a good look at that overdramatic picture, I thought for sure that I wouldn't get past the first chapter. But I was wrong. It held my curiosity throughout and it was certainly a mystery I didn't easily solve. I would have changed who the killer was and I probably wouldn't have dedicated an entire chapter to lovemaking. However, I did keep in mind that it was a Harlequin romance and that was to be expected. I'd like to read something of greater substance by the same author. I like her style of writing and I'm hoping she can step out of the romance realm and deliver something of pure suspense to readers!

[Martina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
this book really was a surprise. i got it for free for kindle and read it through in one day.

honestly you can't compare it to those high-prized thrillers that hit the bestseller list but it was nice and got everything my romance and suspense-loving heart craves.

You have a strong male lead character and a female lead that got a lot of dark secrets in her past.
The dark past slowly emerges and affects the heroines present life.
There's a murder and the lead gets prime suspect - yesss!

it wold have been a solid 4 stars if i'd had the chance to play detective too and guess who's guilty, i missed that...

[Chrichrilecture · Rating 1 out of 5]

Une grosse erreur

Heureusement que le téléchargement est gratuit l'histoire ne tient pas la route, beaucoup de répétitions avec des phrases inutiles et qui ne veulent rien dire. Il n"y a même pas 50 pages de valables

[Tibwalovesstory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Et je termine ma découverte de certaines collections de la maison d’édition Harlequin avec Accusée par erreur, de Marilyn Pappano, collection Black Rose. Si la quatrième de couverture laisse penser à un thriller - et clairement, l’histoire aurait vraiment pu prendre cette direction - son développement est plus proche d’un policier saupoudré de quelques moments de suspense.
C’est l’histoire d’Ellie Chase, une jeune femme de 30 ans qui tient un restaurant en Géorgie, où elle a refait sa vie. Séparée de Tommy, un policier dont elle a refusé la demande en mariage, bien qu’elle l’aime encore, elle mène une vie tranquille jusqu’à ce que sa mère réapparaisse dans sa vie après 15 ans et la fasse chanter. Le passé d’Ellie revient la hanter, et ses craintes de voir sa véritable identité révélée montent d’un cran lorsque sa mère est assassinée et que tout la désigne comme coupable. Qui tire vraiment les ficelles ? Qui lui en veut ? Que pensera son entourage en apprenant la vérité sur son passé ?
Si l’action évolue à un bon rythme, la tension n’est pas intense, même si l’aspect thriller complot apparaît dans les dernières pages du roman. Mais on est dans un Harlequin. Le premier but du récit est simplement de divertir. Et le job est fait.

[PIERRETTE DUBOIS · Rating 4 out of 5]

n’avait pas tué Marie, c’est elle qui l’aurait tué. Il méritait sans doute plus qu’elle de vivre. — Oui, ça va. S’abandonnant au plaisir pur de pouvoir le regarder, le toucher, lui parler enfin en toute liberté, sans arrière-pensée, Ellie lui sourit. — Je t’aime, tu sais ? Tommy lui rendit son sourire puis l’enlaça et la serra contre lui. — Oui, je le sais, chérie. Je l’ai toujours su. J’attendais seulement que tu en prennes conscience.

n’avait pas tué Marie, c’est elle qui l’aurait tué. Il méritait sans doute plus qu’elle de vivre. — Oui, ça va. S’abandonnant au plaisir pur de pouvoir le regarder, le toucher, lui parler enfin en toute liberté, sans arrière-pensée, Ellie lui sourit. — Je t’aime, tu sais ? Tommy lui rendit son sourire puis l’enlaça et la serra contre lui. — Oui, je le sais, chérie. Je l’ai toujours su. J’attendais seulement que tu en prennes conscience.

[Robyn Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle. 3.5.

[Claudia Mtz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn’t what I thought it was gonna be. Short and slow. Wouldn’t recommend it

[Jessica Morissettte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un pur délice

Vraiment, ce livre est excellent! Il est rempli d'émotions et de richesse! Il m'a tenu en haleine jusqu'à la toute fin!

[May Mostly Romance · Rating 2 out of 5]

เล่มที่ห้าในชุดค่ะ และก็เป็นการหากินตามรูปแบบนะคะ คือเมื่อหมดพี่น้องในตระกูลคัลโลเวย์แล้ว ก็เริ่มเอาเพื่อนพ้องของคนในตระกูลนี้มาเป็นตัวเอง ในเล่มก่อนหน้าทอมมี มาริกกี เป็นนายตำรวจประจำกรมตำรวจแห่งเมืองคอปเปอร์ เลค เพื่อนสนิทของหนุ่ม ๆ ในตระกูลคัลโลเวย์

เป็นเวลาห้าปีแล้วที่ทอมมีหลงรักแอลลี เชส เจ้าของร้านอาหารในเมืองคอปเปอร์ เลค เขาเคยคิดว่า จะทำให้เธอใจอ่อน และยอมแต่งงานกับเขาได้ในที่สุด แต่แอลลีกลับทำทุกอย่างเพื่อปฏิเสธเขา ทั้งคู่คบกัน และเลิกกันหลายต่อหลายครั้ง เพราะไม่อาจตัดใจจากกันได้ แต่ในขณะเดียวกัน ก็มีอะไรบางอย่างในใจของแอลลีที่ทำให้เธอไม่อาจตอบตกลงต่อทอมมีได้

และการมาถึงของมาร์ธาก็รื้อฟื้นอดีตอันเจ็บปวดของเธอ เพราะหญิงสาวที่ทุกคนรู้จักในเมืองคอปเปอร์ เลคว่า คือ แอลลี เชส ไม่ใช่แอลลี เชส เธอคือลูกสาวของมาร์ธา ลูกสาวที่ถูกขับไล่ออกจากบ้าน จนต้องเผชิญโชคตามลำพังในวัยสิบห้าปี เด็กสาวที่ไร้ทางสู้ และไม่มีทางเลือกมากนักในการเอาชีวิตรอด เด็กสาวที่ทำหลายอย่างที่ต้องเสียใจ และเป็นความลับที่เกาะกินใจของเธออยู่ ความลับที่เธอเชื่อว่า หากทอมมี และคนอื่น ๆ ในเมืองได้รับรู้ เธอจะไม่เป็นที่ต้อนรับอีกต่อไป และมาร์ธาก็ใช้มันในการข่มขู่เธอ

อ่านเล่มนี้แล้วอย่างกรี๊ดให้ดังลั่นกับพระเอก โอ้ยผู้ชายแบบนี้หาได้ที่ไหนกันเนี่ย เพราะเขาซื่อสัตย์ต่อความรู้สึกที่มีให้กับแอลลีมาก และพร้อมจะทำทุกอย่างเพื่อเธอคนเดียว แต่นั่นก็คือปัญหาของเรื่องเช่นกัน เพราะเรารู้สึกถึงความไม่สมดุลในความรู้สึก แอลลี เลือกที่จะหนีจากเขาไปโดยไม่ร่ำลา และดูเหมือนว่า จะทำได้โดยไม่ต้องคิดอะไรมากมาย เธอพร้อมจะออกจากเมืองโดยไม่บอกอะไรเขาสักคำเดียว สำหรับเรานั่นมันโหดร้ายต่อทอมมีมากนะ เพราะเขารักเธอมากขนาดนั้น แต่หญิงสาว ไม่ว่าการที่เธอทำเช่นนั้น เป็นเพราะต้องการปกป้องเขา หรือความรู้สึกตัวเอง การที่เธอทำได้ มันช่างบอกถึงความเย็นชาของเธอเหลือเกิน และเราไม่แน่ใจว่า เธอคู่ควรกับความรักที่ทอมมีมีให้ เสียดายพระเอกเล็ก ๆ ค่ะ

เล่มนี้เราชอบในความรู้สึก และลึกซึ้งของตัวละครมาก คิดว่า เขียนได้ดี แม้จะรู้สึกถึงความไ่ม่เท่าเทียมกันในด้านความรู้สึกของพระเอก และนางเอกเท่าไหร แต่หนังสือที่เขียนให้เรามีอารมณ์ร่วมได้มากขนาดนี้ เราก็ถือว่า สำเร็จแล้วล่ะ

และเช่นเดิมค่ะ เล่มนี้อาจสำเร็จในแง่อารมณ์เรื่อง แต่สอบตกเรื่องสืบสวน ไม่อยากพูดอะไรมากนะคะ เหมือนเขียนแล้วก็เขียนอีกรอบ

คะแนนที่ 63

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a free PDF from Harlequin, and I wish they offered freebies in formats other than PDF. They don't read very well on my Nook — the blocks and lines of text get broken up in odd places from the reflowing. It's not pretty, and it makes it hard to read and fully enjoy the book.

That said, this was a pretty good romantic suspense. It's set in a somewhat small town, and a very respectable heroine has a shady past, which makes her pull away from the man she loves, who happens to be a cop. The plot and timing of all the circumstances that make the heroine a suspect is nicely done, but to be honest, there'd be no story if the heroine were simply honest with the hero. Why she feels the need to hide who she really is or was and why she feels that revelation will make her some kind of pariah in the town, I have no clue. It just adds a feeling of frustration to my reading experience, this need to yell at the heroine to "just tell the guy already, woman!"

I mean, it's obviously going to come out anyway, now that her mother is in town, and I find the relief of the truth being out so much more appealing than having to constantly deal with blackmail. It's just my way of thinking, I know, but I have never been able to understand blackmail victims. By succumbing to the blackmailer's demands, they only make the situation worse for themselves. Best to take the power away from the blackmailer and just let the truth out. Kills the suspense immediately. And if the truth results in being ostracized, who cares? At least you know where you stand and can now take action.

Other than that and the obvious references to prequel characters and possible sequel characters, the book was not bad. Not bad at all. The cop hero maintains his objectivity despite his relationship with the heroine — in other words, doesn't get all crazy, jeopardizing his job — and yet he is able to help her and be there for her as well.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part this was an enjoyable and intriguing book. I was surprised I continued with it though because there was some serious formatting issues with my copy. It made it difficult at times to read the book. And if that's the quality of ebook I should expect from Harlequins website, then I won't be getting any from them again. Anyway, the pacing was excellent in this story and I was hooked from the start, a real page-turner. I was also surprised with that, because I did not care for the main characters Tommy and Ellie. And what was up with all the 'ee' sounding names?! Tommy, Ellie, Robbie, Annie, Kiki, Marnie, Jeffrey, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some. It was super annoying.

I had trouble though connecting with the H/h. I felt Ellie was a whiner/complainer and Tommy was gullible and a masochist. I didn't believe in their love for each other at all because it wasn't really shown. Implied, yes but not shown. Honestly, I hated Ellie and I couldn't respect Tommy because he loved her for whatever reason. The romance just didn't work for me.

The mystery was excellent though. The culprit was totally out of left field, and not even mentioned as a suspect, and the climax of the situation was very quick and abrupt. But for 90% of the book I was thoroughly intrigued trying to figure out the whodunnit. That part of the plot was the saving grace for my completing the book and ultimately giving it 3 stars. If not for that this would have been a 1 star or DNF. I was disappointed by that fact as I'm a huge fan of Marilyn Pappano. I love her writing voice a lot. This is definitely the lowest I've ever rated one of her books and I'm sure it won't happen again. Unfortunately, I just can't recommend this one, not when she has so many other truly great books out there.

[Lady K · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://antredeslivres.blogspot.com/20...

Après des années d’errance, Ellie s’est installée à Copper Lake. Elle s’y sent bien, a monté son propre restaurant et a rencontré des personnes formidables qui l’apprécient pour ce qu’elle est. Cependant, sa petite bulle de bonheur éclate lorsque Martha – sa mère qu’elle n’a pas vue depuis 15 ans – fait irruption dans sa vie. Malheureusement, cela ne s’arrête pas là puisque la vieille mégère est retrouvée morte quelques heures plus tard et tous les indices pointent vers Ellie. Persuadé de son innocence, Tom – le shérif et, accessoirement, son ex – prend sa défense et met tout en œuvre pour la tirer de ce mauvais pas.


Ce roman est difficile à classer… l’intrigue policière est vraiment secondaire. Elle avance toute seule en parallèle et le coupable est un peu démasqué par hasard. Disons que cet aspect là n’est pas très développé contrairement à ce que laissait penser la quatrième de couverture. La romance entre Ellie et Tom est plus présente, mais ça ne dégouline pas de guimauve et de paillettes. Ce que j’ai bien apprécié car c’est plus subtil.


En vérité, le vrai sujet de ce roman c’est le passé d’Ellie : ce qu’elle a enduré avant d’arriver à s’en sortir, ce qu’elle a été forcée de faire et de subir, puis sa fuite en avant, sa reconstruction… C’est une femme forte, pleine de courage. On le voit dès le début… Mais lorsqu’on connaît toute sa vie, on ne peut que redoubler d’admiration pour elle.


En conclusion, une lecture qui a déjoué toutes mes attentes : pas vraiment policier, pas vraiment une romance… mais qui reste une bonne découverte. Ellie est un personnage qu’il est agréable de suivre.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle Freebie (I think?).

I actually really enjoyed this one. Harlequin serials can be a little hit or miss for me, but usually the Suspense ones are a solid bet. At first I was a little frustrated with the leads. The male, Tommy, seemed a little bit of a jerk, and I wanted to strangle the female, Ellie, for being so untrusting.

But then the story started to unfold, and then everyone's motivations became clear. I wasn't able to guess who the "bad guy" was, but there were definitely some red flags I picked up on. I like being able to pick those out but not guessing the ending.

The mother was definitely a creepy character. I was glad to see her stick around for half the book (the description makes it sound like she dies very early on). My only major issue was the ending - there were some loose ends that I would have like to seen tied up. It just felt cut off for me.

All in all an enjoyable read.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok book. I had a really tough time with a hero named Tommy. Shallow? Yes. But there it is.

I liked the premise, liked the background stories. I even understood why Ellie acted the way she did. But I had a hard time with how quickly her revelations mAde her feel worthy of love. It should take at least 2 days, not just a few hours, right? Kidding people. Anyway, I also had a hard time with who the villain was. It just seemed so unlikely and they were so devoid o feeling. It didn't quite sit right.

Having said all that, what an interesting premise. And I do like Pappano's voice a lot as well.

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ellie Chase started a new life in the Copper Lake community but her past comes back to haunt her. Tommy Maricci dated Ellie but finally called it quits. Ellie had too many secrets and was unwilling to let Tommy in. Now all her secrets will be revealed.

I give this 3 1/2 stars. It wasn't bad but I felt there was information not delivered to the reader in a timely matter. I didn't really connect to the characters like I wanted to either. This may be because the couple was already established and we, as readers, didn't see their romance develop.

[Sherri Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author did a great job building the suspense, and I didn't figure out who was behind everything until around the same time the characters themselves did. Although the beginning felt a little slow, once things got going I realized that the pacing was necessary. The H&h have a history, and that plays a key role in the story itself. My only real complaint is that I wish there would have been more romantic interaction between the H&h. I would definitely read more of Marilyn Pappano's work in the future.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

i first read this book years ago, as part of a series that i followed, and when this book was offered as a kindle freebie, i grabbed it and re-read it! both H/h are appealing characters, with their share of oh-so-human foibles, and the heroine is running scared when her past finds her. the hero is surprisingly accepting of what the heroine has been though in her past, and helps her find her place in his future.

[Mary]

Loved Loved this book. The storyline was very diffrent and refreashing, and I was reading as fast as I could to find out what happened next. I could not believe the mother (martha) in the story and how mean she was to her daughter (ellie) and heartless. Most romance novels don't include a mother with such a coldhearted nature, and this was very refreshing and engaging. I will be reading more from this author because I enjoyed this book so much.

[Pei · Rating 1 out of 5]

Took ages to get into. Few interesting bits in the middle that could have been so much better if the protagonist was a bit more personal. Not that there wasn't anything to like, you just didn't feel enough for her to be sympathetic enough. The end drama was good, but there wasn't even a reunion! And a pathetic ending.

[ReneeW · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars (C-)

OK it was free so I shouldn't complain, but I expected much better from Ms. Pappano. This one just did not work for me. The heroine was too weak. The mystery/suspense was just blah. The heroine had a horrific back story but I just could not stir myself to care or empathize which is not like me.

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's like a Hallmark movie premise met a romance with sex and fornicated. Not sex, nit made love, not fucked...fornicated. Perfunctory, weird, glimmers of promise only to have to fake it, fornicating.

[Poonam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good romance suspense story!Simply love reading it and like how the relationship between Tommy and Ellie is. Only the epilogue is short and wish it was a bit more longer . Anyway it was an enjoyable read!

[Dorel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I read by Marilyn Pappano. It grabbed my interest from the beginning. I felt sorry for Ellie. I was really glad Ellie had Tommy by her side for support. Ellie's mother is a piece of crap. This book was a great romance suspense to read. I would read more books by this author.

[Jo Notary]

224pgs, the last thing she said to her mother was she wished she was dead, when they found her mother's body, she was the primary suspect, her ex boyfriend comes to help protect her and prove her innocence

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3 1/2 Stars. So much happened so many emotions and goodness what a survivor Ellie proved to be.

[Laula]

well written and captivating. love the twist!!