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When the Storm Breaks
Claire Lambert walked into a nightmare on a rainy night in Washington, D.C. Stumbling upon a killer in the midst of his latest bloody crime, she ran for her life -- but not before a head injury caused her to lose her memory, along with her purse and ID. Now a monster knows who Claire is . . . and where she lives. Waking up in a hospital room the day after being attacked -- her mind stripped of all memory of what happened to her -- Claire can only listen with horror to the scenario Detective Sean Richter unfolds before her. A law officer fiercely dedicated to ending the wave of brutal killings that has struck the city, Sean knows that this brave and beautiful woman holds the key to stopping the murderer before he can strike again. Claire is the only victim who has seen the killer's face and lived -- which is why Sean needs her help and will risk everything to protect her . . . And why a depraved, relentless animal is determined that Claire Lambert must die.
452 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 2003
67 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
June 24, 2018
I picked this book up on a whim. The back cover looked interesting to me. I loved this book. It is a standalone. If you are a fan of romantic/suspense then you may like this. I did like the H&h. At first the H really plucked my nerves due to his We Can/We can't attitude. Later I adored him. The h is a stubborn but strong woman. I did get several lol moments with the characters. I wish she had written a 2nd book about H's work partner, but it does not look like she wrote much after this....:( I had never read or heard of this author until this book.....not sure if she is related to Elizabeth Lowell. I'm glad I picked it up :)
April 27, 2018
I was pulled in instantly, the characters are great. Clare's spunk makes her my favorite. That said, I could've done without the sex scenes.
June 2, 2013
I want more!
Sigh. Where to begin. Well, as you can see, the title is a bit cheesy. It pretty much sets the tone of the whole book. Even the back is cheesy: "A serial killer has one obsession...HER."
The core plot is pretty decent, it the execution that fails miserably. It's set in Washington, DC. The main character, Clare, is at her friends dating service late one Friday night. Her friend, Afton, has nagged Clare into giving the method a shot. Clare leaves to catch the bus back to her Georgetown home, and stumbles across a murder.
She runs. The killer pursues. She manages to get enough of a head start and finds a club in Dupont Circle. It's in the basement of a building, and it's pouring rain, so she slips and falls on the steps, knocking herself out. Some club patrons find her and call 911. Among the patrons is a doctor, who takes care of her until the cops and EMTs get there. While they're waiting, Clare comes to enough to mumble and shout some things that, while fairly incoherent, give the doctor some idea that there might be a murder nearby. The cops investigate and find the body.
When Clare wakes up in the hospital, she can't remember much about the evening, just some vague impressions. One, is the killers "cruel smile." Two, that she'd seen him in photo recently. The cops end up thinking maybe he's another member of the dating service. So, she wouldn't know the killer if he was right in front of her, and he's out to get her.
So, see, not a bad concept. That's pretty much where it ends, though. The whole thing is just...affected, overdone, awkward, hammy, melodramatic, schmaltzy. Whatever word you want to use. There is actually a line that say they "made a storm on the banks of the Chesapeake." I'm mean rolling your eyes is really the only legitimate response. It's not quite "heaving bosoms" or "trembling members," but it's pretty close.
One of the few good things about this book is the description of the DC singles scene. Right from the beginning, Lowell zeros in on the idea that DC sucks if you want to find a serious relationship calling it "the casual partner-swapping of DC's singles scene." Then later pointing out that "it's hard to find safe places to meet strangers in the city, especially if one isn't into smoky bars or teeny-bopper clubs." I can, and do, appreciate the assessment.
Clare and the head detective, Sean, obviously fall in love. The predictability just pretty much continues from there. Not that I mind them falling in love. It's the way it all plays out. The hunt through the dating service databases; Sean's jealousy as Clare goes out with the suspects; the stalking of the killer; the resistance between Clare and Sean, and then the decision to give in; Clare's vehement dismissal of seeing a therapist to help her deal with the trauma. Just on and on. One of the most irritating moment is after Sean and Clare have finally given in, and been discovered. Sean has been telling her the whole time that she's a witness and they can't get involved. Now, to be fair, he's pretty shitty at communicating, but he does tell her. Repeatedly. She either blows it off or decides he's giving her a line. They've been found out and Sean's boss rips him a new one. Suddenly she's all contrite, and "oh no! I didn't realize!" GAH! Stupid bitch didn't listen!!!
There's no real effort to give the characters any depth. Well, I should say no effort. But it's entirely superficial, just like the characters.
The only minor surprise is that Clare isn't rescued by Sean. Or anyone, really. She manages to take down the killer with a barbell to the face and a foot to the balls right before Sean and his partner bust in. Good for her. I wish the rest of the book had been enlightened.
Basically, don't bother. The writing needs help and the so does the story. This seems to be Lowell's first attempt, so I wouldn't count her out completely, but this isn't something I would recommend...or even really mention.
Sigh. Where to begin. Well, as you can see, the title is a bit cheesy. It pretty much sets the tone of the whole book. Even the back is cheesy: "A serial killer has one obsession...HER."
The core plot is pretty decent, it the execution that fails miserably. It's set in Washington, DC. The main character, Clare, is at her friends dating service late one Friday night. Her friend, Afton, has nagged Clare into giving the method a shot. Clare leaves to catch the bus back to her Georgetown home, and stumbles across a murder.
She runs. The killer pursues. She manages to get enough of a head start and finds a club in Dupont Circle. It's in the basement of a building, and it's pouring rain, so she slips and falls on the steps, knocking herself out. Some club patrons find her and call 911. Among the patrons is a doctor, who takes care of her until the cops and EMTs get there. While they're waiting, Clare comes to enough to mumble and shout some things that, while fairly incoherent, give the doctor some idea that there might be a murder nearby. The cops investigate and find the body.
When Clare wakes up in the hospital, she can't remember much about the evening, just some vague impressions. One, is the killers "cruel smile." Two, that she'd seen him in photo recently. The cops end up thinking maybe he's another member of the dating service. So, she wouldn't know the killer if he was right in front of her, and he's out to get her.
So, see, not a bad concept. That's pretty much where it ends, though. The whole thing is just...affected, overdone, awkward, hammy, melodramatic, schmaltzy. Whatever word you want to use. There is actually a line that say they "made a storm on the banks of the Chesapeake." I'm mean rolling your eyes is really the only legitimate response. It's not quite "heaving bosoms" or "trembling members," but it's pretty close.
One of the few good things about this book is the description of the DC singles scene. Right from the beginning, Lowell zeros in on the idea that DC sucks if you want to find a serious relationship calling it "the casual partner-swapping of DC's singles scene." Then later pointing out that "it's hard to find safe places to meet strangers in the city, especially if one isn't into smoky bars or teeny-bopper clubs." I can, and do, appreciate the assessment.
Clare and the head detective, Sean, obviously fall in love. The predictability just pretty much continues from there. Not that I mind them falling in love. It's the way it all plays out. The hunt through the dating service databases; Sean's jealousy as Clare goes out with the suspects; the stalking of the killer; the resistance between Clare and Sean, and then the decision to give in; Clare's vehement dismissal of seeing a therapist to help her deal with the trauma. Just on and on. One of the most irritating moment is after Sean and Clare have finally given in, and been discovered. Sean has been telling her the whole time that she's a witness and they can't get involved. Now, to be fair, he's pretty shitty at communicating, but he does tell her. Repeatedly. She either blows it off or decides he's giving her a line. They've been found out and Sean's boss rips him a new one. Suddenly she's all contrite, and "oh no! I didn't realize!" GAH! Stupid bitch didn't listen!!!
There's no real effort to give the characters any depth. Well, I should say no effort. But it's entirely superficial, just like the characters.
The only minor surprise is that Clare isn't rescued by Sean. Or anyone, really. She manages to take down the killer with a barbell to the face and a foot to the balls right before Sean and his partner bust in. Good for her. I wish the rest of the book had been enlightened.
Basically, don't bother. The writing needs help and the so does the story. This seems to be Lowell's first attempt, so I wouldn't count her out completely, but this isn't something I would recommend...or even really mention.
May 17, 2011
This was my first romance novel, so this will always hold a special space in my heart. It was a very enjoyable read.
July 7, 2013
I loved this book is awesome! Very descriptive. I enjoyed it.
June 9, 2018
Okay so since this book was written in 2003, I'm not going to be TOO hard on it but... The main couple in this novel was the most dysfunctional, shallow couple I've read in a romance book in a long time. The detective, Sean, is said to be this totally professional, dedicated cop, and the VERY FIRST THOUGHT THAT ENTERS HIS HEAD when he see's Claire for the first time is how wonderfully shaped her breasts are. Oh, and did I mention that this was right after she ran for her life from a murderer, smashed her head into the ground, and was in the hospital bed with a concussion? Yeah. It was pretty messed up. And throughout the ENTIRE story, all he ever did was yell at her, shut down her ideas, and even call her stupid right before jumping her bones. The ONLY reason I got through it was because it was a very easy flow and the murder mystery part was quite interesting. If the writer spent more time focusing on that aspect and less time with the constant back and forth Claire and Sean go through, it would have kept my attention much better. I could go on and on with specific details, but since this is just a review and not a book report, I'll leave it at that. There is no doubt in my mind that you could find a better romance AND mystery book without ever reading this one.
August 7, 2019
This is the first novel for the daughter of Elizabeth Lowell and very well done. Claire Lambert has reluctantly agreed to sign up for a dating service - run by a friend. After going through their prospects she leaves their offices off Dupont Circle in D.C. Cutting through a schoolyard, she happens onto a murder in progress. She runs and escapes him, but falls and hits her head and has amnesia. She does tip off people about the murder which is found and linked to a serial killer. Det. SeanRichler and his cousin Aidan Burke work on cold cases for the D.C. PD. Because of this one's similarity to two murders they're working on, they get assigned to Claire's case - especially since the man is stalking her thanks to her dropped purse. The sparks immediately fly between Claire and Sean, but he doesn't want to take advantage of her emotional state or compromise the investigation. As things get more scary with the murderer, everyone works together to figure out who he is.
Really well done - I stayed up until 2 am reading - has a couple of love scenes but they're tastefully done. Fast paced - never really slows down. Amazing 1st novel.
Really well done - I stayed up until 2 am reading - has a couple of love scenes but they're tastefully done. Fast paced - never really slows down. Amazing 1st novel.
February 16, 2019
Basic plot summary: woman accidentally stumbles upon a killer in the midst of a bloody crime and runs, incurring a head trauma that has caused her to lose her memory. Unfortunately, the killer has not forgotten and is out to kill her as well. The police have assigned a few policeman to her--for safety, and in the hopes the killer will be unable to resist coming after her. However, Sean Richter, one of the policeman, has also found himself unable to resist her--and her to him--and he knows that the only way she (and hopefully "they") will have a future is if they can catch this madman.
Just an okay book. Some scenes were written well, but the overall book did not cause my heart to race, or hurry to flip to the next page to see what might happen next. A typical psycho-thriller--but without many thrills. And for two people: a potential victim and a policeman assigned to protect her, they spent *a lot* of time having explicit sex. Definitely not a book for the young, or the young at heart.
Just an okay book. Some scenes were written well, but the overall book did not cause my heart to race, or hurry to flip to the next page to see what might happen next. A typical psycho-thriller--but without many thrills. And for two people: a potential victim and a policeman assigned to protect her, they spent *a lot* of time having explicit sex. Definitely not a book for the young, or the young at heart.
February 5, 2024
nothing about this book grabbed my attention and made me want to read more. I found myself leafing through skimming the pages and finally just gave up. When an attractive single upper-class woman leaves her friend's dating party, she finds herself alone watching a young woman being murdered. while she fled, she fell down some stairs and hit her head. Luckily for her, this stairway leads to a club where a crowd of people have now noticed her and are trying to help. she wakes up in the hospital with a handsome detective asking her questions about the night's events she now can't remember. with the killer knowing where she lives from her purse, she dropped while on the run from him. She and the detective now fear her life is in danger. From here on out it's pretty much a love-hate relationship with her and the detective, it dose turn in to a romance. this just really wasn't my cup of tea along with the writing style.
March 3, 2018
I am not a fan of romance and that may be why I did not like this book. Honestly I did not finish it. The main character Claire walking to the bus station one night discovers a women being murdered. She runs from the murderer and ends up injuring herself. She suffers head trauma and needs to be hospitalized for 3 days. The murder takes her purse with all her information. Claire does not remember what happen but has a male police detective there from the night she was injuried to protect her.
This is the point I really got annoyed with the book. Claire is so injured she has to be hospitalized and has memory loss but can't forget how lovely the detective's eyes are or what great hands he has. Please! This really bothers me because no one with a true head injury would care about anything but their pain. I stopped there. If you like romance this book may be for you but it wasn't for me.
This is the point I really got annoyed with the book. Claire is so injured she has to be hospitalized and has memory loss but can't forget how lovely the detective's eyes are or what great hands he has. Please! This really bothers me because no one with a true head injury would care about anything but their pain. I stopped there. If you like romance this book may be for you but it wasn't for me.
February 10, 2020
I thought this was a good "good guys vs. bad guy" book, which I think the author meant it to be.
The negative feelings I have is dwelled too much on the "romance" it had. I understand that it would have been a pretty short book without it, but I would have enjoyed it more.
I gave it 3-stars but would have given it 4-stars if it didn't have all the long, graphic "touchy-feely romance" parts.
Just my opinion.
The negative feelings I have is dwelled too much on the "romance" it had. I understand that it would have been a pretty short book without it, but I would have enjoyed it more.
I gave it 3-stars but would have given it 4-stars if it didn't have all the long, graphic "touchy-feely romance" parts.
Just my opinion.
July 22, 2025
This was an intense romantic psychological thriller that definitely kept me turning pages. The ending was a bit sappy sweet, but not so much so that it distracts from the storyline. I enjoyed the relatively consistent pacing of the action, and Claire was definitely a badass main female character! I did find it curious that Claire never regained her memories of the initial traumatic event, even after being faced with the villain again.
February 6, 2023
I enjoyed this story. A little romance, I skipped through the 3 pages of detailed lust, three times, action, a violent crazed serial killer and cousins detectives who cold practically read each other minds. The story was well put together. I enjoyed the characters and the relationships between each one. Overall a really good romance thriller
December 21, 2022
Serial Killer
Having money can buy you almost any thing. Careful planning and attention to details let him get away for over ten years but his next victim didn't follow his plans . When the victim fights back, plans fall apart.
Having money can buy you almost any thing. Careful planning and attention to details let him get away for over ten years but his next victim didn't follow his plans . When the victim fights back, plans fall apart.
October 11, 2024
Great story. Loved the twists and turns Ms Lowell put into the story. The romance aspect was good too. I hope Claire and Sean lived happily ever after and Mr Wilkes ended up with multiple life sentences. All over a poor Costa Rican Maid 20 years earlier turning him down. The Audacity!
January 5, 2018
An ok read. The plot is fairly predictable.
July 16, 2020
I thought it was a great blend of suspense and romance. Loved the two main characters plus the three background characters.
April 1, 2021
Super goed en spannend boek, in één keer uitgelezen!
June 24, 2021
Good book. Fast read. Clues were strewn around. Wouldn't mind reading another one of hers.
July 22, 2021
Simple read. A woman sees a murder but loses her memory of it when she falls down a set of stairs when trying to run from the killer. Two cops, Sean and Aiden, get assigned the case. Romance.
February 18, 2022
I loved this book , I could not put it down!
February 28, 2025
Wow what a story. The last few chapters are an adrenaline rush.
July 10, 2025
This was a really good thriller!
December 20, 2025
AWESOME STORYLINE
Romantic thriller you won't be able to put down! If you like stalker books this one is for you! Looking forward to more from this author.
Romantic thriller you won't be able to put down! If you like stalker books this one is for you! Looking forward to more from this author.
August 19, 2024
A Fantastic Read
This book had all the right ingredients. I absolutely loved the humor, the romance and of course the elements of danger. This was electrifying, edge of your seat good. Brilliant!!
This book had all the right ingredients. I absolutely loved the humor, the romance and of course the elements of danger. This was electrifying, edge of your seat good. Brilliant!!
April 14, 2008
There were parts of this book that were good, and parts that sort of bored me. I was a little wary of reading it since I hadn't read the author before and didn't know anything about her. But the first couple of chapters were interesting and I thought it was going to be a good book. The middle parts, though, lag a bit. They kinda make you feel like your going around in circles reading the same thing, with slight variations. Then the end was pretty good.
The storyline was average. Serial killer stalking helpless woman. There wasn't really anything to make it unique from other serial killer books. The romance had its moments, but at other times frustrated me. And there were some procedural things that didn't quite sit right.
So overall, the book had an up and down quality to it. I liked it and I didn't like it all at once. It's not something I'd say is worth running right out and getting, but if you see it cheap used, it's not a bad book to pick up.
The storyline was average. Serial killer stalking helpless woman. There wasn't really anything to make it unique from other serial killer books. The romance had its moments, but at other times frustrated me. And there were some procedural things that didn't quite sit right.
So overall, the book had an up and down quality to it. I liked it and I didn't like it all at once. It's not something I'd say is worth running right out and getting, but if you see it cheap used, it's not a bad book to pick up.
April 5, 2011
Claire Lambert walked into a nightmare on a rainy day in Washington, D.C. Stumbling upon a killer in the midst of his latest bloody crime, she ran for her life - but not before a head injury caused her to lose her memory, along with her purse and ID. Now a monster knows who Claire is...and where she lives. (cover blurb)
Standard issue fem-jep story combined with stale characterization, predictable plot line, and completely unnecessary profanity does not a good thriller make. I stopped reading on page 115, after our heroine blew up at our hero for the second time for no discernible reason other than the author decided the best way to build sexual tension was to have them fuss at each other. Gah.
Standard issue fem-jep story combined with stale characterization, predictable plot line, and completely unnecessary profanity does not a good thriller make. I stopped reading on page 115, after our heroine blew up at our hero for the second time for no discernible reason other than the author decided the best way to build sexual tension was to have them fuss at each other. Gah.
March 7, 2011
Full Review available on The Romanceaholic
I picked this novel up at my local used bookstore, having recognized the Lowell name from previous novels that I’ve read by Elizabeth Lowell. Expecting to be blown away, as I’m a fan of Elizabeth Lowell, I was disappointed that this turned out to be just an okay read for me.
I love romantic suspense, I love relationships between cops and witnesses, and I adore amnesia in romance. This story just fell rather flat for me, however.
Fans of Elizabeth Lowell (Heather Lowell’s multi-published mother), will likely be disappointed, but new readers may still be appreciative. 3/5 Stars
I picked this novel up at my local used bookstore, having recognized the Lowell name from previous novels that I’ve read by Elizabeth Lowell. Expecting to be blown away, as I’m a fan of Elizabeth Lowell, I was disappointed that this turned out to be just an okay read for me.
I love romantic suspense, I love relationships between cops and witnesses, and I adore amnesia in romance. This story just fell rather flat for me, however.
Fans of Elizabeth Lowell (Heather Lowell’s multi-published mother), will likely be disappointed, but new readers may still be appreciative. 3/5 Stars
January 2, 2016
VERY intense and exciting; I had a really hard time putting it down. I did think it was interesting though that she didn't ever regain her memory of that night; I wonder how often that's the case. I really liked all the characters though, and it had a lot of laugh out loud moments. The only thing I would have added is to have seen more of a relationship develop between Claire and Sean outside of the bedroom, although it was better in that respect than most romantic suspense novels. Very good read, if not perfect; I will definitely be picking up another Lowell book soon. Recommended.
June 11, 2016
I'm not a fan of romance fiction but I'll make an exception for this one. The book was fast paced and engaging and I barely put down the book. I must say I'm not a fan of the gratuitous sex scenes so I skimmed through those and could have done without them.
Yes perhaps to some it's formulaic - beautiful woman in danger protected by handsome cop who is emotionally unavailable but put that aside, pick up the book and read it and just enjoy the ride.
It's just a fun and quick read.
Yes perhaps to some it's formulaic - beautiful woman in danger protected by handsome cop who is emotionally unavailable but put that aside, pick up the book and read it and just enjoy the ride.
It's just a fun and quick read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews