CHASING SHADOWS – Catherine Bybee
First Wives Club , Book 3
Montlake Romance
ISBN: 978-1-5039-0343-2
November 2018
Contemporary Romance
Los Angeles and New York City --- Present Day
Avery Grant is self-sufficient and wealthy, so she doesn't really need a man in her life. Her support system consists of her three best friends, all of them members of a “First Wives Club,” a group of women who married well and received substantial settlements when the marriages ended. On the side, Avery does estate inventory, and a year ago, while in the midst of a job, was nearly beaten to death. Avery doesn't remember much about the attack but it still haunts her. Now she's in training for Krav Maga, a military-style fighting defense. It's hard work but Avery has no plans to ever be caught defenseless again. Then Liam comes into her life. Avery values her independence but he is making it hard for her to maintain her vow.
Liam had spotted Avery one night in a bar and was wowed by her. She didn't flinch as she fought off a man coming onto her hard. After figuring out where she trained, he finagles himself into a contracting job at the fitness club. Of course, Liam sees Avery, and the two strike up a friendship. He's enamored of her, but she is more reticent towards him. This doesn't stop Liam from pursuing her and he's soon more than just friends with her. Even Avery's fellow First Wives Club members are encouraging her to date him. But Avery is still haunted by the beating. As the one-year anniversary of the attack approaches, she takes a secret trip to New York City to visit the scene of the crime…and soon realizes that the dead man presumed to be the attacker wasn't him. The police try to help but there isn't much to go on except for Avery's foggy memories.
In CHASING SHADOWS, Avery finds her life changed after she was brutally attacked. She's haunted and shies away from romantic relationships. Her friendship with Liam starts off slowly. He is persistent and pops up when she least expects it. But he proves to be reliable and a good friend, and later, a wonderful lover. Yet, she refuses to discuss much of her past with him. To get a sense of Avery, readers soon learn that she was raised by parents so overbearing and cold that she married a man just to escape them. It was a marriage of convenience for both and she ended up with a tidy sum after they divorced. Avery will do whatever it takes to maintain her independence, but she can't rest until the real attacker is caught.
CHASING SHADOWS shows Avery's grief and recovery from the violent attack that left her with amnesia. As this tale spins its way to a conclusion, we see a woman on a mission who wants closure. Will she find her attacker, either on her own or with help? Liam wants to help Avery but she keeps him in the dark. Once everything is settled, can Avery and Liam find happiness together? A spellbinding tale, pick up a copy of CHASING SHADOWS.
Patti Fischer
