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She Can Run (2011)

by Melinda Leigh(Favorite Author)

3.78 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1612181511 (ISBN13: 9781612181516)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Montlake Romance

series

She Can...

review 1: Beth is on the run from a no good husband. Her children in tow. There wasn’t anything to do to get away and to safely but run. She had spent 10 months on the road. Staying with an uncle until she made her way to Pennsylvania -to an estate in the middle of no where- to be a caretaker for an old man. But when she arrives at the estate Danny -the old man she had interviewed with- had passed away. Danny’s nephew Jack O’Malley was now the one in charge of the estate. Beth agreed to give a few weeks as a trial period to see how things went with them.Her kids and herself are scared to death her husband would find them. He had plenty of resources and money to find them. Beth’s emotions are rattled as it is. The kids’ father -birth father- had passed away when Katie, age... more 7, was only a baby when he had died. Her son Ben, was a few years older than Katie. Jack, an ex cop -who was out due to an injury- was skeptical of Beth. Not really about her but that she was so skittish. Her kids even coward anytime he was around. He had to figure out what was going on with them. It pulled at his heart every time Beth or Katie would let the fear show on their faces just for him being near them. Beth was able to control it better though, more practice you might say.There is an electricity between Beth and Jack. He can feel it. The way his body reacts to her. Beth’s body is doing the same even if she can’t let it go that far. Richard was to blame for that. She needed to clear her head and get Jack out of her mind and try to keep it so Jack didn’t learn of her real identity. Dirty politicians were like that. They could always find you when they wanted to. As part of Beth’s job as caretaker the barn and the horses were part of her job. The horses really loved the attention and it was good for Beth and the kids.When the guy delivering the hay to the barn Beth had a bad feeling. He was creepy to say the least. Not even trying to hide the fact that he wanted her. Such a pig. (As most men are.) ut Martin -the delivery man- tried to get her to flirt back. He was a gorilla -as she described him- and had no clue. Really. Pushy isn’t what a girl wants. (She should have beat him with a shovel.) As Beth tried to get out of his way Jack was there to keep her steady. Beth wanted to puke and Jack was curious. (You could tell he wasn’t happy.) But when Jack questions her she brushes it off. Her overreaction. But Jack stays close just in case. There was something between Martin and Beth. It was really bothering him. If he had to his cousin would be more than happy to help him teach the ass a lesson. As time passes Jack calls his ex partner for help and goes to visit at the police station. There had to be a way to help Beth, even if he didn’t know what she was hiding or running from.Thing is… Beth has no idea she is being stalked from the trees. The Riverside killer, a nasty ass man who had been kidnapping and killing petite woman, with brunette hair. There was no rhyme or reason for his victims -except that he only killed hookers and the homeless- until his last victim. Now his sights were set on Beth. The killer was using ACE -A drug used for dogs, cats and horses- so they were tracking down vets and anyone who had access to ACE. The way he was watching Beth was off. She was close to his home. Was he ready for that?As time passes the family grows to love Jack’s place. There are still many things bothering him that he can’t piece together but that all comes to a head -so to speak- when he is in his uncles study and finds a letter that was left for him -in the cigar box- that explains that Beth’s job was a way to get her there and into a safe place. Danny didn’t have details but he was doing a favor for someone that had given him the last 40 or so years of his life. He asked Jack -in the letter- to keep them safe. Okay, so now he knew they were running from trouble. The same day Jack gets a shock. Beth has a bad fall from 10 foot or so up in the air as she climbed up the rickety wooden ladder leading to the hay loft. She refuses an ambulance but she does let Jack take her to the ER. While there, Dr. Quinn Wilson -Jacks’ cousin- sees her. She is hurt and will take a couple of weeks to get herself back together but nothing is broken.As Beth gets help -while in the waiting room- Jack is able to get Ben to tell him some of what they were running from. Ben tells Jack about their stepfather beating their mom. And how she took them out of the house and just ran one night.This puts Jack on red alert. He won’t let anything happen to them. They are his now and he will do anything he needs to help them. In the mean time. the Senator -the ass who Beth knocked out to get away from- and his father have tracked her down. Beth’s ill fated moment of stress caused that. She tried to call James -even though he told her to never try it was too dangerous- so they know where she is in Pennsylvania. Crazy lady. A couple days after her fall Beth and the kids go with Jack to Quinn and Shawn -also a cousin, Quinns brother to be exact- cookout. The kids are able to play with Jacks’ nieces and nephew. Be kids for once. They all enjoy the time out and it is nice even though Beth knows they will have to leave soon. They can’’t get too comfy.As Beth heals Jack tries more to figure out what her story is. He gets his cousin Shawn to help him out. Shawn knows people that can do that kind of thing. Then one day as Jack and Shawn look around the house -since Jack’s therapy appointment was cancelled and no one knows it- Beth sneaks out the house to do a little shooting practice. When they hear the shots -Jack being Jack- wants to call the police chief but Shawn tells him to chill. They are in the middle of no where. Shawn grabs his gun from his truck and they circle the house, spotting Beth. Jack decides to not let on that he saw her.Time passes and things start to get testy. More so than normal. Beth is out with the kids and on the way home they are ‘attacked’. Someone comes up behind them and runs into the truck. Trying to run them off the road, over the narrow road. Thankfully Beth is able to keep it on the road and the care lets up and moves on. When they got to the wider part of the road Beth pulls off and checks on Katie and Ben. A passing car -an elderly lady- pulled over behind them and came to check on them. She had called the police. A report was made and they were taken home. Jack meanwhile was at the sight of a missing woman until the cop that took the kids and Beth home came to tell him what happened.This is when things went up a notch. Beth knew Richard’s people had found them. They had to leave. Jack caught her trying to leave. She finally told him about her past. Jack had just -as in a half hour ago- found out exactly who she was and what she was running from. Jack called his ex partner, Will for help with her husband. The asshole of them all was going to be a pain in the ass. Just as they start to think they can move on Richard agrees to an amicable ‘divorce’ but as soon as she is home alone with the kids… Richard shows up and beats the hell out of her. Thanks to Henry -the wonder dog- Beth is able to get to her gun and shoots the bastard. Ben calls Jack, Jack and the police chief Mike show up just as the shot rings out.Beth is taken to the hospital as was Richard. He was moved to another hospital after he was stabilized. Beth and Jack talk to Mike, telling him what happened and she knows if it hadn’t been for Henry, she would have died. Now they think Richard could be the Riverside Killer -because he tried to shoot beth up with something- but no one was really that sure. Of course he was not the Riverside killer. That would be too easy. Well the Congressman -Richard; Beth's now ex husband- is dead.. but not by what Beth did to him. The Riverside killer takes him out while he is in his hospital bed. And of course ACE was the culprit. Ha. Karma is a bitch. The serial killer still has his eyes on Beth.. like Jack would let him get close to her.Now they have to see what will happen. Will Richard’s family try to take the kids? Will she go to jail? this all hitting her only days after he was attacked by Richard and almost dying. When Mike -the police chief- shows up at the house Jack knows something is wrong. But what now? he was there to tell them Richard was dead. Now the cop is asking if Beth or Jack killed the bastard. Beth wasn’t in shape to do it but Jack was. The congressman’s father is on a rampage. James -Beth’s ‘uncle’- sees it on the news and is intrigued. He is in Philly waiting for the congressman to get to his house so he can chat with him… guess that isn’t needed now. The news and the Baker’s are trying to cover her as a ‘mental patient’ and that she is dangerous. It’s all bullshit. Of course. But James has things on Richard… pictures, his old home movies of his gay sex with his assistant where he rode him like a pony. How to get it to Stafford -Richard’s father- so he will back off of Beth.When Jack goes to take the kids to his cousin Quinn's for a sleepover - so they are not around for a press conference scheduled for the morning- Beth is left alone. Someone comes over to look at the horses and comes up to ‘talk to Jack’ about Lucy. Her cut maybe infected. When Beth goes to look at it he attacks her. Kidnaps her and takes her to his house. (I did a happy dance.. I thought it was him but I wasn’t sure!!!!)It looks as if all is lost but thanks to her (Beth’s) uncle Jack and his weird dreams he knows she is in trouble And needs help pronto. He calls Danny’s home and winds up talking to Jack. James tells him that she is in trouble and when Jack can’t find Beth, Mrs. Garrison told he she was seen heading to the barn with someone. When Jack searches and can’t find her something snaps in him. He puts a few things together and his rage peels him away and headed to the house where he hopes to find Beth.. Alive.Now, that is all ya get, go read. I promise it;s all kinds of good! it has a little bit of everything in it.
review 2: I was very pleasantly surprised by this book! I waffled for quite a bit before purchasing the entire series to date when they were on sale for $1.99, but I am so glad I did! This book was engaging and riveting, with a suspenseful plot. Granted, the ultimate killer was in my suspect pool, but the twists it took to discover who he was were ingenious! The heroine and her children were easy to connect and identify with, and I loved the flawed hero that was Jack. The book was very good, and I was unable to put it down for long! I would highly recommend it to others! less

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