Drew's life began officially when she was found on the side of the road not knowing her name or where she came from, when she was 12 years old. Thankfully she was adopted by a wonderful couple who showed her love. She met Cicely at a music festival and their was an instant attraction. Things start well for them, but then Drew started receiving anonymous messages. The nightmares that always plagued her then got worse. This book was intense and gripping and I had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to find out what happened next. I would classify this as a romance but more of a fiction thriller. The characters were all like able with Drew being my favorite. Laydin Michaels is a great story teller and I look forward to her next book!!

We first meat Drew aged 11 running down a street as if she has been transported there from outer space, with no memory of who she is or her history. Unusually her amnesia doesn’t fade, although the nightmares do after years of therapy.

Jump to Drew aged 26, working as a Ranger and bopping at the local festival, when she meats the gorgeous Cicely and they form an instant bond. The romance seems set to develop despite Cicely’s’ rather one sided obsession about truth and honesty.

But Drew has started to receive anonymous text messages, and the nightmares flare up again, putting stress on their budding relationship. When a strange man speaks to Drew’s younger sister a warning flares, but her stalker will get much closer before her memories return and uncover the horror of her childhood.

The suspense and terror in ‘Buried Heart’ are very real, the horror of a sadistic mans behaviour had me turning the pages to get through it, hoping for a happy ever after ending, but dreading a fateful twist in the plot. Ms Michaels can certainly create a crescendo of angst that builds and builds until it is almost unbearable and then crashes like a tidal wave against the shore with the release of pent up energy.

Drew is a likeable and interesting character, Cicely less so, and although her background explains her demanding nature, she is certainly never warm and fuzzy. Drew’s family, particularly her mother, along with her friend Preston and Cicely’s closest friend Kallie, provide the warmth and care, the gentler and loving side.

The dialogue was, at times, a little heavy and the editing could have been tighter, but the author certainly has a gift for thrilling the reader and holding you in thrall. After all they went through I was not convinced by their happy ever after protestations, their emotions felt described rather than felt, but I am certain that I wanted, needed, them to survive and escape the horror, however damaged they might be. Ms Michaels should definitely be writing more page turning thrillers.

This book has made me have a good time and has been a very quick and easy reading for me. From the beginning has aroused my interest, first with the relationship between the two main characters and following with the childhood trauma that causes Drew's absence of memories beyond age twelve. Although at first I have not understood completely Cicelys behavior, as the book progressed I have found it somehow justified.  The pace and development of the plot have seemed to me pretty well taken, with some tenssió and a little angst, too, making the book very interesting for my taste. I recommend reading it.

When I chose this book I thought it was about typical relationship challenges with a twist of emotional baggage between the main characters. I was surprisingly mistaken. When I say, "this author has a twisted definition of romance." I mean it in a positive way. It's a well written story told in third person with the view point from the leading characters. It's deep, emotional and intense. If you like thrillers with a happy ending, you'll enjoy this book. I would recommend it.