This book was okay for me...nothing very exciting. Has a romantic suspense element. I will try another book by the author.

I so wanted to read this book as I lived in the Sacramento area. I want a book that makes me want to read it not a book that I have to make myself read. This book was the later category. The story starts out very interesting about a serial killer, but I don't need to know every detail of every character - especially the love affairs. This book moved so slowly that it was hard to keep interest in it; other than I knew the places that were discussed.

Well, I made it! I didn’t realize upon opening this novel how long it really was, over 600 pages! Did it feel like 600 pages? Unfortunately for me, it did. The novel started out strong and ended very strong but the middle dragged for me. That being said, I will read another Karen Rose novel, I will just stick with a shorter one.

What I really liked about this novel was that Karen wasn’t afraid to let her audience in on some disturbing scenes. Being a thriller, Karen’s killer is cruel and hard, and Karen doesn’t gloss these scenes over, she puts the reader right in on the action. I also enjoyed the storyline. I was captivated from the beginning and then the story just rolled along.

Besides the novel dragging some in the middle, there were a few other issues I had with the novel. The genre of romantic-suspense is new to me but I had to actually wonder if what went down between Daisy and Special Agent Gideon could actually happen? Daisy’s a victim and Gideon is an FBI agent and watching their relationship unfold during the investigation felt questionable, to me. Do they not realize they are in the middle of an investigation? Do they not realize what type of investigation it is? I felt that their link also changed her status and how she was seen by others. Also, what about Daisy’s “service dog?” I felt sorry for the dog and I think it was actually an emotional support dog for her.

This is a good, long story with a few slow parts. For me, the second half of the novel, whizzed by as I began to understand the killer and the motivation behind his madness. I would like to read more in this series to see what comes next for these characters.

I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I’m ashamed to admit that this one is another that has been on my NetGalley shelf for a while, but I finally decided to knock it out. And it takes a long time to read this one. For those of you not familiar with my reading habits and style, I typically start and finish a book within 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours at most. I started and stopped this one about 5 or 6 times to where my Kindle said I was at about 26%. When I picked up at that 26% mark and finally decided to commit to it, it took about 4 1/2 hours to finish.

Besides this one being so lengthy, it also felt weighed down with a lot of unnecessary “stuff.” But much of that “stuff” left me with questions. Like Brutus, for example… What an odd therapy dog relationship… I don’t even remember how or why she got Brutus but I think he could have better-served another person really in need of and wanting to utilize a therapy dog.

Moving on, I found this plot unique and it was refreshing to find something different than everything else that is out there. A shortened and perhaps more suspenseful version would have been nice, but the parts about the killer were at times, fascinating. They were also disturbing at times, but not so much that I wouldn’t push through it.

I’ve read a great deal of character-driven novels lately, and even discussed these novels in reviews, with fellow bloggers, and with other authors. I’ve come to the realization that it’s just not my thing, for lack of a better phrase. I love in-depth characterization and I love the opportunity to connect with and grow attached to characters. But when their dialogue overtakes the entire novel (whether internal or external), becoming more prominent than action and events, I find myself bored to death. My point? I didn’t love this one, but it doesn’t mean that you won’t. If you like knowing every word every character thinks or says throughout a novel, then you may love this. I liked Daisy’s character and almost had a crush on Gideon, but at the end of the day, I didn’t find them memorable.

Say You’re Sorry was my first time reading Karen Rose. Although I didn’t love it, I will most likely read another one of her novels in the future.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing this copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was the first novel I've picked up from Karen Rose and it was very entertaining. The twisted storyline kept me on my toes, and I always enjoy a good badass female lead character. Daisy was really fun and I loved following her through the ups and downs of the novel. I also loved the mix of romance in the novel as well.

The writing was a little cheesy for me at times, but I was able to get over that because there was so much action and adventure going on. All in all, it was a really entertaining read. I think I would have given it 4 stars instead of 3 if it was just a little shorter and had less of the cheesy interactions between characters. It was a fun read and I would recommend it to readers who love suspense novels with a touch of romance.

Rating 3/5

A serial killer messes with the wrong woman which may be the undoing of his carefully orchestrated killing spree, unless he can to her before the authorities get to him. This was a cross between a thriller and romance novel -- with the standard plot and stereotypical villains and heroes you would expect in either one.

Daisy Dawson is living on her own and finally feels like she has her life in line. One night her life took quite the turn when she was attacked in an alley, survived but ended up with a piece of jewelry that will bring Special Agent Gideon Reynolds to his knees and to places in his past.

There were two mysteries going on at the same time. The mystery of the jewelry and a horrible religious cult of the past. Gideon must confront a lot of things with this storyline and this one I enjoyed the most.

SPOILER - I can't believe they didn't solve this one, I was so frustrated that it wasn't contained in this book. I was really irked!

The other mystery has to do with Daisy's attack and figuring out who did it, how and why. I also liked this one, but just a hair less than the other. This mystery is solved and it was interesting to hear chapters throughout the book from the culprit's point of view - creepy and great.

Be warned if you read a lot of mystery, this book has a great mystery, BUT it has all the trappings of a romance story. There is some sexy times and some chapters that can make you feel awkward reading in public! I tend to like to keep these genres separate, so I don't usually enjoy sexy times in my mystery thrillers. I thought this book could be completely complete without the sexy times, they just didn't work for me.

I am not sure I would read this author often because of the romance and mystery combo, but may read it every so often.

Serviceable, and ultimately unsatisfying, thriller featuring a serial killer who resurfaces after a seeming 17-year quiescence.

This was my first of Karen's Rose's, and won't be my last. I'm certainly going to go in search of other titles from Rose.

Serial killer? Check. Romantic suspense? Check. The tension, plot, pacing, character development were all extremely well done. I was invested and could not tear myself away from this 600 page emotional ride.

I really enjoyed this! We find out who's the main villain like half way through, which surprised me. I worried the rest would just be sex. Nope! It went directions I wasn't expecting and I couldn't put it down. I read it all in one night.

Okay, I will admit that I did end up skipping over some of the sexy bits, but I'm always more for the plot. I certainly 'buy' their relationship & connection, but I'm demi & it just gets awkward for me reading those kind of scenes sometimes.

The Sacramento series is great. Living north of Sacramento it was fun to read about my area in this intriguing and well written thriller.

Hello!

I was beyond excited to read this SAY YOU'RE SORRY. I am obsessed with romantic suspense and thrillers. Sadly, I didn't care too much for this and actually stopped reading around 30%.

To start, I felt there was too much dialogue. I was finding out about the characters and plot that way, and it didn't feel natural (for a lack of a better word). I also felt that at the point where I was at, I should have known more than I did about what was going on.

My favorite part was being inside the killers head. What that says about me, I don't know!

Clear your calendar before starting this book. I've stayed up way too late (and I'm very disciplined about going to bed on time) this week because I could not put this book down. "One more chapter" turned into 2 more hours (and several chapters) of reading each night. I'm totally exhausted, but I loved every minute of it.

I've been reading a lot of cozy mysteries lately, which is great fun but I wanted something with more meat to the story. My first love in literature has always been psychological thrillers so when I saw Say You're Sorry at Netgalley I had to request it. I've never read anything by Karen Rose before but now I have a new favorite author as I will be checking out more of her books.

I had a bit of trouble getting started with this book, but it had nothing to do with the story. I was dealing with a good deal of stress and anxiety and I could not handle the fictional character's anxiety that was leaping off the page in the prologue.

The story will have your heartbeat racing from the start. You will get moments to catch your breath as we get to know the characters. Like any great psychological thriller, Say You're Sorry superbly balances a fast-paced, thrilling plot with fleshed out characters that you quickly become attached to. Seriously, I was torn between seeing the characters interact with one another in everyday life situations and getting back to the plot of catching a serial killer.

Often a story is either character-driven or plot-driven. Rose was able to walk the fine line between the two when writing Say You're Sorry. I'm so happy that Rose didn't sacrifice character development for plot advancement or vice versa. The result is an incredibly satisfying thriller with characters you can't wait to read more about.

As Say You're Sorry is a romantic suspense novel, there is a bit of heat. It was brief and I was able to easily skim past it. I did enjoy having a strong, though emotionally wounded, FBI agent as the main character.

I loved the main characters Daisy and Gideon, but even the secondary characters of the Sokolov family were endearing. I'm torn between wanting more of Daisy and Gideon and getting to know the members of the Sokolov family better. Say You're Sorry is the first book in the Sacramento series and as I've not read Rose before I don't know if the next book will continue Daisy and Gideon's story or if secondary characters will step into the spotlight as the main characters. She could also pick another plot set in Sacramento with a whole new set of characters. I'm really hoping not, because I'm not ready to say goodbye to the characters of Say You're Sorry and there are just enough loose plot threads to fuel another book. Though this book can definitely stand alone as a complete story (I just don't want it to).

I foresee this book topping Best of 2019 lists so you don't want to miss it.

Five Reasons Why I’m Sorry My Opinion is Unpopular:

1. I like big books, and I cannot lie... but when the big book feels like it contains too much of a "play by play", I begin to resent it. I tended towards this feeling with this one. There was a tad bit too much... I feel like the book and I could have had a much better relationship if I'd lost about 150 pages.

2. I didn't fully connect with the characters. Daisy was likable enough. She was a strong protagonist who had just enough damage to keep her interesting- yet not annoying. However, there was something about her I just didn't connect with. And as yummy as Gideon is, again, I was feeling one step removed from his character.

3. There were too many coincidences. I do understand that a book needs to have people colliding with certain people, or instances happening to certain characters in order for there to be an actual plot- I get that- but in this case there were just too many people and things that coincidentally happened that left me with a touch of an eye roll.

4. I wanted more cult. I love a good cult story (perfectly normal, right?) but this was a "cult from afar"... it all honesty, it may have been the piece that I didn't necessarily need to have in the book. Or, I would have liked to be in trenches of the cult instead of catching glimmers of it sporadically throughout.

5. I did love the ending. It was a huge redeeming factor for me. I won't be a spoil sport and tell you what happens, but I will tell you that it made the push through the 600+ pages totally worth it!

I give this one a solid three stars. There's a lot to love about such a unique story.

SAY YOU’RE SORRY is a romantic suspense story and the first book in author Karen Rose’s new Sacramento Series featuring intense action, danger, and romance.

I was in the mood for something a little different than my usual reads and decided to try this new series. I was happily surprised by just how much I enjoyed it.

What readers need to know is that this is the start to a new suspense series featuring law enforcement and is set in the Sacramento area.

Readers familiar with Rose’s Chicago series and Baltimore series will see familiar characters as well. I found this to be a great jumping point into her writing and the perfect chance to try this well-known author.

There are plenty of twists to the story with a serial killer on the loose with a possible connection to a cult’s unsolved murder mystery.

Special Agent Gideon Reynolds was raised in a cult in Northern California until his mother smuggled him out when he was thirteen. Rose carefully weaves in details and backstory from his past to the serial killer’s victims and a necklace that links to a cold case that Gideon has been tracking for seventeen years—connecting them to the currently attempted abduction of Daisy Dawson.

What I enjoyed most about this new series opener is how each character is so well crafted with full-fleshed backgrounds.

Both Gideon and Daisy have troubled pasts they have overcome but are vulnerable and together they really bring out the best in each other. I loved how the books surround them with a cast of secondary characters, family, friends, and co-workers, who enrich the story and the read. Rose makes it easy to fall for her characters.

Sizzling romance and gritty suspense are perfectly balanced.

This was my first read by Karen Rose. I can see why she is so popular in the romantic suspense field. This was a page-turning read with intense action. A dark, edgy murder mystery and sizzling romance made for an entertaining read that I flew through. The book is definitely gritty and keeps you on edge. Rose doesn’t hold back on the danger and details.

In the End

SAY YOU’RE SORRY is adrenaline-fused, page-turner, a romantic suspense that kept me entertained and on edge. This was my first Karen Rose read and it was the perfect place to jump into her series. Recommended to fans and readers of the genre and those who want to try something that overlaps both the romance and thriller fields.

Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.

This was my first Karen Rose novel and I honestly had no idea she had such an extensive list of books already out there. How have I missed her for so long? I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more of her novels. When I originally started reading, I couldn't believe the page count it told me and I am usually wary of books that are too long but in this case, it actually worked out. So don't let the amount of pages lead you away from reading this book. There is so much suspense that you really don't even notice that there are so many pages...

I enjoyed the chemistry between the love interests AND between all of the characters. I was able to feel for each and every character what should be felt for that person and I was able to picture them all in my head. There was a perfect blend of romance, action, suspense, and fun. I actually enjoyed this book more than I usually enjoy romantic suspense...so much so that I became engrossed in it and at times I could not put it down. As this is the first book in the Sacramento series, I will definitely read the future books as they come out. This author will never again be off my radar.

I have long since considered this series one of my most anticipated each time a new installment is released. I reached for this one knowing that I was going to creep along dark, gritty shadows in a city’s underbelly as the law enforcement types work hard to bring down some of the world’s worst evil. This latest was riveting from the opening pages and was over before I was ready to let go. It has stayed with me for the days since I closed the book. Oh yes, it was that good.
Review

Say You’re Sorry is the #22 book in the author’s overall long running romantic suspense series, but it is the first in a new grouping set in the new locale of Sacramento. As with most books in the series, the reader shouldn’t have much trouble picking it up as a starting point or standalone. I will say that though each grouping begins in a new location that there are loose ties and references back to earlier books. I found that having read Monster in the Closet from the Baltimore series that I knew more about Daisy Dawson’s background story before it was revealed and was probably anticipating it more when I realized who she was. That said, this book catches the reader up so its not a necessity.

These are full stories with lots of twists, reveals, big ‘aha’s and a large cast of characters. Say You’re sorry clocked in at 600+ pages so I will be little more than skimming the surface of what my thoughts on this book really are and how I summarize it. Like others in the series, it does go into some dark and vile places so those with triggers toward cults, rape, and abuse should consider yourself warned.

So, the story opens on a Sacramento, CA, downtown street when recovering alcoholic Daisy Dawson finds herself grabbed and must fight free of a would-be abductor. Her abductor chillingly whispers that they all say they are sorry to him and she is left in possession of a mysterious locket. This sets police detective Rafe Sokolov, and his FBI agent best friend, Gideon Reynolds on the trail of a broken, twisted serial killer who has a fixation for the one who got away. Gideon’s past and this present case might seem unrelated…

Daisy is shook by the attack, but she is working to live her own life and stay free of her demons and addictions. The attraction between her and Gideon is there from the beginning and slowly something grows between them. It will take all she has to hold strong against this new threat.

Meanwhile, a man driven by his own demons prowls closer and closer to his prey.

I’ve said this before about the author’s books, but it bears repeating. They are dramatic without being full of nonsensical drama. The background and setting are developed with complexity as are the characters who people the story. They have weaknesses and strengths and the reader is allowed inside the heads of those investigating and those who are the perpetrators. This augments rather than diminishes the intensity because there are twists within twists. The criminal investigation team are clever and conduct their work with knowledge, skill, and precision. Their emotions fuel the drive to do the job and do it right instead of turning into loose cannons or impulsive, stupid types. The suspense is allowed to pace out and ratchet to just the right moment for a huge breathtaking climax that leaves me shaking every time (minds out of the gutter).

To add to what I just said about her meticulous work on setting and background, I can now say this with certainty. I saw it in her older books and it felt right, but, this one finally came to my old stomping grounds. The author described my home town well and I was excited to have experienced one of her books set there. Rafe’s Russian family could have been my old neighbors.

The romance for Daisy and Gideon was definitely a huge part of what I loved so much about this story. They both had real ugliness in their pasts. I was thrilled when they came together. They are good for each other and supportive through what comes in this brutal, gruesome story. It wasn’t instant and they both had to get past some things, but I was cheering them on hard.

In the end, I was left with a story that left me with book hangover and now I must wait for the next. For those who enjoy gritty, twisting, and grueling thriller romances, you must try this book/series.

My thanks to Berkley Romance for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I did not realize this was about a serial killer and was part of a series. As a rule I don't usually read series and prefer stand alones. This one was no exception and I could not get into the book. Unfortunately I cannot give an honest review as I did not get far.

I'm really enjoying Karen Rose's books! I haven't caught up on all the books but I like the start of this new Sacramento series. The storyline was suspenseful and exciting and I honestly couldn't put the book down. It was kind of long but I'm realizing all her books are but they're also full of a good story, with side stories as well. I also love the addition of the animals and the fact the dogs didn't get hurt. Odd, I know, but I'm a dog person and hate reading books where dogs are killed. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

SAY YOU'RE SORRY is the first book in Karen Rose’s new Sacramento series. It’s got an old-school feel to it, with its plot focusing on a sexy FBI agent who was raised in a cult until his mother secreted him away as a teenager, and a beautiful woman sheltered for most of her life who’s attacked by a serial killer when she finally spreads her wings. FBI Special Agent Gideon Reynolds and Daisy Dawson are drawn together like lodestones, connected to one another beyond the threatening case that’s bridging seventeen years’ worth of questions. This book is long and convoluted and there’s a lot going on, but Rose sets a break-neck pace that makes your heart pound.

*Originally published at Frolic: https://frolic.media/february-romantic-suspense-round-up-3-books-to-get-your-hands-on-asap/