DEAR MAGGIE
Brenda Novak
Harlequin SuperRomance #987
May 2001
ISBN #0-373-70987-0
Contemporary Romance

Maggie Russell is a single mother working the night shift as a police reporter for a Sacramento newspaper. Her life is finally going in the right direction after a bad marriage and a temporary misdirection in her journalism career as a tabloid writer. She's happy with her new home and job, and adores her three-year-old son Zach. But something is missing in her life--a relationship--so she and her best friend decide to try cyber dating via a chat room and e-mail.

Maggie meets John, a sensitive and caring man who seems perfect for her. So what if she's attracted to Nick Sorenson, the devastating new staff photographer,? He's way out of her league, and definitely isn't the 'always and forever' type. So she'll concentrate on her career, working the police beat, and wait for 'The Story' to come along to make her name in journalism. Currently, she's working on the murder of a local woman that Maggie soon realizes is more than just a random murder, but one of several by a serial killer tagging himself as "Dr. Dan." One of Dr. Dan's previous victims was also a reporter working on the story.

Unbeknownst to Maggie, Nick Sorenson is a FBI agent who's figured out that Maggie will most likely be Dr. Dan's next victim. Nick's undercover at the newspaper to watch over Maggie and continue his investigation of the Dr. Dan murders. Maggie seems unwilling to get involved with Nick in any relationship beyond that of co-worker, so when Nick overhears Maggie discussing a cyber dating chat room, he decides to keep tabs on Maggie by creating the persona of John.

When Dr. Dan contacts Maggie, Nick knows he must get closer to her if he's going to protect her. But still he must keep his cover, so he shows up on her doorstep pleading for a temporary place to stay. Now he can keep his eye on Maggie directly, a good thing, right? No, because he finds himself even more attracted to her...and Maggie is attracted to the sensitive John, as well as to the gorgeous and very present Nick. Nick is too busy protecting Maggie to worry about how Maggie will feel when she finds out that he's John...

DEAR MAGGIE is well-written with page-turning suspense and a beautifully developed romantic relationship. Cyber-savvy readers will get a kick out of the e-mail courtship. Child alert: this book contains one three-year-old boy, but he doesn't overwhelm the story; and watching Nick fall in love with Zach as well as with Maggie was a delight.

 

Reviewed by Debora Hosey

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