Karen Rose never disappoints me!  I loved reading Monster in the Closet.  Once again, this book had it all.  There was suspense, action, intrigue and romance... the kind of romance that gives you tingles.  

Jazzie Jarvis is an eleven year old girl who is traumatized after seeing her mother brutally murdered by her father.  Her father, Gage Jarvis, doesn't know that little Jazzie is hiding behind a chair.  Now before you cringe away and think that you can't read this because it is all so horrific, let me tell you that the way this story comes together will keep you turning those pages, praying for a happy ending... but I'm not giving away too many spoilers here. 

Along comes Taylor Dawson, recently graduated with a degree in psychology, who has accepted an internship with Healing Hearts with Horses, an equestrian center specifically developed to help trauma victims.  But Taylor has a few secrets of her own.  Taylor is able to connect with Jazzie in a way no one else has been able to.  Will she be able to get Jazzie to talk about what had happened to her?  Or will Jazzie just remain quiet and continue to protect and hover over her little sister Janie?  And what happens when Gage realizes that there may be a witness to the murder?

Add in the boss' hunky son, Ford Elkhart, who is immediately attracted to Taylor, and also add in Clay Maynard, head of security at Healing Hearts who has been looking for his daughter for many years, and you have the basic ingredients for one very fascinating story.  But this story is anything but basic!  Lots of action and lots of plots that all intertwine.  I could not put this book down!

There are so many characters that you can't help but love, and also those you love-to-hate.  But even those that you hate are so well developed that you are able to see their motivation for what evil things they do.. all because of the great writing skills of Karen Rose.

I highly recommend this book.

I DNF this book. Nothing wrong with it, just way too triggering for me. So sorry!

Karen Rose is consistent in her ability to grab you at the beginning and not let go till the end!  Never disappointed by her!

I enjoyed reading This book. I liked the characters. I enjoyed Taylor meeting her birth rather and the rest of te family. My heart broke for both of the little girls.
A little girl is disappointed. Her mother has failed to show up for her drawing show that the school is sponsoring. As she approaches her apartment she notices that the door is partly open. As she enters her home she hears a voice cursing and yelling. Something is on the floor, she realizes it's het mother! Hiding behind a chair, the child knows, this is what nightmares are made of.
5 Stars

If you enjoy romantic suspense then this author is a must read. She's an author with a knack for weaving threads within her stories that tie her characters together. Sometimes the stories can be so dark it's a wonder readers can see as they peak from behind the hands hypothetically shielding their eyes but no matter how disturbing or stomach churning her ideas somehow the good guys get through. 
This particular book brings together so many characters from previous novels that my poor head was spinning trying to remember everything that had previously happened! If new to the authors work then don't worry as I did think this book worked fine as a standalone but it's obviously a reward of sorts, a celebration that readers can share and possibly the beginning of a whole new chapter.
So I'm obviously a huge fan and adore the way the author usually manages to wrap the suspense and crime element around a solid and adult romance. This particular story has two children floundering after the murder of their mother which brings them into contact with Taylor a young woman with a secret that connects her to what as a reader I perceive as a very extended family! I mentioned young and it's almost a new adult romance happening here which if honest didn't really set the pages on fire . However towards the end ( !) the pace gathered momentum and the drama finally had a lot more action. For me personally it seemed to meander a little too much at times and yes I can see that the sub plots and family dynamics helped flesh out the story but I missed the tension and often horror that I normally associate with these books. Not a bad book but not that typical of the usual fare I enjoy from this author although if you find some of her previous stories too dark then this should be a welcome relief.
A copy of this was provided for me with no requirement to review. I've voluntarily read it and these thoughts and comments are I believe a fair opinion

Jazzie is 11  years old. Coming home from school she finds her mother dead on the floor ... and her killer rooting around in the closet.  Jazzie does the only thing she can ... she hides behind a large chair and holds her breath.  

Weeks later, Jazzie becomes a part of an organization that provides horse therapy for kids who have been victims of serious crimes. She has no spoken a single word since finding her mother's body ... and  she's never told what she knows.

Taylor Dawson is interning at Healing Hearts with Horses, as part of her becoming a practicing psychologist.  And while Taylor makes a small connection to Jazzie, Taylor has her own secrets. She's been asking questions about a man who also works for the organization. She has just come from California, so why would she be asking about a man who resides in Maryland?

I have always enjoyed this author's Romantic Suspense stories. This one is about 95% suspense and the rest is romance.  The author has written a book full of the characters of some of her previous books.  So although a part of a series, this serves extremely well as a stand alone.

The reader learns early on who the killer is ... and just how monstrous he is.  He decides that Jazzie must be silenced before she tells what she knows, as well as her therapist, Taylor.  The book is suspenseful,  exciting, and full of characters that have chosen to become a family. All of them have endured and overcome personal tragedies to come out relatively normal on the other side.

5 Stars for the book ........... 5 Stars for the series!

Many thanks to the author / Berkley Publishing Group / Netgalley for the advance digital copy of this book.  Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

"Monster in the Closet"

By:  Karen Rose

WOW!  It has been a long time since a book has moved me to tears.  And not just once but multiple times and both happy and heart wrenching.  

This author is an exceptional storyteller.  I almost felt as if it were an audiobook and never once stumbled on the sentence structure, timeline or descriptions. I couldn't put it down as I was riveted to the story of Taylor (Sienna) who was hidden away from her father; being told that he was an abusive man who would steal her away from her family.  On her mother's deathbed she told Taylor the truth and so begins the saga of her search for her biological father while trying to stay loyal to the only man she knew as "dad".

Taylor finds herself caught up in a case of 2 young children and an enticing young man battling similar PTSD situations and puts her own experiences to good use.  

This read is suspenseful, emotional and thought provoking with a smattering of romance.  I will definitely pick up this author's other books if this is any indication of her writing talent!

Jeanie G

Getting 5 "weepy" sheep.

4.5 Stars Monster in the Closet is the 19th book in the Romantic Suspense series and it has it all a brutal murder, an innocent witness and a ruthless criminal who leaves no loose ends!! Karen Rose not only brings us a thrilling romantic suspense she also brings back some of the characters from past books. This story is well written and set at a great pace. I will definitely be recommending this book

I had no idea that this book was being written, but it's one that I was hoping for with all my heart. After meeting Clay in previous novels and learning about his lost daughter, I desperately wanted to see him find her again. And this novel hit the spot. Not only do we learn about Taylor and her life, we see her heart-wrenching emotions about Clay and her dad. Add in her budding relationship with Ford (along with insight into how Ford's faring after his previous kidnapping), her growing relationship with her charges at the farm and the subsequent attempts on their lives, and this gripping novel kept me up all night. The emotional drama, the twisty suspense story, and the glimpse of past characters made this a very satisfying read.

It's been way too long since I've read a Karen Rose book and I've missed these characters. There were a lot of new faces that I can't wait to go back and meet in their own books, but there was also a lot of older characters that I loved getting to see again. I definitely won't be getting behind on this series again after this. 

This book follows Taylor, Clay Maynard's long lost daughter, on her mission to meet and get to know her father. Along the way though she picks up the interest of a killer and will need the help of her new friends to survive. 

Reading a KR book brings me back to when I first got into reading and her books were actually one of the first that I ever sat down and read in one sitting. This book was no different than the usual Karen Rose flare that I was expecting and I loved all of it. There was the perfect amount of suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat, along with that sweetness of romance between Taylor and Ford. 

The bottom line is that this is one of my favorite authors and I love her ability to completely captivate me in her stories. I definitely recommend, not only this book, but all of her books if you're a fan of Romance Suspense.

Karen rose never disappoints and this book is no exception.  The evil is palpable and the characters, and their interactions are very real and engaging.

I knew I was going to love this book!! All the gang from the Baltimore series is back and finally after 23 years Clay Maynard is reunited with his daughter. 

(This book would be best experienced if you've already read Books 1-4 in the Baltimore series which is 12-15 of the main series.)


This book defiantly has some suspense but that is built around the reuniting of Taylor with her birth father Clay and the budding romance between her and Ford Eikhart who is Daphine's son who was kidnapped in book 3/14. I think this is the first time this author has had young adults be the main characters in one of her book and I really enjoyed it. Both Taylor and Ford have been through traumatic experiences that made them much more mature than their physical ages. 

I've said it many times in my past reviews of Karen's book that reading them is like going home and visiting family you love but dont get to see often. She has all these threads that connect each character that seamlessly are woven into each story. Having read every book in the series I am very happy to see some threads from many books back finally getting some closure – and happy closure at that.

I didn't start this book. There are WAY too many F words in it for me.

Yay for Karen Rose!! Great book. Don't miss this one. The storyline grabbed me in the first chapter and kept me reading till I reached the last page!