DNF @ 15% because I haven't read the first book and I feel like too much is going on to just pick up with this one.

This book was action packed right from the very start. I just couldn't get through the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next.

Kellen is a character that you can really get behind and root for. The mystery and suspense in this book was very well written.

Kellen Adams has filled in parts of her memory but still has gaps, many gaps, including how she became a mother of a 7 year old girl. Kellen is now living with Max and Ray at the Di Luca winery and trying very hard to acclimate to being a mother and getting to know her new family. Being out of sorts, she accepts a job to transport an artifact into the wilderness with little to no information and when everything goes sideways and her partner tries to kill her she discovers she has a stowaway, her daughter Ray. Ray is a precocious girl who thinks it is time to "bond" and this is how they are going to do it. Twists and turns and bad guys chasing them through the mountains. Who is chasing them? At least they do bond and Kellen's mother instinct comes in full force and don't get between her and her baby. Max also catches up to them and is instrumental in saving them in the end and after sending Ray back to the winery finally has time for bonding with Kellen of his own. This was a good one and make sure to read this all the way to the end to get those answers and a special twist at the end to set up the next book!

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

Kellen Adams is one badass woman. She can definitely take care of herself when being attacked. Unfortunately, she has a bullet lodged in her brain that causes mental lapses. She also didn’t know that, while in a year-long coma, she gave birth to a baby girl whose father, Max, is the love of Kellen’s life. Author, Christina Dodd, knocked it out of the park with What Doesn’t Kill Her, book two of the Cape Charade series.

Dodd has created a kick-ass character who protects her daughter at all costs, even while protecting a priceless objet d’art from a group of men sent to kill her and take the sculpture. I found the book a little slow to get started, but soon the action was non-stop, and the characters compelling. Kellen keeps what she calls her “mental Rolodex” and each time a new person comes on the scene we get a description of said person in ALL CAPS. After I realized what was going on (there were several of these at the beginning) it made sense, but the all caps were annoying.

Overall, it is a compelling story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was, however, disappointed at the cliffhanger ending.  Max makes three statements, followed by “Find out Kellen’s fate in the next book….” That seemed too much like a soap opera, and like a blatant effort to sell the next book in the series.

What Makes This Reviewer Grumpy?

Incorrect verb usage:   “loan” in place of “lend”, “in” in place of “into”, “brought” in place of “taken”, “bring” in place of “take, “was” in place of “were”;
A few incomplete sentences;
Missing commas;
Consistently misplacing the word “only” within sentences;
Split infinitives;
Beginning sentences with conjunctions.

I stalled for a bit when it came to reading this book not even sure why because once I gotten ahold of this book and sat the day was pretty much a blur because it was spent devouring this book. There was just so much going on this book that'll leave the readers wanting to know more about the main character. This book isn't a romance so if that's what your looking for your not really going to get it but if you love a good mystery suspense novel with plenty of action and secrets revealed then you'll want to see what this book got to offer. I loved the whole mystery surrounding the main character Kellen women just couldn't catch a break if it wasn't one thing it was another and I loved getting to know her character. Then there was her lovely little smart alek daughter who was smart as heck helping out her mother when she could, it she was a fun little ball of energy keeping things from getting too dark. There was just go much going on in this book that'll make the readers wanting more and not being able to put it down that I'd recommend you lovely readers to check out this book. I really enjoyed it.

What an amazing thriller! Absolutely loved it; every roller coaster moment of it. This book was full of surprises, and there was no boring moment. I highly recommend it.

Couldn't put this one down. Christina Dodd is on my list of "must read" authors. This one doesn't disappoint. Great plot and satisfying ending. Must read.

This is the second book featuring Kellen Adams, a young woman who woke up without her memory after a year in a coma, joined the army, went to Afghanistan for six years and went back to work as an assistant manager in a resort in the state of Washington. It's here that she finds out that she has a seven-year-old daughter.
This second book picks up after Kellen finds out about her daughter and we see her trying to bond with her, trying to be a mother, while at the same time figuring out her feelings for Max, her daughter's father. Once again, she also finds herself in the wilderness chased by killers and thieves.
Although I couldn't really get into Dead Girl Running, the first novel in the series, I was really curious to see what would happen next and I wasn't disappointed because I found this story intriguing and captivating. There is never a dull moment in Kellen's life but she is such a clever and kick-ass woman and she faces any problem that comes her way. There is a lot of suspense but also a lot of romanticism as we see her relationship with Max develop. Now, I am really looking forward to reading book number 3!

Stevie‘s review of What Doesn’t Kill Her (Cape Charade, Book 2) by Christina Dodd
Contemporary Suspense published by HQN Books 29 Jan 19

Kellen Adams is a fascinating character, and the more we follow her adventures in the Cape Charade series, the more intriguing she becomes. Having decided to play a major role in the upbringing of the seven-year-old daughter she only just met, Kellen is staying at one of the wineries owned by her daughter’s wealthy father and his family. And when we first meet Kellen this time around, she’s crawling through the undergrowth close to one of the winery buildings.

At this point we don’t know what Kellen is up to – and we won’t for some time – but her plan is abruptly altered when she is hit by a tile falling from the building’s roof. Ignoring the part where a piece of tile has lodged itself in the flesh of her hip, Kellen’s first thought is to investigate why roof tiles are landing on her. She doesn’t have to look far. One of the winery’s more annoying paying visitors has somehow got himself stuck on the roof and seemingly dislodged the tile in his attempts to get down. Having put in a call for assistance, Kellen decides help is going to take too long to arrive and sets out to rescue the man herself. Although this leads to further injuries to both rescuer and rescued, no one actually dies, which counts as a plus for Kellen and further convinces her daughter that Mommy is a superhero and a person to be emulated. Naturally, this does not go down well with either her parents or her paternal grandmother.

While still recuperating, Kellen is contacted by that persistent annoyance from her previous adventure: Nils Brooks of Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives. He has a small security job for her and won’t take no for an answer, no matter what Kellen or her daughter’s family have to say about it. Brooks wants Kellen to accompany a recently retrieved artifact to a reclusive expert for verification, and makes out that this is a simple, not at all dangerous mission. Reluctantly, Kellen agrees to work for Brooks once again.

Of course, nothing is ever as simple as employees of secretive government agencies work out, and soon Kellen finds herself stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of people following her, who all plan to kill her, steal the artifact, or both. To make matters worse, Kellen’s daughter has stowed away in the vehicle in which Kellen was a passenger, and now she’s in danger too. Kellen’s only option is to hike through the woods with her daughter and the artifact until they find either a Ranger Station or the home of the recluse she was supposed to be meeting.

Meanwhile, Max, the father of Kellen’s daughter – still very much in love with Kellen – realises that something has gone badly wrong and sets out to provide assistance or rescue as necessary.

This book had a lot of twists and turns, and I felt at times that there could have been enough action for at least two books. I was also a little disappointed at the reveal of the identity and motives of the big bad. On the other hand, I really liked the cliffhanger that this book ended on, which isn’t always the case for me when plot threads are left unresolved, and I’m greatly looking forward to the next book in the series.

Grade: B

Unfortunately I didn’t know this was a sequel, but I loved it. Thrillers have become a favorite of mine. I highly recommend this book.. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having had a head injury a couple years ago, which included some loss of time and other regular motor functions, I'm a little sensitive about fiction depictions. Dodd wrote a great, exciting suspense that harkens back to my favorite OG romantic suspense authors (Linda Howard and Sandra Brown). Very engaging story!

Heart beating, adrenaline rushing suspense, keeping a reader on the edge of their seat. Full disclosure, I did not read the first book in this series. After reading this one, I am now going back to purchase the first book to read. I loved this from the very start. Kellen is a take no prisoner woman who may have lost some of her memories, but that doesn't make her any less lethal.

I have been a fan of Ms. Dodd's for decades. Her romantic suspense is consistently thrilling and exciting to read. This new series delivers all this and more. It has been years since I last read a Ms. Dodd book. Her writing is even better than I remembered. The plot in this story is well written. The flow is smooth and attention grabbing. Before, I remember her book focused more on the romance between the heroine and the alpha male. This book is focused on the character development as well as plot movement. I enjoy plot driven books with a character growth progression.

There are several subplots going on at the same time. Ms. Dodd does an excellent job of dancing between each one. She blends the twists and turns into written choreography leaping off the pages in vivid definition. I felt as if I were right there with Kellen as she traverse through the wilderness, hiding from the ones chasing her. Her adorable daughter she cannot remember having adds a sweet layer to this hardcore warrior. Amidst this serious action of escape or die, there is a dark humour which appeals to me greatly. Some of the secondary characters in this story are hilarious with their idiosyncrasies. Ms. Dodd's comedic timing is perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed wry sense of humour. There is much more to this story I would love to share but it would end up in giving out spoilers. This romantic suspense is recommended to readers who enjoy a high octane shoot 'em up chasing themes.

What Doesn't Kill Her is the second installment in author Christina Dodd's Cape Charade trilogy. Against all odds, Kellen Adams has proven she can survive and thrive. But to protect the family she never knew, including a daughter she is just getting used to, she now must defend against a menace she can’t imagine. What Doesn't Kill Her is a novel that doesn't stand alone.

It is necessary to have read Dead Girl Running in order to understand the full scope of what Kellen has endured, and so, this review may or may not contain some spoilers for events in the first book. Kellen's life has taken a strange turn. She went from serving in the military, to being discharged after being injured, to becoming assistant manager of Yearning Sands Resort, to surviving a brutal villain along with a shocking betrayal that led to an even more shocking surprise.

Kellen is someone who is basically a computer on two legs. She can remember every thing about a person after meeting them. She can remember the location, schedule, and qualifications of every employee at the resort. What she can't remember is a year of her life, or why she has what appears to be a gunshot scar on her forehead. This time around, however, Kellen gets a bit of her past told back to her Maximilian DiLuca, who she had a romantic past with, and who refuses to allow her to disappear like she did before.

With Kellen feeling restless, and not understanding her role as mother to a 7 year old girl named Rae, Kellen takes a job from Nils Brooks. All she has to do is pick up an artifact, and deliver it to a reclusive man who is supposed to tell if the artifact is real, or a fact. But, things quickly spiral out of control. Her so called partner betrays her, Rae decides that mommy is on an adventure and needs to join in, which leads to all sorts of action, and dire circumstances.

It's fair to say that I will not spoil the events that happened while Kellen was in a coma, or how she ended up in said coma. But, I shall say that Kellen feels inadequate at being a mother. After all, her past gives no clue whether or not she would have been a nurturing mother. Her brain is not wired that way. As she tries to get close to Rae, she also has to deal with more severe issues. As in someone is still out to get her, and she has no clue who that person might be. After all, everyone she thought she knew back when she was living in Maine, is no longer among the living.

This book left me with a bad feeling in my mouth. No, it wasn't a bad story. In fact, it was pretty good overall. I just hate when authors go back to back with cliffhanger endings which force you to read the next book. I know, it's pure idiocy on my part. But, in this case, it might force a change in how things get started in the final book in the series called Strangers She Knows. You can already tell by the title that things are going to get weird really fast.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39880749-what-doesn-t-kill-her

I've been eagerly waiting for this book since turning the final page of Dead Girl Running and it did not disappoint. Picking up shortly after the end of the first book, What Doesn't Kill Her continues the journey of Kellen Adams with more action, emotion, mystery, and well-placed Dodd humor...sometimes in the middle of terror.

Let me start out by saying how much I adore Max Di Luca. I'm so glad Dodd delves deeper into his relationship with Kellen in this book as well as revealing more of their shared backstory. I love his patience, his kindness, and his protective instincts. He's a wonderful father and I hope he'll have the opportunity to be a wonderful husband.

I appreciate the difficulties Kellen is experiencing as she, Max, and Rae try to find their new normal. Dodd allows the transition to occur realistically, with advances and retreats, as Kellen, clearly out of her comfort zone, struggles to come to terms with everything that happened during the year she was in a coma, as well as finally facing the events from before and after.

And then there's Rae, the precocious seven-year-old daughter Kellen never knew she had and doesn't quite know what to do with. I love this kid! The evolving relationship between these two is both heart-wrenching and hilarious, a combination Dodd pulls off flawlessly.

All of these relationship threads are being woven at the same time Kellen, and her stowaway daughter, are running for their lives from men determined to steal a precious artifact Kellen's been hired to deliver. But that's only the beginning of the danger that's stalking them.

With edge-of-your-seat suspense, emotional depth, and unexpected humor, What Doesn't Kill Her is a story that lures the reader in and refuses to let go. It can be read as a standalone but for a complete understanding of the characters and the events that have led them to this point in their journey, I strongly encourage readers to read Dead Girl Running first.

3.5

Kellen is keeping a secret about her troubled past. In her current life, she is spends time with her one time lover Max. She is trying to develop maternal feelings for their seven year old daughter Rae. Thinking some time on her own would help her sort things out, she accepts what appears to be a simple job transporting a historical relic. Should be easy peasy - right? Nothing could be further from the truth!

This book had everything - action, mystery, romance, family issues and betrayal - just to mention a few. I thought little Rae stole the show in the book. The author nailed the personality of a precosious seven year old. She had me laughing on numerous occasions. I also enjoyed watching Kellen as her mothering instincts started to come into play. And I was pleased to see how the relationship between Max and Kellen continued to grow. And oh - the ending! All I can say is I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

My thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley.

This book took me WAY too long to get through. It was slow in many parts and the storyline just meandered and meandered. I liked the first book in the series, but this one was tedious.
I don't care for the Rae character, I think she is too precocious and too articulate for a seven year old child. The mystery wasn't super compelling and I just never quite "got" what was going on with all of the chasing.
I will read the next book, because this one leaves off on quite a cliffhanger.

Oh my goodness - I was TIRED for Kellen when this book ended! I felt like Ms Dodd packed so much action into the story (but definitely in a good way!). I was so pleased to see Kellen/CeeCee's character progression in this book and that she got to fall in love with Rae. Was it just me, or did Kellen *not* tell Max her real name before they got married??
As always, I will recommend this book to library patrons and fellow bookworms and I cannot wait for the next instalment of Kellen's story!

My Thoughts: I enjoyed most of this book so I'll talk about those things first. When this book starts Kellen is trying to figure out how to be a mom and not faring well. Hiding in bushes and feeling like a failure because she can not bond with her daughter Rae. Looking for a way out Kellen takes a job running an artifact up the mountain. Of course nothing works out. Terror and mayhem ensue. Kellen manages the job and gets every priceless thing up the mountain.

While I didn't have a problem with it, it was slightly jarring going from all of that to event planning at the winery. This was just as frantic and came with its own set of problems. It's also where we find out who is trying to kill Kellen and why. This is where my personal problem comes in. Even in a thriller I like to be able to try and figure things out. The answer made sense to Kellen's life but caught me off guard trying to figure out if I had ever heard of the person before.

Overall, even with not having a clue on who, I really enjoyed this book. Christina Dodd does a great job setting a scene and bringing the characters and dialogue to life. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next with Kellen and her new found (refound) life.

What Doesn’t Kill Her is the second book in a series and should not be read out of order.

No! No! No! I refuse to believe it ended liked that and I now have to wait until October for the next book! *obnoxious whiny voice* That's way toooo long! I need more Kellan, Max, and Rae NOW. *stomps feet*

I’m so not a cliffy girl; damn you, Dodd!

Anyway, this has seriously become one of my favorite books. I absolutely loved What Doesn’t Kill Her even more than Dead Girl Running.

Kellan and Rae absolutely made this!

It bears repeating: “I want more Kellan Adam heroines. The book world could definitely use more of her strength, no games and contrived drama, take no shit, loyal personality.” -Dead Girl Running review

She proved even more throughout What Doesn't Kill Her that my hardcore love for her was well deserved. We didn’t just see Kellan, the domestic abuse survivor and Kellan, the Army Captain. Ms. Dodd gave us Kellan, the mom. This was my favorite persona of hers. She wasn’t perfect at it. Far from it. Think fish out of water. But Kellan learned quickly she could do it. That she could love her daughter beyond a shadow of a doubt, even without the initial bond/connection. That she could be a loving, fantastic mama. I loved taking this journey with her, watching her grow psychologically and emotionally through the trials and tribulations of becoming a mama to her feisty, independent, and free-spirited seven-year-old.

Kellan Adams, you girl, are an inspiration.

I can’t wait for you to meet Rae! She’s a trip! The most precious, little girl. Her love for her mama was unconditional and she was so patient with Kellan’s inept attempts. Their growing relationship became the center of What She Doesn’t Know. It’s what made this book so special, to me. The perfect ingredient I didn’t even know I needed.

That doesn’t mean you won’t get a fast-paced, action packed book filled with twisty turns. You will, lots of it. You'll get all this while also experiencing a character driven book. Readers will encounter Kellan immersed in a roll so new to her that she has to learn how to navigate and merge these two aspects of her life: family life and badass life.

And as Kellan is known to do, she handles this with lots of witty, fun and WTF moments. All while kicking ass and taking names.

As Ms. Dodd consistently does when I read one of her books, she captivated and engaged all of my feelings and senses. I highly recommend this series.

P.S. I know I didn't touch on Max. I should have because I fell hard for him in this book, as well. But his character is more secondary to Kellan and Rae. My love for What Doesn't Kill Her sets around the two of them. Max was just the icing on the cake. Now my review for Strangers She Knows will be filled with the delicious Max Di Luca since it looks like we'll get a book in his voice! I'm so damn excited for this!! I can't wait to see what Ms. Dodd has in store for us.

Kellen Adams has been a victim, a survivor, and a warrior. She’s prepared for anything…except learning that she’s the mother of a seven-year-old that she never knew existed. Kellen doesn’t know what to do with her daughter, Rae, or with Max, the lover she only has fleeting memories of thanks to the bullet in her head that took her memories and left her in a coma for a year. Kellen is floundering when she takes the opportunity for what should be a simple security job. A few days away from Rae and Max may help to clear her head. But when her mission turns deadly, it’s a race through the wilderness and a fight for survival Kellen can’t afford to lose.

What Doesn’t Kill Her is a tense thriller that had me eagerly turning the pages late into the night. I loved Kellen in Dead Girl Running and I continued to do so as I learned more about her. She is so strong, has been through absolute hell more than once, and she never stops fighting. She has looked death in the face but what scares her most at the start of this is trying to navigate the waters of motherhood. Rae is bright, chatty, endearing, and just a fun kid. She’s adorable and Kellen can see she’s a good kid, but she’s having trouble bonding with her. Her reasons make sense and I actually liked that Kellen didn’t instantly bond with Rae, but rather we got to watch their relationship develop. We also get to see how Kellen’s relationship with Max plays out. Even though he’s caring and patient with Kellen, things can be (understandably) bumpy between Kellen and Max because he’s an incredibly loving, protective father who wants Rae to have the mother she yearns for. The romance between Kellen and Max starts out as a slow burn, but when things pick up speed it’s clear that old feelings never died. I loved watching the romantic and familial relationships develop over the course of the story.

Of course, if Kellen, Max, and Rae want to become one happy family, they all have to survive the events of What Doesn’t Kill Her. It’s difficult for me to talk about the suspense element without giving away spoilers, so forgive me for being overly vague. A race up the mountain is only the beginning of Kellen’s problems in this story. She faces multiple threats and horrible odds, is beaten, bruised, and pushed to her limits, but she never gives up. I hated having to put the book down as the tension mounted and the stakes were raised higher and higher.

What Doesn’t Kill Her is the second full-length book in the Cape Charade series and you should definitely read Dead Girl Running before diving into this book. Like its predecessor, What Doesn’t Kill Her is captivating from beginning to end. Christina Dodd knows how to make readers beg for more and – given the cliffhanger ending in this book – I am definitely on the edge of my seat as I wait to discover what happens next.