Safety Breach is the first installment in the Longview Ridge Ranch series. I love Ms. Fossen’s writing style and how she transforms her writing talent into something so believable. I got lost in this book and didn’t want to put it down. You have a person that has been hiding in WITSEC, Gemma, and it seems that there is someone in their circle that is leaking out the information. Then there is the Sheriff Kellan a rancher that has his own reservations in regards with Gemma. One dark night his deputy was shot and murdered as well as his father. Now he needed to go to Gemma and keep her safe from Eric the serial killer. They are going to have a long journey in order to keep safe they are going to go through shootings, accidents and even bombings. They are going to have to keep one step ahead of Eric but more people are going to come out of hiding and might ruin their chances to find him. I know that Gemma blames herself because she was working closely with him and not only that she was a profiler. Sure Kellan could have blamed her because if she could have seen who she was working with maybe his Deputy and his father wouldn’t be dead. But then again when dealing with a serial killer no one knows what is going on in their head and what they are capable of. Who can they trust? Can those people have ulterior motives?

As I've learned to expect, a beautifully written and fun read. Fossen writes wonderful believable stories with flawed but truly good heroes and heroines that defy expectation

Silence — typically a symbol of peace after a long day’s work — is nothing but a deadly omen in Delores Fossen’s Safety Breach, a fast-paced romantic suspense in which Gemma Hanson, a former FBI profiler, becomes the target of Eric, former apprentice turned serial killer.

"The moment that Gemma Hanson opened her front door, she heard something she didn’t want to hear. Silence.

There were no pulsing beeps from the security system. No flare of the bead of red light on the panel, warning her that she had ten seconds to disarm it or the alarms would sound. That meant someone had tampered with it.

The killer had found her."

Awash with dread, the opening sentences of the novel create an atmospheric mood of uncertainty — a mood that slowly unravels in the wake of threat after threat. Attempted murder, explosions and veiled threats from an unknown number heighten the tension of the novel as actions pile up after Gemma is removed from her witness protection program as well as her home by Kellan Slater, small-town sheriff and former high school sweetheart.

Intense yet overwhelming, Fossen drags the reader into a complicated murder mystery featuring Gemma, Kellan and Eric, pulling in numerous side characters on a wild ride to convict an alleged serial killer, all while subtle threads point toward an ally in the police force. From timed explosions and smoke bombs to hidden snipers, pre-recorded messages and hired thugs, Fossen keeps the action up as threats upon Gemma’s life pile one on top of the other, pushing her and Kellan closer as he vows to protect her from harm.

As Gemma, Kellan and company (including Gemma’s former advocate Amanda, Kellan’s brother, as well as numerous other members of the force) move from the station to a nearby hotel and back again, taking the occasional pit stop to Kellan’s family ranch, the pacing and plot of the novel become convoluted and vague.

A tense, awkward romance, in which Gemma and Kellan find themselves walking on eggshells around one another, vies with the serial killer plotline for attention, wherein neither really seems to come out on top. Fossen hints at major revelations but never delves into the meat of the characters’ backstories, pushing Gemma and Kellan from enemies to lovers in a second chance romance that lacks redemption. Instead, the romance aspect of the novel borders on insta-love as a muddy former relationship ignites desire — all while the reader is left grasping for threads to fill in the gaps of their romantic past, which was broken up when Kellan’s father died trying to protect Gemma from Eric in the first place.

Though fast-paced and action-packed, the first installment of Fossen’s Longview Ridge Range series may leave something to be desired, as telling narration ebbs and flows, laying down an unsteady spool of tension and romance. Despite the occasional muttering of some profanity, Safety Breach leaves the reader rooting for a sequel that will unravel the mysteries (and romance) of side characters, including Kellan’s brother Jack and a former victim named Caroline.

3.5 Stars

Safety Breach was a quick, action-packed read with an engaging plot and a delightful romance.

When the serial killer who tried to kill her discovers her WITSEC location, Gemma Hanson narrowly escapes with the help of Sheriff Kellan Slater, the son of one of the men who died in the original attempt on her life. With a killer once again after her, Gemma and Kellan need to find a way past their personal history to work together to catch the killer before it’s too late.

The premise in this book was an interesting one, a profiler who worked on a serial killer case finds herself the victim of that same killer and is forced her into hiding after she is nearly killed. The relentlessness of the killer definitely ups the suspense factor as they’re determined to finish what they started with Gemma leading to multiple action-packed scenes where they come after Gemma. I thought the ending was very well done and the author did a great job keeping the stakes just high enough to keep things interesting while managing to tie up several plotlines.

Gemma and Kellan’s relationship is on shaky ground when the book begins due to Kellan’s father’s death and Gemma’s involvement in it. The pair definitely have a hard time trusting one another as they both have feelings of resentment over what happened. But, despite the fast pace of the story and the fact that the two had little downtime, I thought the characters worked things out in a believable enough way that I was able to buy into their romance. Plus the chemistry between the two was fantastic and I enjoyed the few scenes where they were able to find some alone time.

My issue with this book, which seems like a common issue among other readers, is that it felt like we were just dropped into the middle of the story. The book starts with Gemma finding her safehouse compromised and goes from there with little explanation at the time. It definitely felt like a chunk of the book was missing and that we should have had more information about what was going on. A prequel novella or even a prologue would have helped clear things up immensely and I wish the author had included that.

Pacing issues aside, Safety Breach was an enjoyable read and I will be checking out the next book in the series.

Who are Kellan, Eric, and Gemma? What do they each do for a living? Why is Kellan at Gemma's home? Who are Caroline, Rory, Amanda, and Maylene? Why does Kellan call Owen? Oh my gosh!! This suspenseful mystery was as much a thriller as anything else. Even a touch of a second-chance romance came into play for possibly more than one set of people. Who is behind everything that is going on and why? Or are there multiple people? When corruption starts to be a possibility, does it get confirmed? Read and see!

A new romantic suspense novel by Delores Fossen means cancelling all your social engagements, switching off your phone and devouring her high-octane tales of intrigue, passion and danger and she hits it out of the park once again with her latest novel, Safety Breach.

Gemma Hanson is a woman who lives in constant fear. Having narrowly escaped a serial killer intent on killing her, Gemma had thought that she was reasonably safe in witness protection. Gemma is still constantly on edge and has had to put her entire life on hold while the man who had tortured and terrified her is still on the loose. Thus far, he has avoided capture and has led the authorities a very merry dance, but he has been keeping his distance. Until now. He has discovered her WITSEC location and her safety has been breached. He wants to finish what he has started, but he hasn’t counted on Gemma having somebody in her corner who will do whatever it takes to protect her and keep her safe: Sheriff Kellan Slater.

An incendiary passion united Kellan and Gemma, but with a dangerous enemy intent on causing them maximum destruction, their relationship had come to a sudden end. Too much damage had been done by the serial killer stalking Gemma, but now that he has broken into her home and jeopardised her safety once again, she has no other choice but to put herself in Kellan’s hands. As never forgotten feelings come rushing to the surface, Kellan and Gemma soon find themselves giving into their desire for one another. But with danger round every corner, does their love stand any chance of surviving? Or is their relationship doomed?

Can Kellan and Gemma catch the killer and ensure that justice is served? Or will this cruel murderer succeed in tearing them asunder forever?

A stellar romantic suspense novel that will leave you breathless, Safety Breach is a captivating page-turner you will struggle to put down. Tense, terrifying and packed with jaw-dropping twists and turns, Safety Breach is classic Delores Fossen and a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and reading until the early hours of the morning. With an intelligent heroine, a sexy hero and plenty of intrigue and suspense, Safety Breach is the latest compulsively readable romantic thriller by Delores Fossen.

I'm a Delores Fossen fan, but this book wasn't a favorite. Although the start of a new series it's a story of a serial killer who returns to track down a,witness and finish the job. I felt like part of the story was missing and had a hard time getting through it. The witness and the Sheriff , there to protect her , have a previous relationship. It was predictable and slow, but with the typical Harlequin HeA!

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

An absolute thriller from cover to cover. Gemma and Kellan are facing certain death while battling their hearts. After the events of a year ago, both are a bit skittish around each other, but trying to catch a sadistic serial killer who loves to play games might be just what they need to find the comfort they once had. A brilliant page-turner for anyone who likes their thrillers with a little heat.

If you enjoy well paced romantic suspense I highly recommend reading anything by Delores Fossen and this is another fine example of her action packed page turner style, an enthralling read that I thoroughly enjoyed escaping into.

Gemma Hanson is in a WITSEC location after being shot - three times - by a serial killer who used to work for her. Now he's coming back to kill her and knows where she's been relocated to. When she was shot, two men were killed and the other woman with her disappeared. One of the men killed was the local Sheriff, the father of her then boyfriend, who took over from his father and is now Sheriff Kellan Slater. The dramatic events ended their relationship but when another woman is murdered and a note is left stating Gemma's location and saying she's next, Kellan is determined to protect her from harm this time.

This is a dramatic story of betrayal, murder, romance, secrets and surprises. It is a suspense filled, edge of your seat read that I can't recommend highly enough. Many thanks to the publishers for gifting me a copy of it via NetGalley and look forward to reading more in this series in future!

Safety Breach was a page-turner in the beginning. You were thrown into the action with Gemma finding her safe house compromised (A forward or prologue would have been great to explain why. The author fills it in but it still caused confusion in the beginning). Her knight in shining arrives just in time to save her, again. Kellan doesn't want to still have feelings for Gemma, his teenage love, but he does and it complicates matters when they're trying to find a serial killer.

I had a few problems with this one which is why I docked a star from it. First, if you read a lot of police procedurals, prepare to suspend reality because a lot of what the sheriff does, doesn't make any sense, especially if you know a cop. He moved Gemma around at times when he KNEW that the killer would probably be waiting but he'd do it anyway. He'd say, "It's not safe here, we have to move" and then they'd get caught in a trap and he'd take her back to where he had just said it wasn't safe. You will have to suspend reality here, trust me.

I can say the action never stops, even if some of it is created by their own hand. Once the web of lies starts to unravel you start to see why there was a web in the first place. The book culminates at the end with an unexpected resolution of the mystery with a twist.

I wanted to feel bad for Gemma but I couldn't. She was the type who did, not the type to cower, which was good. However, her job was as a profiler and she worked with the guy for years and never figured out he was a serial killer??? Again, suspend reality. I liked Kellen but I didn't understand why he had to 'huff' or 'mumble some profanity' every time he had to show emotion.

In the end, Gemma and Kellan do agree to try again, even if their HEA happens in the last paragraph of the book. I have to assume since this is the first in the series, and there are more to come with his brother's, that we will see more of Gemma and Kellan in the future.

I’m a sucker for an old-school stalker story, particularly one where WITSEC is involved, so I was excited to read the launch of Delores Fossen’s new Longview Ridge Ranch series, SAFETY BREACH. All the elements were there for an exciting story: a profiler who was kidnapped by a former student, shot multiple times and put into protective custody until the serial killer is captured; and the Sheriff with whom she had a previous romantic relationship, who’s her barrier from sure death. The suspense outshined the romance in this one for me, and I would’ve liked to have had more information about why Eric was so focused on Gemma, but the book was enjoyable.

Since I love the romantic suspense genre, and am a fan of this author, I was eager to get in at the beginning of Delores Fossen's new Longview Ridge Ranch series for Harlequin Intrigue, but even with a cast of characters listed at the beginning, when I started reading the very first chapter, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd possibly missed a precursor novella or novel leading into this one because the beginning of this novel seems to start somewhere in the middle of the action, as if we already knew more than we could possibly know. This problem could have easily been corrected with a preliminary chapter or even a foreword, set one year earlier, explaining the situation and clarifying a timeline of events for this story. It's for that reason, as well as a couple of other minor issues, that it gets a 4-star rather than a 5-star rating from this reader--a very good read with a few flaws.

Once you begin to pick up the story line, the suspense in this novel hits you like a runaway train. Gemma Hanson, the heroine and a profiler, has been in the Witness Protection Program for the past nine months, and in the hospital for the 3 months prior to that, having being kidnapped, rescued, and recovering from the 3 bullet wounds to her torso, put there by a former student and intern in her class on profiling, serial killer, Eric Lang. The ironic fact that Gemma didn't know she was instructing, and sometimes relying on a serial killer was not lost on this reader, but Eric's rationale for wanting Gemma dead is never stated, and I believe it should have been.

Eric disappeared after abducting and shooting Gemma, but as the novel opens, Gemma is returning home to her safe house, not far from where last year's events occurred, another choice I questioned, since generally, the Witness Protection Program sets victims up in safe houses far from where the danger is. With her groceries in hand, and as soon as she opens the door, Gemma realizes that her security system has been breached. She drops her groceries, backs away from the door, and calls 911, and, of course, Sheriff Kellan Slater, the hero, with whom Gemma once shared a romantic and sexual history, shows up and comes to her rescue after a shootout with a hired gunman stationed across the street, and just as they think they're safe, Gemma's safe house explodes. With all signs pointing to Eric, and a possible leak or mole at WITSEC giving away her location, Kellan, once again becomes Gemma's protector, and that's just for starters.

Obviously, Gemma needs 'round the clock protection, she trusts Kellan, and since he feels responsible for her safety, he's the obvious choice. But he's got other responsibilities, and, as the body count rises, other abductions and murders abound, the FBI gets involved, and Gemma's WITSEC handler and her aide show up. Neither Kellan nor Gemma know who to trust, and through it all, Eric manages to wreak havoc and elude capture time and again, while making sure that Gemma knows he still plans to finish what he started and kill her. The suspense in this romantic suspense novel occurs at a breakneck pace, but, of course, the romance side of things between Kellan and Gemma ends up taking a back seat until nearly the end of the novel, and while their previous relationship ended, Ms. Fossen makes sure we know that it just wasn't their time when it all began, but it might just be that their time is now, if, and only if, Kellan can manage to keep Gemma alive and capture or kill Eric.

As romantic suspense novels go, this one is quite a page-turner, loaded with danger, action, and more twists and turns than a roller coaster, and just like a roller coaster, it keeps you going full-tilt until the expected HEA ending, which, in this reader's opinion, was a tad too abrupt. All in all, it's a very good start to Ms. Fossen's new series, and I'm eager to learn which of the many characters introduced in this novel, will be featured in the next.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Gemma finds her life in danger once again when a serial killer she escaped from comes for her once again. Sheriff Kellan is the guy who will do everything in his power to keep her safe, while they had a history together hell have to look past that and try to find the killer and stop him from striking again.

I love a good mystery suspense novel and this book was pretty great. There was so much action going on from the beginning to end that it traps readers into wanting more and not stoping till the very end. There was so much twists and turns and a romance that'll keep the readers entertained. Peronally I loved it and highly recommend readers to check this book out when you can.

I generally LOVE books by Delores Fossen, but during this one, I felt a bit confused. There were so many characters to concentrate on that I forgot who did what, or what they were accused of. I really liked Gemma and Kellan, though, so that kept me in the book through to the end. I will be looking for the next story, because I think it going to be good.

The story starts off with readers wondering if they are missing part of the story. Even though this is the first in a series readers at first will feel like they are missing something.

The author is able to fill in the details as the story moves forward. The story flows well enough but lack of background puts a lot of readers wondering they purpose of this story. The author is talent and is able to pull off stories but this one falls flat for the beginning of a series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy Delores Fossen Safety Breach.

Safety Breach
author: Delores Fossen
CW/TW: Kidnapping, murder, stalking, the usual myriad evils of a serial killer.

You know those paint by numbers pictures where number-by-number you recreate the Mona Lisa? The result is an imperfect version of a masterpiece. It’s not high art, but it’s still a satisfying exercise and, when framed, makes a lovely addition to a wall, even if only a bathroom wall. This novel is an imperfect version of a masterpiece, with a few wildcards thrown in – silver eyes, a gold lame dress – just a few surprising tweaks.

Gemma Hanson is a self-defined “failed” profiler. Before the book opens, Gemma was working to track down a serial killer, only to realise that the serial killer was her assistant, Eric Lang. In the big showdown at Serenity Inn (insert side eye here) Eric reveals himself as the killer and allegedly kills two people, one of whom is Kellan Slater’s father. In the melee, Gemma is shot three times. This doesn’t stop her from feeling guilty for not identifying the murder sooner. Here lies the main tension between Gemma and Kellan: Gemma’s “failure” resulted in the murder of Kellan’s dad. So while they had been lovers before, this incident now stands between them. In the aftermath, Kellan takes up the reins as Sheriff (the position held by his father) and Gemma goes into witness protection because Eric is apparently very determined to kill her.

In the cold light of day, that summary seems ridiculous, but in the INTENSITY of the book, it makes a kind of sense. Because so much has taken place before the book opens, you hit the adrenaline rollercoaster hard right away. To the book’s credit, that rollercoaster just keeps on going. This novel revels in High Drama which fits given the circumstances, but if you’re looking for nuance, well, maybe skip this one.

If you’ve gone a little cross-eyed trying to keep track of the various characters in this summary, then you’ve hit upon one of my main criticisms of this book: a little too much detail, which can be difficult to keep track of. I haven’t even mentioned the (potentially dirty) FBI agent and his long-term lover. Oh, and the lover is Gemma’s ‘handler’ in Witness Protection… so, yes, it’s a big ol’ mess.

Despite my rather faint praise, I did keep reading the book. I didn’t switch it out for another or DNF it (something I have done to countless books). That this book kept me interested and kept me reading says a lot for the creativity and ingenuity of the plot. It can be difficult for a book to be truly unique and original to me in the romantic suspense genre – I read a lot of it. “It’s my fault your dad died” was a whole new kind of conflict to have between the main characters. And to plot such a twisty-bobcat-pretzel plot with no (obvious) plot holes is a feat in itself. 99% of the time I had no idea what was going to happen next. It must be said that there might well be plot holes, but I was focused on trying to keep track of who did what to whom and where. It’s a bit like driving on a deeply rutted gravel road. The faster you go, the smoother the ride. In this case, don’t look down, keep your eyes forward and surrender to the ride.

Great literature it is not, but competent escapism it certainly is.