If you’ve been wondering if the Harlequin Blaze line lives up to its name, I can safely say that Jamie Denton’s Sleeping with the Enemy does, and not just because of the steamy love scenes. The chemistry between hero Chase Bracken and heroine Dee Romine is potent from the get-go. Although this aspect of the book can at times overpower the rest of the story, I found the main characters compelling and the swift pacing of the story made it ideal for a quick afternoon read.

FBI Special Agent Chase “Bend-the-rules” Bracken is given one last chance at the Bureau, to find rogue agent Jared Romine, who’s so far eluded every attempt at capture. Chase decides that the best way to find Jared is to get close to his sister, Dr. Destiny Romine, so he goes to Cole Harbor, the town where she works, and poses as the new high school football coach. From their first meeting when Chase introduces himself as Dee’s new neighbor, the attraction is mutual and strong, and eventually both Chase and Dee find themselves lowering long-held emotional barriers for each other.

Dee’s knowledge of her brother or his current whereabouts is basically nil, which is soon pretty clear to Chase. His guilt at deceiving Dee grows as he gets to know her better and fall in love with her, but he can’t bring himself to simply end the charade and tell her the truth about his work, certainly not as he begins to uncover what really happened with Jared Romine. To Dee, her brother is only a cherished memory and (possibly) an occasional brief phone call where apparently no one is on the other end. Dee is at a crossroads in her life. While she yearns for the anonymity (and emotional distance) of emergency room medicine and a life in a busy big city, both her relationship with Chase and a change in her professional prospects make her question what it is she really wants from life. There is the inevitable showdown when Chase’s real identity is revealed, but the story of Jared Romine will apparently continue in another book, one I’m looking forward to reading.

Ms. Denton has created charming characters in Dee Romine and Chase Bracken, and they are the main reason I enjoyed reading Sleeping with the Enemy. Their involvement may happen quickly, but it fits with their circumstances. The secondary characters are few but add to the story, especially Dee’s cantankerous old boss Dr. Claymore. For an enjoyable read, give this one a try.