If you’re looking for a gritty, suspenseful series romance and enjoy stories where love manages to bloom amidst darkness, you might want to keep your eyes peeled for Zebra’s newest entry in their Bouquet line, Somewhere In The Night.

Bridget McKenzie is cursed with precognitive clairvoyance. She calls it a curse because her visions aren’t of winning lottery numbers or the man of her dreams but are violent glimpses of impending crime scenes. After a five year reprieve, her deadly visions have come back full force and she has no choice but to contact the only man who will believe her: Chad Barnett, the man who took a little piece of her heart when he walked out of her life five years earlier.

Police Officer Chad Barnett learned the hard way that Bridget’s visions were no hoax when they worked together five years ago to track down a serial rapist. Tragically, the visions did not help them find the criminal before Bridget became his next victim. Chad came upon the scene in time to save her life but not in time to save her from a brutal rape. Figuring she would despise him for his failure to protect her, and unable to deal with his own guilt, he walked out of her life. Now he is forced to face those old demons when she reenters his life.

Bridget, understandably, has been wary of entering into an intimate relationship with a man, but because of their past together, she trusts Chad and feels a sexual attraction to him. But he pushes her away without an explanation just when they begin to get close. Before they can find true love, both must overcome the pain and insecurities caused by their pasts. And as if that weren’t enough to deal with, they’ve got to find the killer before he puts a permanent end to their romantic troubles!

Chad was a decent hero for the most part, but at times needed a good shaking. He was frightened of his growing feelings for Bridget not only because of their past but, because he has that handy dandy excuse of being a “confirmed bachelor” while she, of course, was (in his words) the “home, hearth and a house full of babies” type. This obstacle came across as manufactured and was unnecessary. There was plenty of internal and external conflict, and dragging out this old groaner of a plot device only served to annoy and make the otherwise appealing hero appear immature.

The majority of the writing was clear and fast-paced but there were a few moments of awkward dialogue and/or character inconsistencies where Chad came across like a pimply Beavis & Butthead-like adolescent. While these few moments were luckily rare, the were, unfortunately, quite noticeable, and detracted from the narrative.

I’d still recommend giving this one a go if the plot appeals to you. Even though it was a little too reality-based and laden with grief for my liking, it was an absorbing page-turner. Despite the hero’s adolescent moments and his stubborn penchant for walking away just when things were getting good, he was a likable guy and Bridget was a strong, survivor who was easy to root for. Although there was little room for wit and fun the author did manage to sneak in a few lighter moments as the couple worked together and fell in love. I’ve heard she’s written several love and laughter type books and I have a feeling they’d be more my style. Any ideas on where I should start?