Come Closer

By: Brenda Rothert

Narrated by: Lee Samuels, Kirsten Leigh

Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Sometimes appearances deceive. Take me, for instance. I look like a respectable doctor with his shit together, but the rural Montana mental hospital I work at is actually a sanctuary from my demons. At just 35 years old, I've already failed on an epic scale. Treating patients at Hawthorne Hill is part of my atonement.

I've found peace when a new patient turns me inside out. Allison Cole is a beautiful, haunted survivor who fell into silence after witnessing a murder. But even without words, I'm drawn to her. The closer we get, the more I'm tempted to cross my professional boundaries and give in to my desire. Soon I find myself in a desperate race to put the pieces of Allison's silence together. Her life becomes inextricably entwined with mine as I fight to save the second chance I never thought I'd have. I'll break whatever rules I have to in order to protect this woman who's been to hell and back. For her, I'll do harm.

©2017 Brenda Rothert (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

A fantastic romantic suspense novel.

The setting for this novel is a Psychiatric hospital. I don't generally consider it a romantic setting by any means. And yet, the author infused a certain warmth into it, and created a vibrant community within it. The psychiatric hospital became a place of refuge, respect for vulnerable patients with caring staff, and an environment within which people could thrive. I love the way it was positively portrayed rather than being a place to fear. The psychiatrist hero’s affinity with the patients because of his ability to interpret their behaviours and understand their needs was an eye-opening experience for me.

I am incredibly uncomfortable reading about certain forbidden relationships – and the psychiatrist/patient relationship is one of them. Here, however, the writer convinced me that the relationship is 1) NOT a psychiatrist taking advantage of a fragile person and 2) that the participants (hero and heroine) are of equal mental standing. Alison is a person who would not normally be admitted to a psychiatric ward BUT FOR the shock of seeing her sister’s murder. This would shock any person of stable mind. It also helped me that the hero was not her treating psychiatrist.

The main characters are people that I would find admirable and likeable in real life. I cared about these people, and I wanted them to succeed in solving the murder of Alison’s sister’s death. This angle of the story turned sinister and the suspense was gripping, and I had ants in my pants fearing what would happen on many levels – the hero’s employment, the heroine’s safety, and the safety of other patients. The murder mystery was the foundation for the romance to blossom and I loved how the romance was handled sensitively with regard to the serious consequences for both the hero and heroine. Quite well done!

The author and narrators were firsts for me - won't be my last. I felt the romance and the suspense plots were executed perfectly. I enjoyed the performances of both narrators – I felt their voices were spot-on for this hero and heroine.

I recommend this novel for lovers of romantic suspense (with a dash of sexy-times thrown in).

Forbidden romance and suspense

I ended up enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The story was very interesting and I liked both of the main characters. I thought this was going to be a typical forbidden romance between a doctor and his patient. But it is so much more than that. Daniel and Allison form a nice relationship while she's being admitted to a mental hospital. Even though she refuses to talk she forms a relationship with Daniel that needed no words. He understood her in way no one else could despite his growing attraction for her. Daniel is very good at his job and really cares about his patients, Allison included.The suspense surrounding the murder of Allison's sister and the fact that people keep trying to get her to talk made the story more interesting. Its clear Allison is in danger and as her trust with Daniel grows we learn all the secrets Allison has been holding in.

Lee Samuels and Kirsen Leigh were good. I liked listening to them and had it not been for their narrating I might have given up on this book too early. I'm so glad I stuck with this book and the narrators enhanced the reading experience.

Wonderful!

Audible’s Romance Package scores another winner! Absolutely worth a credit and a closer look at other works available from this author!

Good!

This had a very interesting storyline. I'm not usually into tragic reads but this had pulled me in right in the beginning. My only disappointment was, I expected more of the of the plot twist. I wish it had been a bit more complex, but I read a lot of romantic suspense and I'm probably picky. Still enjoyed the book and the audiobook. Great narration.

Great Story!

Performance was top notch and I loved how smoothly the story flowed. Well written and full of romance. I'm a fan for life.

Loved it

Wow,this was so well done. I loved the storyline and all the twists and turns . Once I started listening I just didn’t want to stop. This is my first book by this author but it won’t be my last.

Unique plot - Easy to love characters

Loved this book! Very different story than I've ever read before. When her twin sister is murdered before her eyes, Allison was sent to Hawthorne psychiatric hospital where she meets Dr. Daniel Delgado. An unusual relationship begins between the 2.

I'm hooked

"Come Closer" is a brilliant read. From the suspenseful beginning to the joyous ending, you never knew what to expect next.
This is a book I could listen to/ read again just like a favorite movie. It holds that much of an impact throughout the storyline.
The performance was very good too.

Love!

Excellent book, excellent narration!!! It is so worth the credit!!!!!!!!! I really enjoyed this story.

Lots of Twists and Turns!

WOW! Come Closer was my first Brenda Rothert book, but it won’t be my last! It’s a unique story, a forbidden romance and a romantic suspense all rolled into one and I loved it!

Dr. Daniel Delgato is a tattooed ex military doctor who took a job running a remote mental hospital in Montana because as an alcoholic, he needed to stay away from any and all temptation. The hospital has three different levels, including one for the criminally insane, and Dr. Delgato is a wonderful, caring physician to them all.

When the beautiful Allison Cole is committed, Dr. Delgato is the only one who connects to her. She hasn’t spoken since her sister was brutally murdered right in front of her.

“Daniel knows what I need without words, because that's how he got to know me. He cared enough to learn my signals and read me.”

There was a magnetic connection between them, but of course, as her Doctor, neither acted on the attraction, but instead looked forward to a time when they could be together. It is very much a slow burn romance, but I loved watching it build up.

“There's something much more than that between us. This yearning doesn't come so much from my body as from my soul. No man has ever looked at me this way—with such deep longing to have me just as I am. Even when I had a lot more going for me, I never felt as worthy as I do with Daniel.”

Then story became an awesome romantic suspense which I totally wasn’t expecting and LOVED!

Likes:

•Completely unique storyline.
•A caring and wonderful Doctor.
•A slow-burn romance.
•I loved both characters and the supporting ones as well.
•Exciting and suspenseful.
•Twists and turns.
•Sexy and addicting.

Dislikes:

•The title for some reason just feels too bland for this sexy, swoony adventure.

The Narration:
Lee Samuel and Kristen Leigh were both perfect. I will be looking for more from this duo.

The Down and Dirty:
Don’t let the soft cover and title fool you. Come Closer by Brenda Rothert was a unique multifaceted story with a forbidden slow-burn romance, a mystery and some suspense. With great character development and lots of twists and turns, Brenda Rothert gained a new fan in me.

Rating: 4.5 Stars, 3.75 Heat, 5 Narration