When I Wake [Mass Market Paperback]

Her father is dying. He has cancer. To pull Veronica out of her debilitating depression he offers her new information about her mother, about how she died, what she was looking for, information which sparks Veronica into organizing a sea-going archeological dig in the waters off Key West, in Florida, searching for a three hundred year old storm mask, an icon of her ancestors, an passion, an obsession that killed her mother, that threatens to similarly absorb Veronica.

As part of her salvage team she hires Dugan Gallagher, a one time big city businessman, gone troppo. This man kids himself he lives to have a good time. He hates to get wet, loves to sail, has no intention of doing it tough. Or so he says. Trouble is everything he touches turns out okay. Better than okay.

There are bad guys out there. The suspects include folk Dugan has hired. Someone has to protect Veronica from whoever is after the treasure, and from herself.

The idea for this Rachel Lee's WHEN I WAKE romantic suspense is solid. However, the heroine stays self indulgent for too long, the hero comes to care too late. After his initial important appearance Veronica's father disappears stage left and returns too briefly. Villains, who promise much in the beginning, do little but fizzle in the end. Particularly disappointing is the second villain who appears only in evil whispers and whose motivations, intentions, outcomes, even at the end, are never made known.

An outraged Veronica becomes obsessed with completing her mother's dream. She and her father hire a reluctant former stockbroker, Dugan Gallagher, a diver who hates the water. As Veronica and Dugan spend several months together in close proximity, they fall in love. However, neither one trusts relationships as both have been burned in the past. There also remains the danger from money- consumed Emilio Zaragura who will do anything to attain the mask for himself.

WHEN I WAKE is an exciting romantic suspense novel that stars two wonderful, lead characters and a strong support cast. The story line is loaded with action as several players turn the search for the mask into a personal quest that makes them risk everything including love to appease their personal demons. This makes the characters seem genuine and turns Rachel Lee's novel into a strong statement on what drives an individual.

Harriet Klausner

The description of the heroine's frustration with her deafness was interesting and very realistic, but the storyline was very patchy--with huge holes in it.

The actual "treasure" hunts were very episodic, with no details beyond..."the murky water", etc.....the villains were never fully developed, and after reading the final solution to the suspense, I could only say, "Duh, What happened?"

I have read other of Rachel Lee/Sue Civil-Brown's books and enjoyed them. But I cannot recommend this book.