One of the great things about finding new authors is finding out they have talented friends, too! I’ve mentioned before that when I began reading Sarina Bowen’s books, I joined a Facebook group called The Locker Room. I’d already read three of the other ‘coaches’ there–Elle Kennedy, Kristen Callihan and Cora Carmack–but to my great delight, I discovered another new favorite–Monica Murphy.

I enjoyed Monica’s THE RULES series, and her One Week Girlfriend quartet. This week, though, I realized she had a brand-new stand-alone, and the idea of it intrigued me. So I picked up Never Tear Us Apart.

The premise of this story is not unfamiliar, sadly; it opens about nine years after the female lead, Katherine, survived an abduction and rape. We learn pretty quickly that she was able to escape her captor only with the help of his then-15-year old son, Will. We also learn that while the two had stayed in touch for a while, eventually they lost each other.

Now twenty-one, Katherine is still trying to get her life back. She’s understandably cautious and has never dated. So when she has a chance encounter with a man who saves her from a mugging, no one is more surprised than Katherine that she is drawn to her rescuer. The two begin dating.

Of course, since the book is told from a dual point of view, we already know that her new friend Ethan is actually Will. He only wanted to check on the girl he’d helped to save. He never intended to deceive her. But now they’re in a relationship of sorts,and each of them has secrets that have the potential to be explosive.

I haven’t finished the book yet, but it’s harder and harder to put down. I’m worried about the fallout when the inevitable happens and Katherine finds out Ethan’s true identity.