Double Deceit by Stephanie Humphreys

Someone is watching.

As a young widow, all Elaina Bryant wants is a fresh start. Determined to put ten painful years behind her, she returns to her hometown and moves in with her sister, Natalie. Elaina soon accepts a job working at a small bookstore owned by the handsome Ryan Hill and his mother. Despite her reluctance to become romantically involved with anyone, she is drawn to Ryan and finds herself falling in love.

But someone isn't happy with Elaina's new life and is watching her every move. Her tormentor seems determined to destroy her sanity and her future, but Elaina can't convince anyone the threat is real. Natalie is preoccupied with her own blossoming romance, and Ryan and Elaina's friend Peter seem to believe the threat has been manufactured in her own mind a result of her guilt and grief.

Now Elaina's plans for a new start are crashing down around her. She knows she will have to find the answers on her own before she can ever overcome the past and enjoy love and happiness again. But how can she protect those she loves when she doesn't know whom to trust?

Great, intriguing book that kept me reading from the very beginning to find out who was stalking Elaina Bryant.
Good, clean, suspenseful and romantic book!

Ratings: PG 13
S: kissing
V: Kidnapping
L: none

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25% test (p. 73):
"Ryan went to the fridge and got out a gallon of milk. "Mom always says milk and cookies are the first step to feeling better." He put the jg on the table and went to get two more lasses from the cupboard. "And please don't tell me it's just emotional eating, as Natalie frequesntly reminds me."
I took the carton and poured each of us a glass. We sat dipping cookies in the mik and enjoying the quiet.
"Si, Peter, I heard Natalie's opinion of the conference, but I'd like to hea what you thought." I pushed the plate of cookies toward him, then picked up my glass and sipped at the milk.
Peter took another cookie and sighed. "The workships were great, and there were lots of people I hand't seen in a long time. The dance went fine until this Chad Edards showed up. I saw him watching Natalie, so it didn't surprise me when he approacched her. he seemed pretty quiet and didn't stray too far from her for the rest of hte eveni. She wasn't too taken with him at first, but he didn't give u. Saturday morning we found him waiting at the doors to the church building. He monopolized her all day long and danced just about every dance with her that night."
'Sorry, man," Ryan said. "Give her time to gorget aobut him. You know he probably won't last for too long."
Peter sighed. "I guess i knew someday she would show some interest in someone. I just wish it had been me. Besides, that guy made me uncomfortable."
"Anyone who shows interst in Natalie makes you uncomforaable," Ryan reponded.
I figured Peter's judgement was clouded by his feelins for my sister. in his eyes, there would proabable be something wrong with any man who showerred her with attention.
"He was so intense," Peter wnet on, "Alomst if he had come to the conference to meet on particular person---Natalie."