Shadow Woman by Linda Howard

Lizette Henry wakes up one morning and makes a terrifying discovery: She doesn’t recognize the face she sees in the mirror. She remembers what she looks like, but her reflection is someone else’s. To add to the shock, two years seem to have disappeared from her life. Someone has gone to great and inexplicable lengths to keep those missing years hidden forever. But the past always finds a way to return.

Strange memories soon begin to surface and, along with them, some unusual skills and talents that Lizette hasn’t a clue about acquiring. Sensing that she’s being monitored, Lizette suddenly knows how to search for bugs in her house and tracking devices in her car. What’s more, she can elude surveillance—like a trained agent.

Enter a mysterious and seductive stranger named Xavier, who claims he wants to help—but who triggers disturbing images of an unspeakable crime of which Lizette may or may not be the perpetrator. With memories returning, she suddenly becomes a target of anonymous assassins. On the run with nowhere to hide, Lizette has no choice but to rely on Xavier, a strong and magnetic man she doesn’t trust, with a powerful attraction she cannot resist. As murky waters become clear, Lizette confronts a conspiracy that is treacherous and far-reaching and a truth that, once revealed, may silence her and Xavier once and for all.
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I don't know why when I was the one who chose to check out the book from the library it still takes me so long to read it. I guess there's some sort of unintentional bias against the book - if I didn't buy it I must not have wanted to read it *that* much right? Happily what started out as 'eh' finished as 'ah-mazing' and Linda Howard had me all involved in her work again :).

I'm sure there are some who don't like how it takes about half the book before Xavier and Lizette actually 'meet' meet, but I thought it worked for the plot. Lizette is being confronted with what seems like a life gone totally off its rocker and while Xavier might have more information he is still bound by the connections he has - things could go wrong really quickly. What Howard does instead is what she does best, having the two characters circle around each other, flirting with the edge of disaster (and some really spicy dreams!) until circumstances work themselves out enough to force them together. 

There are only a few sexy scenes so if you're looking for super hot this might not be for you but I loved it was actually really surprised with how the mystery worked itself out in the end. I thought I knew what was going on but Howard totally pulled the rug out from under me - definitely recommended! 

Overall Feeling - A

Series - None