Katherine Sutcliffe's novel is dark, gritty and intense, but the power of love shines through it all, even for Brandon Carlyle, who stopped believing in love a long time ago. A child TV star who went on to superstar status in movies as an adult, Brandon was lionized in Hollywood and worshiped by millions of women. When he took his life-on-the-edge existence too far, the Hollywood idol came crashing down, sexy bad-boy image and all. The jail sentence that followed was a wake-up call and, once he got out of the slammer, Brandon went back to his small-town roots. Now he's helping his beloved uncle, refusing to consider a comeback -- and wondering how the person stalking him (and sending him threatening love letters signed "Anticipating") has managed to follow him to Ticky Creek, Texas. That's when photographer Alyson James arrives on the scene and tempts Brandon to trust her, despite the fact she could make the anonymity he craves a thing of the past. With Alyson, Brandon can finally share the bitter secrets that shaped him...until she knows so much that they are both in danger of losing much more than their hearts. It may be hard to say which gives this book more sizzle, the compelling characters or the taut pacing, but it's definitely a winning combination.