This one was a little slow to start but once the action started it was fast paced. I was disappointed that Kellen was no longer at the Yearning Sands Resort because I liked it there and I enjoyed the people. It didn't really matter in the end anyway though. There's more character development in this one as Kellen learns to deal with the newly acquired daughter that she doesn't remember giving birth to. This is a good addition to the series and is pretty much what you would expect from a Christina Dodd novel.

All in all, a great page turner filled with twists, turns, and suspense. This would be good for fans of Karin Slaughter. A definite must-read recommendation. ( )

I love mystery books, and although I never read the first book, I was enthused reading and rapidly reading to help Kellen uncovers her memories. ( )

4.5 stars.
What Doesn't Kill Her by Christina Dodd is a riveting, fast-paced mystery. This second installment in the Cape Charade series can be read as a standalone, but reading book one provides important background information.

Kellen Adams is trying settle into her new life at the vineyard owned by her former boyfriend Max De Luca. She is maintaining her emotional distance from Max and seven year old Rae when she accepts a job from Nils Brooks. While taking a priceless antiquity to a reclusive expert in the wilderness, Kellen must avoid two sets of hired guns who are threatening her while also keeping someone dear to her safe. When Max discovers the truth about Kellen's latest task, will he find her before it is too late?

Kellen continues to experience difficulty settling into her new post-military life and she is uncomfortable living with Max, Rae and Max's mother Verona. She very eagerly accepts Nils' job but it does not take long for her to realize he didn't tell her the complete truth about her assignment. A shocking discovery ups the ante as she dodges numerous assassins whom Kellen quickly deduces are actually two separate groups of people who are after her. She quickly surmises one faction is planning to steal the artifact she is transporting. But Kellen is at a loss to understand why she is being targeted by the other set of men who seemingly have a much more nefarious plan as they stalk her through the backwoods.

Max is losing hope that Kellen will be receptive to resuming their relationship. He is also frustrated by her continued efforts to hold Rae at arm's length. Fed up with Kellen's evasive maneuvers to avoid spending time with Rae, Max pushes her to work with Nils. Will Max finally break through Kellen's formidable defenses and convince her to give him and Rae a chance?

With plenty of action, What Doesn't Kill Her is a suspenseful mystery that is impossible to put down. Kellen continues to grow and evolve as she admits her fears and lets down her emotional walls. Max is a little too good to be true but this does not lessen his appeal. Rae is a precocious little girl who steals every scene she stars in. Christina Dodd does an outstanding job keeping the identity of the person who is after Kellen and why tightly under wraps until an adrenaline laced showdown between Kellen and the perpetrator. The cliffhanger conclusion will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment in the Cape Charade series.
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My Rating: 4.5 Stars

As this Cape Charade series has progressed, Kellen Adams is still coping with a memory gap from a year of her life due to a bullet in her brain. It is now years later. She has recently discovered that during that trauma she actually gave birth and recently met her 7-year-old daughter Rae. She learned that the man she fell in love with after escaping the clutches of her terrifying and brutal husband, Max, fathered her daughter. It was while pregnant that Kellen was actually shot in the head. At one point, Kellen left the hospital, and this was after being in a coma, and fell off the grid.

Max has found her, but it didn't mean that the three would be able to become a happy little family. During Kellen's time away, she joined the Army and hasn't quite become herself. As a matter of fact, she really doesn't know who she could possibly be in life. In the previous novels, we learned that after her husband attempted to kill her, she assumed her cousin's identity, thus changing her name to Kellen. At some point, she met Max. Now, seven years later, Kellen has to come to grips with even new changes in her life. How can she become a loving mother to a little girl she never knew?

After learning about Rae, in a state of utter shock, Kellen takes off and ends up in the wilderness and the path is borne for her to start over. However, danger follows closely on her tail and it seems that the running that she started might never come to an end. Someone is still trying to kill her and one might wonder how many lives this one woman has.

What Doesn't Kill Her is a thrilling tale of suspense and mystery, with romance and family seamlessly blended in. Just as each book before, we are left hanging with another cliffhanger. I cannot imagine what is now in store for Kellen. Other books in this series are Hard to Kill, Dead Girl Running and Families and Other Enemies, all available now. To follow later this year are Hidden Truths and Strangers She Knows. ( )

This is a fantastic romantic thriller. I laughed and cried. I did not put this down until I was done. This is the second book in this series and it just keeps getting better. You will want to read the first book so you remember all of what happened to Kellen. I love the characters throughout the story, especially Kellen and Rae. Rae is such a breath of fresh air. The author definitely has children or was great at the research. I so recommend this book. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )