A serial killer terrorizing the women of Sacramento meets his match in this pulse-pounding novel from New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose.There is a serial killer on the loose, preying on vulnerable women. The only identifiable mark the killer leaves are letters—sometimes one, sometimes two—all carved into the torsos of his victims. Together they spell “Sydney.” When he grabs Daisy … “Sydney.”
When he grabs Daisy Dawson, he believes he has found his next victim. But despite her small stature, she fights back with an expertise that quickly frees her. Before fleeing the scene, Daisy also manages to grab what proves to be crucial evidence: a necklace from around the killer’s neck.
The necklace is more than a trivial item—it is a link to a cold case that Special Agent Gideon Reynolds has been tracking for seventeen years. With Daisy’s help, Gideon finally has the opportunity to get closer to the truth than ever before.
But they might not get the chance, as the serial killer has a new target: Gideon and Daisy.
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I think Say You’re Sorry is one of Karen Rose’s best books and that’s saying something. I love her stories. Say You’re Sorry is long with many twists and turns but never has a lull. I listened to the audiobook and was so captivated. The reader is amazing, the book well articulated and easy to follow. Can’t wait to read the next one.
HOLY HELL! I don’t even have words to adequately phrase how very awesome this book was. I’m still recovering from the thrill ride of this story.
SAY YOU’RE SORRY (Sacramento #1, Romantic Suspense #22) by Karen Rose is an edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense with a hero and heroine who are both damaged and yet extremely strong and a twisted serial killer who is only discovered when he picks the wrong victim. Every page of this dense thrill ride kept me guessing, surprised, tense and turning the pages. I love Karen Rose books and I feel this is the best Karen Rose romantic suspense to date!
Daisy Dawson is the sexy female voice on the morning drive radio show. Daisy involves herself whole-heartedly in her community and events with her emotional support dog, Brutus always in her carry bag. Seven years sober and away from her extreme upbringing on an isolated ranch, Daisy has done her best to live a normal life, until the night she confronts a man following her and her friend from AA.
FBI Special Agent Gideon Reynolds would normally have nothing to do with a local attack, but one of the detectives handling Daisy’s attack recognizes the design on a locket that Daisy ripped from her attacker’s neck. It is the same design that he once had tattooed on his chest. This is the first lead Gideon has to another who may have escaped the cult he was raised in until his escape at age 13.
When Gideon meets Daisy, he is surprised by his reaction to her. He has never disclosed his full past to anyone and yet he has the need to tell it all to Daisy. Daisy and Gideon are immediately thrown into a maelstrom of murders and as much as Gideon protects Daisy, Daisy will surprise Gideon with how prepared she is to face these threats on her own.
Thank goodness this is the first book in this new Sacramento series because I want so MUCH more! There is so much happening on these 640 pages. You have a current serial killer to catch and then you have a secretive, perverted religious cult to learn about and find which will story arc into future books. Gideon and Daisy are absolutely brilliant together. All of the secondary characters are starting to take shape and you want to know all of their secrets, too. This is an amazing start to this series and I am anxiously awaiting more!
Thanks so much to Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC. It was everything I am looking for in a romantic suspense and more.
“That Daisy was a little bloodthirsty came as no great shock. There was a core of steel in the woman. He hoped to see more of it. More of her.”
This story was my introduction to the author. The synopsis was intriguing and I admit to being a fan of crime TV and a closet profiler. What I found fascinating is that the multiple POV includes the killer. I might need some brain bleach, but it kept me on the edge of my seat.
Gideon is gorgeous and broken, which is one of my favorite combinations in book characters. He has a good reason for becoming an FBI agent and wanting to catch bad guys. But, he has lots of secrets that he’s chosen to keep to himself. His painful past is not something he shares. But, when his past visits his present he must face his demons.
Daisy is badass. I loved her character immediately and found myself encouraging her to grab gorgeous Gideon with both hands and not let go. Their immediate connection and witty banter were very entertaining and the sexual tension was intense. I couldn’t decide what I wanted more, for them to uncover the mystery or each other.
Say You’re Sorry was a great beginning to the author’s Sacremento series and I have so many more questions that I’m excited to have answered in the upcoming installments. The line forms here…
Audiobook Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5
Nail biting suspense!
Say You’re Sorry is only the third book I’ve read by Karen Rose and I loved it. I’m a huge fan of Joel Froomkin’s (aka Joel Leslie) audio performances and he didn’t disappoint me with this one. This is a long book! If you love a book that you can really sink your teeth into this one is great. It’s 623 pages or 24:06 as an audiobook.
I don’t know where Karen Rose comes up with all of the evil and devious things that she writes about but she sure writes interesting and suspenseful books. This one is about a serial killer and we get a lot of his POV in the story but we don’t find out until near the end who he is and how he manages to get his victims.
There are several different subplots going on in the story which also helped to make it very interesting. While the main evil person story was resolved in this book there are a few subplots that I think will be carrying on into the next book in the series and I plan to listen to it soon.
Note: there are a lot of gory descriptions of the things the serial killer does so be prepared if you’re squeamish about that kind of thing.
Say You’re Sorry was exciting and intense with the perfect amount of romance, passion, and drama mixed in. It was thrilling to read!
Amazing!
My only complaint with Say You’re Sorry is the amount of repetitive dialogue. I enjoyed the story. I look forward to reading more books by Karen Rose.
I highly recommend this fast-paced, suspenseful thriller.
Wow! I love romantic suspense and this one certainly hit on all the bases. I have read other books by this author before, but I believe this one was my all time favorite. It was action packed, full of suspense, and knowing this is the first book in this series I am sure I will see many of these same characters in later stories.
Breathtaking action kicks off the new Sacramento spin-off series from Karen Rose! A thwarted kidnapping had me entrenched immediately as it played out before my eyes, and before I knew it I was inside the mind of a killer as he plotted his revenge. The characters were intriguing and kept me riveted to find out what was going to happen next. Can’t wait for more in the series!
Daisy Dawson can sense that someone is following her and when she turns to confront him, he attempts to abduct her. Little does she know that the man she’s struggling with all of her might against is a local serial killer satisfied that she’ll be his next victim since she got in his way. She manages to get away but not before snatching a piece of evidence from around his neck … a locket with a distinct design on it.
FBI Special Agent Gideon Reynolds receives a call that there has been a development on the symbol he has flagged to be notified about if it’s ever seen. He arrives on the scene to examine the locket and finds that it is definitely connected to the case he’s been trying to solve for 17 years.
Gideon and Daisy team up to find out more information as bodies begin to pile up around them, and when it becomes clear that the killer has his sights set on coming back for Daisy, Gideon will do anything to save the woman who’s coming to mean so much to him!
I am a HUGE Karen Rose fan, if she writes it I will read it!!! I haven’t found any of her books that have disappointed me.
They are always thrills, twists and turns, murder, mayhem, great characters, great plots, lots of page turning action, and even a little love on the side.
I love the continuous series where you get to meet characters that evolve into the next book. Its like one big family, but with all the angst of trying to solve and/or stop murder.
You truly can not go wrong with a Karen Rose book. If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading one of her books, you don’t know what your missing. RUN to the library or one-click an eBook, you won’t be sorry.
Really scary psychological thriller with a complicated premise and a memorable set of characters. It’s a great read. Highly recommended…
5 ’Sorry’ Stars
I have no words. Karen Rose is THE QUEEN. End of story.
I love her books.
I was very excited about reading Say You’re Sorry and I was not deterred by the large page count. Unfortunately, the story did not live up to my expectations, which made me think at first it was perhaps because of the repetition of storylines or maybe the insertion of gratuitous sexual content. The enjoyment of a great suspense thriller slowly went from great to just alright the more I read. Character Daisy Dawson quickly went from an interesting smart female character to a needy one and FBI Agent Gideon Reynold went from a decisive male to being unable to think clearly. When I finished Say You’re Sorry I was disappointed.
Jackpot!! A new Karen Rose book!! Karen Rose writes complex mysteries which always include a romance. She writes several books in a series in a specific city and then she moves on to a new city and series although there is usually a connection of some sort to one of the previous series. This is her first book in the newest series and city. The backstory of a cult remains unresolved and will certainly play out in at least one more book. The secondary characters, some of whom will be future main characters, are well established in this book. What you can count on with Karen Rose is an incredibly well crafted and detailed story. This book was 490 pages long which allowed the story and characters to be so well developed. She doesn’t skimp on the romance in deference to the mystery or vice versa. I don’t know whether she thinks of herself as a romance writer or a mystery writer, but in my opinion, she is at the head of the pack in both categories.
With a compelling plot, fascinating backstories, complex yet accessible characters as well as one of the most interesting villains I’ve read in quite some time, Say You’re Sorry by Karen Rose was everything the romantic suspense fan in me could have wanted. Coupled with a brilliant audio performance, this book owned me for the better part of a week and I’m not even sorry. (See what I did there?)
From the initial intense scene from the POV of a serial killer, I was all in with this book. Say You’re Sorry unfolded and came together in the very best way. The story is very smartly told, the threads expertly woven together to keep the reader on edge from start to finish.
Over and above the storyline, the characters in this book truly shine. Gideon with his gripping and heartbreaking history, Daisy with her unwavering strength and badassery, even the villain of this story all combine to create something special..
Daisy Dawson was one of the most admirable characters I’ve read lately, and I have no doubt she could carry a story all on her own. Tough as nails, but still maintaining a softness about her, sign me up for the Daisy Fan Club. She has so much to give and I’m all too excited to see her in future installments of his series.
One of the most surprising things about this book was how much I sympathized with the villain. Yes, I had soft feelings for a serial killer. That’s what this book did to me. I questioned my sanity more than once throughout the story, wondering how and why I wanted to take this sadistic killer under my wing and fix him. I’m not sure if that says more about my mental state or Karen’s writing…I’m choosing to blame it on Karen.
I also loved the story-within-a-story quality of this book, and the larger story arc that began in this book already has me lying in wait for the next one in the series.
Joel Froomkin’s narration was stellar. He elevates the source material to more than just words on a page; his performance becomes a living, breathing story that leaves a lasting impact on the listener. His portrayal of the villain was especially powerful and he showcased the duality of his personality perfectly. He gave the frenzied psychopath a sympathetic edge, and I am making an offering to the casting gods to get him to play more creepy psychos in the future.
Say You’re Sorry was one wild ride and I’m clutching my ticket, waiting for my turn on the next one.
My first Karen Rose book and I official hooked on her books. Say You’re Sorry is a romantic thriller but it is also a psychological thriller. There are so many twists and turns that my head just kept spinning trying to keep up. Yet, the book was easy to follow, amazing to read, and bone-chilling to finish.
With over 600 pages to read I was pleasantly surprised by how quick the story went. With each chapter, there was something new happening. Cults, FBI, kidnapping, families coming together, a dash of romance, and so much more all kept me turning pages, staying up late, and reading chapter after chapter. I had no clue who the villain was, I loved the good guys, and was in awe of the strength that the main characters had to show just to survive.
Say You’re Sorry is the first book in a new series by Karen Rose and I am so excited for more from her.
This is a story that all suspense thriller readers will want to read because there is so much stuff in this book that it took me two days to get through it but lord have mercy it was worth it! I have never read a book like this and I am waiting for more to come. Karen Rose brought it to the table and then some and had me on the edge of my reading seat waiting to see what was going to happen next.
In this story we meet Daisy who is living her life minding her own business when someone tries to kill her and an FBI agent Gideon comes to her rescue. Gideon saves Daisy and the two of them share this incredible chemistry but they soon find out that there is a serial killer on the loose and he is not going to stop until he gets the one that got away and that is Dasiy. Gideon is determined to save Daisy and take care of her and he will stop at nothing to save her from the killer.
This is a must read roller coaster of a ride that had me on the edge of my seat needing to know what was going to happen next. I need more and can’t wait to get it! So go on and one click it!