The romantic suspense story duo in DEADLIER THAN THE MALE convinced me that, as demonstrated by the black widow, the female of the species can in fact be deadlier than the male. Authors Sharon Sala and Colleen Thompson have each written a story that perfectly balances romance and suspense, and feature well-developed characters you will either root for or hope you never meet in real life. I thoroughly enjoyed both stories by these best-selling authors, and am sure you will too.

In "The Fiercest Heart" by Sharon Sala, Haley Shore returns to Stars Crossing, Kentucky 10 years after the day of her high school graduation ended in an accident that killed her brother and severely injured her boyfriend, Mack Brolin. Guilt and certainty of rejection has kept her from returning home until she receives an anonymous letter informing her that her father has died. Taking a chance, she reappears in her hometown only to encounter Mack Brolin, and unexpected danger.

In "Lethal Lessons" by Colleen Thompson, Mara Stillwell takes a teaching job in Arizona to escape the scandal of a jailbird ex-fiancé. She unexpectedly encounters Adam Jakes, the father of one of her students and her former high-school crush. Adam is still reeling from the tragic death of his wife from an accident that has left his daughter Rebecca withdraw into herself. As Mara bonds with Adam and Rebecca, mysterious accidents put her life in danger as she faces off with a jealous parent with an eye on Adam and the school principal.