Natalie Jones, famed photojournalist and thrill seeker, is coping with the biggest challenge of her life, adjusting to the loss of her vision to progressive retinal degeneration. After a sudden and dramatic decline in her remaining vision, Natalie manages by leading a quiet and structured life in quaint Plainville, California. Her peace is shattered when an intruder nearly kills her in her own home. The identity of the intruder brings Natalie to the attention of Special Agent Liam "Mac" McKenzie who is on the hunt for a killer.

Mac, homicide investigator for the California Department of Justice's elite Special Investigations Group, is looking into the murder of Lindsay Monroe, the daughter of the governor's former college roommate. Evidence suggests that the man who killed Lindsay is the same man who attacked Natalie so he makes the trip to Plainville to question her. Mac is intrigued by Natalie before he even meets her and the attraction that flares between them is instantaneous. But Mac has his own issues, and neither feels like they have anything to give in a relationship. Will the alliance they form for find a killer before he strikes again be enough to overcome their reservations?

SHADES OF DESIRE is intense, emotionally charged, and thrilling. This first book in Ms. DePaul's Special Investigations Groups series contains all that fans look for in romantic suspense...chilling suspense, intriguing characters, and sexual tension. Natalie and Mac are independent and strong individuals each battling their own demons. Ms. Paul artfully depicts the challenges and fears, big and small, Natalie faces with the loss of her vision. Mac, divorced and a recovering alcoholic, can be just a little abrasive in a way that makes him seem real. The plot is well thought out, with the events behind Lindsay's death and how it intersected with Natalie unfolding gradually and logically. I absolutely look forward to reading the next books in this series.