Carol [Goodreads Addict]'s Reviews > Deep Woods

Deep Woods is a stand alone romantic suspense by Helena Newbury. This is only my second book by Helena but it is my goal to read every single book she’s written. She’s just that amazing. But for today, let’s talk about Cal and Bethany, and of course, Rufus.

“This is a story about people, but it begins with a dog.”

Bethany used to dream of becoming a doctor and was going to med school but a single mistake took that dream away. Now she is working long shifts at a call center, barely making enough money to break even. Bethany thought of herself as weak but she had an inner strength she didn’t even know she possessed. At work, everyone wanted to give her the most difficult calls from the most irate of customers because she was so calm. It was this inner strength that she unknowingly exuded that caught the attention of someone, someone that would get joy from breaking down that strength, from taking away her spirit.

She was on the way home from work when she found him, the most beautiful and the biggest dog she has ever seen. A huge German Shepherd. And he needed help. And it was this dog who we will later get to know as Rufus, that eventually leads her to Cal, his owner.



Cal Whittaker lives a solitary life with his dog, Rufus, in the wilds of Idaho. His little cabin, his smallholding, is miles deep in the forest. He’ll often go months without seeing another human being until forced to venture into a small village for supplies. This is the life Cal wants, it’s what he feels he deserves. Call has dark secrets, secrets that he believes makes him a monster. A monster who only deserves to live alone for the rest of his days.



When Bethany is in trouble, she runs and her only option is the woods. She has no knowledge of anything beyond the city limits but in this instance, luck is on her side because these are “his” woods. And no matter how Cal feels that he wants to be alone, he can’t ignore a woman in need, especially one as beautiful as Bethany.



Cal is a giant of a man but he doesn’t scare Bethany, he makes her feel safe. And she slowly brings him out of his shell. They are living together in a very small cabin which might have been easier if they weren’t attracted to each other, an attraction that gets stronger by the day. But in Cal’s mind, he can never let his feelings be known, because he can never be the man Bethany deserves.

The evil that is chasing Bethany will not give up and as we near the last twenty five percent of this book, the suspense ratchets up to a gripping degree. But the determination of Cal and Bethany to survive is more than our evil villain ever anticipated.

This was such an amazing book. My heart broke for both Cal and Bethany with all they had to endure. But I also loved watching them grow and develop. Bethany was so strong and she didn’t even realize it. And Cal! Well, I suspect there isn’t enough room to tell you how much I adore him. And then there is Rufus, beautiful, smart, sweet Rufus. I told my husband we were going out right now to buy a German Shepherd. (we have one large dog) He was not amused. I am dedicated to reading every book Helena writes and have already picked out my next one. But for now, I hope I have convinced you to pick this one up. I hope you love it as much as I did.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
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