REVIEW: Secret Alaskan Hideaway by Karen Whiddon

In Secret Alaskan Hideaway by Karen Whiddon, Dr. McKenzie Taylor has signed on to be a doctor for two years in a small Alaskan town. One her way to the town, she discovers a man in the frigid water, and her instincts kick in to help him. The problem? The man doesn’t remember who he is or how he ended up in the water.

“John Doe” may not remember who he was, but he can’t shake the feeling that he’s in danger. As the pieces of his memory slowly return, it becomes clear someone else is out to get Kenzie. And that person might just be willing to bring “John Doe’s” danger right to her door, putting both of their lives at risk.

It was hard to buy into the romance between Kenzie and “John Doe”. As a doctor, I would expect that she would not hop into a sexual relationship with a person who couldn’t even remember his own name or his past. While he wasn’t exactly her patient, it comes across as unprofessional. Even as he starts regaining his memory, it never feels like they never truly got to know one another enough to develop a long-lasting relationship.

There’s mention of a gang, but everything related to that felt underdeveloped and the ending pertaining to that felt rushed. It also felt like the resolution regarding the person out to get Kenzie was quickly glossed over. After all that was done, I was expecting more than a paragraph or so to wrap it up.

Jane, the mayor’s wife, acts like she actually runs the town and is a busybody. She does things that put “John Doe” in danger without first talking to the couple to find out what’s going on, simply because she unilaterally determined that she knew best. Although she meant well, she repeatedly oversteps her bounds and I found her to be a bit irritating.

This book wasn’t for me, but if you’re willing to suspend your sense of belief, it may be for you. It does start out well, and I liked that it involved a hero with amnesia, as I haven’t come across that too often. The overall execution just didn’t work for me.

Book Info:

Publication: December 27, 2022 | Harlequin Romantic Suspense |

Who’s the man Dr. McKenzie Taylor rescued from drowning? He has total amnesia—but senses that someone wants to kill him. Grateful that the good doctor has decided to protect him in her remote Alaskan cabin, “John Doe” joins her to delve into the mystery of his identity. As they become dangerously close, he discovers why their lives are in horrific danger.