Delaney's Shadow by Ingrid Weaver

One cannot remember: years ago, seven year old John Maxwell Harrison saved little Delaney Wainwright from drowning-forging a psychic bond that would endure for years. For Delaney, Max became her childhood "imaginary friend." Now she needs Max more then ever after her wealthy husband is killed in a car accident that she can't recall.

One cannot forget: After enduring a brutal childhood and unjust imprisonment, Max is a recluse who pours his anger into his art. When Delaney reestablishes their bond, he takes it advantage and becomes her fantasy lover, driving Delaney to the brink of ecstasy-and to the edge of madness. But by the time Delaney realizes Max is real, it may already be to late. Because someone is trying to kill her.

Both must overcome: Reunited, they will have to embrace the undeniable love that has intertwined their destinies if they are able to unlock Delaney's memory-and uncover a dark specter from the past who will not stop until they are both broken.

This book was a little slow going for me at first, but once I got into it I did enjoy it. You feel for Delaney. She was driving the car that killed her husband and can't remember the accident. She was hurt in the accident and now can't remember what happened that night and she has questions about it. Her husband was a very wealthy man and left her very well off. She is now is a court battle with her step daughter over a wrongful death suit. Delaney is having some very vivid dreams about the accident and just wants to remember. One night in the mist of her dreams she thinks of Max, and then he is there.

Max is not happy to be brought back into Delaney's dreams. He feels that she deserted him as a child. She was someone that he could share his dream world with. When he knew it was the real thing between them, Delaney always thought he was just her imaginary friend. Imagine her shock when she dreams of Max again but he is a full grown man, and a very good looking one at that.

When Max and Delaney do meet up she has a hard time believing that John is really Max. And Max really doesn't help it much when he keeps telling her that she is just dreaming him. When Delaney knows he is the real thing they already have a special feeling towards each other, even though Max says it is just sex and no way could he ever really care about somebody because of his past.

The story is well done and it does draw you into it. I loved the dream scenes with Max and Delaney. He really helps her overcome her dreams and find out what really happened the night her husband died. You have a few more plot twists that happen in the book that all come together in the end. You kind of feel sorry for Max because he really did get a bum rap in his childhood and he is still paying for it today.

This book comes out on 8-2-11 by Berkley Sensation and I received the ARC through my Romance group.