Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Noah Lancaster lost his parents when he was a child and things haven’t been the same since. Now, he finds himself homeless and sleeping on the streets. One night, Noah decides to rest his head in an alley, but he makes the mistake of choosing that particular one. There is only one way in and out of it. so when a man enters, Noah cannot escape. He’s beaten badly, and when he finally awakens, he’s in the hospital.

Harry Cooper has been working at a newspaper covering boring financial stories. What he really wants is to be an investigative reporter. He’s been working on a piece about homeless people and the situations they face. Harry hears about Noah, and he wants to talk with him. Deciding to visit him in the hospital, Harry sees Noah as an enigma and wants to know more about him.

When yet another event brings Noah and Harry together, they decide to try and look into Noah’s past and find out who he really is. It seems it all goes deeper than either man could have ever imagined, and they wind up becoming involved in an old mystery…and in quite a bit of danger.

This week’s challenge for Reading Challenge Month was to read a book by a new-to-me author. When I found this little gem, I was excited to see I’ve never read a book by Karrie Roman. I jumped on Beyond Identity and settled in with the hope I was going to read a good story with a great mystery. I was not disappointed.

It’s a little difficult to not give away much of the plot, but I’m going to try not to spoil it too much for you. The story begins in  unique (and somewhat brutal) way. This intensity grabbed me and didn’t let me go until the book ended. Seriously, I was compelled to keep reading well after my bedtime because I didn’t want to put it down.

Both Noah and Harry are well written and easy to like. They’re both good men who find themselves in a very dangerous situation. At first, Noah doesn’t want to have anything to do with Harry. In fact, there’s a bit of a running joke that goes something like this: “Ok. You can come, but we’re not friends,” and it moves up until they finally realize they need each other and they’ve both found their other halves.

One of the things I’m impressed with in Beyond Identity is the road trip aspect. Noah and Harry go out to find out who Noah really is and where he came from. Along the way, they visit with a man who knew Noah’s parents and made a big impression on his life. There are a few other characters they come in contact with, some of them playing a small role. However, each person adds an important piece to the puzzle. As I said earlier, I don’t want to give the plot away because it’s so interesting and so good. I give the author props for this. It’s obvious to me she did a lot of research and put together a well thought out mystery. There were no plot holes. Every single thing fit.

Roman’s writing style is smooth. The chapters are seamless, and the pace is excellent. It’s never slow or boring, and there’s always something interesting going on. The interaction between Noah and Harry feels natural, and their banter and dialogue is so well written. It’s not formal or stilted. In fact, it’s like being in the same room with them and just listening. 

Well, you know I’m not going to give away the ending. What I will do is tell you it’s completely satisfying. The whodunit and the reason theydunit is fascinating. In fact, it’s so perfect I’d like to think it could really happen this way.

I highly recommend Beyond Identity, especially if you’re a fan of excellent mysteries, great characters, and sweet, sexy, and quality relationships that begin with strangers and ends with lovers. This is an awesome book!

This review is part of our Reading Challenge Month for New-to-Me Author Week! Leave a relevant comment below and you will be entered to win a bundle of fabulous books donated by Carina Press! Commenters will also be entered to win one of our three amazing Grand Prize book bundles. You can get more information on our Challenge Month here (including all the contest rules) and more details on New-to-Me Author Week here, including a list of all the books in this week’s prize.Â