My Review - Into the Fire by Irene Hannon

5 out of 5 stars
 

INTO THE FIRE by Irene Hannon sets the stage for what will undoubtably be another great series with romantic chemistry and lots of sparks. 

Though fire inspector, Bri Tucker is a confident, independent woman, she’s had her share of past traumas to overcome. While she hasn’t written romance off completely, now is not the time to start a relationship. However, when ATF Agent Marc Davis is assigned to help her investigate her latest case, sparks fly immediately, causing both butterflies and self-doubt. 

Special Agent, Marc Davis is adjusting to his new role – caretaker to his Nan who is battling cancer. He has no intention of looking for a relationship, but with Bri Tucker in the picture, he might have to change his thinking. Taking his cues from Bri-who isn’t ready to jump into anything serious-suits his just fine. However, when the danger seems to be following Bri, his interest and concern for the beautiful inspector grows. 

I really enjoyed INTO THE FIRE. The characters felt familiar and grounded. Genuinely nice people, trying to do the right thing in both their careers and in the lives of the people they love. I liked when Bri and Marc had honest conversations. No beating around the bush. Sharing the importance of family and faith. The way Bri’s past and present converged was a unique twist. Without giving too much away, I felt there were a few breaks in the case that were a little too convenient but overall, INTO THE DARK delivered both romance and suspense. I expect nothing less from Irene Hannon! 

Definitely a book for those who like romance and suspense, mixed with faith and family. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

My Review - Countdown by Lynette Eason

5 out of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed COUNTDOWN, book four in the Extreme Measures series by Lynette Eason. Suspense and pacing were great. However, the romance side seemed to go from 0-100 pretty fast. 

Raina Price has had to run from her past and take on a new identity. Even though her lack of trust keeps her secrets locked inside, outwardly, her desire to help others brings her full circle from juvenile hall to Flight Paramedic. Bonding with girls she met in juvie, she has a good support group who have all gotten their act together and serves their community well. Even so, that doesn’t prevent Raina from constantly wondering if her past will ever catch up with her.

US Marshall, Vincent Covelli belongs to Raina’s friend group through another association. He’s always felt a connection – attraction for Raina, but her closed off attitude has always kept him on the fringe. But when she asks for Vince’s help to protect someone in her past, and then he watches Raina almost get killed, he’s all in. It’s obvious Raina is in danger. So, regardless if their relationship ever becomes personal or not, Vince ‘s goal is to keep her safe.

What follows is a path filled with twists and turns as revelations about Raina’s past comes to light. As Raina and Vince work to put their current danger behind them and look to the future, an even larger crime is revealed.

COUNTDOWN is a quick read because the action never stops. Not only that, but I love when there is a body of friends who move throughout the books in a series, allowing us updates on past characters. Raina was a great heroine. Guarded. Strong. Determined. Vince was a take charge, act where need, hero. Though their feelings for each other seemed to escalate at a quick pace, which might bother some readers, Raina and Vince shared a personal understanding about domestic abuse, allowing them to be open and vulnerable with each other, which cemented a relationship that was always just there in the shadows.

Though I was given a copy of COUNTDOWN from Baker Publishing in exchange for a review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

My review - Counter Attack by Patricia Bradley

5 out of 5 stars

If COUNTER ATTACK by Patricia Bradley is an example of what’s to come in the Pearl River series, we are in for a wild ride! Strong characters, continual action, romantic chemistry, COUNTER ATTACK has it all!

Alexis Stone had no intention of returning to her hometown of Pearl Springs. With her sights set on being the first female police chief of Chattanooga, being chief deputy for Russell County, Tennessee was not even on her radar. Even so, she finds herself in Pearl Springs with the possibility that a serial killer is watching her every move. 

Nathan Landry, Pearl Springs chief of police, is surprised Alexis is back in town and tapped to take the job he’s always wanted. If that wasn’t complicated enough, the fact that he never stopped loving her makes it even more difficult to separate work responsibilities and personal feelings. One thing he is prepared to do though, is protect her at all costs.

As Alexis and Nathan team up to track down the Queen’s Gambit Killer, they realize Alexis is not just a pawn in the killer’s bizarre game, but possibly the motivation for the killer’s crimes. Deciphering clues and relying on intuition, Alexis and Nathan worker closer than might be healthy as they not only try to solve the crimes in front of them but figure out where they stand with each other.

COUNTER ATTACK was such an easy read. The suspenseful pacing kept the story moving, while the romantic chemistry between Alexis and Nathan kept me turning page after page. Alexis was strong and capable, but Ms. Bradley wrote her with a soft side that allowed her to be vulnerable as well. Not in a weak way, but in a way that allowed her to process her feelings for Nathan. Also, the relationship between her and her grandparents – very pivotal secondary characters – gave Alexis a soft edge that is sometimes missing when an author creates a formidable female character. Even with all of Alexis’ strength, Nathan’s male leading character role didn’t take a back seat to hers. He was secure enough in himself that he wasn’t threatened by Alexis’ very capable albitites. The way these two characters meshed really made the story flow. I will definitely keep my eye out for the next installment.

Though I was provided with a copy of this novel by the publisher, I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are strictly my own.

 

My Review - Blind Trust by Natalie Walters

 5 out of 5 stars

BLIND TRUST by Natalie Walters is the third installment in the Snap Agency series. It was great! Action packed! With incredible characters that draw you in to their tightknit group. A must read for suspense/romance readers! 

Lyla Fox is great at what she does for the Snap Agency, but it’s her impulsiveness that is going to get her in trouble or worse. Always feeling like she was different growing up, Lyla felt she always had to prove herself. She tells herself she is going the extra mile for the cases she works on, others – mainly Nicolas Garcia- sees Lyla as an unnecessary risk taker. Now that she appears to be targeted by a man she put in prison, she needs a little help. Nicolas is willing to give her a hand, but will Lyla be able to curb her recklessness to Nicolas’ satisfaction? 

Nicolas Garcia, weapons and explosives specialist, enjoys the camaraderie he feels with the Snap team, but it would be better if Lyla wasn’t so impulsive. Admittedly, she’s good at what she does. However, Nicolas is afraid the risks she takes are going to be her undoing. When Lyla becomes the target, he wants to help in order to keep her safe. Even so, he must ask himself is it because she’s part of the team or do his feelings run deeper than that?

The sparks between Lyla and Nicolas are evident from the get-go, that is to everyone but them. They bicker like brother and sister, but that’s only because neither of them is willing to explore their true feelings for each other. Lyla is constantly frustrated with Nicolas’ lack of trust in what she does, and he doesn’t think they have a chance at a relationship because Lyla constantly puts herself in dangerous situations. When Nicholas is offered another job, he seriously considers it. Not because he doesn’t like what he does at the Snap Agency, but because he doesn’t feel he can continue to stand by and watch Lyla put herself in jeopardy.

This was a great book! Intense relationships and situations. Amazing characters that act like family. Bickering, jokes, give and take, everyone at the Snap Agency has a vested interest in each other. That’s what makes dangerous situations even more precarious. Everyone is invested far beyond coworkers. This is the third book, so we see how everyone’s relationships have blossomed. It was only natural for Lyla and Nicolas to be drawn to each other, but they both are so stubborn, neither can see the others point of view. The drama starts immediately and had me turning the pages as quick as I could. This is easily a one-day read. You absolutely will not be disappointed.

Though I was given an advance copy of this book from Baker Publishing in exchange for a review, I was not obligated to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

 

My Review - Under Fire by Lynn H. Blackburn

5 out of 5 stars

UNDER FIRE was a great end to a great series! Lynn H. Blackburn is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. 

US Secret Service Agent Tessa Reed has the assignment of her life – spearheading and leading the team assigned to keep the president safe. She is able and competent, but Tessa also has a secret in her past that seems to be creeping to the forefront. Not wanting to blur her focus or divulge her indiscretion to her team, she tries to figure out the connection with the help of USSS Special Agent Zane Thacker – the only person who knows what she went through. 

Agent Thacker will do whatever her can to help Tessa and protect her secret, while juggling his main job – being a part of the president’s protective detail. Being the only person Tessa trusted with her secret, Zane values their friendship, a friendship he wishes could be more. Even so, Zane has demons in his own past that prevent he and Tessa from taking the next step. He has accepted his place in the friend zone, but when it’s clear someone is after Tessa, he has a hard time disguising his true feelings. 

Working against the clock to find out who is threatening both Tessa and the president-and trying to piece together how the two could possibly be the same person-Tess, Zane, and their extended team hunt down obscure clues to head off a critical threat. 

Strong characters, intriguing suspense, and romantic tension kept me turning page after page of UNDER FIRE. It was nice to know up front the indiscretion that had the potential to derail Tessa’s career and how Zane helped her through it. I think it helped the reader better understand the bond they shared and why Zane and Tessa struggled to jump the hurdle from friends and teammates to something more. I loved the comradery between all the fellow teammates and how everyone’s lives and friendships overlapped. At times, it was hard to keep the ensemble cast straight because it had been a while since I read the previous installments, but that did not impact my enjoyment of the story or detract from the plot. 

UNDER FIRE is everything you could want in a romance/suspense novel, and Lynn H. Blackburn is an author to put on your “must read” list. 

Though I was provided an advance copy from the Baker Publishing Group, all comments and opinions are my own.

My Review - Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard

5+ out of 5 stars

COLD LIGHT OF DAY by Elizabeth Goddard was chocked full of suspense and romantic chemistry. A must read for romance/suspense readers!

Police Chief in the small Alaskan town of Shadow Gap, Autumn Long’s job is on the line. An unexpected crime wave has hit her sleepy town and it’s not just typical small-town delinquency. Murder, assault, and an injured officer is leaving her shaking her head. With her competency in question, Autumn allows Grier Brenner, a new resident in town to help her. She’s had her suspicions about Grier, but he seems to have skills that leads her to believe he’s ex-military and she has no choice but to accept his help.

Grier Brenner had no intentions of getting involved in whatever was happening in Shadow Gap. His goal was to disappear, but seeing that Autumn needs help, he finds himself drawn to her, and not just in the professional sense. Knowing danger surrounds him, Grier ignores his personal feelings for Autumn, but can’t help but aid her, knowing her job and her very life hangs in the balance.

What unfolds is past mysteries brought to light, corruption that leads to murder, and a race against time to figure out who the target is - Autumn or Grier, and who they can trust with the information they have before they run out of time.

COLD LIGHT OF DAY was a race against time, who is the bad guys, and who can you trust type drama. The intensity never let up, and I felt the frustration that Autumn was being portrayed by the town counsel as incompetent. Elizabeth Goddard wrote in such a way that I was angry at Autumn’s accusers. Also, I am usually not a fan of a push-pull relationship where both parties feel unworthy of the other. However, Ms. Goddard wrote Autumn and Grier’s relationship in an intelligent way - Grier trying to protect Autumn from his unknown threat, Autumn being a professional and realizing she needed to put her position as police chief before her personal feelings. The action and suspense was non-stop, making for a quick read. I thoroughly enjoyed COLD LIGHT OF DAY. I haven’t read much from Elizabeth Goddard, but what I have read puts her on my watch list for future releases.

Though I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher, it did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Review - When Angels Rejoice by MaryLu Tyndall

 5 out of 5 stars

    The adjectives I think of when describing WHEN ANGELS REJOICE by MaryLu Tyndall are thought-provoking, anxiousness, intensity, and excitement, just to list a few. MaryLu does an exceptional job of thrusting us into the middle of the tribulation and giving us a rendition of what that time in history might look like. With a cast of characters, you both cheer for and despise, WHEN ANGELS REJOICE takes you on an emotional journey that you won’t soon forget.

    Vice Regent in the New World Faith Organization, Thomas Benton feels on top of the world. He’s got a beautiful mansion, a sleek Sports car, and a dream job with his sights set on moving even higher up the ladder. Though the memory of his friend’s execution continues to haunt him, he doesn’t allow anything to distract him from his goal. That is until he is tasked with interviewing and converting a high-level Deviant. It’s not a favorite part of his job, but he is good at it, until he comes face to face with Tori Griffin; the only woman he’s ever loved.

    Tori Griffin is not just any ordinary Deviant. She has information regarding a resistance group helping others avoid detection and execution. Tori refuses to volunteer any info and is prepared to die for her cause, but there is one more person she hopes to convert before she faces her demise.

    The minute Thomas and Tori are together, you feel the intensity of attraction. Even though they are polar opposites in their convictions, their love for each other makes them desperate to save the other from the “lie” of their belief system. Thomas risks everything to have enough time with Tori and show her the errors of her beliefs, while Tori persuades Thomas to embark on a journey that will prove what he’s been conditioned to believe is all a lie. 

    The intensity of this novel is no joke! This fiction interpretation of end times is so masterfully written you can’t help but wonder how close a portrayal it is to what the future might look like. MaryLu shows how easily the non-Christian will believe the lies handed down by the government and how the Christian will be unable to function under the reign of a one-world hierarchy. We also get a glimpse into the spiritual warfare that happens through the eyes of guardian angels. There are several secondary characters that stand on each side of the great spiritual divide. Some will hold to their convictions while others will fall away.

    Though Ms. Tyndall takes creative license in her depictions, each chapter starts with a Biblical reference that speaks of the very situation that follows in that chapter. MaryLu does not write in broad strokes with a fanciful imagination. It is obvious a tremendous amount of research went into the writing of WHEN ANGELS REJOICE.

    I highly recommend this series. However, even though it is fiction and entertaining, be prepared to face some unsettling truths and thought-provoking scenarios.

    Though I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher, it did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Review - Critical Threat by Lynette Eason

5+ out of 5 stars

CRITICAL THREAT by Lynette Eason . . . I have one word . . . WOW! Fast paced. Edge of your seat. Romantic chemistry. It had it all. Lynette Eason at her best! 

FBI Special Agent Grace Billingsley and prison psychiatrist Sam Monroe have met before. Even had dinner together, but for whatever reason, Sam ghosted Grace, leaving her to ask herself, Why? When they end up working the same case, they have to maneuver around the awkwardness and clear the air. Once they do, they are thrown head long into a case that is personal for Sam and puzzling for Grace. However, they work well together as a team and are committed to finding the killer before he strikes again.

CRITICAL THREAT was an exciting read! I know when I sit down with a Lynette Eason book, I won’t be disappointed, and CRITICAL THREAT definitely checked all the boxes for what I consider a great romance/suspense novel. Both Grace and Sam are dealing with family baggage making them hesitant to open up to each other. However, being able to relate on so many levels make them the perfect match.

Without giving too much away, Grace becomes the focus of the killer they are trying to catch, triggering Sam’s protectiveness. And when Sam’s family is threatened, Grace is determined to intervene.

There is a lot of action and intrigue in CRITICAL THREAT. And even though I knew the direction the story was headed, I read faster and faster waiting for the characters to come to the same conclusions. There were numerous secondary characters that added life and depth to the story, even a few I wanted to hate. There were even a few nods to some of the characters in the series’ previous installments. All worked together for a well-rounded story that kept me turning page after page. The whole Extreme Measures series has been great. Now I just have to wait for the next installment.

Though I was provided with a copy of CRITICAL THREAT by the publishers, I was not required to write a positive review. All comments and critiques are my own.

My Review - The Secrets of Emberwild by Stephenia H. McGee

3.5 out of 5 stars

THE SECRETS OF EMBERWILD by Stephenia H. McGee was a simple read with an interesting plot. Definitely a good read for horse lovers. 

Nora Fenton is a woman ahead of her time. She is strong, independent, and prefers time spent with horses over most men. She knows she could be a successful horse trainer and save her family farm if just given the chance, but with the passing of her father, her mother and uncle are more determined than ever marry her off before she reaches a certain age. When Silas Cavallero shows up and is hired on as an extra hand, Nora has her suspicions about him, especially when he asks disturbing questions. However, when Silas acknowledges her talent handling horses, she looks at him as an ally. 

Silas Cavallero is out to solve the mystery surrounding his father’s death. If that means helping Nora train her spirited colt, he’ll do it. He’s not sure he’ll ever find the answers he’s looking for, but when strange accidents start happening around Emberwild, he can’t help but wonder if he’s on the right track.

Though both Nora and Silas are attracted to each other, their stations in life make a match between them seem out of reach. Silas has no intentions to stay on at Emberwild, and even if he did, there is no way he would be considered a proper suitor for Nora. And though Nora feels a spark inside whenever she is with Silas, she knows her uncle would never accept a union between the two of them. So, even though a match is not in their future, Nora can’t help but think a family secret is linked to Silas’ search, but to admit it to Silas would mean she would have to give up everything she is fighting for.

I liked SECRETS OF EMBERWILD but felt there was something missing. Though both Silas and Nora had feelings for each other, I didn’t always feel it. The author told us about their connection instead of the characters showing us. The line of suspense was an added feature, though it was pretty obvious from the start who the real villain was. So, there were minor flaws in THE SECRETS OF EMBERWILD but it was still an enjoyable read.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.