Book Review - Blind Trust

As the third book in the SNAP Agency series by Natalie Walters, Blind Trust deals with characters we already know and care for from previous novels. Lyla Fox and Nicolás Garcia are no strangers to us or to each other, after years of working together through intense situations. The SNAP Agency team works together elegantly, almost seamlessly, except that Lyla takes risks with her life Nic would rather not take. Apparently he values her more than she values herself. When a case puts Lyla in the crosshairs, the hardest part of keeping her alive just might be getting her to accept that her life is worth more than the truth. And she means more to the team than she realizes.

Walters has a way with conspiracy. And intrigue. And danger and romance. Blind Trust is a showcase of that talent. This book goes fast and would be a quick and easy read if it didn’t require some serious mental sorting through the murky waters of money laundering and secret government arms deals. I love the way she writes the relationship between Lyla and Nic, too. It moves at a believable pace, with the kind of interactions that show the depth of their connection. As with the rest of the SNAP Agency series, Walters delivers a novel worth cozying up and enjoying.

Blind Trust, SNAP Agency series book 3, by Natalie Walters is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House            Christian Book            Barnes & Noble            Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - After The Shadows

After leaving her family and friends behind to begin life at Mrs. Leland, Emily returns home to Sweetwater Crossing and finds it is too late to say goodbye to her dear mother. Furthermore, her sister Louisa’s demeanor is puzzling; they were once such good friends, but Louisa’s attitude now borders on hostility. As pieces begin falling into place, Emily realizes her husband’s abuse extended even beyond what she received directly, and she must now work to repair the relationships that are left. One thing marriage to George Leland taught her is that men lie to conceal their true intentions, and now that she has been released from that bondage by his death, she will never allow herself to be in that position again. When Emily’s father, Reverend Vaughn, is found hanging in the barn, Emily knows appearances are not always what they seem. There is no way her father committed suicide and she cannot rest until his killer is found.

Emily is a Vaughn through and through, and the way she cares for her neighbors reflects the values her parents modeled as she grew up in Sweetwater Crossing. Upon seeing the need of neighbors in distress, Emily opens the now empty family home to boarders, one of whom is the handsome new schoolmaster. A handsome new schoolmaster with an adorable little boy and the emotional scars that come from losing his beloved wife in a tragic accident. But working alongside Emily opens doors Craig never imagined his grief would allow opened, and there just might be a future for them after all.

I love good historical fiction with a well balanced romance element and a bit of intrigue. What After The Shadows delivers that I particularly enjoyed was the emphasis on the value of friendships. The four widows of Sweetwater Crossing treasure their friendship and encourage Emily to cultivate those relationships. After The Shadows is a well rounded read, the sequel to which I eagerly anticipate.

After The Shadows, Sweetwater Crossing #1, by Amanda Cabot is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House            Christian Book            Barnes & Noble            Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.