Book Review - Deadly Currents

Cressida Valentine is in danger. Not the kind of danger one would expect to find in the process of finishing the book her father was researching before he died, but the kind that requires a bodyguard around the clock. After all, the subject of her research is the stuff of maritime mystery, hardly international intrigue. Yet somehow, every time she gets close to a source who can help demystify the ghost ship off the Washington coast, someone gets hurt, something gets damaged, or someone dies. The Specter’s Bounty body count exceeds her crew and Cressida just might be next.

Elizabeth Goddard hoists the sails on the third book in her Hidden Bay series with Deadly Currents, and it is no pleasure cruise. It is, however, a “cancel everything and curl up in front of the fire with lots of drinks and snacks because nobody is going anywhere until this is resolved” excursion. For proof, I submit the incredible patience of  the husband who got a late supper because I genuinely lost track of about three hours when the book got “really good.” I promise I meant to be cutting sweet potatoes instead of clutching my Kindle for dear life as the action unfolded in a way that I simply could not put down. Cressida is tenacious and probably more like her mother than she would care to admit. Braden has his own battles, but taking on Cressida and protecting her from herself is one he cannot refuse. The residents of Hidden Bay are practically family by this point in the series, and the ghost ship has a pull few can resist. With characters like these and a storyline crafted as intricately as any seafaring vessel, it is no wonder Deadly Currents pulls you into its world and only spits you back out when it is done.

Deadly Currents, the third book in the Hidden Bay series by Elizabeth Goddard, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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

Book Review - Prowl

After all the attacks on The Sanctuary in Ambush, the first book of the Sanctuary series by Colleen Coble, you might think Paradise, Blake, and their loved ones could catch a break in the sequel. Unfortunately for our friends on the wild animal park, someone is determined to shake their foundation and the public’s opinion of The Sanctuary, working relentlessly to undermine all that holds them up. From a murder in the tiger enclosure to eerie gifts left for Paradise, the path toward truth is as tangled as the Spanish moss and the search is entwined with the search for Paradise’s long lost brother and the person who killed their parents. Colleen Coble knows how to write characters the reader can bond with and action that will keep said reader awake all night turning pages. Prowl is yet another stellar example of that elite level skill.

Prowl, the second book in the Sanctuary series by Colleen Coble, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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I received an ARC of this book. It did not influence my review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Review - Storm Warning

Storm season in the Pacific Northwest is particularly harrowing this year, as it finds Remi Grant facing her demons and running for her life. A chance run in with a foreign physicist has made her the target of arms dealers and government operatives hungry to get their hands on the dead man’s technology. Hiding was an effective strategy until it was not. Now the winds, waves, and storms pummeling her beloved coast are just added complications as she struggles to stay alive. Hawk Beckett is also a complication; he seems to arrive at just the right time and is oddly attached to Remi, unless there is an ulterior motive. Struggling to regain her memory seems more urgent when she cannot tell who to trust. But Hawk knows a thing or two about trust; learning that his brother and his mentor are both involved in this situation with Remi in one way or another is enough to shake all he thinks he knows.

Elizabeth Goddard knows romance and suspense. Storm Warning is no exception. With characters so well developed they feel like family and settings so vivid you cannot help but feel like you are there, Goddard pulls you in and holds your attention securely through the entire story. Storm Warning is a gutsy, action packed wallop that is the first in a series I can’t wait to continue.

Storm Warning, the first book in the Hidden Bay series by Elizabeth Goddard, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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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 - Serial Burn

It has been burning for a while now. Serial Burn is the third book in the Lake City Heroes series from Lynette Eason, and friends of the heroes have hoped for a bit of accelerant on the sparks flying between Jesslyn and Nathan. They both know a thing or two about fire; one claimed the lives of her family when she was a child, leading her to pursue a career that would allow her to someday find the person who killed her parents and sisters. He holds his fire related secret close, along with the guilt and shame burned on his soul. Their personal tragedies and perceptions are a wall of flames between them and should stay that way. But when fires start popping off around Lake City and someone starts targeting Jesslyn, things heat up in a way neither of them expects.

Jesslyn is not the only one well versed in fire, as Lynette Eason pens a well researched novel that engulfs the reader. Her knowledge allows the story to flow in a way that keeps the reader from tripping over technicalities and allows maximum enjoyment of the fast paced action paired with the slow burn romance. And of course, relatable characters are a keystone of an Eason novel, especially since we have been friends of the heroes for two books already and are fired up for the next. So, if those things are your jam, I recommend getting into Serial Burn. But if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen!

Serial Burn, the third book in the Lake City Heroes series by Lynette Eason, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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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 - Ambush

Veterinarian Paradise Alden has scars. She hopes returning to The Sanctuary will help heal at least some of them, maybe the ones that turn her blood cold at the scream of a big cat and just maybe some of the ones that started stacking up the night her parents were murdered. Blake Lawson, however, is not a scar she is ready to heal so quickly. But Paradise has ties to The Sanctuary and to Blake’s mother, Jenna, that are just strong enough to bring her back into his orbit. Those ties are tested when Jenna’s home and livelihood become the target of a war of attrition. One by one, the strange and sometimes deadly attacks stack up to shake confidence in The Sanctuary and the people involved there. And those attacks feel quite real to the reader, as Colleen Coble works the literary magic that has solidified her place in the realms of romantic suspense royalty over the last seventy-five breathtaking novels. Hit by hit, the reader rolls along with Paradise and Blake, unraveling the mysteries of the attacks on their home and of what happened to her parents so many years ago. Put on your big girl boots, because this story is not a trek for the adventure averse!

Ambush by Colleen Coble will be available March 4 from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Book Review - Cornered

If you are a fan of suspense, then you are probably already familiar with Lynette Eason, Lynn H. Blackburn, and Natalie Walters. If you are not yet familiar, then buckle up, Buttercup and you are welcome for the introduction. Cornered is a novella collection from these three suspense queens, a blessed gift for the suspense lover in your life. (And it is totally ok to be the suspense lover in your life.)

The first novella in this collection is In the Dark by Lynette Eason, in which Stephanie Cross finds herself up to her ears in deception and danger when her friend is murdered. Detective Tate Cooper is on the case, but it is not long before Stephanie is on his mind in her own way. Eason’s world building is already well established, and her readers will recognize quite a few In the Dark characters, feeling at home immediately with our friends and feeling the danger with them along the way. Fear not, new and future fans, because you will pick right up and fit right in with the Lake City Heroes.

Lynn H. Blackburn follows with Downfall to have you head over tail-feathers for the Quinns and some of the Pierces of Gossamer Falls. When Cassie Quinn and Bronwyn Pierce discover that Hideaway has been vandalized, the illusion of security at the ultra exclusive The Haven resort in North Carolina’s beautiful mountains is shattered. Not so much for their elite guests, but for the swanky restaurant’s interim head chef, Cassie. Cassie’s ex, Officer Donovan Bledsoe has to solve the case, protect Cassie, and make sense of the mess he made when he dumped her. Sinister acts, drugs, danger, and romantic tension keep the reader on their toes from threats written in sriracha to a satisfying conclusion. Cannot get enough of the Quinns and Pierces? No worries, Blackburn has you covered with the Gossamer Falls series.

Perilous Obsession from Natalie Walters completes the triptych of pulse pounding romantic suspense. Natalie fans will be familiar with Kekoa Young from The SNAP Agency series and will immediately feel like family for his sister Lahela, who finds herself the target of some disturbing incidents as she strives to feel settled in her new Texas home. Briggs Turner is a friend, but he hopes to be more. His protective drive is amped up when he learns that someone has been stalking Lahela, but it all gets really hot when things cross over from tense to dangerous. Perilous Obsession is fast and tense, but with the friendship, loyalty, and dedication of ohana and a healthy helping of romance.

Cornered, the latest novella collection from suspense queens Lynette Eason, Lynn H. Blackburn, and Natalie Walters is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House        Christian Book        Amazon        Barnes & Noble        Walmart

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

Book Review - Target Acquired

Kenzie King has a target on her back. It was one thing when she was catching nothing but ice from the male members of her SWAT team, but it heats up when someone starts coming after her off the clock. Could it be a team member who holds a grudge, someone who was passed over when she was selected to join the team, or is it unrelated? She is going to have to rely heavily on her team leader, Cole Garrison, to figure out who wants her dead and stop them. There is just one problem. She is not supposed to get that funny feeling around her supervisor. As for Cole, he wants to figure out who is wreaking havoc on his team and stop them before it is too late, but he is not supposed to get that funny feeling around a team member. Or his friend’s sister. The complications stack up in Lake City, but these heroes are determined to clear them and pave the way for their future.

Lynette Eason delivers the second in her Lake City Heroes series with a bit of dual timeline, a dash of shady mental institution, and her trademark heap of intrigue. Target Acquired is the kind of book where you turn off notifications, clear your schedule, and devour the entire adrenaline fueled ride like a pint of ice cream. (All in one sitting, of course!)

Target Acquired, the latest in the Lake City Heroes series by Lynette Eason is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House       Christian Book    Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Walmart

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 - Hidden in the Night

It is with great success that Elizabeth Goddard presents the final installment of her Missing in Alaska series, Hidden in the Night. This new release gives us the story of Alaska State Trooper Nolan Long and Ivy Elliott, the Sunshine Girl who stole his heart and took it home to Florida with her. Ivy returns to Shadow Gap to track down a lost manuscript of an unknown Jack London novel, only to find herself up to her ears in snow and intrigue. Together, Jack and Ivy are racing to find the missing girl who is the last person known to have the manuscript and someone is hot on their trail to keep them from finding it. Goddard writes suspense like nobody’s business and Hidden in the Night is no exception. Danger lurks around every corner, seemingly two steps ahead of our heroes, with more red herrings than a pack of Swedish Fish. Her characters are relatable and there are those we have come to know throughout the series who resurface to welcome us back to the once peaceful Alaskan town and its local hangout, The Lively Moose. With her careful crafting, Hidden in the Night reads like a standalone, but I personally recommend reading the entire Missing in Alaska series to get to really know the wonderful people of Shadow Gap.

Hidden in the Night, book three of the Missing in Alaska series by Elizabeth Goddard is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House       Christian Book        Amazon        Barnes & Noble        Walmart

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 - Never Fall Again

If you have not fallen in love with Lynn H. Blackburn’s novels yet, this is your invitation to pick up Never Fall Again and get swept into Gossamer Falls. Landry Hutton has done everything to protect her daughter, Eliza. Tucked safely into The Haven, Landry is artist in residence for the luxury resort and only has to interact with the guests who also revel in gated seclusion. Now that she has saved enough money and has a secure location on which to do it, Landry is ready to work with contractor Callum Shaw to build a home of her own. That is, until things start happening to shake the illusion of safety.

Blackburn’s town of Gossamer Falls and the people who live there will have you feeling like a resident in no time. The tight knit Shaws and Quinns will have you pulling up a chair at family dinner, rooting for your new friends, and mentally petting Maisy’s beautiful golden head when the tension is astronomical. But hold on to your hard hat, because Blackburn does not skimp on the action!

Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn, the first novel in her new Gossamer Falls series, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House     Christian Book      Amazon       Barnes & Noble     Walmart

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 - Fatal Witness

Well, I don’t know how I missed the inaugural release of the latest series from Patricia Bradley, but somehow Counter Attack got right by me. This means I started her Pearl River series with Fatal Witness, which just released. It was written so that I do not feel like I missed anything by starting with the second book, but also so I am inspired to read Counter Attack next!

Artist Dani Collins remembers nothing about the early years of her life. She does not remember the parents who died when she was young, only growing up with Uncle Keith and always staying under the radar. But Dani has a grandmother who has not given up trying to find her, and a photo that was not supposed to be published is just the thing Mae Richmond needs to put her on the right track. Unfortunately, it is also the clue the killer needs to find Dani and Uncle Keith. Coming home means walking right into the line of fire and the protection of Mae’s neighbor, Russell County K-9 officer Mark Lassiter. Together, Dani and Mark race to unveil her memories and unravel the mystery before it is too late.

Bradley combines her trademark procedural precision with a hefty dose of romantic tension and an undeniable faith thread to bring this story of artist Dani Collins to life. The frustration of not being quite able to tickle the identity of the man who murdered her parents from her repressed memories, and of barely staying one step ahead of him as he seeks to silence her, keeps the reader engaged from the first word to the last. With a beautiful setting and well crafted support characters, Bradley had given us the gift of binge-worthy romantic suspense.

Fatal Witness, the second book in the Pearl River series by Patricia Bradley, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House        Christian Book        Amazon        Walmart        Barnes & Noble

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 - Double Take

Lynette Eason kicks off her Lake City Heroes series with the tense and twisty Double Take, which released January 9 from Revell. Lainie’s fiancé died the night she had to defend herself against his attempt to murder her. After a year and a half of working through the physical and mental fallout, she’s doing pretty well. At least, she was doing alright until the dead man made another attempt on her life. When James, brother of her good friend and also her secret childhood crush, lands in her hospital for care after getting shot on the job, Lainie has to admit it wouldn’t hurt to have him on her side as someone who looks just like her dead fiancé is targeting her. Together, Lainie and James work to unravel the mysterious stalker’s plan and to help mend the damaged relationships in James’s family. Eason writes all of this with great skill, drawing the reader in for the duration and creating characters you’re sure to respond to strongly, for better or for worse.

Double Take, book 1 of the Lake City Heroes series by Lynette Eason, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House     Christian Book     Amazon            Walmart            Barnes & Noble

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 - Shadows at Dusk

The latest installment in Elizabeth Goddard’s Missing in Alaska series is a frantic flight to find a missing sister and stop a murderer before he kills Carrie James (again.) The bush pilot finds herself thrown into Detective Trevor West’s search for his missing sister, even though he is the last thing she needs. Island hopping in southeast Alaska involves spending too much time with this man who makes her feel things she refuses to ever feel again, and it is hard to avoid opening up to someone when you continually find yourself in vulnerable positions with them. Goddard keeps the reader hopping as well, following the whodunnit of multiple transgressions while dodging danger by the most narrow margins. Also appearing in this sequel are several of our friends from the first installment, Cold Light of Day, who help search for the truth amidst the information Carrie and Trevor give and other evidence that turns up. Shadows at Dusk is sure to keep you enthralled from dusk til dawn.

Shadows at Dusk, Missing in Alaska series book 2, by Elizabeth Goddard is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House            Christian Book                Walmart                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 - Into The Fire

Irene Hannon’s latest release has all the good stuff of a well written romantic suspense novel. There’s the intelligent and determined arson investigator who is trying to solve a puzzle before anyone else dies while fighting her own demons from the past. And there is, of course, the sensitive but keen ATF Special Agent who is assigned to work with her and must then work out what to do with the feelings he develops for her. There are some wonderfully supportive family members and then there is the foe. The one who killed arson investigator Bri Tucker’s former colleague, leaving her to solve a puzzle she can’t even seem to decipher. And the one who is causing a series of really crummy events to keep Bri off balance when she needs to be able to focus. Of course, Special Agent Marc Davis is messing with her balance a bit in a different sort of way. If only they could wrap up their joint investigation so they can focus on the heat building between them. Hannon’s storyline lights up intrigue you will struggle to contain in Into the Fire.

Into the Fire, the first book in Irene Hannon’s Undaunted Courage series, is available now from you favorite local bookseller or online:

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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 - Countdown

Lynette Eason drops the next installment of her Extreme Measures series on August 1 and the Countdown is on. If you read the first three books in the series, Raina Price has been a figure throughout as a fixture in the lives of Penny, Grace, and Juliana. Countdown gives us Raina’s backstory, as well as a pulse pounding race to protect one boy from the man who won’t let her go. Since being beaten and left for dead, keeping secrets and guarding her identity are survival requirements in her new life. But Vince Covelli’s patience and quiet persistence make Raina want to trust him. When she sees a familiar face on television, she knows she has to do whatever it takes, at whatever cost to herself, to protect the boy from a threat he doesn’t even know. Opening up to Vince and learning to trust him become necessary, but maybe that’s ok.

In Countdown, Eason delivers action and suspense at every turn. Intrigue is woven into romantic suspense to keep the story moving at an enjoyably fast pace. With characters written carefully to evoke love or hate in turn as appropriate, the multifaceted plot deals subversion on several levels to keep the reader guessing until the satisfying conclusion. If you’re looking for a book you can savor chapter by chapter or one you’ll devour in one sitting, Countdown has your number.

Countdown, book 4 of the Extreme Measures series from Lynette Eason, hits the scene August 1. You can preorder (Baker Book House tends to have great preorder rates) or pick it up then 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.