Review of The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal

Ben Calix is good at what he does...a spy for the Company. But one assignment turns him in to a wanted man and he finds himself on the run, with a woman whom he doesn't even know. Not knowing why he is being hunted, he learns to trust a stranger while trying to bring down a bioweapon that is getting ready to be unleashed on the world all the while using his training just to stay alive.

This is the first book I have read by James Hannibal and it was fantastic! A bit gory in areas during the intense fighting scenes, but the plot line was creative and kept the reader engaged right up to the end. Hannibal spun a story like no other with plot twists and turns that keeps the reader wondering what is actually going on. With action, suspense and a sliver of romance, the reader stays engaged throughout the entire book right up to the end. 

Revell Reads sent me this complimentary book to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Never Miss by Melissa Koslin

Former CIA sniper Kadence Tolle is on the run. Lyndon Vaile doesn't realize he is will be on the run until he meets Kadence Tolle, who saves his life from a sniper. Kadence and Lyndon's worlds collide as Kadence keeps Lyndon alive so he can figure out who is after him and his scientific research. 

This is the first book I have read by Melissa Koslin and it was a great story! From the first page, the reader is sucked in to the story line of the main character, Kadence. As the story unfolds, it's multi-faceted as the characters are developed, their back stories are shared along with the main story line of staying alive. All the way to the end, the reader is involved in the story. Koslin created a very interesting plot and the reader can tell that the author researched the scientific aspects well. I look forward to reading Koslin's 2nd book!

Revell Reads sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Present Danger by Elizabeth Goddard

Terra Connors is following in her late mother's footsteps as a US Forest Service Special Agent. One case though brings the past back full force when she has to team up with her former flame Jack Tanner to solve a case that's getting more dangerous by the day. Jack and Terra need to lay aside their past hurt to find out who is involved in the dangerous web of murder and theft.

Goddard weaves a story full of characters and mystery with every page that is turned. The storyline builds on itself and keeps the reader engaged until the end. I enjoyed the archeological information and how that was woven in to the story. You can tell the author did her research and it showed in the depth of knowledge that was written in to the story. There were a few times that it was difficult to remember who was who as there were a couple different story lines going on, but it makes sense now thinking back on the book. I look forward to the 2nd book in this series!

Revell Books sent me this complimentary book to review for them. The opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Unknown Threat by Lynn H. Blackburn

U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Luke Powell should be dead. Surviving an attack against he and his friend, Luke is on a mission to find out who is after him, and who killed three other special agents that were his friends. FBI Special Agent Faith Malone is assigned to oversee the case. Her tenacity of not losing a case has her determined to solve this one. Luke and Faith have to work together, and put aside their differences, to catch a killer before the killer catches them.

This is the 1st book in the Defend and Protect Series by Lynn Blackburn. She does a great job weaving together a thrilling story where the action doesn't stop until the very end. What I did enjoy was you had no idea who the "bad guy" was until the end. I think this kept the reader engaged throughout the entire story. I also enjoyed the crossover characters from her previous series and how they played a small, but integral part, in this book. If you enjoy a page turner that keeps you guessing until the end, you will enjoy the first book in this new series.

Revell Reads sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Facing the Dawn by Cynthia Ruchti

Mara Jacobs is barely holding life together. With her husband on the other side of the world saving people by providing clean water, she is back home raising three kids, two of which are heading down the dangerous paths. Tragedy strikes. Again and again. And Mara is plunged in to grief, despair, depression and does not even know how to begin to hold it together. 

What a beautifully tragic story of how to grow amid walking in grief. This is the first book I have read by Ruchti and she did an amazing job bringing the reader in to the Jacobs' home, in to their lives, their emotions, their grief. This was by far from a light, airy book, but one with heaviness, but redemptive heaviness. You can see the cracks of light shine through the darkness as the story progresses all the way to the end. You can feel the pain, the anger, the love, the forgiveness that takes place within the characters. How forever friends are always there. How new forever friends are formed. How family rallies. A fantastic read by ruchti.

Revell Reads sent me this copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Obsession by Patricia Bradley

 

Emma Winters is one of Natchez Trace's rangers and loves her job. With the chance to excavate a site on the land, Emma is in her glory. But all that turns to danger when she is shot at and it appears someone is messing with the excavation site. Assigned to the case is her ex-fiance, Sam Ryker, who isn't completely over Emma. Emma and Sam have to work together to find who is after her and trying to take out Sam.

This is book 2 in the Natchez Trace Park Ranger series and Bradley does a great job of writing a story that keeps the reader flipping the pages in to the late hours of the night. Her whodunnit level of writing keeps the reader guessing and the level of suspense keeps the reader glued to the pages. The characters are well formed and the storyline is smooth throughout the entire book. Any suspense reader would enjoy this book and this series by Bradley.

Revell Reads sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Network of Deceit by Thomas Threadgill

After Amara Alvarez was thrust in the spotlight after blowing open a closed case, her dream has come true with becoming homicide detective. Her first case has her questioning if she's cut out for the job when a teen winds up dead at a waterpark. On top of wanting to prove herself as a great detective, she's trying to figure out feelings towards another detective and carrying the weight of a health diagnosis of her mother - the matriarch of the family. Amara learns quickly of what it looks like to juggle so many balls while trying to find a killer.

Threadgill did a masterful job with the depth and narrative of this story! It can be read as a stand-alone, but the reader would understand much more having read the first book in the series. More so with understanding the main character and the continuation of her growth through trials. Threadgill has written another book that is hard to put down until it's finished. Being a more mystery than suspense read, it has the reader trying to figure out how everything fits together, how the pieces line up and keeps the guessing going until the end. 

Revell Reads sent this complimentary book to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of All That We Carried by Erin Bartels

Olivia and Melanie are each carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, but in different ways. Not having really connected in 10 years, they decide to go on a week long backpacking trip to reconnect as sisters. What they don't expect is to find so much more about each other and even more about themselves. 

Erin Bartels knocks it out of the part with this emotional book that carries you along on the journey of these two sisters. With so much heartache and soul searching on the main two characters' hearts, you grieve with them and also celebrate with them. Written with some backstory that ties to current conversations, you get a sneak peek in to their lives and relationship growing up. I loved how God was portrayed in this book as being someone who comes along and helps, who listens, who offers guidance and wisdom in a loving way. With depth and layers throughout, the story weaves grace, forgiveness, sister-hood, introspectiveness and deep heart searching that starts both of the characters a new journey. Bartels did a great job of making this feel real life with real emotions and real situations that could happen to anyone. 

Revell Reads sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of The Escape by Lisa Harris

Madison James is doing the job she loves as a US Marshall. It has also been five years since her husband was murdered with no closure on the killer. With feeling the need for a change, her thoughts are of moving out of the city to start somewhere fresh. But before that can happen, she needs to focus on her job of which a new assignment is given to her, along with a new partner, Jonas Quinn. A quick flight transporting two prisoners should have them back home later that day. Things do not go as planned as their plane crashes and one of their prisoners escapes in a remote area. The man hunt begins as they search for their escaped prisoner who is also hunting them as well. Every second and move counts as the manhunt begins.

Lisa Harris has created a new series that keeps the reader quickly turning each page. The suspense is thick, the story writing is top-notch and the plot grips the reader all the way to the end. Harris does a great job of making the story come to life and keeps the reader well engaged with the twists and turns of the two main characters who you feel like you know. If you enjoy a good suspense filled book, pick up this book in Harris' new series US Marshalls. 

Revell Reads sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

The Love Note by Joanna Davidson Politano

Willa Duvall loves medicine. Matters of the heart aren't as important to her, hence why suitors continue to scratch their heads in disbelief when she turns down their marriage proposals. But between a love note hidden in her desk and an ultimatum by her father, Willa is determined to get employment at a home she visited with her father during her growing up years. With letter in hand and employment secured, Willa begins a journey of which she did not expect. 

Politano has written a masterful story in The Love Note. I love how she takes one object, a letter, and twists a whole story around it. How the same words mean different things to those who read it and how the story takes a life of it's own based on one letter. What a great, unique story that takes the reader on a journey through the ups and downs of romance and misinterpretation, the reader is glued to the pages just wondering how everything will work out. 

Revell Reads sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Point of Danger by Irene Hannon

Eve Reilly loves her job. Talking about controversial subjects on her early morning radio show. Others, however, want to silence her.  Detective Brent Lange is new on the job and his first case involves finding out who is making the threats against Eve. What the two don't expect is the feelings that spark the moment they meet. Will they find the culprit who is threatening Eve's life before it's too late? 

This is Irene Hannon's first book in her new Triple Threat Series. With suspense showing up on every page and characters intertwining with each other, this book keeps the reader flipping the pages trying to figure out how it's all going to come together. Throw in sparks of romance and you have the signature romantic suspense Hannon is known for. A good book that keeps the reader engaged right up to the end and looking forward to the second book in the series. You won't be disappointed if you pick up this book, or any of her other romantic suspense books.

Revell Books sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of The Key to Love by Betsy St. Amant

In this stand-alone novel, Bri Duval is hoping her romantic man in shining armor shows up someday. To have a marriage as good as her parents' was. To be able to put her lock on the Love Lock gate out in the back of the bakery she works at. What she doesn't expect is travel writer Gerard Fortier to waltz in to her bakery, tell her the coffee is horrible and pop her romance bubble. In this charming story, Bri and Gerard find more out about themselves than expected and realize that maybe expectations of romance can change.

This novel was a charming read, set in a mom and pop town that is easy to picture. A book to cozy up next to the fire with on a cold, rainy day that will keep your heart warm. Betsy has a whimsical way of writing with a dose of humor and a tender thread woven through the entire story. She does a great job keeping the reader engaged all the way to the end. With laughter and tears mingled along the way, the reader can feel like they are walking with the characters on their journey of learning a bit more of who they are.

Revell Reads sent me this complimentary copy to review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Review of The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox

Ivy Rose has a lot of questions about her past. When her grandmother dies, she receives a letter post-funeral explaining that there is a lot Ivy Rose doesn't know. Ivy Rose then begins a journey like she has never been on before. A journey not only about her past, but about who she really is. 

Amanda Cox does a brilliant job toggling between the past and the present throughout the story of this book. Such heartache jumps off the pages. Sweet, tender love is woven through the storyline as well, bringing the reader in to the heart of Ivy Rose and the other characters in her life. So many issues are brought to the surface throughout this book that the reader has the opportunity to explore their emotions with each one. What a great book to bring to light so many different aspects of family and how we treat others (just to name a few). A well rounded, well written, wonderfully expressive story.

Revell sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Nine by Rachelle Dekker

Two young ladies brought together by unforeseen circumstances. One not wanting to remember her past. The other can't remember her past. Zoe and Lacy go on the run from the authorities in search of a needle in a haystack that could bring them safety or destruction. 

Rachelle Dekker has yet again delivered a heart-stopping story that grabs you right from the beginning. You come in to the story knowing you are missing some very key components. But you also know that these components will be revealed to you along the way. And along that way, this novel grips you until you almost just want to read the end to see what happens (but you don't because that would just ruin it!). Rachelle has a unique way of story-telling that hooks her audience in and doesn't let go until the end. 

Revell Books sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of A Dazzle of Diamonds by Liz Johnson

Penelope Hunter its trying to pave a new path for herself after her life fell apart with a botched wedding. Now an event planner, she seems to be making a way for herself. Until her ex-fiance and his new soon-to-be-wife walk in and want her to plan the venue for the wedding. To add on to that, she receives a call from one of her top clients that they are going to pull their reservation because of rumors circling about herbest friend, who is running for sheriff, and his family's loyalty to their great city of Savannah. While Penelope and Tucker, her best friend, try to clear his name and she tries to save her job, something else may be sparkling underneath that may catch them both by surprise.   

Liz Johnson crafts a fun, loving story about friendship and what friends do for each other no matter what. This was a great reminder to stand by those you love. Liz did a great job weaving a multi-leveled story line that kept the reader intrigued enough to keep flipping the pages and whimsical enough to keep it light-hearted. With pulling in very minor characters from previous books, I liked how she threw nuggets to the reader about her previous stories and had those characters pop up in this book. You don't need to read the other books to understand this one, but you will gain a bit of backstory from the other characters who are minor in this book (but major in the other books). This is a fun, delightful read!

Revell Books sent me this copy to review in exchange for my opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review of These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker

Dan has escaped the mountain. But his brother is still trapped there and Dan waits. He waits in the village that was created for those who have escaped the mountain. The village where only 8 are left as everyone else has moved on to the East. The day to day living becomes normal routine. Until a woman shows up and shakes Dan to his core. All of a sudden he is faced with memories of life before the mountain and has to figure out if he should go back and get his brother. But that means going back in to the mountain. And is his brother's life worth giving his own life for?

This book was baffling and amazing all rolled in to one. I could not figure out what was going on in the first chapters of this book. And I believe it was intended that way. What an intriguing, gripping, head spinning story that has so many layers of depth to it! This story kept me thinking well after being finished. Not just the story itself, but the deeper meanings of life, guilt, forgiveness, living life and the bigger picture of God's story. Shawn wove yet another book that brings the reader in from a completely different angle than expected and throws twists in along the way. It's like the carrot dangling ahead of the donkey. You just keep turning the pages to see if you can grasp what is going on and what is going to happen.

Revell Reads sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of A Dream Within a Dream by Mike Nappa and Melissa Kosci

This is the 3rd book in the Coffee and Hill Series. Samuel Hill seems to be in a bit of trouble and it's up to Trudi Coffee, his ex-wife, to figure out what's going on, to find him, and see how she can keep him out of being killed. Put the Irish mob, someone looking for lost art, a kidnapped victim turned loose, a killer looking for Sam, and not knowing who to trust, in a boat and you have the nutshell of this book.

Nappa and Kosci did not disappoint in this book. It is helpful to read the previous two books in this series to fully understand the entire scope of the book and the underlying stories taking place. It was a hard one to put down as the plot twists almost every chapter, even the ending keeps the reader in suspense. With a creative plot, characters coming to life and wanting the story to continue even after the last page, the authors did a great job keeping the reader engaged and produced a product that every suspense reader should enjoy. Waiting the four years since Nappa's last books came out was worth the wait!

If you enjoy suspense with a splash of mystery and clever writing, you will not be disappointed in this book. If you haven't read the first two in the series, start there...they are equally as good!

Revell Books sent me a complimentary copy for my review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Stories That Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

The 1960's brings Betty Sweet living the life she wasn't expecting. At 40 she finds herself a widow with not knowing what to do next. Her sister shows up on her doorstep after not seeing her for years needing a place to stay. As is the little boy, her nephew, who she didn't know. Through the use of stories of her past, she bonds with her nephew as well as brings to light glimpses of her childhood that she forgot about.

Susie does a spectacular job weaving history, family bonds, sisterhood and what a little dark-skinned boy growing up in a white world in the 1960's looks like. How family protects, walks along side and stands next to each other during the most difficult times. She shows how important stories are in not only sharing with others, but how passing them along to the next generation preserves the history of family. How stories bind people together. What a fantastic story that brings warmth to the heart and yet aches because of the world we live in. It was hard to put this book down as it draws you in to the characters who feel like the neighbors down the street who you want to sit and have a cup of tea with.

Revell Books sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Standoff by Patricia Bradley

Brooke Danvers is following in her father's footsteps in the law enforcement field. What makes her even more determined to make him proud is figuring out who killed him. Luke Fereday is back in town as an undercover cop who is deep in the trenches of a drug ring. What was once a budding relationship years before is reignited as Brooke and Luke try to solve a murder and bring down a drug ring. But will their friendship stand the test of time and will they stay alive long enough for that to even happen?

This is book one in a new series by Patricia Bradley. A story that is laced with several characters, a fast moving plot line and the all-time favorite of whodunnit. Bradley delivers a good solid plot line that keeps the reader interested. With up front action in the first couple of chapters, the reader is trying to figure out who the mysterious character is. The book takes you on a journey right up until the very quick ending that leaves you ready for the next book to come out. It did take a bit to sort out all the characters who were introduced, but they all fell in to place and kept the readers mind moving throughout the story.

Revell Reads sent me this complimentary copy to review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Hadley Beckett's Next Dish by Bethany Turner

Hadley Beckett is a no nonsense chef who loves to cook, use lots of butter and sweet talks her southern charm in to her audience's homes. After a cooking competition she and another top rated chef went head to head on, she discovered Chef Maxwell Cavanagh, who she looked up to, actually grates on her nerves and sours her stomach at the mention of his name. After Max's fall from chef stardom, he and Hadley find themselves with an opportunity of a lifetime. One of which could boost Hadley in to the top spotlight and get Max back on the cooking show map. But will these two chef's from different worlds end up singeing each other's opportunities or will a friendship bubble up that stands the test of the kitchen...and time?

Bethany Turner dishes out another fun story that had me reading this book in record time. A great read for a rainy day that transports you to the mainstay throughout the entire book: the kitchen. Where tempers are lost, apologies are given, conversations are deepened and friendships are born. This novel was all of those and more. A light-hearted read with a bit of depth that can be taken to heart. Even though this was fiction, the important concept that food brings people together is truth through and through. Bethany does a stellar job weaving the importance of food throughout the story and does a fantastic job with the characters development and plot. A witty, fun, great read that just is a make-you-feel-good book when you're done with it.

Revell Reads sent me this complimentary book to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.