Category: Book Review

October Giveaway – Week Four

won by Heidi
won by Jackie
won by Angie Adams
won by Keith
won by Kay Garrett

Winners will be contacted if they left their email address, otherwise it’s up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca (please note it’s ca as in Canada, not com.) From time to time a winner and I do not connect so I have a one month time frame on giveaway wins. If I haven’t been able to reach you within 30 days of your win, it will be forfeited. This has happened a few times now, so please, DON’T BE SHY — CONTACT ME IF YOU DIDN’T LEAVE AN EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN’T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU!

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK:

We’re getting close to the Christy Awards Gala where the winners will be announced so I’m doubling up the last four categories over the next two weeks so we will be up to date.

Also, I might be in a bit of a suspensey mood which is reflected in this weeks offerings. My apologies to those who don’t share my enthusiasm for the genre. 🙂 I’ll do better next week.

Sunday

Conversations with Kav – a place for us to chat about bookish topics if anyone is so inclined. Sometimes there will be giveaways, sometimes there won’t. It will just depend on the topic of the day. Hope to see you there! Otherwise my inner book nerd and I will carry on by ourselves. Bwahaha!

monday

Christy Awards Finalists – Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Tuesday

Christy Awards Finalists – Short Form

Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

Death Down the Aisle

Agatha Christie’s cherished housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, not only keeps the celebrated author’s home running smoothly, but she has also proven herself an accomplished sleuth. So when a murderer brings mayhem to a wedding, in this USA Today bestselling series’ latest installment, she’s on hand to sweep up the mystery…

Phyllida is delighted to receive an invitation to the wedding of her friend Dr. John Bhatt. It’s a chance to get to know his fiancée, Emily Hartparker, and to explore Coatesworth Manor—the grand seaside estate that belongs to Emily’s distant relatives. Coatesworth is now managed by Lady Artemis Coatesworth and offers ample space for a celebration. But it’s soon clear that some of the guests have intentions beyond cheering on the happy couple.

As is often the case when extended family gathers, there is bickering, not to mention an awkward love triangle between Emily’s lovely cousin Lily, her handsome ex-husband Heath, and his new wife, Tibby. Besides that, some of the other cousins—all of whom are there simply to appease Lady Artemis, who has the power to enact a morals clause in her late husband’s will that could impact the heirs’ inheritances—don’t seem to get along. Discomfiting, certainly. Dramatic for sure.

And the drama gets infinitely worse when a wedding guest is discovered dead in the small chapel only hours after the ceremony.

Phyllida immediately agrees to help discover what happened, and brings some of her staff over from Mallowan Hall, Mrs. Christie’s manor house, for cover. But with plenty of dark secrets and ugly family dynamics, it seems the killer could be any one of the Coatesworths—and that  killer is dangerously motivated to keep the grisly truth from being revealed .

My Review:

This is one of my favourite cozy mystery series. Love the vintage flare, the Christie influence and especially Phyllida’s pragmatic ‘get the job done as efficiently as possible’ attitude. Part of her charm is that she thinks she’s always right, and she usually is, which should be off-putting but somehow isn’t. She’s a complex character – a little bit prickly but that just hides her compassionate heart and a complicated back story. She’s also an exceptional amateur sleuth. I think of Phyllida as a mix of Poirot’s keen investigative instincts and Miss Marple’s intuitive observational skills, especially where people are concerned.

Only the cat’s among the pigeons in this sixth ‘Phyllida Bright Mystery,’ when Phyllida’s personal life threatens to upend both her common sense and her sleuthing capabilities, which makes for a highly entertaining mystery. And oh my word, if looks could kill in between all those sizzling sparks there would surely have been another murder! Bwahahaha!

So much to love about this novel – witty banter, clever conversations, the inner workings of Phyllida’s strategic mind. Just pure bibliophile delight all the way through.

I listened to the audio edition and narrator Jennifer M. Dixon is the perfect voice to tell Phyllida’s story. She’s been consistent throughout the series which I really appreciate (hate when narrators are switched out mid series!) Dixon captures the subtle humour in Cambridge’s writing especially well and her performance made for a highly entertaining listening experience.

My thanks to RB Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Mad Dog + Giveaway

In the next eight seconds, he will achieve everything he ever thought he wanted.
Or he will die.

Four years ago, Maddox “Mad Dog” Holt walked away from a life with the woman he loved to pursue rodeo success. Winning the championship failed to quench the drive to achieve more, so he entered the highly secretive and extremely dangerous underground X Games. Then a devastating tragedy forces him to choose between taking one last ride—the one that could see him crowned King of the X—and being there for his three-year-old niece.

Mad Dog has faced this choice before. Will he make the right one this time?

With deadly pursuers on their trail, Maddox fights to save the people he cares about the most as everything he has worked so hard for slips from his fingers. It might take losing all he has for him to finally understand what is truly important. When he does, will it be too late to get back everything—and everyone—he chose to leave behind?

My Review:

“He had eight seconds to live. Maybe less.” How’s that for an intriguing opening? And then what follows! Break neck action and a desperate escape courtesy of the girl he left behind!

Woohoo – this is the definition of a page-turner – I read ‘Mad Dog’ in one sitting because there just wasn’t a good place to leave off! There’s a second chance romance with a lot of hurt that needs forgiving, the sweetest little three-year-old sprite (Maddox’s niece) to watch over, and more than one posse of bad guys in hot pursuit. Oh, and a few plot twists to keep things interesting!

Love the way Davison blends action and intrigue with tender family moments and poignant romantic ones. Maddox and Tory make an indomitable team as they face demons from their past…and present. Love the faith elements the author has deftly woven into the story. Never heavy handed but they spark hope, even in the dark times, and shine a light on the importance of living a God entered life.

What a compulsive read! And the first in the new “Seconds to Live” series (isn’t that a deliciously ominous series title?) Tory has some brothers I wouldn’t mind learning more about. 🙂

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy available to any reader anywhere so – YAY – an international giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Mad Dog. leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 24 2026.

In the Waves of Tristwick + Giveaway

random retro read

What is a fisherman to do when he catches a mermaid in his net? Let her go—or fall in love?

A Regency Romance
Cornwall, 1815

As a well-respected fisherman in the Cornish seas, Trevik Honeysett provides a living for many poor families in the southwest of Cornwall. Despite the most powerful fishing companies attempting to cut off his own ability to fish, Trevik refuses to give up. However, when he discovers a mysterious, injured woman entangled in his net, things become much more complicated—especially when suspicions arise that she is, in fact, a mermaid. Knowing he might very well lose his workers to their superstitious beliefs, Trevik decides to uncover just who the woman is. The only problem is…she can’t remember.

In truth, Morvoren Hollow knows exactly who she is. She merely needs to keep her identity a secret long enough to accomplish what she’d set off to do. Fortunately, pretending to be a mermaid will keep Society away long enough to do just that. Her lie becomes harder to manage, however, as her injury takes longer to heal—and as the nosy but handsome fisherman reels closer to the truth.

The two clash head-to-head as Trevik refuses to believe Morvoren is actually a siren from the sea. But such a thing would be easier to imagine than what he finally discovers about her past. Fearful of what might happen next, Morvoren must decide her next step. She can either learn to trust again—or end up truly alone.

My Review:

published in 2022

This is the kind of story that carries a reader into a fictional world to such an extent that you feel like you’ve time travelled. The way Hathaway captures the essence of time and place is phenomenal. Descriptive storytelling that doesn’t overburden the plot but leaves an indelible impression on the reader. I swear I could hear the waves crashing on the shore and smell the tangy sea air while I listened to ‘In the Waves of Tristwick.’

(Excellent performance by narrator Vicki-Jo Eva, by the way. She delivered on accent and dialect and portrayed a vast number of characters from all walks of life with convincing zest. I was enthralled.)

The author captures the Cornish culture and folklore in such a captivating way. Morvoren’s dramatic rescue from the sea stirs up old legends and stubborn superstitions and it isn’t long before half of the community is convinced she actually is a mermaid. For her part, Morvoren embraces the myth as the perfect guise to hide her true identity so she can remain hidden from her uncle.

Of course, Trevik doesn’t hold with such nonsense and is suspicious of Morvoren’s true intentions and the conflict she has created among the fishermen.. Their bickering banter is pure delight as the enemies to more trope plays out to perfection in a slow-burn kind of romance full of conflicting emotions.

Rich history, sea faring lore and engaging characters all combine to deliver a charming Regency romance with a unique twist.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US –  paperback or ebook – winner’s choice

Canada – paperback, ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of In the Waves of Tristwick, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 24 2026.

A Seaside Wonder + Giveaway

random retro read

In one evening, Indi’s world falls apart. Enter the shy professor her family mistakes for her fiancé…make that ex-fiance.

Professor Philip West never wanted to return to Maine…or his grandfather’s miserable old house. But after his mother’s death, he’s now the guardian of a teenage half sister he barely knows — one who doesn’t want anything to do with him. He longs to help her heal, but he’s exhausted and numb, desperate for relief of his own. Maybe that’s why he’s so easily distracted when he happens upon the little shop with a name on its storefront window that sounds familiar, a hint of a mystery nudging him inside.

More than a decade has passed since Indi Muir made the heartbreaking decision she’s never recovered from — though she’s certainly tried. She has a full life running her shop and creating the artsy pieces that fill its shelves. If she can just stay busy, she’ll keep her hurt and regret at bay… until her past and present collide, shattering her carefully built walls. Things only get worse when danger comes calling at her childhood home.

The one bright spot amid Indi’s turmoil is the shy stranger who wandered into her shops months ago and his moody but lovable sister. As she confronts her past and the mysterious threat facing her family, she’s intent on helping Philip too, if they can overcome old secrets and wounds, outrun rising peril…and take a chance on love.

Breathtaking romance, a captivating mystery, and an enchanting wintry seaside…return to Muir Harbor in bestselling author Melissa Tagg’s latest.

My Review:

published in 2023

“You are not a mess. God sees the beauty you already are. He’s not in a hurry and you don’t have to be either.”

What a stunningly beautiful and incredibly moving story! Written in a way that pulled at all my emotions — I cried, I laughed, I swooned. Intricate details woven into a tapestry of…well…wonder! And it comes from more than just our hero and heroine’s stories. It’s in the family relationships — raw and real and imperfectly wonderful. And the way a myriad of story threads pull together, building in intensity until they are all expertly intertwined by the end. I’m truly gobsmacked at the impact ‘A Seaside Wonder’ had on me.

So rich in inspirational wisdom. Honestly, I filled a little notebook with faith quotes and tabbed so many pages…I’m not one to annotate fiction books but this one might be the exception. The kind of book that transforms the reader as much as the characters. So many profound insights! Like:

“I just wonder if instead of asking God to take the pain away, we invite Him into it.”

and…

“She’s put her trust in a God who…who maybe doesn’t make every crack disappear, but who holds all her broken pieces tenderly.”

I could go on and on and on…but you just need to read this book for yourself. Guaranteed to hold a cherished place of honour on any library shelf.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US –  paperback or ebook – winner’s choice 

Canada – paperback, ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  A Seaside Wonder, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 24 2026.

Resisting the Fall

The divorce never finalized. Neither did their feelings.

The discovery that I was still legally married—years after I thought my divorce was final—was supposed to be the worst thing to happen to me this fall.

It wasn’t.

Because apparently the state of Vermont believes in closure. And no regrets. And court-ordered thirty-day reconciliation efforts. So now, in order to fast-track my divorce from Bennett Walker—my high school sweetheart and the man who walked out on our marriage seven years ago—I’m being forced back to the small town we grew up in to spend an entire month proving our relationship isn’t worth saving.

A situation Ben annoyingly finds amusing.

Which is why I plan to make this the most memorable, insufferable, torturous thirty days of his life. As a prank-loving aficionado, I have countless ideas about how to drive Ben crazy while keeping myself focused on the goal: finalizing our divorce.

With my life in New York and a career I absolutely love, not even deeply embedded habits and old feelings can threaten my resolve.

I’m resolved.

So resolved.

Absolutely, definitely, one hundred percent resolved. And if I keep saying it, maybe this time around, I’ll be capable of resisting the fall.

My Review:

What a fun and sometimes angsty (but not too angsty) Second Chance Romance. And it is sooooo romantical! I was a little bit worried about the divorced but not divorced angle, fearful that it would start out with a more combative feel – like an enemies to more trope with a vicious bite – BUT it totally wasn’t that at all. Yay!

‘Resisting the Fall’ is funny and tender and there are insightful flashbacks into Ben and Maven’s youth that were so entertaining. And all the way through the story I could feel the push/pull of their attraction which made for a delightfully edgy read. We know they are divorced…well almost divorced due to an unfortunate (or fortunate) oversight, but we don’t know for the longest time what exactly broke them apart. It about drove me crazy because I could see how good they were together.

Love the strong sense of community and friendship in this novel (the whole series, actually.) As well as all the fall festivities which enhanced my appreciation of the season. Plus, catching glimpses of the other couples in the series at various stages of their own romances added even more glee to my bibliophile giddy! My first Jess Heileman novel, but it won’t be my last!

Anchor Cove + Giveaway

A lonely single mom
Simone Avery has been doing life on her own for the past sixteen years. The last thing she needs is to fall for her next-door neighbor who’s only in town for the summer. Love’s not in the cards for her. It wasn’t in the past, not now, and not in the future. She’s easily forgettable.

A man looking for his next steps
Derrick Benjamin just retired from the United States Air Force at God’s bidding and has no clue what’s next. The last thing he expected to find on his summer vacation is a woman he can’t forget and a town that makes him want more from life.

God’s plan in the works
Will Derrick and Simone find an ever after that lasts beyond the summer? Or will heartache anchor their futures?

My Review:

This is the summer read that got away from me this year. I’m blaming it on my move. But I couldn’t wait a whole year before reading a new release from Toni Shiloh so I got to bask in the sunshiny summer weather in Anchor Cove on a cold and stormy autumn afternoon. Made for a lovely escape read.

Derrick is fresh out of a twenty year stint in the army and trying to figure out what’s next. I really appreciated this perspective and his honest struggle to find his footing as a civilian. Shiloh explores the difficult transition with compassion and even humour as well as a healthy dose of faith. Love the way Derrick seeks God in his plans. Also love that he spends a lot of time wrestling with God’s silence but he never gives up. And oh my, are there some inspirational gems to be found in this novel.

“He never stays silent. Sometimes His silence is a way to get our attention to make sure that when He speaks – because He will – that we’re ready to listen.” (p 58)

So Derrick moves into a a beach house right next door to Simone and her fifteen year old son and, well the sparks don’t immediately fly, but they do simmer as he gets to know his feisty neighbour. Loved the tenderness in their romance, the insecurities and wariness as well as the yearning. And the humour! Shiloh delivers a heartwarming inspirational romance that left me in a happy bibliophile swoon by the last page.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy available to any reader anywhere so – YAY – an international giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Anchor Cove. leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 17 2026.

Where Stillness Speaks + Giveaway

An unwanted engagement. A new life where she struggles to belong. One lie that might save her–but binds her with the very man who wants her gone.

The last place Audra Bancroft wants to be is trapped in the glittering world of the elite—paraded as little more than a decoration on some gentleman’s arm. She longs to be truly known and understood, but as the niece of a wealthy businessman, she is anything but. When her uncle announces her betrothal to a man she despises—a man whose power could ensure she never escapes the gilded cage—she makes the only choice her heart can to disappear.

Hiding her true identity, Audra takes a position on a family-run farm in another state, where faith runs deeper than blood and work is done with calloused hands. Though unaccustomed to the honest toil of the laboring class, she is determined to prove herself. Winning over the sharp-eyed eldest son, Tobias Haystead, is another matter entirely. He finds her suspicious, far too outspoken—and a threat to his family’s carefully guarded secret.

When Audra’s past catches up to her, she tells a desperate lie to save herself—one that binds her fate to Tobias in a way neither of them saw coming.

A tale of courage, faith, found family, and unexpected love. WHERE STILLNESS SPEAKS is perfect for fans of wholesome clean historical Christian romance with depth and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers journey.

My Review:

You know that feeling you get when you come across the special kind of story that consumes you? Where the emotions leap off the page and into your heart and your reading journey becomes full of heartache and hope, right along with the heroine? Where sometimes it’s hard to catch your breath because you desperately need to know that everything is going to work out? And you want it to right away only not really because you don’t want the story to come to an end? Well, ‘Where Stillness Speaks‘ was that kind of read for me. And now I’m emotionally wrung out and not quite coherent as you can tell from my rambling.

I think what touched me the most was the significant inspirational thread that is so tightly woven into the very fibre of the story that the novel couldn’t exist without it. The Haystead family are struggling homesteaders who have known their share of grief and strife. Yet their unwavering faith acts as a beacon to a very lost and frightened Audra. She’s the epitome of a ‘poor little rich girl’, fleeing a deplorable arranged marriage with no idea of what comes next. Tabitha Haystead takes her in, with mixed reactions from her adult offspring. Evangeline is ecstatic, Felix is amused but Tobias is suspicious. Audra is caught in the middle.

Yes, this is Audra and Tobias’ love story, but honestly, I was drawn to the Haysteads as a whole even more. Such wonderful family dynamics and Tabitha’s matriarchal wisdom and steady inspiring words gave me lots to ponder in my own life. And I so love when fiction grows my faith!

Welwood has a lovely writer’s ‘voice’. Her artfully crafted words and phrases are immersive and the depth in characters and backstory beg to be savoured. I enjoyed every second I spent with Audra and the Haysteads.

There’s friction and drama but lighthearted moments too as well as the lure of an impossible romance. And while, no spoilers here, Welwood graciously provides Audra and Tobias with a heartfelt HEA, we find Evangeline in a particularly tenuous situation at the conclusion of ‘Where the Stillness Speaks’ which leaves me scrambling to get a hold of book two in the ‘Tabitha’s Kin’ series asap!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US –  paperback or ebook – winner’s choice 

Canada – paperback, ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Where Stillness Speaks, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 17 2026.

Autumn by the Sea + Giveaway

random retro read

Abandoned as a toddler, Sydney Rose has spent years wondering who she really is, homesick for a life she’s never lived. When a private investigator crashes into her world, she finds herself heading to a tiny seaside town in Maine to meet a woman named Maggie, who’s searching for the granddaughter she lost decades ago.

If not for Maggie, Neil MacKean might still be back in Scotland, bereft and alone. Instead, he has a full life in Muir Harbor with an adopted family he loves and a blueberry farm to run. But the farm is struggling and strange occurrences have him concerned. Worse, Maggie’s once again caught up in the past, convinced she’s finally found her long-lost granddaughter.

Worried for Maggie, Neil is suspicious of the city girl who shows up at the farm. But there’s something about Sydney that tugs on him, drawing out secrets he never meant to share. While Neil grapples with the future of the farm, Sydney wrestles with a past that’s messier than ever. Together, they’re pulled into a mystery complete with a centuries-old legend, unexpected danger . . . and a love as deep and wild as the sea.

My Review:

published in 2021

This came up on someone’s bingo card and reminded me that I have the third book left to read in this series (Muir Harbor.) But then I remembered how fantastic this first book is so I thought I’d revisit it before finally reading ‘Wedding at Sea.’ Spoiler alert: it was just as good the second time around!

Seriously the most eye-popping meet cute I’ve ever read!!!! Funny and cringy and blush worthy. Bwahahahaha! 

And Tagg just keeps on giving all the way through to the very end. I mean, doesn’t that cover set the tone for autumnal reading? Cue the cozy fire and a cuppa of your choice (I’ll make mine hot cocoa with marshmallows, please) and be prepared to lose yourself in small town Maine. Blueberry farming no less!!! I’ve been in love with blueberry harvesting ever since I read Blueberries for Sal way back when…and then kept on reading it to my own daughter and then all my kindergarteners when I was a school librarian. Sometimes old-fashioned simplicity is best…but I digress.

Love, love, love these characters! Their farm! the small town! The mysteries (and, yes, some aren’t explained…yet.) Tagg has the ability to transform a reader into a participant and I really felt like I was right there in Muir Harbor, experiencing it all from the fresh eyes of one very confused, warily hopeful Sydney. And I was emotionally invested in this heroine from the very nail-biter of a first chapter. 

Sydney’s past has always been a mystery and the hope that she might find answers in this quaint New England town is…well, almost too much to hope for! 🙂 

“I think Maggie would say that’s what love does. It keeps hoping even when the answers don’t come easily. It invites strangers in. It doesn’t give up. Love keeps searching.” (p 165)

Who is Maggie, you ask? The wisest most open-hearted woman on the planet — and possibly, maybe, Sydney’s grandmother. But there are three other grandchildren who are all kinds of skeptical about that. This isn’t their first rodeo when it comes to long lost heirs. And Neil in particular has his dander up.

Cue the fireworks, lightning bolts and every other kind of pyrotechnics you can think of ’cause Sydney and Neil have chemistry! And watching their barriers crumble while they sizzle their way to each other makes for one toe-curling reading extravaganza.

Their romance is all wrapped up in multiple mysteries — not the high-octane suspense kind though. More questions without answers. Perplexing occurrences. And family history conundrums. Some of them are answered in this book. Others are still a big ‘?’ so I’m anxiously keeping an eye out for ‘A Seaside Wonder’, the second book in the Muir Harbor series to release…gah, I don’t know when — it’s another mystery!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US –  paperback or ebook – winner’s choice 

Canada – paperback, ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Autumn by the Sea, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 17 2026.

The Black Sheep’s Redemption

Random Retro ReRead

Danger lurks in every corner in bestselling author Lynette Eason’s spine-chilling story in the Fitzgerald Bay series 

Everyone in Fitzgerald Bay—except his law-enforcement family—is convinced Charles Fitzgerald murdered his children’s nanny. Condemned by public opinion, his only hope for a replacement nanny to take care of his two-year-old twins is newcomer Demi Taylor. But Demi has problems of her own…starting with amnesia. She doesn’t remember who she is, doesn’t know where she’s from—and has no idea why she always feels like someone is watching her. Is she in danger because of Charles? Or has someone sinister from her old life found her yet again?

My Review:

published in 2012

Woohoo — this was a blast from my reading past. An early Lynette Eason novel, among the first that I read by her — and they just released an audio edition so, of course, I couldn’t resist. Especially not after listening to the sample! What a way to leave a reader hanging! Here’s my review from back in the day:

Prepare yourself for a nail-biting read. The action is fast, the suspense thick and the romance exciting — all the markers of a runaway best-seller. Eason barely gives her readers a chance to catch their breath before she hits them with another tense scene and then another and another. It is so full of cliffhangers it’s a wonder I have any nails left at all! And yet, in classic Eason style, she has successfully woven an credible love story into the suspense threads, which makes this a dream of a read for a romantic suspense lover like me!