Tag: Eason Lynette

Double Take + Giveaway

Detective James Cross has been honorably discharged from the Army Criminal Investigation Division due to wounds sustained when an IED blew up near him. Now with the Lake City Police Department, he’s rooming with this good buddy and partner, Cole, while he figures out his family dynamics.

Physician Assistant Lainie Jackson is eighteen months out from an attempted murder perpetrated by her ex, which ended when she managed to grab the weapon and shoot him. When he appears to have survived and is back to finish the job he started, Lainie insists it’s not possible. But someone keeps trying to kill her, and she keeps seeing his face.

Together, Lainie and James must work together to find out who, exactly, is after her and why he wants her dead. And failure is not an option.

My Review:

Whooooosssshhhhh!!! That’s the sound of my pent-up breath releasing at last! Warning: this book may induce light-headedness, hyperventilating and the need for a defibrillator. Read at your own peril! Bwahahaha!

‘Double Take’ is the best kind of suspense because it’s all edge-of-your-seat plot paired with mind-blowing revelations BUT it’s also the worst kind of suspense because it’s impossible to express true bibliophile euphoria in a review for fear of sharing spoilers. So, excuse me if I’m vague.

Truth: I started reading and I couldn’t stop. Right into the wee hours of the morning and I never do that because I covet my beauty sleep! 🙂 However, today I wear my bloodshot, raccoon ringed eyes as a badge of honour. Not only did Lainie and James survive the read, I did too!

More Truth: the plot has more highs and lows than a rollercoaster. Death defying drops even. And the way Eason s-l-o-w-l-y makes sense of the impossible. Whoooaaaa! Astounding! Stunning! Indescribably good.

Even More Truth: The romance between James and Lainie is so well done. She’s been his sister’s best friend for years but he’s been overseas with the armed forces for a decade. They reconnect in a spectacular way (no spoilers here!) and then gradually develop a friendship that teases on the edge of becoming something deeper…only… Issues. Personal struggles that complicate things. Not to mention the trying to stay alive part!!!! But, oh, sweet joy, the heart-to-hearts, the faith talks, the way he starts to be able to read her mind because they have a connection that won’t be denied. Swoon! Thud! And repeat!

Last Truth: Read this book. Seriously, it’s that simple. If you love romantic suspense, read this book. If you don’t love romantic suspense, read this book anyway and you will. 🙂

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Double Take , 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 February17 2024.

Rescue Mission + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read

A missing baby’s trail has gone cold…but this K-9 has one last lead…

With a baby still missing after months of searching, Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit handler Lucas Hudson and his furry partner must protect the only witness as she recovers from amnesia. But the kidnapper wants Kate Montgomery silenced — permanently. Now hiding in the icy Montana mountains might be the key to their survival and to triggering Kate’s memories of the night baby Chloe Baker disappeared…

Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit

My Review:

Woohooo! This is the book I’ve been waiting for — when we finally get to find out what happened to baby Chloe. ‘Rescue Mission’ is the eighth book in this multi-authored series and I love how each previous book edged us closer to this big reveal. If you’re new to this series, you can totally jump in here so no catching up needed, though you’d enjoy it if you did. 

Each book in the series has it’s own unique suspense and romance as well as an overarching suspense plot that finds resolution in this final instalment. But the authors do a great job of catching new readers up with former heroes and heroines as well as the progress of the suspense tie-in so you can really hop in at any point in the series.

The intense opening scene sets the stage for this action-packed grand finale. I felt like I knew Kate already from snippets in previous books and I was excited to delve into her story. And — bonus points — she comes with her very own therapy dog so we get double the puppy love and that makes me very happy. 🙂 Plus hero Lucas is kinda alluring in his own right. 

I like that there’s a bit of a history between these two as well. More on Lucas’s end since he has been watching over Kate (in a way) since her attack eight months previously. So he’s really invested in the outcome of this case and his protector spidey senses are fully charged. It makes the romance that develops all the more realistic.

And, though ‘amnesia’ isn’t my favourite trope in a suspense plot, I really like the way it plays out here. It’s been eight months since Kate’s attack and she’s been through extensive physical and psychological therapy during that time. Even so, she still hasn’t fully regained her memories. They are coming to her in fragmented pieces though, and no one knows if she will ever fully recover. I like how realistic this approach to the amnesia trope is. I just bought into it more, plus it really amped up the suspense all through the series as we got updates on Kate’s recovery…and lack of solid memories that could have helped the investigation along. 

Eason delivers an enthralling conclusion to this outstanding series!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Rescue Mission, 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 Nov 18, 2023.

Targeted + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-read

Three women. Three men. Three unsuspecting targets.

Get ready for triple the thrills with three heart-stopping stories from your favourite romantic suspense authors!

In On the Run, IT Specialist Daria Nevsky is a highly skilled FBI agent with the ability to hack any computer. She must go on the run to find out who wants her dead — and Dr. Ryker Donahue refuses to let her do it alone.

In Deadly Objective, physical therapist Emily Dixon and Secret Service Agent Liam Harper are committed to keeping their relationship professional. But when the vice president’s son enters the crosshairs of a killer, some lines will have to be crossed in order to keep him safe.

In Caught in the Crosshairs, there is no love lost between former Army PSYOPS officer Ari Blackman and CIA officer Claudia Gallegos after Claudia is implicated in the murder of a Saudi prince. But to prevent a coup that would put America at risk, they’ll have to learn to trust each other — before it’s too late. 

My Review:

published in 2022

Three headliner romantic suspense authors join forces to deliver a trifecta of edge-of-your-seat suspense reads with intrepid heroes and heroines who keep things interesting. Because heightened emotions lead to romance and the toe-curl/danger combo kept me turning pages. And rooting for three happily-ever-afters…once justice is served, of course.

Of note: each novella relates to a series but can easily be read as standalones, so no worries if you’re not up to date. ‘Targeted’ provides the perfect opportunity to sample these authors’ storytelling styles and get a feel for their series.

Each story involves plenty of action and danger and just the right amount of romance to keep things interesting. These authors excel at pacing and plotting and manage to deliver fully fleshed out characters and well developed plots despite the shorter word count (each novella is about 120 pages.) I can’t pick a favourite because each of these heroines and their heroes are completely captivating! 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy and open to any reader, anywhere in the world — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Targeted, 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 easier for me to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 28 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Countdown + Giveaway

A stalker who wants to finish what he started. A US Marshal who’s vowed to protect his charge. And one woman who is determined to put the past in the past.

Flight paramedic Raina Price has been running so long it’s hard to stop. To escape a dangerous stalker, she changed her name and disappeared, building a new life with the help of a friend from her time in juvie. It feels good to put her energies into saving people’s lives, but because her stalker was never found, she’s never stopped looking over her shoulder. And one can only run so far before the past finally catches up.

US Marshal Vincent Corelli’s job is to hunt down fugitives and protect those who are assigned to him. When Raina is almost killed right in front of him, he vows to protect her at all costs–whether it’s his job or not. Together they work to solve the mystery of Raina’s past. But someone is out to make sure Raina doesn’t live long enough to do it.

Countdown is the breathless conclusion to USA Today bestselling author Lynette Eason’s thrilling Extreme Measures series.

My Review:

This was one of my anticipated reads and it did not disappoint! An Audible preorder, downloaded on release day and then I was in romantic suspense heaven! Great narration by Sara Shekells — she did all four books in the Extreme Measures series and I liked that continuity. (FYI: The books can all be read as standalones.)

I’ve enjoyed the glimpses I’ve seen of Raina in the earlier books so I was excited to finally discover her full story. And — mercy — what a heart-hurting, stomach-churning time we had of it! And that was just her personal story arc! I appreciated the raw honesty in her struggle to trust God in the hard places. She feels abandoned and alone, despite being surrounded by friends, and once you’ve delved into her past, you’ll be able to understand why. Eason tackles the tough question: why does God let bad things happen to good people? Raina and Vince have some very candid conversations that I could relate to.

This is a friends to more romance and I loved the substance that brought to their relationship. Vince has always wanted to move the relationship along but Raina has been consistently keeping him at arms’ length, so there’s a bit of unrequited love here too. Obviously, Raina has her reasons for fighting the attraction and all that is explored realistically as the story progresses.

And Vince! Happy swoony sigh! He’s an alpha hero only with brakes. 🙂 He’s protective, but just short of bossy and the way he pursues Raina…be still my heart. Careful deliberation, utmost respect, never pushing beyond what she is willing to offer. But he’s steadfastly by her side all the way, and she needs to see those traits in him in order to let go of the baggage she’s been carrying around for much too long. Vince is one gem of hero!

Of course, the suspense is topnotch — can’t expect anything else from an Eason novel! It’s complex and compelling and layered in mysteries. I was challenged and intrigued all the way through.

A resounding conclusion the the Extreme Measures series!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com (US) Kindle account

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon) or audible (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Countdown, 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 August 12, 2023.

Critical Threat + Giveaway

FBI Special Agent Grace Billingsley tracks serial killers, using her skills as a psychiatrist and behavioural analyst to get dangerous people off the street and safely behind bars. But prison psychiatrist Sam Monroe knows that just because a killer is incarcerated doesn’t mean they’re not a threat. His own father, Peter, is a serial killer — in prison but certainly not out of Sam’s life, as much as he wishes he was.

When bodies start showing up with Peter’s MO, Sam and Grace are both called in to consult. They’ve met before — and though Grace thought they’d made a real connection, Sam ghosted her. They’ll have to get past the awkwardness and mistrust to solve this case — especially because it’s about to get personal.

My Review:

Wowzers! This one crept out of my comfort zone a wee bit, ’cause serial killers aren’t a favourite suspense trope of mine. My all too active imagination ran riot with the thriller-ish aspects of this story. Plus there’s a rather gruesome murder detail that isn’t overtly described but just knowing about it raised the creep factor for me. But, this is Lynette Eason and her characters are so real and relatable that I couldn’t resist.

Lots of edge-of-your-seat moments that include heart-stopping near misses and ominous foreshadowing which made me rush through the read. Well, listen, actually — I enjoyed Sheryl Sheckells’ gripping narration. Made it seem all the more real to me which is both a good thing and a bad thing. 🙂

One of Eason’s many talents is the way she creates characters who are honest and vulnerable and flawed. And then she gives them complicated back stories and throws them into a vortex of chaos and mayhem. She really is an evil genius, at least, I bet that’s how her characters think of her!

Both Sam and Grace have complex family issues which add a whole other level of angst to their lives. I loved the way they respected each other’s boundaries, willing to listen but open to waiting for the ‘right time’. They never pushed for more but they also didn’t shy away from sharing for long. Such a rich, emotionally laden romance that felt believable.

Critical Threat is the third book in Extreme Measures series but it can easily be read as a standalone. And, yay, we have a fourth book to look forward to later this year and it’s going to have a stalkerish vibe! Can’t wait for Countdown’s release this summer!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Critical Threat, 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 February 4, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.