Tag: Hannon Irene

An Eye For an Eye

Random Retro ReRead

After he accidentally shoots a teenager at a tense standoff, FBI Hostage Rescue Team member Mark Sanders is sent to St. Louis to work as a field agent and get his bearings while the bad press starts to settle. Just weeks away from returning to Quantico to resume his work on the HRT, Mark has a chance encounter with an old flame, Emily Lawson. But their reunion is cut short by a sniper. Now Mark must find the shooter before he tries to strike again. But what is his motive–and who was his intended target? Can Mark put the pieces together, keep Emily safe, and rekindle a long-dead relationship at the same time?

A fast-paced tale of romance, suspense, and intrigue, An Eye for an Eye is the exciting second installment in the Heroes of Quantico series.

My Review:

published in 2009

I’m really enjoying the pacing and plotting of these ‘retro’ suspense novels. There’s more breathing space for a relationship to develop and the slow build in the mystery feels more suspenseful.

A sniper takes a shot at two people out for their morning run — but which one is the target? We get the occasional villain POV which gradually reveals all, but full disclosure takes a while and I was on tenterhooks trying to figure it all out. And what a high stakes meet-cute — and reunion of teenage sweethearts! A random meeting in the park that nearly turns deadly. The set up for this novel is soooooo good!

The solid suspense plot doesn’t move too quickly and we’re party to the inner workings of an FBI investigation — some of it ho hum tedious and very true to life. (Not that the reading was tedious — but this isn’t a series of relentless attacks kind of suspense which is more typical of today’s plots.) Love the give and take among the investigative team — especially the good-natured ribbing which lightens the darker moments.

And the romance — a second chance twenty years later that starts with friendship. So many wonderful getting reacquainted moments which include some frank discussions on faith and feelings and expectations. Reminded me of early Dee Henderson novels (O’Malley’s.)

Thrilling from start to finish. I enjoyed this second read of ‘An Eye for an Eye’ as much as the first.

Sandcastle Inn + Giveaway

Vienna Price never intended to return for more than a passing visit to Oregon and all the bad memories she’d left behind. But when your career tanks, home is where you go to nurse your wounds and chart a new course. Only temporarily, of course–because as much as she loves her quirky mom, anything more than a short stay would drive them both crazy.

A trip to Oregon isn’t in Matt Quinn’s plans, either, until a perfectly timed appeal for help arrives from his sister. What better place to decompress after a shattering loss than a quiet, seaside town named Hope Harbor? But R&R isn’t on the agenda when he arrives to find his sister’s new enterprise on life support.

Vienna, however, may have just the skills needed to resuscitate the foundering B&B–if Matt can convince her to hang around long enough to mend an inn . . . and his heart.

My Review:

Hope Harbor is one of my favourite series — ever! — so I was thrilled to add this tenth book to my collection. I love this setting, the community and the thrill of meeting up with familiar characters who feel like friends. Having said that, ‘Sandcastle Inn’ can definitely be read as a standalone, but, if you are an ardent visitor of this special corner of the fictional world, you’ll get an extra thrill every time something seemingly insignificant is mentioned (since you’re in the know.) So. Much. Fun. I’m looking at you Floyd and Gladys and belching seal and dueling clerics and Charlie’s taco stand and….I’m still in a swoon of giddy bibliophile delight!

Love Irene Hannon’s rich storytelling, her complex characters wrestling with real life problems and the way they come together to work out a solution. You can see God’s hand in their gathering and I got so excited as I watched events unfold.

We’re blessed with two romances (eeeep!) While the main focus is on Matt and Vienna, there’s a secondary love story featuring a young married couple trying to work through a tough situation. And Hope Harbor is the perfect place to land when you’re down on your luck or facing tough decisions or trying to mend relationships or, well, any hard thing you can think of. I so wish this town really existed, I’d move there in a flash! But maybe, more to the point, is the inspiration to create our own loving and nurturing Hope Harbors wherever we call home.

I listened to the audible edition (pre-ordered and then downloaded on release day because I couldn’t not wait!) and, as always, was thrilled by Therese Plummer’s exceptional narration.

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 Sandcastle Inn, 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 April 13 2024.

Against All Odds + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read

For FBI Hostage Rescue Team member Evan Cooper and his partner, dignitary protection duty should have been a piece of cake. Unfortunately, Monica Callahan isn’t making it easy. Estranged from her diplomat father–who is involved in a sensitive hostage situation in the Middle East–she refuses to be intimidated by a related terrorist threat back in the States. That is, until a chilling warning convinces her that the danger is very real–and escalating.

As Coop and his partner do their best to keep her safe, Monica’s father triggers an abduction that puts his daughter’s life at risk. And with every second that ticks by, Coop knows that the odds of saving the only woman who has ever breached the walls around his heart are dropping. After all, terrorists aren’t known for their patience–or their mercy.

Book one in the Heroes of Quantico series, this suspense-filled novel will whisk readers along for the thrilling ride.

My Review:

published in 2009

Eeeeppp!!! This was my first Irene Hannon book way back in the day! Read it even before I started posting reviews on Good Reads or started my blog and I don’t believe I’ve missed a single one of her books since then. In fact, I picked Irene Hannon as one of my re-read authors for 2024, so this is the official start.

This time round I listened to the audio book (courtesy of Audible Plus) narrated by Stevie Ray Dallimore. While I usually prefer female narrators, I thought Dallimore did a pretty good job with the female voices and I enjoyed my listening experience….

And discovered that I really like ‘vintage’ romantic suspense. The pacing is very different from current books which leaves room to develop relationships and get to know the characters more. Also time for significant faith threads which is another bonus.

So, while there’s definitely suspense right from the start, it’s drawn out in a different way. As the plot thickens (literally!) readers are drawn in to the high stakes situation that gradually grows more desperate as time progresses.

Meanwhile there’s Monica trying to live her normal life while being guarded by Coop’s FBI team. There’s a certain ominous dread looming over every scene because this is a suspense, after all! But it’s a lot of ‘normal’ too as Monica and Coop clash over safety concerns. Monica can’t quite believe that something to do with her estranged father half way around the world could actually impact her ordinary life. But she’s wrong! Soooooo wrong!!!

Loved the way the romance developed. It didn’t feel rushed and was full of heartfelt conversations, some teasing banter and the delicious tension of two people meeting at the wrong time. He has a job to do and she’s at the centre of it! Definitely no time for romance and yet…happy sigh. Beautifully crafted!

The suspense builds gradually and then bursts into a ‘heart-stopping, gasp-out-louding’ scenario that left me clinging to the edge of my seat. Expertly written, from mega emotions to action scenes. And then — huge bonus — we’re given some wonderful downtime to decompress and wrap things up and head out into our happily ever after. Like I said — impeccable pacing.

A must read for the inspirational romantic suspense connoisseur!

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 Against All Odds , 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 24 2024.

Into the Fire + Giveaway

As a former smokejumper, arson investigator Bri Tucker knows her way around fires. But after a mysterious blaze takes the life of a former colleague, Bri inherits a curious puzzle from him that raises questions about several fiery deaths. Someone, however, doesn’t want her picking up where he left off in search of answers.

When she teams up with ATF Special Agent Marc Davis to solve the puzzle, the danger escalates. But will they manage to track down the person behind the mysterious deaths before their budding romance–and maybe even their lives–go up in flames?

The bestselling and award-winning queen of romantic suspense is back with a brand-new series that is sure to get your adrenaline pumping as you burn through the pages to discover the truth.

My Review:

Well now…how to review this first book in Hannon’s ‘Undaunted Courage’ series without giving away any spoilers?! Because this is the kind of suspense that insidiously builds tension and plot to a crescendo and — whoa — you look back and see things that you didn’t actually notice at the initial read through. So I want to be careful about not giving things away.

Let’s just say I was gobsmacked a few times. And I can’t really tell you why but it’s like I was happily reading along thinking I knew where the story was going only — whiplash U-turn ahead — and I was like, “whhhaaaatttt?!” But then, in other ways things were predictable, still riveting and all, but classic suspense, and if you read this genre a lot you know what to expect….until the author catches you off guard with a sharp upper cut to the armchair sleuth part of your brain. 🙂

It might be safer to talk about the romance. Love the way the relationship between Bri and Mark develops. Not quite enemies to more but wary professionals walking on eggshells around each other at first. Especially on Bri’s end. She has her reasons and an interesting history to back it up. Mark has had his own issues, but he’s definitely more grounded and ready to recognize the spark threatening to ignite between them. (see what I did there with those fire references?)

And I really enjoyed the pacing. We’re given lots of time to really get to know these characters — and their families too. Mark and his Gran and their heartbreaking backstory. And survivor Bri and her two siblings (so hoping they feature prominently in their own HEA novels.) These relationships contributed to the illusion that we have all the time in the world when, in reality, danger is encroaching…da da da da dummmm….cue the eerie music and grab hold of your support bear and make sure to have some comfort chocolate on hand too.

Irene Hannon is right up there on my ‘Best-Most-Favourite-Auto-Buy Authors’ list and she did not disappoint with this book. In fact, even though I had a print copy from the publisher, I could not resist purchasing the audible edition narrated by the ‘Best-Most-Favourite-Auto-Listen Narrator!’ That would be Therese Plummer. Definitely a novel I’ll enjoy listening to again and again.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc..

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 Into the Fire, 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 December 9, 2023.

Seaside Reunion + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

You can’t go home again … or can you?

After surviving a devastating tragedy, combat reporter Nate Garrison returns to the only place that ever felt like home, Starfish Bay on the Northern California coast. But his reunion with childhood friend Lindsey Collier is nothing like he’d imagined. The wary widow who runs Starfish Bay Mercantile was once the girl who made young Nate dream–of a future, of family ties, of deep roots. Now Lindsey avoids love, loss … and Nate. Yet when they join forces to save a beloved town landmark and help a hurting little boy, might they also find healing, hope–and love?

In this Carol Award finalist, Irene Hannon pens a heartfelt tale of the lasting impact of friendship, the healing power of love, and the importance of touchstones–the people, places, and experiences we measure the world against–in our lives.

My Review:

Eeeeep!!!! Just. Eeeeeeepppp!!!! This is a retro read reimagined by the author and part of her Encore Edition updated re-releases. So, the book originally published as.a Love Inspired in 2012, but, if like me, you missed the original, the author has reworked the story and released it again as an indie book. And that’s all kinds of eeeeeepppp, because Love Inspired older print editions are hard to come by…and audible editions are unheard of.

Which leads me to a whole lot more ‘eeeeppping’ because Seaside Reunion is masterfully narrated by the amazing Therese Plummer and makes for a truly sublime listening experience. I’m sooooo bibliophile giddy about these Encore Editions — especially that they are all available in audio format as well.

So, if you love Irene Hannon’s Hope Harbor series, you need to come visit Starfish Bay. It has that same sense of community, friendships and inspiration. I don’t know for sure, but I’m thinking maybe this Starfish Bay series was the inspiration for Hope Harbor.

And these characters!!! Complex, hurting, struggling to recapture their purpose after tragedy. Nate, from all that he has experienced as a combat reporter, and Lindsey trying to find her way after a tragic loss.

Both find themselves back in Starfish Bay. It’s a bittersweet homecoming for Lindsey as she works along side her father at the general store. But for Nate it’s something so much more. After enduring a less then ideal childhood, the nine months he spent in Starfish Bay in his youth are the closest thing he has ever experienced to the comforts of home. And part of that was due to his friendship with Lindsey. Only their reunion doesn’t go quite as planned.

Cue some laughter and wincing and heart hurting moments as these two struggle to find their footing among clashing wills and misunderstandings before the roots of their friendship take hold again. And then there’s hope for so much more!

Seaside Reunion is emotionally stirring, uplifting and completely riveting.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com 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 Seaside Reunion, 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 5 , 2023.

Windswept Way + Giveaway

Buying a supposedly haunted house wasn’t in Ashley Scott’s plans, but when an intriguing opportunity drops into her lap, she’s ready to launch a new life. But she can’t do it alone, and her reclusive new neighbour, Jonathan Gray may be just the person to help — if only there were room in his life for romance.

My Review:

This is the ninth book in the Hope Harbor series and it’s still going strong — and with storytelling like this it’s easy to see why!

If you haven’t read any of the books in this series (gasp! Why every not?!) you could still easily jump into this book without any problems. But — if you are a die-hard fan like me, you will be over-the-moon with bibliophile delight at the multiple cameos of previous heroes and heroines. I kept squealing and waving madly every time someone I knew entered a scene. “Yoohoo, remember me? I was rooting for you in book (insert # here).” That was me, all the way through, like a giddy teeny bopper at her first concert.

Irene Hannon has created the kind of characters that not only come alive, but reside in a reader’s heart years after she first meets them! I have the whole series in audible now (narrator Therese Plummer is the perfect pairing for these stories!) and I’ve listened to all the books multiple times and will continue to revisit Hope Harbor regularly because…

Characters!!!! Not only the current hero and heroine, but all the secondary characters that add to the personality of the town — both human and animal! The seagull lovebirds, the dueling clerics, Charlie!!!!!! Oh, everyone needs a Charlie to gently speak truth into their life. The way the man can say one thing while delivering an astute insight about something else is mind-boggling! I know that won’t make sense unless you’ve met Charlie in one of the stories, but once you do, you’ll understand why he’s the glue that holds this town together.

And then there’s the faith elements — gentle and poignant and touching. Has me thinking about the patient way the Lord pursues us no matter how many times we turn away. How He can turn despair into hope and provide an everlasting comfort if we are willing to open up to Him.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot of this book since the synopsis is pretty sparse. I will say the romance has a bit of a Beauty and the Beast vibe to it and goes beyond toe-curling and swoons into a whole other realm of a love story. I was in tears in places. And goose bumping my way through others. Let’s just say ‘Windswept Way’ lived up to it’s name and swept me away!

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 Windswept way, 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 April 15, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.