Dark Deception

I received a copy of Dark Deception by Nancy Mehl from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kate O'Brien has been leading a quiet life in small-town Shelter Cove, Arkansas, for the past four years when her past suddenly comes roaring back to life. Four years ago, she and her twin sister were attacked by an elusive serial killer. Only Kate survived, and it was her drawing of the attacker--along with some last-minute evidence--that convicted the suspect. 

She's been in witness protection ever since, but new evidence suggests the convicted man isn't the murderer and she's been subpoenaed to testify in the new trial. Nervous about the risk, she'll only agree if the same marshal who protected her during the original trial escorts her to St. Louis.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Tony DeLuca accepts the assignment to bring Kate to the trial, remembering how her strength impressed him. While in Shelter Cove, however, he gets a call from his chief, advising them to stay in Shelter Cove until a new development in the case can be straightened out. But when Kate's safety is threatened, Tony must race against the clock to keep her alive and put this ugly case to rest before anyone else gets killed.

Beneath Copper Falls

I received a copy of Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Dana has already learned that love isn’t safe . . . but could it be different in Rock Harbor?

As a 911 dispatcher, Dana Newell takes pride in being calm in tough circumstances. In addition to her emotionally-charged career, she’s faced enough emergencies in her own life. She recently escaped her abusive fiancé to move to tranquil Rock Harbor where she hopes life will be more peaceful.

But the idyllic town hides more danger and secrets than it first appeared. Dana is continually drawn to her new friend Boone, who has scars inside and out. Then she answers a call at her job only to hear a friend’s desperate screams on the other end. Soon the pain in her past collides with the mysteries of her new home—and threatens to keep her from the future she’s always wanted.

Sandpiper Cove

I received a copy of Sandpiper Cove by Irene Hannon from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hope Harbor police chief Lexie Graham has plenty on her plate raising her son alone and dealing with a sudden rash of petty theft and vandalism in her coastal Oregon hometown. As a result, she has zero time for extracurricular activities--including romance. Ex-con Adam Stone isn't looking for love either--but how ironic is it that the first woman to catch his eye is a police chief? Yet wishing for things that can never be is foolish.

Nevertheless, when Lexie enlists Adam's help to keep a young man from falling into a life of crime, sparks begin to fly. And as they work together, it soon becomes apparent that God may have a different--and better--future planned for them than either could imagine.

Haven of Swans

I received a copy of Haven of Swans by Colleen Coble from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful woman stands by the side of the road, barefoot and bleeding, a child in her arms. Someone just tried to kill her, but she wouldn't recognize him if she saw his face. She doesn't even remember her own name.

A suburban cop surveys a kitchen in disarray—a woman and child missing, a chilling note. This crime scene is unlike any he has ever seen.

The man who calls himself Gideon waits and plans. He sees himself as a destroyer of evil, one who rids the world of abominations. He has already killed five. He will kill again.

And somewhere in the wilderness, in a secret geocache near where the wild swans gather, lies the unspeakable clue that links them all together.

Michigan's rugged and beautiful Upper Peninsula is the setting for this absorbing tale of love and loss, beauty and terror, grievous sins and second chances. A deftly woven thriller from the bestselling author of the Rock Harbor novels.

Love Story

I received a copy of Love Story by Karen Kingsbury from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Decades ago, John and Elizabeth Baxter lived a love story that is still playing out in the lives of their adult children and grandchildren. But few of them know the exact details of that story or the heartbreak that brought the two together.

Now in high school, Ashley Baxter Blake’s oldest son, Cole, must write a family history paper for a freshman English class. He decides to interview his grandfather about that long ago love story.

John is hesitant, not sure if he can take the sorrow of reliving his love story with Elizabeth—especially now that he is remarried. But he agrees and allows his heart to go places it hasn’t gone in decades.

At the same time, Baxter family friend Cody Coleman is working through the breakup of his complicated relationship with Andi Ellison. He is determined to move on when a chance sighting changes his plans—and heart. Can Cody convince Andi to give their love another try or is it time for them to say goodbye, for good?

As school ends, Cole presents his report on the love story between his grandparents John and Elizabeth Baxter. It is a tale that touches the hearts of the entire family, and one that causes Cole to better understand his own beginning.

Beyond Justice

I received a copy of Beyond Justice by Cara Putman from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Hayden McCarthy is on track to become the youngest partner in her prestigious D.C. law firm . . . if the case she's just been handed doesn't destroy her first.

Hayden McCarthy knows firsthand the pain when justice is not served. It's why she became an attorney and why she's so driven in her career. When she's handed a wrongful death case against the government, she isn't sure if it's the lucky break she needs to secure a partnership—or an attempt to make sure she never gets there. She keeps the case alive through sheer determination and more than a little creativity, but then she's fired by a partner with a vendetta.

Further complicating matters, Hayden keeps finding herself completely distracted by Andrew, her roommate's cousin. But his father is a Congressman and she's currently taking on the government. Could the timing be any worse?

The longer she keeps the case active, the higher the stakes become. Unknown enemies seem determined to see either the case—or her—die. Should she fight alone for the dead young man by launching her own unfinanced firm, or abandon the case in order to save her own life?

A Matter of Trust

I received a copy of A Matter of Trust by Susan May Warren from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Champion backcountry snowboarder Gage Watson has left the limelight behind after the death of one of his fans. After being sued for negligence and stripped of his sponsorships, he's remade his life as a ski patrol in Montana's rugged mountains, as well as serving on the PEAK Rescue team. But he can't seem to find his footing--or forget the woman he loved, who betrayed him. 

Senator and former attorney Ella Blair spends much of her time in the limelight as the second-youngest senator in the country. But she has a secret--one that cost Gage his career. More than anything, she wants to atone for her betrayal of him in the courtroom and find a way to help him put his career back on track. 

When Ella's brother goes missing on one of Glacier National Park's most dangerous peaks, Gage and his team are called in for the rescue. But Gage isn't so sure he wants to help the woman who destroyed his life. More, when she insists on joining the search, he'll have to keep her safe while finding her reckless brother, a recipe for disaster when a snowstorm hits the mountain. 

But old sparks relight as they search for the missing snowboarder--and suddenly, they are faced with emotions neither can deny. But when Ella's secret is revealed, can they learn to trust each other--even when disaster happens again?

Chasing Secrets

I received a copy of Chasing Secrets by Lynette Eason from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Elite Guardians bodyguard Haley Callaghan may be in South Carolina, but when a photo leads investigators in West Ireland to open a twenty-five-year-old cold case, her life is suddenly in danger. Haley knows how to take care of herself; after all, she's made a career out of taking care of others. But after an uncomfortably close call, Detective Steven Rothwell takes it upon himself to stay with her--and the young client she has taken under her wing. A protector at heart, he's not about to let Haley fight this battle alone.

In a sweeping plot that takes them into long-buried memories--and the depths of the heart--Haley and Steven will have to solve the mystery of Haley's past while dodging bullets, bombs, and bad guys who just won't quit.

True to You

I received a copy of True to You by Becky Wade from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.

Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he's diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother. 

The more time they spend together, the more this pair of opposites suspects they just might be a perfect match. However, John's already dating someone and Nora's not sure she's ready to trade her crushes on fictional heroes for the risks of a real relationship. Finding the answers they're seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.

Fatal Mistake

I received a copy of Fatal Mistake by Susan Sleeman from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
An FBI agent must protect the woman who can identify a terrorist bomber in bestselling author Susan Sleeman's riveting romantic suspense novel.
Each day could be her last...but not if he can help it.
Tara Parrish is the only person ever to survive an attack by the Lone Wolf bomber. Scared and emotionally scarred by her near death, she goes into hiding with only one plan--to stay alive for another day. She knows he's coming after her, and if he finds her, he will finish what he started.

Agent Cal Riggins has had only one goal for the past six months--to save lives by ending the Lone Wolf's bombing spree. To succeed, he needs the help of Tara Parrish, the one person who can lead them to the bomber. Cal puts his all into finding Tara, but once he locates her, he realizes if he can find her, the Lone Wolf can, too. He must protect Tara at all costs, and they'll both need to resist the mutual attraction growing between them to focus on hunting down the bomber, because one wrong move could be fatal.

Sweetbriar Cottage

I received a copy of Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Noah and Josephine Mitchell discover their divorce was never actually finalized, their lives are turned upside down.

Following his divorce, Noah gave up his dream job, settling at a remote horse ranch in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia, putting much-needed distance between himself and the former love of his life. But then Noah gets a letter from the IRS claiming he and Josephine are still married. When he confronts Josephine for the first time in months, they discover that she missed the final step in filing the paperwork and they are, in fact, still married.

Josephine is no happier about the news than Noah. Maybe the failed marriage—and okay, the botched divorce—was her fault, but her heart was shattered right alongside his, more than he would ever believe. The sooner they put this marriage behind them, the better for both of their sakes.

But when Josephine delivers the final paperwork to his ranch, the two become stranded in his cottage during the worst spring snowstorm in a decade. Being trapped with Josephine is a test of Noah’s endurance. He wrestles with resentment and an unmistakable pull to his wife—still beautiful, still brave, and still more intriguing than any woman he’s ever known.

As they find themselves confronted with each other and their shared past, old wounds surface and tempers flare. But when they are forced out into the storm, they must rely on each other in a way they never have before. Josephine finally opens up about her tragic past, and Noah realizes she’s never been loved unconditionally by anyone—including him. Will Noah accept the challenge to pursue Josephine’s heart? And can she finally find the courage to trust Noah?

A great book from the first page.  Josephine and Noah have been divorced for almost 2 years or so they thought.  The divorce was never signed off on by the judge.  Can they get along long enough to get the divorce finalized?  

Deep Extraction

I received a copy of Deep Extraction by DiAnn Mills from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A pacemaker should have saved oil and gas magnate Nathan Moore’s life. Instead, it provided his killer with a seemingly perfect means of execution.

A bombing at one of Nathan’s oil rigs days earlier indicates his death could be part of a bigger conspiracy, a web Special Agent Tori Templeton must untangle. But her first order of business is separating the personal from the professional—the victim’s wife, her best friend, is one of the FBI’s prime suspects.

Clearing Sally’s name may be the biggest challenge of her career, but Tori finds an unexpected ally in the newest member of the task force, recently reinstated Deputy US Marshal Cole Jeffers. As Tori and Cole dig deeper into Nathan’s personal and business affairs, they uncover more than they bargained for. And the closer they get to finding the real killer—and to each other—the more intent someone is on silencing them for good.

Another good book by DiAnn Mills.  When Nathan Moore dies from a pacemaker failure can his wife Sally rely on her best friend Special Agent Tori Templeton and family friend Cole Jeffers?  Tori and Cole don't see eye to eye on much but they do agree that Sally has been set up and Nathan isn't the man any of them really thought he was.  As the truth about Nathan comes out will his family be strong enough to survive the aftermath?

The 17

I received a copy of The 17 by Clint Kelly from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

On the Number 17 bus, serving downtown Seattle, widower Jimmy Carter (not the former U.S. president) crashes headlong into the Almighty... 

Jimmy is lost without his wife. He measures his days as the time After Ruthie. It's now the year A. R. 4. When God starts speaking to him on the 17, Jim reluctantly agrees to serve, uncertain if he’s gone off the deep end or if God—Who can do most things on His own—is really so desperate as to need Jimmy to lend a hand. 

When love blossoms, hurting people are restored, and lives are saved—and lost, Jimmy discovers he's linked to God in a most profound way.

A very interesting book.  Jim rides the 17 bus frequently.  On the 17 he sees lots of interesting people.  When Jim starts to hear God talk to him he thinks he's lost it. Each time he does as he's told things on the 17 change.  Will God continue to change Jim's life or will he stop listening?

A Baxter Family Christmas

I received A Baxter Family Christmas by Karen Kingsbury from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two years have passed since the terrible car accident that took the life of John Baxter’s daughter, Erin, her husband and three of their four daughters. Prompted by grief, and missing his daughter, John has invited a stranger for Christmas Eve dinner—Kendra Bryant, the transplant recipient who now has Erin’s heart.

In light of their father’s idea, Ashley and her brother Luke don’t think it’s right. They want to protect their ten-year-old niece, Amy—the only surviving member of the accident. But John is determined and believes meeting this woman is something his deceased daughter would want.

At the same time, Maddie West, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Brooke Baxter West, is praying for meaning this Christmas. Could she find it in a newfound friendship with a boy she never expected to see again? Maddie believes in miracles, especially at Christmastime, but this is a stretch even she can’t imagine.

Meanwhile, Kendra Bryant has been struggling these past few years to find purpose in the tragedy that gave her a second chance. She believes the invitation to see the Baxters and witness their unwavering faith in God can instill peace and happiness back into her life.

Heartwarming and touching, filled with love and redemption, A Baxter Family Christmas brings together two families in the aftermath of loss and in the midst of an unfolding love story, all with the help of one very special child.

Another great book by Karen Kingsbury.  We catch up with the Baxter family after Erin, her husband and three of their four daughters are killed in a car accident.  Erin's heart was donated to Kendra Bryant.  John Baxter is called to invite Kendra to have Christmas Eve with his family.  Not all of his children are ready to meet Kendra and deal with all the feelings she'll bring with her.  Can everyone find healing at Christmas?

Because You're Mine

I received a copy of Because You're Mine by Colleen Coble from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Alanna has been plagued by tragedy. So it should come as no surprise that in the beauty that surrounds Charleston, all is not as it seems.
When her husband is killed by a car bomb while their band is on tour in Charleston, Alanna doesn’t know where to turn. Her father-in-law is threatening to take custody of the baby she carries, but the one thing she knows for sure is that she can’t lose the last piece of Liam she has left.
Their manager offers her a marriage of convenience to gain her U.S. citizenship and allow her to escape her father-in-law’s control. It seems like the perfect solution . . . but her doubts begin almost as soon as she arrives at Barry’s family home, a decaying mansion surrounded by swamp.
To make matters worse, Liam’s best friend survived the car bomb. She’s never really liked Jesse and now she can’t seem to get away from him. When he takes Liam’s place in their band, it’s almost more than she can bear.
But then things start happening. Things that could easily cost Alanna her life—or the life of her
unborn child. Are they merely coincidences? Or is there something much more sinister at work?

A really good book!  Alanna and her husband Liam are in an up and coming band touring in Charleston.  After a show Liam is killed in a car bomb.  When Alanna's father-in-law threatens to take her unborn baby Alanna flees to the US with the bands manager.  In a marriage of convenience Alanna and Barry move into his family home, a rundown mansion in the middle of nowhere.  While trying to find a drummer for the band Liam's friend Jesse starts practicing with the band.  Alanna never really liked Jesse and since he survived the car bomb she is having a terrible time having him around.  When odd and scary things start happening at the mansion can Alanna and her band mates get to the bottom of things and keep each other safe?

Crevice

I received a copy of Crevice by Janice Boekhoff from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Desperate to save her family’s gold mine, Elery Hearst gives an order that results in the tragic death of one of her men. But before she can come to terms with the guilt consuming her, her brother disappears. To find him, she must find the legendary Lost Dutchman gold mine. And the one person who can help, Lucan Milner, has every reason to want her to fail; he’s the twin brother of the miner who died. He holds the secret to finding Elery’s brother, but sharing it with her not only rips open his grief-stricken heart, it puts both of them in the path of a killer.

This was a good book that pulls you in from the beginning.  Elery is trying to save her family's gold mine after her father stepped down due to health issues.  A collapse in one of the tunnels causes one of her miners his life.  While she's trying to deal with the loss her brother goes missing while looking for the Lost Duchman gold mine.  Lucan Milner and his tracking dog is brought in to help find her brother.  Lucan is very willing to help Elery any way he can even though his twin brother is the miner that lost his life in Elery's mine.  Can they get past their grief and find Elrey's brother before it's too late?

For the Love

I received a copy of For the Love by Jen Hatmaker from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The majority of our joys, struggles, thrills, and heartbreaks relate to people, beginning first with ourselves and then the people we came from, married, birthed, live by, live for, go to church with, don't like, don't understand, fear, struggle with, compare ourselves to, and judge. People are the best and worst thing about the human life.
Jen Hatmaker knows this all too well, and so she reveals how to practice kindness, grace, truthfulness, vision, and love to ourselves and those around us. By doing this, For the Love leads our generation to re-imagine Jesus' grace as a way of life, and it does it in a funny yet profound manner that Christian readers will love. Along the way, Hatmaker shows readers how to reclaim their prophetic voices and become Good News again to a hurting, polarized world.

Jen Hatmaker is one of the most down to earth and honest authors I read books by.  She has a way of getting to the heart of the matter with humor and humility.  We're all human and she proves it with her true life examples of mistakes and positives from her life.  If you want to learn about how to practice kindness, grace and love others this is the book for you.

Tangled Webs

I received a copy of Tangled Webs by Irene Hannon from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
After a disastrous Middle East mission ends his six-year Army Ranger career, Finn McGregor needs some downtime. A peaceful month in the woods sounds like the perfect way to decompress. But peace isn't on the agenda once he crosses paths with publishing executive Dana Lewis, a neighbor who is nursing wounds of her own. Someone seems bent on disrupting her stay in the lakeside cabin she inherited from her grandfather. As Finn and Dana work together to discover who is behind the disquieting pranks, the incidents begin to take on a menacing tone. And when it becomes apparent Dana's foe may have deadly intent, Finn finds himself back in the thick of the action--ready or not.
This was a really good book.  I didn't realize when I got it that it was the final book in the Men of Valor series, so I got the first 2 books to read before I read this one.  Finn McGregor has been through a horrific fight for his life and has moved to the woods to try to sort everything out.  When he's woken in the middle of the night to the sound of a woman screaming he realizes that he has a neighbor.  Dana has come to the cabin her grandfather left her to escape the nightmares of her past.  Can Finn and Dana work together to each get past their fears?

Deadly Decision

I received a copy of Deadly Decision by Regina Smeltzer from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bill Iver didn't expect anything more than hard work when he offered to help his daughter and son-in-law restore their rented historic South Carolina home, but then he sees two boys in the attic--and his hand passes through one of them. Bill has always believed that being absent from the body meant being present with the Lord, but if that is true, what did he see? And why does the boy dressed in 19th century clothing look familiar while the second boy, dressed in jeans and sweatshirt, look like the missing grandson of the house's owner? What is the connection between the two boys--and Bill? Hesitant to share his experience with his pastor, but consumed with the need to understand, Bill seeks a worldly explanation which leads him down a trail of decisions that are deadly to body and soul. Through the mire, he must undo the consequences of his choices, discover what his visions mean, and uncover an age-old mystery that will bring closure and reconciliation.
This was a good book.  I've never been around someone that God talked to directly.  I like how Bill struggled with the fact that he saw 2 boys in the attach of his daughters home.  He'd always been told that souls don't linger on earth, so what he saw had to be evil.  His gut tells him that the boys were not evil.  Can he get to the bottom of what he saw before it's too late?

Retribution

I received a copy of Retribution by Regina Smeltzer from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lillian Hunter’s life is destroyed when she’s implicated in setting the fire which killed her husband and daughter. Seeking peace and restoration, she pulls the pieces of her shattered life together and accepts a position at a college in another state. Surrounded by a loving family that has adopted her as their own, Lillian struggles with new life, new love…and new danger. Fires are being set in which she is once again implicated. Doubting her own sanity, Lillian takes steps to ensure she isn’t setting the fires. But if it isn’t her, who is it? And why, after she’s moved halfway across the country, have they followed her? A day of reckoning is coming as Lillian seeks to exonerate herself and claim retribution for the destruction of her life. Will she discover the truth before her new life is consumed by the flames?
I had a little trouble getting into this book.  It seemed really dark and depressing.  As the story continued I realized why it started out like it did.  Lillian felt as if her life was over after losing her husband and daughter to a house fire.  It doesn't help that she blames herself along with everyone else in town.  She desperately needs to find herself again. Will moving south be the answer she needs?