Review: Two Reasons to Run

Two Reasons to Run by Colleen Coble
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

Colleen Coble has a talent of grabbing my attention with the first line and pulling me deeper in with her opening scenes. This was no different and her opening scene was suspenseful!

Now wait. If you have not read book one in this series, - please go and read that first. This is one of those series which needs to be read in order, since even though there is a mystery which is solved in each book, there is a great story revolving around Jane, Reid and Will which start in book 1 and continues throughout the series. But book one was just as great, so you won't be disappointed.

The mystery in this story one which kept me invested in the story. The possible terrorist attack, the threat on Will and the POV from the stalker all added to a suspenseful read.

Reid, Jane and Will have come far since book one, but at the same time, still has so far to go. Past lies, events and current threats all added to Jane's struggles to forgive and trust.

Jane still has a lot of forgiving to do, but I loved her. She is short and petit but still a dynamite.

I'm looking forward to the conclusion of all in book 3, .

Review: One Little Lie

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About the book:  

The gripping second installment of the Pelican Harbor series from USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble! Police Chief Jane Hardy has only just been reunited with her long-lost son when she learns of an impending terror attack that threatens everything she holds dear.

A lie changed her world. Police Chief Jane Hardy is still reeling from the scandal that rocked her small-town department just as she took over for her retired father—the man who wrecked her life with one little lie. Now she’s finally been reunited with her presumed-dead fifteen-year-old son, Will, and his father, documentarian Reid Dixon.

When a murder aboard the Gulf Coast oil platform Zeus exposes an environmental terrorist’s plot to flood Mobile Bay with crude oil, Jane and Reid must put their feelings for each other aside and work together to prevent the looming sabotage.

When the terrorist puts Will’s life on the line, protecting him could be the common ground Jane and Reid need . . . until ghosts from the past threaten to ruin their fragile relationship for good.

Jane has plenty of reasons to run. But what if she stays?

About the Author:  

USAToday bestselling author Colleen Coble lives with her husband, Dave, in Indiana. She is the author of

dozens of novels including the Rock Harbor Series, the Aloha Reef Series, the Mercy Falls Series, the Hope Beach Series, the Lonestar Series and two Women of Faith fiction selections, Alaska Twilight and Midnight Sea. She has more than 2 million books in print. 

Weekend Wrap-Up: April 10th

 

 It’s Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Book Date.

So, I will probably only have another weekend-wrap in two weeks, with Easter weekend coming up.

Back to this past week:

Finished

(Reviews can be found under Book Review tag)

Currently reading

Next up:

What are you reading this week?

Review: Without Warning

Without Warning by Lynette Eason
My rating: 💛💛💛💛💛

This is the second time I've read (or listened in this case) to this story, and again I was in for a thrilling ride.

There was a lot of detail which I forgot, some I remembered, but found myself again on the same journey with solving the mystery and the person behind the murder.

I always enjoy Lynette Eason's Suspense and this story was no exception.

*I listened to this on Scribd.*

My review from the first read in 2019:

Wow wow wow - fast pace, page turning suspense sums this one up!

I loved this book. The suspense was great and had me reading whenever I could. I was so glad that my little boy had bad nights, because I could sit and read :-). The action was never ending and the action at the end kept me up till past my bedtime.

I guessed who it was early on, and also correctly guessed the person helping the culprit, but the mystery around the motive kept me guessing until it was revealed.

I loved Katie, Daniel and Riley. These characters is probably my favourite of the series. But I still have 2 books left so we will see. I loved how the interacted and related to each other. They are characters which in real life I would have loved spending time with.

Looking forward to getting to know Maddy and Haley.

Review book 1: Always Watching

        

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About the book:

Taut Writing and Breakneck Pacing That Will Keep Readers Up All Night

Katie Singleton, a partner with the Elite Guardians Protection Agency, stumbles upon her next assignment quite by accident. Spotting blue lights at a familiar restaurant, she stops to investigate, only to discover that owner Daniel Matthews has become the target of someone who will go to any lengths to put him out of business.

Daniel might be concerned, but he's not convinced that a bodyguard--and a female one at that--is necessary. A new attack and his niece's urgings are enough to make him reconsider. He and Katie must figure out who's behind the intimidation and threats--before a would-be killer strikes again.
Witty dialogue and a simmering attraction will have readers flying through this tension-laced thriller. Eason exercises complete control of her readers' emotions as they race through the pages to discover the truth.

About the author:

Also see Author Discovery: Lynette Eason

Lynette Eason grew up in Greenville, SC. She graduated from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and then obtained her masters in education from Converse College. Author of twenty inspirational romantic suspense books, she is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). In 1996, Lynette married "the boy next door" and now she and her husband and their two children make their home in Simpsonville, South Carolina."

Review: Jewel of the Nile

Jewel of the Nile by Tessa Afshar
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

The opening scenes of this story grabbed my attention and made me fear for the characters involved. I was wondering how this story would fit into the Bible, since it started out in Rome and Cush, but as the story developed, we met up with the early Christians mentioned in Acts.

There was intrigue, suspense, and danger as well as the story of Chariline trying to find out the truth about her father.

I listened to the Audiobook and though overall the story was entertaining, I did not like the voice of Chariline that much, since mostly it came across as a whiny little girl (for me).

I loved that Aquila and Priscilla was also part of the story, as I know them as big players in the start of the early church.

*I listened to the Audiobook on Scribd.*

View all my reviews

About the book:

Whispered secrets about her parents’ past take on new urgency for Chariline as she pays one last visit to the land of her forefathers, the ancient kingdom of Cush.
Raised as an orphan by her aunt, Chariline has only been told a few pieces of her parents’ tragic love story. Her beautiful dark skin is proof that her father was Cushite, but she knows nothing else. While visiting her grandfather before his retirement as the Roman official in the queen’s court, Chariline overhears that her father is still alive, and discovering his identity becomes her obsession. Both her grandfather and the queen have reasons for keeping this secret, however, and forbid her quest. So when her only clues lead to Rome, Chariline sneaks on the ship of a merchant trusted by friends.

Theo is shocked to discover a stowaway on board his vessel and determines to be rid of her as soon as possible. But drawn in by Chariline’s story, he feels honor-bound to see her safely to shore, especially when it appears someone may be willing to kill for the truth she seeks.

About the author:

Tessa Afshar is an award-winning author of historical and biblical fiction. Her novel, Land of Silence, won an Inspy award, and was voted by Library Journal as one of five top Christian Fiction titles of 2016. It was also nominated for the 2016 RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for best Inspirational Romance. Harvest of Gold won the prestigious 2014 Christy Award in the Historical Romance category. Her book, Harvest of Rubies was a finalist for the 2013 ECPA Book Award in the fiction category. Her first novel, Pearl in the sand, won her “New Author of the Year” by the Family Fiction sponsored Reader’s Choice Awards 2011. Tessa was born in Iran and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She moved to England where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as cochair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She serves on the staff of one of the oldest churches in America. But that has not cured her from being addicted to chocolate.

Book Spotlight Fridays! Two Reasons to Run

 

Book Beginnings and Friday56

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your e-reader and share a non-spoiler sentence or two.

Finally I'm getting back to this series! This is a series best read in order.

Two Reasons To Run

About the book:

Lies have rocked Jane Hardy’s world. And now that her son is being targeted, she’s got at least two reasons to run.

Jane Hardy’s life has been utterly disrupted. Almost immediately after taking over as Chief of Police for Pelican Harbor, her department was rocked by scandal. For the first time in her adult life, Jane thought she was falling in love . . . until she discovered that Reid Bechtol had been hiding the truth about who he really was. And if that wasn’t enough, she learned that her father had been lying to her for the last fifteen years and that her son wasn’t really dead.

The silver lining is that her son, Will, is back in her life and she’s building a relationship with him for the first time.

When Reid embarks on filming a new documentary about the oil platforms in Mobile Bay, someone begins threatening Will to get Reid to stop his investigation. His informant’s body is found lashed to one of the supports under the platform, and Jane has to help Reid find out who is targeting him if she wants to make sure her son survives as well.

His deception and the current danger give Jane plenty of reasons to run from Reid. But are there more reasons to stay?

*************************************************************

Book Beginnings

Was anyone watching?

Friday 56

Jane waited until they were all seated, then took out her notepad.  "Are you aware Keith McDonald feared a terrorist attack on the oil platform?"  Might as well go for shock value and see what happened.

My thoughts so far

Colleen Coble knows how to win a reader's attention with her opening scenes. Looking forward to continuing this one over the weekend.

*************************************************************

Review: The Master Craftsman

The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

This is an author to watch if you enjoy dual-time mysteries, filled with historical facts, adventure and danger.

I learned so much about Russia and the Russian Resolution (1906-1917/21) through all the historical facts which was written as part of this story. If I had to learn about this through a history lesson or book, I would have been bored, but the author had a great balance between giving the facts and an entertaining story which kept my interest.

I enjoyed both timelines, but the modern day story was a bit more intriguing and filled with adventure due to the treasure hunt. I also enjoyed the reconciliation of relationships.

What also kept my attention was the twists the author threw in, in both timelines, but more in the modern-day one. Just when I thought I might know where the adventure would take the treasure hunters, something happens which surprised me.

Readers who enjoy stories with limited to no romance will also enjoy this story.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.*

View all my reviews

About the book:

In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in The House of FabergZ, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history--an unknown FabergZ Egg that Peter Karl FabergZ secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial Czar's family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family.

Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance--and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.

This modern-day treasure hunt from award-winning author Kelli Stuart transports you into the opulent and treacherous world of the Russian Revolution to unearth mysteries long buried.

About the author:

Kelli Stuart is a writer and a storyteller at heart. A graduate of Baylor University with a degree in English

Professional Writing, and a minor in the Russian language, Kelli has honed her skills in the written word through editing, ghostwriting, blogging, and traveling the world.

Kelli is the bestselling author of the novels Like a River From Its Course (2017 Carol Award winner for Best Historical Fiction), A Silver Willow by the Shore (2020 recipient of the IPPY Award for Literary Fiction and an NIEA winner), and The Fabulous Freaks of Monsieur Beaumont. Kelli co-authored It's a Wonderful Christmas, a collection of holiday novellas inspired by favorite Christmas films. In 2022, Kelli's fourth novel, The Master Craftsman releases.

Kelli is also co-author of the nonfiction book Life Creative: Inspiration for Today's Renaissance Mom with Wendy Speake.

Kelli currently lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband and five children.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Frequency

  Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights and discusses the books we're excited about that we've yet to read. Generally, they're books that are yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I'm looking forward to seeing what is next for this family in the Fall Out series, book 3  May 2022!  Plus I love this cover.

About the book: Frequency

SHE TRUSTED THE WRONG PERSON. 

Four deaths, most likely tied to arsenic-tainted water, leave the town of Shadow Ridge frantic for answers before someone else dies. But that isn’t the only nightmare Tess McQuaid is facing. She has proof someone attempted to cover up a murder as another arsenic death.

HER LIFE DEPENDS ON FINDING OUT THE TRUTH. 

Deputy Kellan Gray is heading to Shadow Ridge when he encounters Tess, running for her life. Pursued by a killer in the isolated west Texas desert, can he keep her safe while trying to stop the man determined to silence her?

Welcome to Shadow Ridge, where LONGMIRE meets JERICHO.

From USA Today Best-selling author Lisa Harris comes an epic new series where the survival of Shadow Ridge depends on learning how to fight crime all over again.

In today’s world, law enforcement agencies across the country rely on forensic tools, DNA testing, and crime labs. But what if that technology was suddenly no longer available? No one in the small, west Texas town of Shadow Ridge knows what took down the power grid, or when it’s going to be back up, but everyone knows exactly where they were the moment it went down. And now, with no electricity, no internet, and no modern technology, the men and women responsible for keeping the town safe are going to have to learn how to fight crime all over again. 

What are you waiting on this week?