Miracle Creek Christmas

 

KRISTA JENSEN

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Shadow Mountain, 2020.

How acquired: Borrowed from library.

First line: In another life, Mark Rivers would’ve focused on the woman who’d just entered the bakery and nodded in her direction with a smile of appreciation.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: 2022 has been a really good reading year for me. I’ve always been stingy with the five stars, but this year I’ve been handing them out left and right. I’ve read a lot of great books and discovered a lot of wonderful new to me authors. MIRACLE CREEK CHRISTMAS is my 37th five star read for 2022 (out of 78 books) and the latest new author discovery.

I’m partial to wounded heroes, and Mark Rivers is the epitome of a wounded hero. A firefighter, he and his best friend, Jay, rescued seven young boys trapped in a tree fort as a forest fire raged around them. Jay lost his life, and Mark was badly burned on one side of his body, spending months in the hospital and undergoing multiple skin grafts. On top of that, his girlfriend left him, because it was all too hard on her. (Bitch!) When we, the reader, meet Mark, he’s become a bit of a recluse, avoiding social situations, skulking around with as much of his scars hidden under clothing as possible, and keeping the burned side of his face turned away from others.

Riley is new in town, and teaching art at the local high school. She has a lot of baggage, such as not liking anything to do with Christmas because that’s when her grandmother died, and a famous ex who used her and then dumped her, publicly humiliating her and driving her to seek out a small town to live in, where she thought she wouldn’t have to worry about gossip. She’s obviously not read any small town romance books, or she would’ve known that in a small town everyone knows everyone’s business! While my heart went out to her, and I completely understand avoiding another relationship, cuz I’ve been doing that for years, I still struggled to connect with her and take her baggage as seriously as I did Mark’s. Especially when her baggage broke his heart and almost prevented them from having a happily ever after.

I loved the banter between Mark and Riley, as well as the banter between Mark and his dad, and Mark and his friends. There was a lot of dialogue that made me smile like an idiot. Mark’s dad was a pretty major character, as Mark lives with him, and I really enjoyed the scenes that included him. Mark’s burns are not glossed over, and the author included a lot of details about his treatment, and how his injury affected his day to day activities, not to mention his mental state. What I loved most about Riley was that from the beginning she never looked at him with pity or horror, and was immediately accepting of his appearance. Well, except when she thought he was stalking her and brought out a baseball bat. I won’t say anymore about that scene as it’s better to read it for yourself.

Several other reviewers have compared this book to a Hallmark movie, and I would certainly watch it if it were ever filmed. Despite some of the heavy subject matter, the book is still a fairly light read, and I breezed through it pretty quickly. Lots of feelings and emotion, both happy and sad, while also filled with hope.

Goodreads Synopsis: When Riley Madigan moves to the sleepy mountain town of Miracle Creek, she hopes her new job as a high school art teacher will help her mend her recently broken heart. A little peace and quiet would be a gift this Christmas season. The last thing on her mind is love. Former firefighter Mark Rivers has spent the last year recovering from burns sustained during a rescue operation. He’s been trying to piece his life back together but still struggles both emotionally and psychologically. When he meets Riley, he finally sees something that might bring some light back into his life. When Mark asks Riley to work on a special nativity project, he finds himself falling for her quirky, unaffected ways. Riley doesn’t seem bothered by his scars, but is her affection for him real, or is this just another act of charity? One thing’s for certain, in a small town that views Mark as a fragile hero, it’s hard to pursue a relationship without everyone in his business. And although Riley has sincere feelings for Mark, is she ready to risk her heart? Broken hearts and lives are mended as the town of Miracle Creek comes together to celebrate a Christmas to remember.

Trail of Longing (Hot on the Trail, Book 3)

 

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS.

MERRY FARMER

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 1/11/15.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Dr. Dean Meyers was the most beautiful thing Emma Sutton had ever seen.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I read the first two books in this series back in 2015, and very much enjoyed them, and in 2020 I came across the next two books while browsing in a bookstore and snatched them both up. And as often happens, when I have so many different book series in progress, they then sat on my shelves until now.

I’ll admit that it took me awhile to really warm up to Emma. When the story opens, she’s madly in love with Dean, even though she’s never spoken to him. And when she does finally speak to him, she’s so shy that she can barely stammer out full words, much less a complete sentence. She was sweet enough, but her mother was a piece of work, shamelessly contriving to push Emma and Dean together and telling Emma she needs to “trap” Dean because he’s such a good catch. Much to Emma’s dismay and embarrassment, but to Dean’s amusement. He’s interested, and is willing to let Emma’s mother play matchmaker. Actually, I guess my taking awhile to warm up to Emma isn’t quite true – I liked her just fine, until her mother decided another candidate would be better than Dean, and Emma would not stand up to her. Dean was frustrated, and I was right there with him, while Emma kept insisting that her mother had been through so much that she couldn’t go against her wishes.

I loved Dean. He’s a doctor, and his tending to the other travelers on the wagon train was sweet and compassionate. After a tornado ravages the travelers and Emma’s ankle is sprained and swollen and painful, she and her mother and Dean and dropped off at a way station so she can rest and stay off her feet while they wait for the next wagon train to come along. And that’s when the trouble started. They join the next train, where Emma becomes good friends with another girl, Katie, and where she meets Russ, who went to medical school with Dean, was a surgeon alongside Dean on the battlefields, and who tells everyone that Dean was a deserter, along with lots of other stories. The speed with which Emma’s mother suddenly throws her lot in with Russ and begins pushing Emma to him and away from Dean was astonishing, and I began to hate her mother. That was the point where I also got exasperated with Emma for not standing up to her.

Then Emma and Katie are kidnapped by a couple of Indians, and Dean and Aidan, who has been in love with Emma practically his whole life, take off after them, while Russ refuses to go along, claiming he needs to stay behind to help protect the other women.

Needless to say, Dean rescues Emma, they declare their love for each other (and spend a steamy night in a cave), and everything is right with the world after that. Except that the two had Indians split up and gone in different directions, and when the book ends we still don’t know the fate of Katie and Aidan. Thankfully, their story is the next book, TRAIL OF DREAMS, which I am now off to get started on.

Goodreads Synopsis: Emma Sutton fell in love with Dr. Dean Meyers on the very first day of their journey west on the Oregon Trail. Dean is handsome, caring, and noble. If only she could tell him! But between her crippling shyness and the marital machinations of her mother, she despairs of ever being able to say what’s in her heart. When a sudden injury puts her in Dean’s hands, literally and figuratively, she hopes she might just have a chance with him…until a ghost from Dean’s past comes between them.

Dean Meyers is determined to make the long journey west to start a new life and leave the horrors of the Civil War behind him. He is charmed by Emma and amused by her mother, and can finally see peace in his future. But when an old colleague shows up to turn his world upside down, it’s all Dean can do to keep love, hope, and Emma from slipping away. All seems lost until Emma finds herself in danger and Dean is given a chance to be a hero…if he can reach her in time.

Love will give her courage to find her voice and follow her heart…

A Father's Gift (San Antonio Series, Book Two)

 

PAULA PECKHAM

Stats for my copy: Pdf review copy, Elk Lake Publishing Inc., 2022.

How acquired: Cozy Mystery Review Crew.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This second book in the San Antonio series picks up some time after Manny and Abby marry and settle down in Manny’s house together. Abby is about seven months pregnant and they are eagerly anticipating becoming new parents but are both experiencing anguish and fear as well. Abby is constantly sick, long past the time when morning sickness should have passed, which keeps her worried as she tries to go about her usual chores. Manny is feverishly working long days, trying to get everything done around their home and farm prior to the baby’s birth. In the midst of his usual chores, he decides to add on a bathing room to their cabin, so Abby won’t have to go outside in the cold winter weather, and can have a tub.

While the story is both Abby’s and Manny’s, I felt it leaned more towards Manny. Abby’s fear of giving birth and her worry over her constant sickness are quite valid, but Manny’s story just tugged at my heart a little more I guess. He’s filled with self-doubt regarding his ability to be a good father, worried that he’ll be like his own father, who was shot to death over a gambling table when Manny was very young. He becomes more and more obsessed with learning the circumstances around his father’s death, where it happened, and where was his body buried? It’s a quest that exposes secrets and lies, and causes him to cross paths with a dangerous man.

Gabe is an older gentleman passing through town, who helps Manny one day when he’s trying to take home a load of firewood. The two hit it off, and not long after he offers Gabe room (well, barn) and board in exchange for Gabe’s help with building the new room. Gabe is a mystery. Abby isn’t pleased to have a stranger living on their farm, foisted on her with no warning, but a deep friendship soon develops. Still, she wants to know what Gabe is hiding, and the answer to that came as quite a surprise and not what I was expecting.

One of my favorites parts of the book is Manny trying to learn everything he can about babies, without asking Abby any questions, as he doesn’t want her to think he is incapable of being a good parent. When he inadvertently overhears a conversation between a couple of women, he is delighted to realize that women talk about pregnancy and babies and child birth a lot, and he begins skulking around, eavesdropping wherever he can. This led to a hilarious scene when he’s telling his best friend, Jonathan, about a conversation wherein “Martha told Juanita her daughter, Jessie, had her bloody show.” The two men are appalled and disgusted over the thought of having to see a bloody show, and as they speculated about what it entailed I was laughing out loud.

This shorter story is a nice follow up to PROTECTED, and while it wasn’t quite as enthralling as the first book, I did enjoy revisiting Abby and Manny starting out their married life. I’m very much looking forward to the third book, about Jonathan, who we got to know in the first book.

*received via Cozy Mystery Review Crew and voluntarily reviewed*

Goodreads Synopsis: Abby and Manny Blair anticipate the birth of their first child. Nausea plagues Abby every morning, and fears keep her awake at night. Orphaned at age eighteen, she prays daily for a safe delivery and a future with her child.

Manny yearns for guidance from his own father. Good news can't be shared with a man who'se been dead since Manny was only five years old. His grandmother, Yaideli, raised him, doing her best to stand in the gap. She taught him how to become an upstanding, caring man.

But the impending responsibility of fatherhood looms over Manny like a storm cloud. He fears he will fail his young family. The desire to know what happened, to understand why his father left him behind, overwhelms Manny. Christmas and the baby's birth draws near. He sets out on an adventure of discovery and finds something completely unexpected. Abby and Manny receive a precious gift--learning about the love and sacrifice only a father can give.

Night Work

 

STEVE HAMILTON

Stats for my copy: Hardcover, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin’s Press, 2007.

How acquired: Borrowed from library.

First line: I was scared to death that night.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: At the library browsing the shelves I picked this book out. My first time reading this author, so I didn't really know what to expect. I was sucked in pretty quickly. Joe is a juvenile probation officer, going on a date for the first time since his fiancé was murdered two years ago. Later, his date turns up dead. And then another woman he cross paths with dies. The only connection seems to be Joe.

Told in first person narration, I enjoyed being in Joe's head as he begins to realize he may become a suspect, and then sets out to figure out who the real killer is. I laughed when his best friend, a detective, told him don't say find the real killer, you sound like O.J.

I gotta tell you, I started to wonder if Joe could possibly be the killer, like maybe he was having blackouts and didn't realize it. And then the last part of the book I was on the edge of my seat and my eyes actually kept darting ahead because I couldn't read fast enough. Talk about twisty turny.

Looking through my TBR, I realized I have one of the author's books, but it's the sixth book in a series, and I can't read a series out of order. But I do want to read more from him.

Goodreads Synopsis: Joe Trumbull is not a man who scares easily. As a juvenile probation officer in Kingston, New York, he's half cop, half social worker to the most high-risk youth in the city. And when he's not pounding the streets, trying to keep his kids out of jail, he's pounding a heavy bag in the gym to stay in shape. But tonight Joe Trumbull is scared to death. It's been two years since his fiancée, Laurel, was brutally murdered. Two years of grief and loneliness. On this hot summer night, he's finally going out on a blind date, his first date since Laurel's death. He's not looking for love, just testing the waters to see if it's possible to live a normal life again. The thought of it is turning his knees to jelly.

Marlene Frost is a beautiful woman. She's warm and funny, with a smile to match. After the first awkward minutes, Joe finally starts to think this isn't such a bad idea after all. In fact, maybe this blind date will turn out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him.

He couldn't be more wrong. Because somehow, for reasons Joe can barely understand, this one evening will mark the beginning of a new nightmare. A nightmare that will lead him to the faceless man in the shadows, and to the most terrible realization of all.…

For Joe Trumbull, the past is never past. And the worst is yet to come.

Protected (San Antonio Series, Book One)

 

PAULA PECKHAM

Stats for my copy: Pdf review copy (Kindle edition was published 4/9/22).

How acquired: Cozy Mystery Review Crew

First line: Abigail Walker stood beside the fresh grave.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: One of my favorite historical fiction plots is a wagon train headed west in search of a better life. There are always obstacles to overcome, and the travelers are forced to live together and work together to make the journey a success. When I read the synopsis for PROTECTED, it sounded right up my wagon track! What could be a more daunting obstacle than for all the adults to become ill and perish and the orphaned children having to finish the journey to on their own?

Abby, the oldest of the kids at eighteen, finds herself in the unwanted position of leader, with the younger kids looking to her for guidance. After a frightening incident with a couple of trappers they cross paths with, the older of the other children convince her to disguise herself as a boy. She is resistant at first, but then she begins to realize how much easier life is, how much more freedom you have, when you are dressed in pants instead of skirts. I’m with ya, Abby! I haven’t worn a dress or skirt in probably twenty years, since I began working in an office where jeans were acceptable attire.

Manny and Jonathan are also headed to San Antonio, where they both live, and are eager to get home. I forget now where they were coming from. Anyway, they come across the little wagon train while the kids are desperately searching for Sarah, who had been snatched and carried off by one of those trappers. They help the kids out, rescue Sarah, and then decide to travel with the kids the rest of the way, because of course they are good men and can’t just leave the kids to fend for themselves.

In the first few chapters I felt the writing was a bit simplistic, and knowing it was a debut book, I was thinking the story was good and the author showed promise. But at some point, my thinking changed, and it was more like the author just didn’t feel the need to throw in a lot of description, a lot of unnecessary words that did not help move the story along. And the story definitely moved along. Looking back, I feel like it moved at a pretty brisk pace, because I was so caught up in the story I didn’t want to put it down when my break was over and it was time to get back to work.

I loved Abby, and all the kids. It was a little hard to keep up with the kids, especially the younger ones, such as their ages and which ones were siblings. But since this was Abby’s and Manny's story, it didn’t bother me. Abby showed a lot of strength and perseverance. I also loved Manny, and the friendship that developed between him and “Abner”. Manny’s backstory was heartbreaking.

Once they arrive in San Antonio, the townspeople welcome the travelers, taking in the kids who have no family waiting for them. Abby herself is taken in by Manny’s grandmother, another character I loved. Of course, the secret finally comes out, and Manny feels angry and betrayed to learn that his friendship with “Abner” was based on a lie. Another obstacle for them to overcome. Meanwhile, Abby is able to claim a plot of land, and with lots of determination throws herself into fixing up her homestead.

I will point out that this is a Christian romance, and the characters’ faith, or lack of faith, plays a large part in the story. I’ve found that some Christian romances are light on the religion aspect. I’m fine with a story either way, light or heavy, but I know some readers prefer the lighter, or that the religious aspect stay mostly in the background.

All in all, I very much enjoyed this book. The characters are wonderfully written. I lean more towards character driven stories over plot driven, and here I felt like I got both. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.

*I received a free copy of this book via The Cozy Mystery Review Crew and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Goodreads Synopsis: Disaster strikes a wagon train en route to Texas, leaving 18-year-old Abby in charge of the survivors, all children younger than her. After an attempted kidnapping, the others convince her to disguise herself as a boy. Initially reluctant, Abby soon realizes life on the trail is much easier without bulky skirts. The disguise allows her to do things as "Abner" she couldn't do as Abby. It's intoxicating.

Disfigured by fire as a child, Manny, a young cowboy, is lonely and yearns for companionship. His scars and the judgment of townspeople make it difficult for him to trust others. He intercepts the wagon train and agrees to help the children finish the trip to San Antonio. A new friendship cracks the protective walls built around his heart. Hope blooms when he meets "Abner," and Manny's fear of rejection slowly dissolves.

As the weeks on the trail go by, Abby develops romantic feelings for Manny, and he values his first new friendship in years. When Manny discovers her deception, it destroys the fragile bond of friendship growing between them.

Can God help the two young lovers find trust, faith, and forgiveness on the hot Texas plain?

Honor's Refuge (Love and Honor, Book Three)

 

HALLEE BRIDGEMAN

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2022.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: Missy huddled with three-year-old Lola between the nightstand and the bed, praying her little sister would stay asleep.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This third book in the Love and Honor series deviates from the path the first two books took, as the action is all in the US. Phil was the medic for an elite military team, until he was injured in a firefight in an African jungle, which resulted in the amputation of his leg. While he’s learned to navigate life with an artificial limb, he’s still struggling with feelings of loss and not feeling like a whole man. Rather than going back to work as a doctor, Phil is an EMT now. Melissa runs a shelter for victims of domestic abuse. When she has a client who needs medical care but won’t go to a hospital, Melissa calls Phil. A friendship has developed between the two of them, and while Melissa would like more, Phil does not believe he’s worthy of her, that she deserves a “whole” man.

As much as I loved Phil, I did sometimes want to knock some sense into him. How could he not see how Melissa felt, that she didn’t care about his leg? Fortunately, Melissa is patient. As in the first two books, the characterization is so well written. We had already met Phil in the first book, and were along for the ride when he was injured, and I was excited to read this book and learn more about him, and to also get to know his family. And my heart broke for him when his family was faced with a shocking tragedy, that was almost hard to even read about.

Melissa and her sister, Lola, were separated as children after their father killed their mother. As an adult, Melissa has been searching for Lola for a long time. When she tells Phil about Lola, Phil calls on two of his buddies, and the three of them track her down. Melissa’s reunion with Lola was fraught with fear and emotion. Her husband is not a good man, and as the pages flew by I became more and more anxious, knowing that there will be a confrontation, constantly expecting it, and when it finally came my adrenaline was pounding.

While faith and Christianity are a theme throughout the series, this entry explored that a little deeper than the first two books. Phil and Melissa attend the same church, and faith and acceptance play a large part in Phil’s emotional journey. His faith in God’s plan for him, his acceptance of God’s love, and eventually of Melissa’s love. A journey that I profoundly enjoyed taking with him and Melissa. The next book comes out in February, I believe, and I will be eagerly awaiting it.

*I received a free copy of this book via the publisher and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Goodreads Synopsis: When she was just five years old, Melissa Braxton watched her father take her mother's life. Separated from her sister, Lola, at that time, Melissa grew up with a strong desire to help those stuck in abusive relationships. It's why she became a family therapist and opened a domestic abuse shelter.

After losing a leg to a gunshot wound in the line of duty, Phil Osbourne has felt like a man without a purpose--until he hears Melissa's story and decides to use his Special Forces contacts to track down her missing sister. He knows what he discovers will break Melissa's heart. What he doesn't realize is that helping the women reunite will bring the cartel down on them like the Category 5 hurricane striking Miami.

Bruised yet not quite broken, Melissa and Phil battle the storm and the cartel, calling on strength they didn't know they had to escape death, save the innocent, and--just maybe--find healing in each other's arms.

The Secrets of Emberwild

 

STEPHENIA H. MCGEE

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2022.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: Freedom rushed through Nora Fenton’s veins, erupting with each breath.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: My first time reading this author and I very much enjoyed her writing. When I was young – a teenager – I was very into thoroughbred horse racing, but never learned as much about harness racing, which is partly why I was interested in reading this book. The details the author provided about the training process – or at least, Nora’s training process, were fascinating. In her Author Note at the back of the book, Ms. McGee mentions she has always loved horses and has an equine science degree, and it definitely shows.

The characterization was also wonderfully done. I loved both Nora and Silas, and hated Nora’s uncle Amos. Nora is strong willed, and chafes at the restrictions placed on women (the story is set in 1905). She has no desire to marry without love, and is more at home in the barn with the horses than in the house cooking and cleaning. Her father had been ill for some time, and after he passed away Nora and her mother learn from their uncle that the solicitor has shown him the will, and Nora’s father left the farm to Amos. And he is making plans to find a suitor for Nora and marry her off. And I have to tell you, as much as I loved the book, it also made me so angry at how little control women had over their own lives in those days. Maybe because of everything going on in our world now, with women’s rights being trampled on so severely, I’m more sensitive to the issue than I used to be. I’ve read other historical books, and I’ve read about women being ruled by men, but it’s never elicited this anger in me before. Although maybe that is because the author chronicles Nora’s life and her feelings so well, and with such detail.

And then there’s Silas. He finds Nora a bit fascinating, and unlike the other hired hands, has no animosity towards Nora for wanting to participate in her beloved horse’s training and acting like she’s the boss. He admires her, her abilities, her bond with the horse, Arrow, and how much progress she makes with Arrow, who won’t perform for anyone else. Although Arrow does accept Silas fairly quickly, because, like Nora, he has an innate ability to understand horses.

A beautifully written story that kept me completely captivated from start to finish. I definitely need to read more from this author.

*I received a free copy of this book via the publisher and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Goodreads Synopsis: A gifted trainer in a time women are not allowed to race, Nora Fenton prefers horses to men. They're easier to handle, they're more reliable, and they never tell her what to do. After her father's passing, Nora is determined to save her struggling horse farm, starting with entering her prize colt into the harness races at the 1905 Mississippi Fair. If she wins, she may have a chance at independence. But when a stranger arrives and starts asking disconcerting questions, she suspects he may have other motives than unseating her in the training job that is rightfully hers.

Silas Cavallero will do whatever it takes to solve the mystery of his father's death--even if it means training an unwieldy colt for Nora, who wants nothing more than to see him gone. But when mysterious accidents threaten their safety and circumstances shrouded in secrets begin unlocking clues to his past, Silas will have to decide if the truth is worth risking ruining everything for the feisty woman he's come to admire.

Word of Honor (Love and Honor, Book 2)

 

HALLEE BRIDGEMAN

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, 2022.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Even in the late-spring night, with the hint of light still in the sky, the headlights did little to cut through the fog.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: We met Bill “Drumstick” Sanders in the first book, and I liked him, despite his reservations about the hero and the heroine getting their happy ending. In fact, he was a bit rude to his best friend, basically telling him that marriage and the military is not a good mix and having a wife causes a man to lose his focus. So I was pleased that this second book was about Bill and eager to see him eat those words.

Fittingly, the heroine is a woman whose heart he smashed into a thousand pieces ten years ago, after a year long relationship. Now she’s an FBI agent, whose partner was killed in a mission gone wrong. She’s the only eyewitness to the man heading up an ecoterrorist organization, and when Bill’s team is brought in to help with the investigation, she finds herself in Kuwait, working undercover – masquerading as husband and wife with Bill.

There’s not as much actual action as in the first book, but again we get a great character study. When it comes to relationships, family or romantic, Bill has a lot of baggage to unpack. And even though it’s been ten years, Lynda still harbors a lot of anger over how Bill suddenly broke off their relationship, still not knowing why. The slower pace of this book provides more opportunity for Bill and Lynda to get to know each other again. Bill truly regrets how he handled things with Lynda when they were younger, and he’s grown a lot as a person since those days, but the issues are still in his head. If you read the first book, you already know that Bill and his team leader, Rick, have a close brotherly friendship, and I loved the few scenes between them here, as Rick gently supports and nudges Bill to some realizations about his life and what he wants. For Lynda, it’s about overcoming her hurt feelings and seeing Bill for the man he is today. The author did a wonderful job bringing these two together and having them slowly work through their painful past.

Oh, and of course there’s the mission! While I said there isn’t as much action as the first book, there is still enough to keep the story moving at a decent pace. Lynda is very analytical, and watching her create her boards and piece together the events and the players was fascinating.

And then, when they are back in the US, the danger suddenly ramps up to a shocking incident that took me completely by surprise.

My only niggling complaint is that the characters point at each other a lot. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.

*I received a free copy of this book via the publisher and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Goodreads Synopsis: FBI Special Agent Lynda Cutler is investigating an ecoterrorist organization in the Alaskan wilderness when her partner is taken captive and murdered before her very eyes. The only person who can identify the key players, Lynda gets assigned to take part in a joint operation in Istanbul to take the organization down.

As a woman in a Muslim country, she'll find it much easier to move around undetected with a fake husband. Unfortunately for her, the man assigned to play the role is none other than US Army weapons specialist Bill Sanders--the man who crushed her heart into a million pieces back in college.

With a cargo bay's worth of hurt and baggage between them, these two consummate professionals must play their parts perfectly if they hope to stop those responsible for bombing oil pipelines, killing innocent civilians, and threatening to destabilize the oil markets. But love long buried has a way of resurfacing at the most inopportune times--and protecting Lynda has become Bill's primary focus.