Never Leave Me (Waters of Time, Book Two)

 

JODY HEDLUND

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 1/4/22.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: “I’m dying, and we can’t change that.”

(Goodreads synopsis is below.)

My thoughts: This second book in the Waters of Time series picks up about a year after the events of the first book. Ellen, the sister of the heroine of the first book, has a genetic disease which causes cancer, and is slowly dying. She’s resigned herself to her fate, and spends as much time as she’s able with the children staying at Serenity House, a non-profit she started where families with terminally ill children can stay and receive assistance with caring for their child day to day. She herself is staying at the home of Harrison, who she’s known practically all her life, as he was her father’s research partner. Unbeknownst to Ellen, Harrison, who has been secretly in love with her for some time, is still searching for more holy water in hopes of using it to heal Ellen. If you’ve read the first book, then you know about the holy water. If you haven’t read the first book, I urge you to do so before reading this one.

I really like Ms. Hedlund’s writing. I’ve not read any of her other books and was completely unfamiliar with her before reading the first book in this series, but I’ve already ordered the first book in her Colorado Cowboys series (unfortunately she doesn’t have any other time travel stories!). Her characterization is wonderful, with each of the main characters being fully explored and brought to life. And her narrative descriptions are vivid, setting each scene in detail, but not overly detailed, so that I felt I could see what she was describing. As with the first book, Ellen seems to adapt very quickly to the time and there were only vague mentions of missing electricity or other modern conveniences, without really exploring the culture shock aspect of suddenly being in 1832, but the book raced along and I was so invested in the story that I didn’t really mind.

There was a bit more suspense in this story, with Ellen being kidnapped and forced to go back into the past to find more holy water, and then being in immediate danger in the past, though thankfully she was reunited with her sister fairly quickly. But the action never lagged even then, as Ellen was desperate to find a way back to her own time before her kidnappers harmed Harrison or the kids at Serenity House as they threatened to do. I was happy to see Ellen’s sister, Marian, and her husband again and learn how Marian was doing after living in the past for a year. And as the book neared the last page, I was genuinely worried about there not being a happily ever after for Ellen and Harrison, but everything was resolved quite nicely.

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

Synopsis from Goodreads: In the last stages of a genetic disease, Ellen Creighton has decided to live out her remaining days at the estate of her longtime friend Harrison Burlington. Harrison cares deeply for Ellen, but as a wheelchair-bound paraplegic, he's never allowed himself to get serious in a relationship. However, he's desperately trying to save her by finding the holy water that is believed to heal any disease.

When he locates two flasks, Ellen refuses to drink one of them because she believes the holy water killed her sister and father. In an effort to convince her to take it, Harrison ingests the contents first, and when Ellen witnesses the effects, she can no longer deny the power of the substance in the bottles. Dangerous criminals are also seeking the holy water, and Ellen soon learns they will go to any lengths to get the powerful drug--including sending her back into the past to find it for them.

Bestselling and award-winning author Jody Hedlund plunges you into the swiftly flowing river of history in a race against the clock in this breathtaking, emotional second Waters of Time story.

Life Flight (Extreme Measures, Book One)

 

LYNETTE EASON

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 1/4/22.

How acquired: Revell Reads Bogger Program for review.

First line: Today was not going to be the day they dies – not is she had anything to say about it.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: The action starts from page one and the adrenaline rush doesn’t let up! This is the first book in a new series, and the series is off to a great start. Penny (who, of course, in my head, looks like Penny from The Big Bang Theory!) is an EMS helicopter pilot. When the book opens, she and two paramedics have rescued a teenager who had hiking accident in the mountains and is in critical condition, and thanks to a storm Penny has to make an emergency crash landing, and then hike down the mountain for help. Unbeknownst to her, an escaped serial killer is on the loose in the mountains, with FBI Special Agent Holt in hot pursuit. Penny and her crew saved Holt’s life some time before, and they casually dated after that, but living so far apart kept a real relationship from developing.

I loved Penny and I really loved Holt. When Penny becomes the serial killer’s next target, Holt goes all out to protect her, and amidst all the danger and excitement I loved watching how their relationship deepened. They both have secrets, and when Penny’s comes out Holt is hurt and disappointed that she’d never trusted him enough to tell him about it before. And yet he has his own secret that he keeps trying to bring himself to tell her. The serial killer is as creepy as all get out, especially when we learn the reasoning behind his actions.

I wasn’t familiar with Lynette Eason prior to this book, though a quick look through my reading log shows I did read one of her category romances back in 2012, although I have no memory of it now. But I’m very impressed with her writing and her storytelling. There are quite a few characters involved in the story line, but they are all well drawn and easy to keep track of. The descriptions of the mountain and the storm and the terrain are vivid. This fast paced adventure kept me up past my bedtime, and I can’t wait for the next installment in the series.

Synopsis from Goodreads: EMS helicopter pilot Penny Carlton is used to high stress situations, but being forced to land on a mountain in a raging storm with a critical patient--and a serial killer on the loose--tests her skills and her nerve to the limit. She survives with FBI Special Agent Holt Satterfield's help. But she's not out of the woods yet.

In the ensuing days, Penny finds herself under attack. And when news reaches Holt that he may not have gotten his man after all, it will take all he and Penny have to catch a killer--before he catches one of them.

Bestselling and award-winning author Lynette Eason is back with another high-octane tale of close calls, narrow escapes, and the fight to bring a nefarious criminal to justice.