Wait for Me by Susan May Warren

Wait for Me by SMW

I’m so excited to share my review of this final book (#6) in Susie’s Montana Rescue series. Here we go!

Let’s begin with the summary:

Pete Brooks can't believe he's waited an entire year for Jess Tagg to return to Montana, only to have her break his heart by getting engaged to her ex-fiancé. Worse, a series of mistakes on the job have cost lives, and Pete isn't sure he wants to continue to work in Search and Rescue. Maybe if he can just get over Jess, he can figure out how to move forward.

EMT Jess Tagg has returned to Montana to finally give her heart to Pete, but it seems he's no longer interested. When a terrible fight between them sparks an impulsive decision, she finds herself crashed on the side of a highway along with Esme Shaw. And just when she thinks things couldn't get any worse, she and Esme are taken captive and into the untamed Montana wilderness—with murderous intent.

Now Pete and the other PEAK Rescue Team members are in a race against time, the elements, and the actions of a vengeful man. Pete will have to use everything he's learned to find Jess and Esme—and pray that his past mistakes don't cost him the life of the woman he can't stop loving.

And now, my review:

I recommend you read this series in order. Last I knew, the prequel that begins the series was still free in e-book format.

Susie is the queen of strong opening lines. You’ll be hooked right away. She includes great opening lines when we meet a new POVC (point-of-view characters).

Pete had “never been good at surrender.” This was a perfect summation for this flawed hero. I liked watching him risk trusting, risk relying on others. Risk loving the heroine. It’s been years now, and we readers wanted to see these two together. Great suspense that keeps you reading.

Jess is indecisive, which is relatable at times in our lives. She has some decisions to make and some messes to clean up. She’ll have to overcome her fears as well.

I enjoyed many of the story’s themes, like “true love declares you worthy,” and trusting in God’s love.

Here’s my favorite quote: “It’s not about deserving it. It simply is. I love you. I would die to save you. Full stop.”

A strong ending to an enjoyable series!

Recommended!

An added note: my favorite in this series is still Troubled Waters, which is book number four. How great that you can now get them all—no delay between releases since they’re all released.

Happy reading!

Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson

I’ve long been a fan of Dee Henderson’s books, so when this one became available for review, I jumped on it.

Let’s begin with the summary:

Dee Henderson Is Back!

Ann Silver is a cop's cop. As the Midwest Homicide Investigator, she is called in to help local law enforcement on the worst of cases, looking for answers to murder. Hers is one of the region's most trusted investigative positions.

Paul Falcon is the FBI's top murder cop in the Midwest. If the victim carried a federal badge or had a security clearance, odds are good Paul and his team see the case file or work the murder.

Their lives intersect when Ann arrives to pass a case off her desk and onto his. A car wreck and a suspicious death offer a lead on a hired shooter he is tracking. Paul isn't expecting to meet someone, the kind that goes on the personal side of the ledger, but Ann Silver has his attention.

The better he gets to know her, the more Paul realizes her job barely scratches the surface of who she is. She knows spies and soldiers and U.S. Marshals, and has written books about them. She is friends with the former Vice President. People with good reason to be cautious about who they let into their lives deeply trust her. Paul wonders just what secrets Ann is keeping, until she shows him the John Doe Killer case file, and he starts to realize just who this lady he is falling in love with really is...

And now, my review:

If I’m not mistaken, Dee wrote herself into this book. She mentioned the O’Malley series (which was so good) and spoke of her heroine as the one who penned the titles. And though it’s hard to tell how many of the other details also apply, it seems fitting that those do at least. And any time you’re reading along and discover (or suspect) elements of the writer’s life, it’s a fun experience for readers.

Dee has always excelled at including such detailed and believable elements to her investigations and police work. She plots well, in that regard. Same’s true in this novel—vintage Dee.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read her work, and I was reading the advance reader copy (unedited proof) for this review. But, the writing often presented in passive voice, with plenty of “telling” (as opposed to “showing"). Also her main characters tended to have the same voice, and we bounced between POVs a few times, which was jarring. I also felt the romance and plot didn’t move fast enough, which surprised me, considering romance was always so strong in her earlier novels. Again, these elements may have been changed in the final version.

I think her fans will enjoy this latest release. The years of anticipation has everyone excited. I'll be watching for her next release because I sincerely respect Dee and her writing. I just didn't love this particular story. 

Have you read the story? Feel free to share your opinion in a comment.


Check out the trailer:



  (print version)   (e-book)

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist & J. Mark Bertrand

I'm breaking from my usual women's fiction/romance reading to bring you a romantic suspense review. This one drew me because of the authors who teamed up to write it.

First, the summary (including a bit of backstory on how the story came to be):

When novelists Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand first met in a Houston critique group, they never expected where friendship would take them. She wrote romance; he wrote crime novels. But growing respect for each other's work culminated in the decision to try blending their talents into this wonderfully engaging story merging romance and mystery. Rylee Monroe walks dogs in old-money Charleston, a part of the city recently targeted by a daring thief. Logan Woods works the crime beat for the local paper but dreams of a life as a nonfiction writer. When the string of robberies takes a strange twist, Logan sees the making of a once-in-a-lifetime book that seems to circle around this charming, eye-catching dogwalker. But pursuing the truth means ignoring that he seems to be falling for her. And what is she hiding in her past that could crack the story wide open?

And now, my review:

When two people with strong gifts in their genre team up, you get a solid novel. That's what Beguiled is. I will admit it took a while for me to get into this book. Generally, I move on if this happens; I'm glad I didn't give up on this one. The romance is worth it. The suspense kicks in and you read swiftly through the pages. Deeanne's skill in writing romance shows through the characters actions. You believe in the hero's desire to put aside his own fears and protect the heroine. And I appreciated how the suspense kept me engaged, as well. I've mentioned this before in my reviews -- I rarely have the opportunity to read male authors' works. Whenever I do I notice a commonality, especially in suspense. Short, packed prose. So, as I read it, I enjoyed guessing which areas were more influenced by Mark or Deeanne. Hope they collaborate again. Great book.