Okay, I have to gush over the cover just a bit - I can't resist! I love the colors, how vibrant they are and so neatly blended that I can't really tell where one ends and another begins. The silhouette is a nice touch and gives it a bit of a mysterious look. Overall, this is a cover that would jump off a shelf at me and make me pick up the book to check it out. Props to Revell for another excellent cover!
Now, on to the book, the whole reason for this post. :)
Description:
The day Danielle Harding takes her 11-year-old son, Simon, and flees from her abusive husband, is the same day Kurt Harding dies. A relieved Dani believes she and her son are finally safe; but in reality, the danger has just begun. When Kurt was alive, he took something important to a mysterious person. That person wants the item back and believes Dani now has it. As she and her son run for their lives, they have nowhere to turn, until she hires Adam Buchanan of Operation Refuge and goes into hiding. Unfortunately, she won't be able to hide for long . . .
About the author:
Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of the Women of Justice series and the Deadly Reunions series, as well as No One to Trust. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. She has a master's degree in education from Converse College and she lives in South Carolina. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com
(Cover photo, description [italics mine], and about the author copied from Christian Book)
My review: 4.5 stars
Ms. Eason doesn’t disappoint!
Nowhere to Turn is the second installment in Lynette Eason’s new Hidden Identity series. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, No One to Trust, so I had high expectations for this one. I’m happy to say that it met all of them!
Ms. Eason’s writing, as usual, was wonderful! I loved the details and descriptions she included, filling in the blanks a bit, without overwhelming the reader with information. The suspense was great as well, keeping me on the edge of my seat! I had a horrible time finding a stopping point to put the book down, because every time I would start to, something else would happen!
I quickly came to love the heroine, Danielle Harding. She is a very realistic and relatable character. She is a battered wife who is finally freed from her abusive husband, though not in the way she expected. I loved how strong and determined she was, doing her best to stand on her own, but also using wisdom and asking for help when needed. She is also kind and caring, often running straight toward danger in order to protect someone else. Her biggest fears are not being able to protect her son and relying on anyone too much. I enjoyed seeing her grow through out the story and learn to push aside her very real fears in favor of faith.
Adam Buchanan is the hero in this book. We first met him in No One to Trust and I really enjoyed getting to know him better. He has grown and changed a bit since the end of that book. He is more cautious, more determined, more wary when it comes to trusting someone (something he and Dani have in common). He is also kind, strong, and understanding, exactly what Dani and her son, Simon, need.
I have mixed feelings about the romance, which kind of took a backseat with all the other things going on. On one hand, I would have liked it to have been more integrated in the story, on the other, this is probably one of the most realistic romance novels I’ve read recently. I’ve always found the falling in love in a few short days very improbable, plus Danielle is still recovering from a horrible relationship, so this is most likely a very accurate portrayal of what might actually happen.
This is a Christian novel, though the faith in it is very low key. The characters pray a few times, talk or think about God a couple times, but overall, the story focuses on the mystery and everything going on there. I was a little disappointed by this at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that had there been more included, it probably would have ended up awkward or become annoying. So I have to applaud Ms. Eason for her expert handling of it, not overwhelming the story, but carefully weaving just the right amount into it.
I really enjoyed the mystery and suspense, which kept me hooked. A couple of the villains are known, but there are also a couple that are unknown. The story comes from their point of view a couple times, which kept me guessing, trying to figure out who it was. The ending was so surprising for me! I did not even see it coming (which I loved).
My only complaint is that the ending seemed a little abrupt, as though the author only had a few pages left in which to tie things up. I would have liked it to be a bit longer, but it still ended well, leaving me curious as to who’s book would be next.
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy suspense with compelling characters!
I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book from the publisher, through The Christian Manifesto, for my honest review which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and taking the time to read the review! I hope you enjoyed it (and if you didn't, I don't really want to know)!
As usual, here are a few links, if you're interested in learning more about the book, or perhaps purchasing a copy.
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Christian Book
I hope you're having a lovely day!
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