K-9 Alaska Rescue

Published December 29th 2020

 by Harlequin Intrigue

Catching a kidnapper takes teamwork

...and a St. Bernard.

Alanna Morgan was raised in remote Alaska by a couple who called themselves her parents—not kidnappers. A jailbreak brings her face-to-face with the past she wants to escape and on a collision course with the woman who stole her childhood. Alanna can’t let other helpless victims be abducted and sets out with Chance, a therapy St. Bernard, by her side. But Desparre rookie police officer Peter Robak has other plans for the civilian investigator. Together, in the mountain wilderness in frigid temperatures, criminals aren’t the only threat they face. A wary alliance and a rescue dog will have to be enough to keep them alive and to catch a desperate fugitive.

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My Review: 

Elizabeth Heiter brings us the second installment in her K-9 Alaska Rescue.  This story dives right into the life of Alanna Morgan who was kidnapped at the age of 5 from in front of her house.  Alanna has lived with her kidnappers, Darcey and Julian Altier,  for many years as a loving family in a small town in Alaska.  One day she decides it's time to alert someone that she is still alive which brings about a turn of events where her kidnappers are arrested and placed in jail. 

For the past 5 years Alanna has lived with conflicting emotions.  She has a certain amount of love and loyalty to the people who raised her because they were good to her, but at the same time she feels somewhat disloyal to her biological family.  She has done pretty good at hiding her emotions, but deep down she's very conflicted.  

The recent turn of events and Darcey's escape from her Oregon prison, Alanna knows she must return to Desparre and face her past.  No one knows Darcey better and that if she has kidnapped another child then she will head to one of the hideouts around Desparre.  

Officer Pere Robok hasn't been a law enforcement long and has faced a certain amount of backlash from other officers because of his disability.  His first encounter with Alanna couldn't have gone worse.  He was suspicious from the moment he heard her name.  He knows first hand about the control kidnappers can have over their victims.  

This absorbing story is filled with suspense, mystery, and a touch of romance.  It brings complex characters that will tug at your heart.  The author shows Alanna not as a victim, but as a survivor.  I love that!! The plot is full of twists and turns that will kept me turning the pages.  

This is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves a good suspense or a clean mystery. 

**I received this book from the author for an honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Sunrise at Normandy

The Sea Before Us

Published February 6th 2018

 by Revell

In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a "Wren" in the Women's Royal Naval Service. Dorothy pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France--including those of her own family's summer home--in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt will turn into naval bombardment plans.

As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn to love. Dorothy must resist its pull. Her bereaved father depends on her, and her heart already belongs to another man. Wyatt too has much to lose. The closer he gets to Dorothy, the more he fears his efforts to win the war will destroy everything she has ever loved.

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BAKER BOOK HOUSE

Meet the Author:




Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the author of The Sea Before Us (February 6, 2018), the Waves of Freedom series (Through Waters Deep, Anchor in the Storm, When Tides Turn), the Wings of the Nightingale series, and the Wings of Glory series. Her novels Through Waters Deep and When Tides Turnwere named to Booklist's "101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years." Through Waters Deep won the 2016 INSPY Award and was a Carol Award finalist.

A mother of three, Sundin lives in northern California. She works on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teaches Sunday school and women's Bible studies. She enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers' groups.

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My Thoughts:

I was very excited to see Sarah Sundin was writing a new series, Sunrise at Normandy.  The release of the first book,  The Sea Before Us, she introduces us to the Paxton family from Texas where there are three boys of whom have reunited in celebration of Wyatt's graduation and return to Kerrville to take over as his father's manager of Paxton Trucking.  Wyatt is the oldest and this book follows his tour of duty with the Navy which takes him to Kensington, London, England.  

As Wyatt steps on foreign shores he's determined to put his troubled past behind him and put his training into action as plans are made for the naval bombardment of Normandy.  Wyatt is confronted with learning cultural differences between his upbringing and the English way of life.  Wyatt has a strong faith in God. 

Dorothy Fairfax is another key character in this story.  She and her father live in Kinsington where he runs a small railway shipping company.  Dorothy at present works for the Women's Royal Naval Service, WREN, for short where she pieces together photos from France that people have supplied them with.  It's a job she enjoys and is good at.  With the donation of photos they are looking for areas of weakness to this campaign, both where they could attack or be attacked during the bombardment.   She has known much sorrow in her short life.  She had lost both brothers to the war and her mother during the Blitz, when German bombers had blasted Britain almost every night for a year. With so much sorrow and the emotional distance from her father Dorothy finds herself in a crisis of faith.  

Wyatt and Dorothy work closely together in the maps area of the British Naval Building and a friendship quickly develops.  Dorothy gives him an insight into the life as it's been in London and the culture.  Wyatt truly enjoyed meeting her father and all the sights and knowledge she is giving him.  

This is a spectacular read!  

I was easily draw in from the first page. This is delicious story where characters find things more complicated than they ever imagined.  The wonderful imagery immediately brought the story to life for me.  The characters are complex and engaging.  Their turmoil was raw and real as shown by their emotions.  The secondary characters are well integrated into the story which brings a richness to the story.  There are twists and turns that bring a certain amount of suspense and unexpected mystery. This book brings elements of mystery, suspense, family values, faith, love, and lots of history.  This is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves history and romance.  

**I received this book from the publisher as part of their book bloggers program.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  

Rescue River #2

His Secret Child

 

Snowed in at the dog rescue farm where she’s housesitting, Fern Easton can’t turn away the handsome stranger who appears during the blizzard. Who is this mysterious man who’s as capable with stray dogs as he is with her four-year-old foster child?

Carlo Camden’s returned to Rescue River to be a father to a daughter he never knew existed. But he doesn’t expect to stumble upon little Mercedes right away. Let alone to start caring about the devoted beauty who desperately wants to be her mom.

Carlo’s surprise homecoming is all about making amends. But he might just have found the woman of his dreams, too…

 

 Published January 19th 2016

 by Love Inspired

4 Stars 

 

Rescue River Books

Sweet and wholesome Christian romance set in the small town of Rescue River, Ohio, where everyone knows and cares for each other and where wounded people are rescued and healed. Cute kids and loveable dogs play a big role in these inspirational  novels from Love Inspired.

 

The He said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes Me;and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent Me. For it is the one who is last among you all who is the greatest."

~Luke 9:48

 

My Thoughts: 

Lee Tobin McClain and Love Inspired have released a touching story about a shy, young woman trying to find a family.

 Fern Eaton, librarian and aspiring author of children's books, has her life all planned out, but as we all know things don't always go as planned.  When her friend, Kath, passes away Fern finds herself as foster mother to Mercedes, Kath's daughter, and hopefully her adopted mother.  While house sitting a stranger, Carlo, arrives at the door seeking shelter.  As a snowstorm sweeps in Fern, Mercedes and Carlo settle into a family-like routine which causes sparks to fly between Carlo and Fern.  Unfortunately when the roads are finally cleared Fern learns that Carlo is there to shred all her plans and could possibly break her fragile heart.  

This is a sweet story with a complicated romance between two flawed characters.  Fern grew up in foster care which lead her to become very shy.  She's haunted by always being an outsider.  She steps out of her comfort zone to help a stranger and finds that maybe there's hope after all.  Carlo grew up in a less than desirable home life which has shaped him into the man he has become.  He joined the military trying to escape the memories, but while in South America was led to God.   He has returned home to right a wrong he committed without knowing.  

This is a story that quickly pulled me in.  The story has good pace and flow that kept my attention.  I like how the author shows the raw feelings and turmoil over what is best for Mercedes. 

I would recommend this book to anyone.  

Available for Purchase:

Amazon | Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble

Meet the Author:

 

 

Lee Tobin McClain read Gone With The Wind in the third grade and has been an incurable romantic ever since. When she’s not writing emotional, faith-infused love stories with happy endings, she’s probably driving around a carload of snarky teen girls, playing with her rescue dog and cat, or teaching aspiring writers in Seton Hill University’s MFA program. She is probably not cleaning her house.

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Sunset Cove #2

Mallory’s mother died fifteen years ago. But her father’s last words on the phone were unmistakable: “Find . . . mother.” Shame and confusion have kept Mallory Davis from her home for the last fifteen years, but when her dad mysteriously dies on his mail boat route, she doesn’t have any choice but to go back to Mermaid Point. Mallory believes her father was murdered and childhood sweetheart Kevin O’Connor, game warden in Downeast Maine, confirms her suspicions. But Kevin is wary of helping Mallory in her search. She broke his heart—and left—without a word, years ago. When Mallory begins receiving threats on her own life—and her beloved teenage daughter, Haylie—their search intensifies. There’s a tangled web within the supposed murder, and it involves much more than what meets the eye. As answers begin to fall into place, Mallory realizes her search is about more than finding her father’s killer—it is also about finding herself again . . . and possibly about healing what was broken so long ago with Kevin. She just has to stay alive long enough to put all the pieces together. 

 

Published January 12th 2016

 by Thomas Nelson  
4 Stars 

My Thoughts:

Colleen Coble takes us back to Folly Shoals, Maine for the second installment in the Sunset Cove series. Even thought this book is part of a series and have read the first book I do believe this is a stand alone novel. This is an endearing story full of mystery, suspense, romance and family secrets. 


The story opens with Mallory Davis landing a big sale as a jewelry designer and feeling on top of the world.  She plans a celebration with friend and neighbor Carol until the phone call that shatters the world as she knows it.  Mallory has faced many storms in her life, but this may be one of hardest she will face yet.
With the death of her father she needs to return to Folly Shoals the one place she had escaped from 15 years ago and vowed not to return.  On her arrival she comes face to face with her past, Kevin O'Connor, and memories she'd rather not deal with. 
As important factors are brought to the surface it's apparent that Mallory's father has been murdered.  As Mallory begins to investigate a mystery emerges that someone wants kept quiet and will go to any lengths to see that it does.  
This is a gripping suspense/mystery interlaced with a romance.  The plot readily pulled me in and flows effortlessly. .  This is a wonderful story.  I did enjoy the characters.  They are strong and well developed. The romantic tension between Mallory and Kevin start early in the story and allude the their past relationship.  Their emotions are raw and real.  
I would recommend this book to anyone.  
* I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley and I thank them for this opportunity.  All opinions expressed are my own.   

Available for Purchase:
 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook 

Meet 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.

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