Waitin' on Paige - Romance in Valiant 4 - by Mary Pat Johns

 

About the book:

Tavo Morales has returned to Valiant, Texas, to stir the embers of a relationship with the woman he has never stopped loving, but hidden reefs from his past threaten to destroy his future.

Paige Muñoz wants her new event planning business to be a success and won’t let anything stand in her way. But the path she’s on to make her dreams come true proves dangerous.

Is the love Tavo and Paige once shared strong enough to survive his secrets and her stubbornness?

My review:

This was a sweet story about a second chance at love.  Tavo and Paige both had issues with trust because of their childhoods. Tavo's been trying to win her back and it seems he might finally have her attention after he suffers an injury.  Then a celebrity client shows up to turn her head and he thinks all is lost.  I was a little frustrated with Paige as I get having trust issues but when it seemed like she left first for college and didn't come back, then why would she think he shouldn't leave?  They seemed to have a great relationship in high school so it felt like her fear didn't make a lot of sense to me.  It also seemed like she wasn't listening sometimes as he would tell her how he felt and she would get the opposite message.  I also felt like he could have explained things better and sooner as I felt he should have warned her about the celebrity with information he found out and not just vague comments.  He also didn't tell her very important information as soon as he found out later.  Tavo had wandered from his faith for a while after leaving Valiant and took a while to come back to it.  Paige decided to do her own thing concerning her ambition and not see what God's timing was.  Tavo had a great pair of friends who told him the truth, no matter what, and confronted him when necessary.  Paige's friends seemed like great ladies, too.  I think their stories were in the prior books and sound cute.  This was book four and worked as a stand-alone but it would have been nice to read the other couple's stories first as they were  very cute together in this one.  This was a sweet story for fans of second chance romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.  I was not compensated for reviewing this book.  All opinions are my own.

Didn't Want to Put it Down! 'Shadowed Witness' - The Secrets of Kincaid 2 - by Angela Carlisle

 

About the book:

Murder--that's what photographer Allye Jessup knows she witnessed as she departed her studio one evening. Waking with bruises on her neck and a foggy memory, she believes she survived an attack, but everyone seems to think she simply sustained a head injury from falling down the stairs of her studio. Plagued by an undiagnosed health condition, she is torn between the haunting reality of what she may have seen and the possibility that her mind is playing tricks on her.

Without proof the other victim ever existed, Detective Eric Thornton can hardly declare the area a murder scene. Still, he adds Allye's report to his already full caseload. But when new evidence surfaces to support her claims, Eric must stay one step ahead of a ruthless killer and uncover the truth before the suspect closes in on Allye again.

Angela Carlisle once again presents cutting-edge romantic suspense laced with danger, deception, and justice.

My review:

I did not want to put this book down!  The suspense started out exciting enough as Allye survived a vicious attack but then people didn't believe her and with the health problems she's been having, she started to question herself, too.  But then another, even more confusing one happens and no one's sure of what's going on.  I really felt for Allye as she had enough to deal with trying to figure out her health problems on top of just trying to survive them day to day, especially the debilitating migraines.  Then you add on attacks and people questioning your sanity and the suspense was really ratcheted up!  I liked that she wasn't a perfect character as she struggled with trying to do it all on her own; she was feisty and I loved how she stood up for herself verbally and physically when she needed to.  Eric had an intriguing backstory as a son of drug-addicted parents who worked to put criminals behind bars, especially drug dealers.  I liked that he was interested in giving back and getting involved in kid's lives, like someone did for him.  He knew Allye from high school and was good friends with her brother so was inclined to believe her but needed evidence.  When they kept getting thrown together, old crushes resurfaced.  I liked seeing a peek into the investigations and also seeing Allye's artistic side as she took photos and knitted for an upcoming festival.  Allye prayed throughout the story and Eric was a man of faith, also, but struggled with forgiveness.  There were some sweet romantic moments.  This worked well as a stand-alone but I look forward to reading book one about her brother.  I would recommend this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

Full of Action! 'Burning Secrets' Chasing Fire: Alaska 4 - by Susan May Warren

 

About the book:

RESCUE. DANGER. DEVOTION.
THIS TIME, THEIR HEARTS ARE ON THE LINE.

Wrong place, wrong time…

Wildlife biologist JoJo Butcher isn’t just a smokejumper for the Midnight Sun crew—she’s also in Alaska to finish up her wolf research…until, oops, she finds herself face-to-face with a wolf with nowhere to go…
And then she’s rescued by a hero from the woods. Who exactly is he, and what secrets is he hiding?

He's living a double life...

Undercover FBI informant Michael Crew Sterling hates his life. Buried deep inside a domestic terrorist group, he’s in over his head, trying to discover their lethal plans. And then he saves the life of JoJo Butcher, and suddenly she is sunshine to his dark soul…

Until she accidentally walks into nightmare.

Now Crew must keep her alive by proving that she’s his girlfriend. And she has to play along, or they’ll both be killed. And when they discover what the group is really doing, Crew will have to make a choice that could cost him everything he’s sacrificed to save the woman he’s falling for.

Book four in the epic Chasing Alaska series is an edge-of-your seat tale of danger, loyalty, and the power of hope in the darkest night.

My review:

There was one action-packed moment after another in this story!  From tracking wolves and being attacked to ending up in the middle of a domestic terrorist group, there's not a dull moment for JoJo.  Not to mention her actual job of being a smokejumper!  There was also time for romance in between all of the running for your lives bits as JoJo and Crew fall quickly for each other.  They work at trying to figure out what the group's plan is and what their next move might be and also make time for some great spiritual conversations about faith and trust and not letting darkness win.  I loved that she wasn't a damsel in distress type as yes, Crew had to save her, but she also was a bit of a MacGyver and did a pretty good job of saving herself, too.  The story continues in the next book and while I wasn't lost for having missed some of the previous books, it would have filled in more of the story of some of the other characters mentioned.  I would recommend this if you like romantic suspense.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.