Suspenseful! 'The Targeted' - Secrets to Keep 3 - by Cara Putman

 

About the book:

Can she protect her gym students before her past catches up?

When Chloe Ainsworth's older sister reappears after fourteen years, she brings with her the news that Chloe's abuser is back in town. Chloe is a coach at her childhood gym and fiercely protective of her young gymnasts. She won't allow them to suffer the way she did, but she's desperate for an ally—one who can help her make her case.


Law student Dare Shepherd works at the local legal clinic, where he meets Chloe and hears her out. He believes her case but can't get the clinic director on board. As he learns more about her story, he finds himself bound by a deepening personal care for Chloe.


They band together in search of answers, and suddenly the stakes skyrocket. It's clear they're onto something, but will they be able to find the answers before it's too late?

My review:

I really enjoyed this suspenseful story that kept me on the edge of my seat!  The stakes felt higher in this kind of story so I was even more on edge than in a different type of suspense because I kept worrying about what the coach was going to do and whether the girls were going to be safe.  Chloe also had a lot going on in her life, from her sister suddenly showing up to her mom's possible Alzheimer's diagnosis to trying to decide if she was going to start law school to deciding she wants to sue the coach who abused her and trying to figure out the steps she needs to take.  It felt like a lot and I wasn't even the one living it!  It was interesting to see behind the scenes at the law clinic as she and Dare tried to figure out what steps to take.  Besides their mutual interest in the law, they both had a strong faith and actually prayed together at one point; there were other mentions of prayer and depending on the Lord for strength or remembering He was good even in the hard times.  They were drawn to each other but were still trying to keep a professional distance because of the lawsuit.  I appreciated how respectful Dare was and that he wanted to make sure she felt respected with everything she had been through.  There were different suspenseful things happening in the story, from her sister disappearing again to creepy things happening to a murder.  One thing I got frustrated with was her lack of worry about her safety sometimes.  I kept wanting to yell, "lock the door!"  Even though this was book three, it worked pretty well as a stand-alone.  I'm looking forward to reading those.  I recommend this book if you like suspense!

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