BOOK REVIEWS ARE BACK...AND SO AM I

For so long I felt I didn't have any writing news to share but I'm happy to say I've got two book projects in the works, and I recently finaled in the Inspirational Category of the prestigious TARA Contest, put on by the Tampa Bay and Area Romance Writers of America. Now the wait is on to see where I place but most of all, I hope this book will see the light of day! For all of the contest finalists you can follow this link here: TARA Contest Finalists 2016 And congratulations to all my fellow finalists and good luck!

And in other news, monthly book reviews of Inspirational and other great fiction books are back as well. This month, I was pleased to review "WITHOUT WARNING" by Lynette Eason. And here it is:

From the Back Cover:

Intensity. Skill. Tenacity.
The bodyguards of Elite Guardians Agency have it all.

Katie Singleton, a partner with the Elite Guardians Protection Agency, stumbles upon her next assignment quite by accident. Spotting blue lights at a familiar restaurant, she stops to investigate, only to discover that owner Daniel Matthews has become the target of someone who will go to any lengths to put him out of business.

Daniel might be concerned, but he's not convinced that a bodyguard--and a female one at that--is necessary. A new attack and his niece's urgings are enough to make him reconsider. He and Katie must figure out who's behind the intimidation and threats--before a would-be killer strikes again.

I’m a big fan of Lynette Eason and thrilled with her series “Elite Guardians”, about a group of female ex-law enforcement agents who form a private protection/security company. The premise of such a series has already been done in secular fiction and I’m so happy the Christian market can now enjoy a similar series that’s female-centric with strong heroines who also struggle with deep past issues. 

“Without Warning” is the second book in the series. Lynette is skilled at keeping her tension taut and the threads of past characters and new characters within her main story clear and untangled. The couple from the first book, Olivia and Wade, figure lightly in this story but Lynette introduces her next book’s couple, Quinn and Maddy, in an organic way that rings true and adds depth to Katie and Daniel’s story as they race to find the killer/arsonist who’s targeted Daniel and his niece.

I loved Katie Singleton as a heroine. She’s suffering from PTSD due to a workplace event that shattered her family. During the story she must deal with her symptoms, guilt, and trying to reunite with her nuclear family. She’s a tough character while keeping her femininity intact.

Daniel’s ex-Marine with deep anger issues as well as PTSD. His obvious wealth isn’t explained in the book and if he appeared in the first book “Always Watching” and it was talked about there, the author didn’t carry it over. This was my only “question mark” about him. He owns a private plane and lives in a private air park, as well as owning three restaurants. As a reader, I would’ve just liked a brief explanation of his wealth. However, Daniel is highly intelligent and Katie is equally intelligent and a great foil for him. They both struggle together to understand the other’s pain and their romance develops at a natural pace.  

Lynette is particularly strong in bringing out subtle truths about God through her stories and this book is no exception. We can be angry at God but know He still loves for us. It’s human to grieve our losses and the death of loved ones. Lynette deals with both adult and teenage grief here in a Christian way. This book is a strong one to give to teen-aged daughters as it portrays strong Christian women and girls dealing with family estrangements, death, as well as grappling with teenage love.

You don’t have to read the books in order as they stand-alone but again, I’m thrilled to see this series of strong heroines in the Christian market: women who aren’t afraid of facing danger in their work, are intelligent, and care and nurture the people in their lives at the same time.

If you’re looking for great suspense as well as a clean romance, you’ll thoroughly enjoy “Without Warning”.

The next book, “Moving Target”, will be out January 31, 2017. I hope there’s some continuation of Katie and Daniel’s story over-lapping in it, as Lynette did such an excellent job of introducing Maddy and Quinn in this book.

I received a complimentary paperback copy from publisher Revell – a part of the Baker Publishing Group - in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Thanks for stopping by!