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A Secret to Die For by Lisa Harris | Book Review

A Secret to Die For by Lisa Harris | Book Review, Grace to Grow Blog

Today I’m excited to share with you about a new book that just released: A Secret to Die For by Lisa Harris!

The Basics

Title: A Secret to Die For by Lisa Harris

Genre: Christian romantic suspense

My Rating: 4/5 stars

From the Back Cover

Psychologist Grace Callahan has no idea that she has a secret–one worth killing for. But when she finds out one of her clients has been murdered, she quickly realizes that the computer security specialist wasn’t simply suffering from paranoia.

Detective Nate Quinn has just been cleared for active duty after a bombing killed eighteen people, including his partner, and left him dealing with PTSD. His first case back on the job involves the murder of Stephen Shaw, and his only lead turns out to be an old friend, Grace Callahan–and her life is in grave danger. Someone believes Shaw gave his psychologist information before he died. Information they are willing to kill for.

With her signature pulse-pounding suspense, Lisa Harris takes readers deep into the heart of fear in this race against the clock.

My Thoughts

Lisa Harris is becoming one of my favorite suspense authors! (You can see my review of her last book here.) I was excited for the chance to read her newest book, A Secret to Die For. She is great at combining action-packed scenes that keep you flipping pages with deep, layered characters while incorporating their faith in a way that feels authentic.

The two main characters, psychologist Grace Callahan and Detective Nate Quinn, have both experienced major personal tragedies. Now, as they encounter one dangerous situation after another, they have to face their grief together. The action is nonstop from the first page, as they race to discover what information Grace has that someone is willing to kill for. The plot was unique and unpredictable – I had no idea who was behind everything until the end!

If you like suspense, romance, and faith all wrapped up in one nail-biting package, you will love this book! I would recommend this book to fans of Lynette Eason, Dani Pettrey, and Terri Blackstock.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for writing a review. All opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Revell and Baker Publishing Group!

- Jen Leave a comment

A Christmas by the Sea by Melody Carlson | Book Review

A Christmas by the Sea | Book Review on Grace to Grow Blog

Title: A Christmas by the Sea by Melody Carlson

Genre: Inspirational Christmas novella

My rating: 4/5

From the back cover: When Wendy Harper inherits her family’s beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. Her twelve-year-old son Jackson sees it as an exciting new start in a life that has grown rather gray without his father.

Before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. Wendy and Jackson move in–temporarily, she reminds him–in order to fix the place up before Christmas. But the charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on Wendy. She knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea–and a fresh start–is hard to resist.

It might seem a little too early to be reading Christmas books, but since this one is set in my home state of Maine, I couldn’t resist! From the small-town setting to the delightful characters, this story reminds me of a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form 🙂

While I did enjoy the relationship between Wendy and Caleb – including their first meeting, which was pretty funny! – Wendy’s son Jackson was one of my favorite characters in the book. He’s dealing with growing up without his dad while trying to help his mom however he can (including setting her up with Caleb!). However, I did think the communication issues between Wendy and Jackson seemed a little unrealistic. The ending felt rushed, but that tends to be common in novellas and short stories. The story was a little predictable, but that’s part of the charm of cute Christmas stories.

Overall, this book is a sweet, feel-good story that would be perfect to curl up with on a snowy day, or this fall as you look forward to Christmas!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Revell Books and Baker Publishing Group!