Happy Friday! It’s hard to believe another week has gone by, but here we are, ready for another First Line Friday less than a week away from Thanksgiving! The book I’m featuring today is a must-read for suspense fans – keep reading for my review of The Escape by Lisa Harris.

“There is a razor-thin edge between justice and revenge, where the two easily blur if left unchecked.”

The Escape by Lisa Harris

That line definitely gives you an idea of the intensity and suspense you’re about to encounter in this book!

The Basics

Title: The Escape

Author: Lisa Harris

Series: US Marshals (Book 1 of 3)

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover: US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn have orders to transport two high-profile prisoners across the country on a private plane. But when the plane experiences engine trouble en route from the Pacific Northwest to Colorado, the pilots crash-land the aircraft deep in the heart of the sprawling Salmon-Challis National Forest. 

With both pilots and one prisoner dead–and one fugitive on the run–Madison and Jonas must negotiate the rugged and remote backcountry as they track a murderer who is desperate to disappear . . . and will do anything to stop them.

My Thoughts

Lisa Harris’ new series is off to a great start with The Escape! If you like action-packed suspense that’s lighter on the romance, you will enjoy this book.

Madison and Jonas are US Marshals tasked with transporting a prisoner, and I really enjoyed learning more about this unique law enforcement agency. The fact that their prisoner escaped means we know from the start who the bad guy is, but that doesn’t lessen the suspense at all. He always seems to be one step ahead of the marshals as they track him across the country, keeping the tension high and the story fast-paced!

I appreciated the slower pace of the romance in this book – it feels much more authentic to both the suspenseful story and to Jonas and Madison. It also allows the rest of the series to focus on the same characters, which gives more opportunity for rich character development. Another thread that weaves the series together is the underlying mystery of who killed Madison’s husband – and who might be coming after her next. I can’t wait for the rest of the series, and I think fans of Natalie Walters, Lynette Eason, and Dani Pettrey will enjoy this book as well!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher as part of the Revell Reads blogger program. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Friday! I can’t believe we’re less than two weeks from Thanksgiving; in some ways it seems like this year is flying by! I am on track to hit my yearly reading goal this weekend – I hope that wherever you are, you can get in some quality reading time this weekend too. The book I’m featuring for today’s First Line Friday linkup is a great one to savor on a fall weekend! The cover is gorgeous, and the story inside is even more beautiful.

Beverly, West Virginia

July 1934

“The day’s heat lay close to Loyal like a quilt he couldn’t push back.”

The Right Kind of Fool by Sarah Loudin Thomas

The Basics

Title: The Right Kind of Fool

Author: Sarah Loudin Thomas

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Thirteen-year-old Loyal Raines is supposed to stay close to home on a hot summer day in 1934. When he slips away for a quick swim in the river and finds a dead body, he wishes he’d obeyed his mother. Desperate for help, he runs to the mountain cabin of his mostly absentee father, frantically trying to communicate the news with his hands.

Driven away by fear and guilt over his son’s deafness, Creed has played a distant part in Loyal’s life and language. But when he’s pulled into the murder investigation, he discovers that what sets his son apart isn’t his inability to hear but rather his courage. As the impact of the murder ripples through their West Virginia town, both will learn what it took to kill a man and what it takes to become one.

My Thoughts

What an exquisite, captivating story! This is the first of Sarah Loudin Thomas’ books I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. She does a beautiful job of writing from the unique perspective of Loyal, a young deaf teenager in 1934 rural West Virginia. I loved the way she was able to incorporate sign language into the story! When he accidentally discovers a dead body one summer day, a whole chain of events is set in motion that changes how everyone sees him – his parents, his friends, the community, and even himself.

While the mystery keeps the plot moving, the richly engaging characters are the stars of the show. Loyal’s growth throughout the book is compelling, as he is forced to make some hard choices. I loved the way he and his father begin to see each other from a new perspective and learn from each other as the story progresses, and Loyal and Rebecca’s growing friendship provided more touching moments. I highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, especially Joanne Bischof’s Blackbird Mountain series!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Friday! I am so excited about the book I’m sharing for today’s First Line Friday linkup – Things We Didn’t Say by debut author Amy Lynn Green just released this week, and I absolutely loved it. It’s such a unique twist on WWII fiction!

From Johanna Berglund to Charles Donohue, attorney-at-law

January 26, 1945

“Dear Mr. Donohue,

If I were an expert in criminal law, I’d be sick to death of outraged clients claiming to be falsely accused, and especially of weepy female clients wringing their hands and saying things like, ‘How could it have come to this?'”

Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green

The Basics

Title: Things We Didn’t Say

Author: Amy Lynn Green

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Headstrong and determined, linguistics student Johanna Berglund has very definite plans for her future . . . plans that do not include returning to her hometown and the secrets and heartaches she left behind. But when the only way to her intended future is through undertaking a translator position at a nearby camp for German POWs, she reluctantly accepts.

Johanna arrives to find the once-sleepy Minnesota town exploding with hostility. Most patriotic citizens want nothing to do with German soldiers laboring in their fields, and they’re not afraid to criticize those who work at the camp as well. When Johanna describes the trouble to her close friend Peter Ito, a language instructor at a school for military intelligence officers, he encourages her to give the town that rejected her a second chance.

As Johanna interacts with the prisoners and censors their letters home, she begins to see them in a more sympathetic light, but advocating for better treatment makes her enemies in the community. The longer Johanna wages her home-front battle, the more the lines between compassion and treason become blurred–and she must decide where her heart truly lies.

My Thoughts

Amy Lynn Green has written a captivating debut novel! This unique WWII story is told entirely through letters, newspaper articles, and other correspondence. Even with the challenging format, the author captured each character’s distinct voice through their writing and wove together a fascinating look at some little-known aspects of the WWII era in America. We learn about life in a German POW camp through Johanna’s eyewitness accounts, and understand more about the struggles Japanese Americans faced through Peter’s perspective.

The epistolary format makes for rich characterization as we get inside the characters’ heads through their writing. I really enjoyed Johanna’s wit and determination, and Peter’s wisdom and encouraging spirit. Although we are reading about the action after the fact, there is still plenty of tension and anticipation to keep you turning pages!

This book is a peek into history wrapped up in a powerful, moving story that will linger with you after the last page. Fans of Sarah Sundin and Roseanna M. White will especially enjoy this novel. It will be going on my list of favorite books of 2020, and I will be eagerly awaiting whatever Amy Lynn Green writes next!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.