Happy Friday, friends! It was so nice to have a short work week this week , and of course I loved having extra reading time during the long weekend! It’s starting to feel like fall here in Maine, which is perfect outdoor reading weather.

Today I’m linking up with Hoarding Books for First Line Friday and sharing from Colleen Coble’s newest book, Strands of Truth. It will be released in just a few days! In the meantime, here are the first two lines:

January 1990

St. Petersburg, Florida

“Lisa ran to her Datsun Bluebird and jerked open the yellow door. Her pulse strummed in her neck, and she glanced behind her to make sure she wasn’t being followed.”

Strands of Truth by Colleen Coble

The Basics

Title: Strands of Truth by Colleen Coble

Release Date: September 10, 2019

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Harper Taylor is used to being alone—after all, she grew up in one foster home after another. Oliver Jackson finally took her under his wing when she was a runaway teenager, and now Harper pours her marine biology knowledge into Oliver’s pen shell research. But she’s never stopped wishing for a family of her own. 

So when a DNA test reveals a half-sister living just two hours away, Harper is both hopeful and nervous. Over warm cinnamon rolls, Harper and Annabelle find striking similarities in their stories. Is it just a coincidence that both their mothers died tragically, without revealing Harper and Annabelle’s father’s name? 

Oliver’s son Ridge still sees Harper as a troubled teen even all these years later. But when Oliver is attacked, Ridge and Harper find themselves working together to uncover dangerous secrets that threaten to destroy them all. They must unravel her past before they can have any hope for the future. 

My Thoughts

Colleen Coble is a well-known name in Christian suspense, but I’ve never really connected with her books – until this one! Genealogy has always been fascinating to me, so I decided to give the book a try. I’m so glad I did, and I ended up really enjoying it! The story has a good blend of action, suspense, and character development. Ridge and Harper were believeable, relatable characters – they started off not liking each other, but their friendship grew in a natural way as difficult circumstances threw them together. The mystery of Harper and Annabelle’s father was fascinating, and I was really surprised by the way it was resolved!

There are several interesting elements that make the story unique, including Harper’s research and work with pen shells. I also loved how genealogy was incorporated both to solve crimes reaching from the past to the present, and to bring a family together. If you’re a fan of Christian suspense, this would be a great book to add to your fall TBR list!

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

Happy Tuesday! I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend and got in some quality reading time! Now it’s back to work, back to school, back to the daily routine… but I do have some good news for your week. Today is the day DiAnn Mills’ newest book, Fatal Strike, is released!

The Basics

Title: Fatal Strike by DiAnn Mills

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: There’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him.

As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.

My Thoughts

DiAnn Mills was one of the first suspense authors I read as a teenager, when I was developing my love of reading. I’ve always enjoyed her books, and her newest book, Fatal Strike, is no exception. First of all, I love the cover! The colors and the silhouette are striking, and the design is clean and modern. Not to judge a book by its cover, but this cover definitely drew me in!

The story starts off with a bang when two FBI snipers, Leah and Jon, are called into a hostage situation, then paired together to investigate a string of murders. The story is full of action and takes so many twists and turns I never saw coming! It’s definitely more plot-driven than character-driven; there is some romance that develops between Leah and Jon, but it takes a backseat to the suspense. One of my favorite characters turned out to be Silvia, the mother of the suspect Leah and Jon are searching for throughout the book. Parts of the story were told from her perspective, which I thought was an interesting twist. This book grabbed me from the first page and kept me hooked until the end! If you are a fan of the suspense genre, you don’t want to miss this one.

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

It’s Friday – and that means it’s time for First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books! I’m so excited to be sharing the first line from Susan May Warren’s upcoming release, Ford – the third book in her epic adventure series featuring the Marshall family!

“If Ford didn’t get his head in the game, they were doomed.”

Ford by Susan May Warren

This book starts off with plenty of action and doesn’t let up all the way through! Keep reading for my full review.

The Basics

Title: Ford by Susan May Warren

Series: Book 3 of 5, The Montana Marshalls

Release Date: September 3, 2019

Genre: Christian Romantic Adventure/Suspense

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover

Family…country…or the woman he loves…

Navy Seal Ford Marshall isn’t the kind to stand by and let a woman get hurt—especially when it involves his twin sister, RJ. So, when she makes the news, accused of sparking an international incident, he doesn’t care what it takes—he’s going to find her and bring her home.

But he might need a little help, so he calls on the woman who has had his back during the last three years—Petty Officer Scarlett Hathaway, former communications expert-turned Rescue Swimmer candidate. She’ll help him get into the country, watch his back, and…well, they might be able to have one last mission together before she leaves for a new life, a life he very much wants to be a part of now that she is off his team. Maybe he can convince her to give them a chance to kindle the spark that’s simmered between them for years.

Scarlett Hathaway isn’t sure what future she wants—not when she suddenly has to care for her little brother. Maybe she should quit the Navy and start a life with the man she can’t seem to get out of her heart. So yes, she’ll help Ford find his sister. And maybe, along the way, figure out if they have a future.

But finding RJ somewhere in the vastness of Russia with the FSB chasing them will push Scarlett beyond even her courage and make her question everything she thought she wanted…including Ford. What will it cost her to love a man who saves the world?

And when Ford is asked to choose between saving his sister, saving the world from a war, and rescuing the woman he loves…can he live with his decision?

My Thoughts

This book is intense! I don’t know how Susan May Warren does it, but her books keep getting better and better. Ford takes us on a wild ride, this time through Russia and parts of Europe. I love the way each book draws us deeper into a story that is bigger and more complex than we first thought. With new layers of the story being revealed and new characters being introduced in each book, it would help to read Knox and Tate before reading Ford. It will be time well spent getting to know the Marshall brothers!

Ford is a tough Navy SEAL, and he can take care of himself. He wants to make it his job to take care of everyone else in his life too – especially his twin sister, RJ, when she goes missing in Russia. He sets out to find her with the help of his teammate, Scarlett, but they find themselves in a little over their heads when mixed up with the CIA and FSB. As they work together to find RJ, Ford and Scarlett have to learn to trust each other, and to trust God to be their protector and guide. We also start to learn more about RJ’s story in this book. She is smart, brave, and willing to risk her safety for her country and her family. I can’t wait to dive back in to her story in upcoming books!

Susan May Warren is a master at weaving together action and suspense, intricate plots, compelling and relatable characters, and authentic spiritual lessons. I really loved Knox, but I think Ford might be my favorite book in the series so far. Of course, that could change when Wyatt and Ruby Jane come out in the next few months! 😉 This book (and this series) is a must-read for fans of suspense, thrillers, and epic adventure stories!

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

The Basics

Title: Back Roads to Belonging: Unexpected Paths to Finding Your Place and Your People by Kristen Strong

Genre: Christian Living

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: At one time or another, shifting seasons in family, friendships, employment, and communities will bring each of us face-to-face with the feeling of being on the outside looking in. Because we are made for connection, this will often lead us down one of two roads. Either we will hop on the popular but crowded highway that asks us to do whatever it takes to get noticed, or we’ll stand still, paralyzed by the fear that we’re not important, loveable, or worth other people’s time and attention.

But what if there is another way? With an understanding voice that will speak into your own circumstances, Kristen Strong walks beside you along the less traveled but more satisfying third way–the back road way–to belonging: remaining in Christ and relaxing into the unique role God has for you. Along the way, you will learn simple, doable actions that not only will help you feel and know that you belong but will welcome others in as well.

My Thoughts

The struggle to find a place to belong is something we can all relate to, and Kristen Strong meets us in the struggle in her new book, Back Roads to Belonging. She has written a beautiful guide to the back roads we travel on our way to our belonging place. Full of relatable stories, scriptural truths, and practical advice, this book feels like a heart-to-heart conversation with a friend or an older sister, guiding us on our journey.

The book is divided into three sections: Wandering (the seasons we can’t find our place and the lessons God teaches us there), Finding (where we can find belonging places around us and how to dig in where God has us), and Inviting (how we can make space for others to belong with us). I think anyone can relate to and find encouragement in this book, no matter of what season of life you’re in.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!

The Basics

Title: State of Lies by Siri Mitchell Genre: Suspense/Political Thriller Release Date: August 13, 2019 My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars From the Back Cover: Georgie Brennan may be a world-class quantum physicist, but she grapples with life as a single mother after her husband is killed. When she receives a message from beyond the grave, it leads her to question the details of her husband’s death. As she follows the clues he left behind, her discoveries increasingly implicate those closest to her. When her father is nominated as the new United States Secretary of Defense, she must uncover the truth before his confirmation hearing—even as the same people who killed her husband are now after her. Nothing is at is seems. Lies are truth; enemies are friends. Even her child is at risk. As every possibility but one disappears, Georgie may find herself to be the antithesis of everything she’s thought herself to be.

My Thoughts

I haven’t read any of Siri Mitchell’s other books, but I’m so glad I read this one! The details and intricacy of the plot are incredible, and the author draws you deeper into the questions and intrigue in a way that makes you feel totally invested in the story. Each page seems to bring a new revelation or clue that makes it hard to put the book down! Georgie is a strong character – she’s a quantum physicist, and she is on a quest to find truth, both at her job and in her search for answers about her husband’s death. This book is marketed as Christian fiction, but there wasn’t as much of a faith element as I was expecting. It was still a clean read, without language or excessive violence. I think this book would appeal to a wide audience, from Christian fiction readers to fans of secular thrillers. It’s part suspense, part political thriller, and totally engaging, with a shocking conclusion – don’t miss it! I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved Mind Games, the first book in the Kaely Quinn Profiler series, so I was excited for the chance to read Fire Storm early! It’s coming out in a little over a week, on August 6, so I thought today would be a great time to share my review. Plus, I’m linking up with First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books, and sharing the first line of this book with you! Here it is:

“He waits, hidden in the shadows of the tall stately trees that line the street.” Fire Storm by Nancy Mehl

What is he watching and waiting for? This book starts off with a bang – you don’t want to miss it!

The Basics

Title: Fire Storm by Nancy Mehl Series: Book 2 of 3, Kaely Quinn Profiler series Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense Release Date: August 6, 2019 My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars From the Back Cover: When FBI profiler Kaely Quinn’s mother is diagnosed with cancer, Kaely takes time off work to go to Dark Water, Nebraska, to help her brother care for their mother. Upon her arrival, she learns of a series of fires in the small town, attributed by the fire chief to misuse of space heaters in the frigid winter. But Kaely is skeptical, and a search for a pattern in the locations of the fires bolsters her suspicions. After yet another blaze devastates a local family, Kaely is certain a serial arsonist is on the loose. Calling upon her partner from St. Louis, Noah Hunter, and her brother’s firefighter neighbor who backs Kaely’s suspicions, Kaely and her team begin an investigation that swiftly leads them down a twisted path. When the truth is finally revealed, Kaely finds herself confronting a madman who is determined his last heinous act will be her death.

My Thoughts

This is the second book in the series about Kaely Quinn, an FBI profiler/behavior analyst. Kaely is definitely one of the most intriguing heroines I’ve read about in a suspense novel for a long time! The situations she faces in this book, including getting involved in a case outside of her jurisdiction while she’s supposed to be spending time with her family, bring some of the issues she’s been facing to the forefront. She has been finding her identity in her work – in hunting down monsters – at the expense of her personal life, and instead of dealing with the trauma of her past. There is some romance in this book, but it definitely takes a backseat to the suspense. Kaely’s partner from her home FBI office, Noah, travels to be with her and help her investigate, and their growing friendship is a beautiful part of the story. The mystery and suspense are very well done; you have an idea of who the arsonist might be about halfway through, but it ends up being resolved in an unexpected way. I can’t wait to see how Kaely’s story wraps up in the third book, coming out next year! I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Basics

Title: Love and Other Mistakes by Jessica Kate

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release Date: July 30, 2019

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Natalie Groves once had big dreams. But soon after her fiancé, Jeremy Walters, inexplicably broke off their engagement and left town, her father was diagnosed with cancer. Now tasked with keeping her family afloat, Natalie’s grand plans have evaporated . . . and God feels very far away.

Fast-forward seven years, and Jeremy is back in Charlottesville with an infant son and years of regrets. When his niece, Lili, lands on his doorstep in need of a place to stay, Jeremy needs help—and fast.

An internship opening finally presents Natalie a chance at her dream job, but she needs a second income to work around it—and the only offer available is Jeremy’s. They could be the solutions to one another’s problems, provided they don’t kill each other in the process. When they join forces, sparks fly. But they both know there’s a thin line between love and hate . . . and that love will turn out to be the best decision—or the biggest mistake—of all. 

My Thoughts

This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I had heard it described as a romantic comedy, and although there were some funny moments, it dealt with some pretty heavy issues. There were a lot of storylines and characters introduced at the beginning of the book, which was a little confusing at first. Everything did end up coming together and making sense, but it felt like there were so many stories going on, we didn’t get much detail about any of them.

Some of the side characters were actually my favorites: Lili and Nick’s friendship was really well written, and baby Olly provided some fun moments too. The overarching themes of forgiveness and finding your worth and purpose were what redeemed the book for me. Overall, I enjoyed it and I will read the next book in the series when it comes out next year!

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