Good morning, and happy Friday! It’s time for another First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Hoarding Books. Today I’m featuring Patricia Bradley’s new book that just released this week: Standoff.
“What had he gotten himself into?”
Standoff by Patricia Bradley
The Basics
Title: Standoff
Author: Patricia Bradley
Series: Natchez Trace Park Rangers (Book 1)
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
From the Back Cover: The Natchez Trace National Parkway stretches 444 miles from Nashville to Natchez, the oldest town on the Mississippi River. It’s the perfect road for a relaxed pleasure drive. Unfortunately for Luke Fereday, it’s also perfect for moving drugs.
Sent to Natchez to infiltrate the organization at the center of the drug ring, Luke arrives too late to a stakeout and discovers the body of his friend, park ranger John Danvers. John’s daughter Brooke is determined to investigate her father’s murder but soon finds herself the target of a killer who will do anything to silence her.
Luke will have his hands full keeping her safe. But who’s going to keep him safe when he realizes he’s falling–hard–for the daughter of the man he failed to save?
My Thoughts
Although I haven’t been a big Patricia Bradley fan in the past, her new book sounded really interesting. I decided to give her another try, and I’m so glad I did! The setting of Natchez Trace Parkway is unique, and the author did a great job providing details and making it feel realistic. The story also features a law enforcement agency I haven’t read about in the suspense genre – law enforcement park rangers.
The first few chapters introduce quite a few characters who were a little difficult for me to keep track of at first, but the story really came together as it moved along. Brooke and Luke are great main characters, and a great pairing! Brooke is a strong female lead, as her first case as an LE ranger pulls her into a vast conspiracy that puts her family in danger. There were so many potential bad guys involved, I was guessing right up until the end!
The story has a good balance of character development and action/suspense, as Brooke and Luke reconnect after years of not seeing each other and work together to bring down a major cartel player – and find out who killed her father. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the 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.
I’m glad the book has started to come together for you!! Happy Friday!
Happy Friday! My first line is from “Stay With Me” by Becky Wade:
“The hallway floor jolts downward beneath my feet, throwing me off balance.”
I just got that one in the mail today, and I can’t wait to start it! 😃
Happy Friday!
Standoff sounds like a really interesting read!
On my blog this week, I’m sharing the first line from The Traitor’s Pawn by Lisa Harris:
“Watch Your Back…..this isn’t over.”
Have a great weekend 🙂
I really liked The Traitor’s Pawn! 😊
Happy Friday! 🙂
Today on my blog I’m sharing from Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson. It’s an excellent novel! Currently I’m reading Unveiling the Past by Kim Vogel Sawyer. I’m on chapter 19, so I’ll post a line from there.
“It shouldn’t surprise us that someone else lives at the address from 1998.”
Hope you have a great weekend!
Hmm, sounds interesting! 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Happy Friday!
This week on my blog I shared the first line from This Wandering Heart by Janine Rosche but I’m currently reading Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay so I’ll share the first line from my current chapter (17) here: “Alyssa was sitting at her dad’s old desk sorting through her notes on Jeremy’s data when her mom walked through the back door and into the kitchen.” Hope you have a great reading weekend!
Sounds like a good one! 😊
Standoff was spectacular!
My first line is from Storing Up Trouble by Jen Turano:
September 1886
The truth of the matter was this—she, Miss Beatrix Waterbury, had been banished from New York, and all because she’d had the great misfortune of landing herself in jail…twice.
Wow, that’s a great first line!!
I’m sharing the first line from Sandpiper Cove by Irene Hannon on my blog today and I’m currently on chapter 19 so I’ll share that first line here: “She might have dragged her feet about coming.” I hope you have a great weekend!
Happy reading! 😊