An intriguing, inspirational, but sometimes uneven abduction tale.
In this second installment of a Christian romantic suspense series, a secret society’s unholy crusade hits close to home for an entrepreneur when the group kidnaps his sister.
The wealth and connections of Gavin Garrison, who runs a bodyguard service, and his brother, Grayson, make them prime candidates to join the Continental Alliance, a centuries-old secret society/cult. The group’s members aim “to undermine women’s rights and put women back into what they deemed was their proper place.” They do this by kidnapping women from wealthy families and forcing them into unwanted marriages. Mason Kennedy, the Alliance’s leader, ups the ante by abducting the Garrison brothers’ sister, Cate, whom Gavin was visiting while on vacation. Gavin’s investigation reunites him with park ranger Samantha Rollins, whom he met in Kay’s series launch, Grave Pursuits(2023). Samantha is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her uncle. The cold case heats up when Gavin and Samantha discover a link between her uncle and the secret society. That makes Samantha a legacy, and Mason invites her to join the group. She declines. “It’s cute how you actually thought I was leaving you a choice in the matter,” Mason tells her before she, too, is taken. “Turning us down isn’t an option.” Gavin and Grayson commit to joining the society to give them an in to locate Cate and Samantha. “It’s us against the Alliance,” Grayson proclaims. “Let’s find a way to bring Mason Kennedy’s world crashing down around him before he tears down ours.” This second volume of Kay’s Pennsylvania Parks Series sometimes strains credulity. But readers who keep the faith will be rewarded with clear, reassuring testaments to God’s love in trying circumstances that would challenge even the most devout. Samantha herself had “turned her back on the God who saved her, but He kept reaching out to her. All she had to do was take hold of His hand…He didn’t promise a trouble-free life, but He promised to be with her through the suffering.” Yet the growing relationship between Gavin and Samantha will win no points from readers who favor fiercely independent female characters. While Samantha proclaims she can take care of herself, “secretly, she relished his desire to protect her. It made her feel safe.” Still, fans of the author and this Christian series will find their literary prayers answered.
An intriguing, inspirational, but sometimes uneven abduction tale.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781950240388
Page Count: 287
Publisher: Faith Writes Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 30, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father.
Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was born, she was forced to give custody to Scotty’s parents. Now that she’s been released, Kenna is intent on getting to know her daughter, but Scotty’s parents won’t give her a chance to tell them what really happened the night their son died. Instead, they file a restraining order preventing Kenna from so much as introducing herself to Diem. Handsome, self-assured Ledger, who was Scotty’s best friend, is another key adult in Diem’s life. He’s helping her grandparents raise her, and he too blames Kenna for Scotty’s death. Even so, there’s something about her that haunts him. Kenna feels the pull, too, and seems to be seeking Ledger out despite his judgmental behavior. As Ledger gets to know Kenna and acknowledges his attraction to her, he begins to wonder if maybe he and Scotty’s parents have judged her unfairly. Even so, Ledger is afraid that if he surrenders to his feelings, Scotty’s parents will kick him out of Diem’s life. As Kenna and Ledger continue to mourn for Scotty, they also grieve the future they cannot have with each other. Told alternatively from Kenna’s and Ledger’s perspectives, the story explores the myriad ways in which snap judgments based on partial information can derail people’s lives. Built on a foundation of death and grief, this story has an undercurrent of sadness. As usual, however, the author has created compelling characters who are magnetic and sympathetic enough to pull readers in. In addition to grief, the novel also deftly explores complex issues such as guilt, self-doubt, redemption, and forgiveness.
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2560-7
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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