Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Backlash by Rachel Dylan

Series: Capital Intrigue #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Bethany House
Released: October 1, 2020
309 pages
About the Book:

CIA analyst Layla Karam is thrust into a dangerous DEA field operation against a cartel that puts a target on her back. Though Layla never wanted to be a field agent, Langley had other ideas. After one of her team members is murdered because of fallout from the op, Layla is left scrambling to find safety.

At the same time, the CIA opens up an internal investigation against her. Out of options, Layla turns to ex-boyfriend and private investigator Hunter McCoy for help finding out who might want to ruin her career.

Layla and Hunter soon discover a mole inside the DEA has sold out the team's identity to the cartel. She must clear her name with the Agency and protect herself and her teammates from cartel retaliation. With threats on all sides, Layla must put her trust in Hunter--the man who broke her heart--and hope they both come out of it alive.




My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐


Layla, a CIA agent, is attacked and threatened and then becomes the subject of an IG investigation. Are the events connected? She ends up having to work with her ex-boyfriend, Hunter, who is now a PI. The relationship did not end well and as the story progresses Layla discovers that there is more to their breakup than she thought. It felt like there were three separate stories going on. I was fully invested in Izzy's case and mildly curious what was happening with Layla, but I didn't care at all about Zane and Cass. It felt like there was so much switching between each of the storylines and hard to find the connection that it was hard to stay invested in the story. Izzy's situation is what kept me in the book. I had been hoping to see Lexi from book one in this book.

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

 

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Monday, January 13, 2025

End Game by Rachel Dylan

Series: Capital Intrigue #1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Bethany House
Released: January 7, 2020
309 pages
About the Book:

When elite members of the military are murdered on the streets of Washington, DC, FBI Special Agent Bailey Ryan and NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostini must work together to bring the perpetrator to justice. Unfortunately, all evidence points to a Navy SEAL sniper whom Bailey refuses to believe is guilty.

When Bailey and Marco start to connect the dots between the victims, including a link to a powerful defense contractor, they wonder if there's a deeper cover-up at play. Then Bailey is targeted, and it becomes clear that someone is willing to kill to keep their dark secrets.

With the stakes getting higher by the moment in a twisted conspiracy, there's a rush against the clock to determine whom they can really trust. As allies turn to enemies, the biggest secret yet to be uncovered could be the end of all of them.




My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐


The murder of a SEAL is connected to another murder which leads to Bailey (from the FBI) and Marco (from NCIS) working together to figure out who is responsible. The investigation leads them into danger and corrupt people. When another couple murders happen the clue start fitting together. Can they figure it out before they get hurt? In addition to Bailey and Marco's point of views, there are point of views from Lexi and Izzy. I was invested the most in Lexi and wish I could have spent more time with her instead of the others. This felt like I was watching an episode of NCIS. There were so many characters and agencies involved it was difficult to keep track of everyone.

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

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Sunday, January 12, 2025

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly

Genre: Historical Fiction 
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Released: April 5, 2022
320 pages
About the Book:

Based on the remarkable true story of the Carpathia—the one ship and her legendary captain who answered the distress call of the sinking Titanic.

Shortly after midnight on April 15, 1912, the captain of the Carpathia, Arthur Rostron, wakes to a distress signal from the Titanic, which has struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage. Though information is scarce, Rostron leaps into action, determined to answer the call for help. But the Carpathia is more than four hours away, and there are more questions than answers: Will his ship hold together if pushed to never-before-tested speeds? What if he also strikes an iceberg? And with the freezing temperatures, will there be any survivors by the time the Carpathia arrives?


Kate Connolly is a third-class passenger on Titanic, and she is among the last to receive instruction and help after it hits an iceberg. Despite the chaos of abandoning ship, Kate is able to board a lifeboat, though after seeing the Titanic sink into the abyss and hearing the cries from hundreds of people still in the water, she wonders if any rescue is even possible.


Told in alternating chapters from both Captain Rostron and Kate Connolly.



My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


I learned so much from this book. Even though it is a fictional retelling of the response of the ship Carpathia to the Titanic's distress call you could tell that the author did quite a bit of research into this event and the author's note at the end detailed this. Story is told through through alternating perspective's of the Carpathia's captain, Arthur, and a Titanic passenger, Kate. There are also various journal entries and newspaper articles interspersed throughout. I was captivated. I enjoyed how the captain tried to put the passengers first and gave credit to his crew, not himself. Highly recommend listening to the audiobook. 

(I borrowed a copy of this book through Audible; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

 

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Saturday, January 11, 2025

Downfall by Terri Blackstock

Series: Intervention #3
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Publisher: Zondervan 
Released: February 22, 2012
284 pages

About the Book:

A girl with a questionable past. An Alfred Hitchcock movie. And a plan for a double murder conspire for one explosive ride. Emily Covington has turned her life around after a drug addiction, but her family still has trouble trusting her. Though Emily has committed herself to a year-long treatment program and has been sober for almost a year beyond that, even her mother walks on eggshells around her, fearing she’ll relapse. After her behavior during her drug years, Emily realizes she has a lot to prove. When police discover a homemade bomb under Emily’s car, and she then learns the wife of one of her friends was murdered that same morning, she knows things are deadly serious. But who wants her dead? A conversation she had with two men, an Alfred Hitchcock movie, and a plan for a double murder all conspire for one explosive ride . . . and Emily is the only one who can identify the killer and save the life of the next potential victim. But will anyone believe her? As she frantically works to solve this ever more complicated puzzle and convince the authorities of the truth, Emily finds the focus of the investigation turned back on her. She’s played right into the killer’s hands . . . and he won’t stop until more lives are destroyed.



My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

4.5 rounded up to 5

I devoured this book and couldn't put it down. After getting to know these characters from books one and two, I was hopeful that with their move to another city, life would calm down a bit, but that's not the case. Emily is being targeted, and Lance is struggling to find friends at the new school. I enjoyed getting the pov of the villain and trying to guess who they were. I was hooked and needed to know how the villain would be stopped. Again, Lance was my favorite character in the book. He was always looking out for others and determined to do what he could to help. My only criticism would be is Emily and Lance were both a bit impulsive and should have talked to Kent or Barbara before acting a couple times but they were better at it in this book than in the previous two and they are still young. It was wonderful to see the change and growth of Emily throughout the series. I am pleased with the way the series wrapped up for the Covington family.
(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

 

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Friday, January 10, 2025

Vicious Cycle by Terri Blackstock

Series: Intervention #2
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Publisher: Zondervan
Released: February 15, 2011
322 pages

About the Book:

When fifteen-year-old Lance Covington finds an abandoned baby in the backseat of a car, he knows she’s the newborn daughter of a meth addict he’s been trying to help. But when police arrest him for kidnapping, Lance is thrust into a criminal world of baby trafficking and drug abuse. His mother, Barbara, looks for help from Kent Harlan—the man whom she secretly, reluctantly loves and who once helped rescue her daughter from a mess of her own. Kent flies to her aid and begins the impossible work of getting Lance out of trouble, protecting a baby who has no home, and finding help for a teenage mother hiding behind her lies. In this latest novel of suspense and family loyalty, bestselling author Terri Blackstock offers a harrowing look at drug addiction, human trafficking, and the devastating choices that can change lives forever.







My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐


Emily is on the road to recovery and about to be released form rehab. Lance is trying to help a friend and gets sucked into a very dangerous situation. This book shows the dangerous effects of drugs and the pull they have on a person. Jordan wants to do the right thing for the her baby, but her drug addiction is strong and struggles quite a bit. I liked that Lance wanted to help but I was scared for him being pulled into this dangerous situation. I liked that part of this was told through Emily's point of view as this allowed me to get better connected with her and see the changes she is trying to make even through her struggles. The world of drugs is a scary place. I think the decision Barbara makes at the end was the right one for the family.
(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

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