"Safe Friends" by Laura Lond

About this book:

  “She is under a vow to never marry. He is engaged. Knowing that, they can be friends, without assumptions or rumors… Can’t they?
    Maristella Westen would have been the star of every ball with no shortage of suitors, but she has a secret, something that is only known to her and her parents. The secret makes marriage impossible. To avoid inspiring false hopes in young men, as well as forming an unwanted attachment herself, Maristella keeps away from social gatherings. Used to solitude, she finds joy in simple pleasures like reading, taking walks in the garden, riding her horse, and occasionally fishing — something her strict parents frown upon.
    When the wealthy Lord Shelberton comes for a visit, bringing with him his three sons, Maristella is told to stay away. This time, she is not even allowed to meet the visitors. However, the lord’s eldest son happens to bump into her in the garden. Described as “impossibly handsome” by Maristella’s sister, Kalvistan is engaged to be married, so he would be “safe”, Maristella safe from falling for her. She should be safe as well, knowing that he is pledged to another. Kalvistan seems to share the sentiment. Having been promptly informed that Maristella is under a vow not to marry, he sees nothing wrong with becoming good friends with her and enjoying each other’s company.
     Will the friendship last? Is it as safe as they think? And why does the mysterious fountain that seems to favor some people pick Maristella and Kalvistan?”


Series: Part of the “Love Stories of Elves, Merfolk, and Men” series. I could not tell if it is connected to the other books in the series.


Spiritual Content- Prayers; Praising & Thanking God; Most ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Many mentions of nuns, monks, monasteries, serving God, & vows; Mentions of God & His will; Mentions of prayers & answered prayers; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; A couple mentions of faiths; 
             *Note: While there is no “magic” shown or mentioned in this book, there are mentions of merfolk & legends about them; *Major Spoilers* At the end, it is revealed that there are people who marry merfolk and when they are married, one transforms to match the other (such as a human turns into a merfolk and a merfolk would turn into a human); The children of such unions sometimes become humans who have scales (called a “Elmion”) & can only have biological children with others like them *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of a fountain that has legends about granting wishes or giving blessings (and appears to grant them; *Major Spoiler* It is actually connected to merfolk and seems to grant the wishes of those connected to the merfolk *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of luck & being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Some eye rolling; A few lies & secrets (including Maristella keeping a few secrets from her parents about her friendship with Kalvistan); Self-defense, Seeing a fight, & Injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths (including from a shipwreck; for parents); Mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of the possibility of being robbed or kidnapped; A few mentions of injuries & blood/bleeding; A few mentions of taverns (no alcohol is mentioned); A couple mentions of wanting to murder someone who harmed another; A couple mentions of a drunk; A couple mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of hatred; A couple mentions of possible disobedience to one’s parents (due to a secret); A mention of gambling; 
             *Note: Mentions of a character’s “deformity” (*Major Spoiler* Which is actually due to the character’s biological parents and a well-kept secret involving one parent being a merfolk *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of things being “unfair” (based on one’s gender and what is considered to be proper).
 
 
Sexual Content- a hand kiss; A few touches, embraces, flutters, & nearness (not considered cheating; barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Some noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Maristella feels like Kalvistan is a “safe friend” as she has a vow not to marry and he is engaged to another woman; After being friends, she starts to fall for him, but tries to ignore those feelings as she believe they will go away (she tells no one about them and treats him the same as before); *Major Spoilers* Maristella is told that Kalvistan is in an arranged marriage and does not love the young woman (this is not said by him, but by a family member); Maristella is concerned that she could be viewed as a threat to Kalvistan’s marriage and no longer feels like he is a “safe friend” because of it; Kalvistan’s father tells Maristella that he arranged Kalvistan’s engagement because the young woman said she fell for Kalvistan, but when she found out he couldn’t have children and wouldn’t inherit a title, she wanted to cancel their wedding; Kalvistan’s father has paid the young woman’s family to keep the engagement, but Kalvistan does not know this detail; Kalvistan does not act on his feelings for Maristella until he finds out the truth from his father; He plans to go to the young woman and confirm she wants to break the engagement, but has not by the time he confesses to Maristella (it’s implied his father will pay the young woman’s family to break the engagement) *End of Spoilers*; Maristella’s sister teases her about a married man staring at her (which makes Maristella uncomfortable); Mentions of a young woman being after a man who is engaged (he pays her no attention); Mentions of flirting & blushes; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of broken hearts; Mentions of handsome men; A couple mentions of young men physically fighting over a young woman; A mention of a woman possibly being violated; Very light love, falling in love, trying to ignore those feelings, & the emotions;
             *Note: Maristella has made a vow not to marry, but only her parents know why (*Spoilers* Because of the vow, she does not plan to get married or have children; *Major Spoilers* This is because of a “deformity” she has that is actually connected to her biological parents *End of Spoilers*); Maristella goes swimming in a lake in her chemise and is seen by a man (not sexual and no details); Mentions of women’s figures; Mentions of a side character wearing low-cut gowns and receiving attention from young men because of it (it’s said that her dress’ neckline could be called a “breast-line” instead because of how much it reveals; Other women show dislike for the young woman’s clothing and actions; It’s noted that two married men do not pay attention to the woman & that the mothers of the young men paying her attention receive veiled lectures and punishments); A few mentions of being unable to have biological children.
 
-Maristella Westen
                                P.O.V. mostly of Maristella, but also of her sister a few times 
                                                        135 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This ended up being a bit different than I was expecting! Our main character, Maristella, was such a good and decent girl, so because of her, I enjoyed this story. I was really impressed with Maristella’s answers and thoughtfulness—she had a very good head on her shoulders and handled things well. She was diplomatic, but also sincere at the same time, but made her an interesting character and one I enjoyed reading. 

 

When the author first contacted me about possibly reviewing this book, I was I concerned about the possibility of emotional cheating in this story—because Maristella’s new male friend is engaged to another woman—but the author let me know some details and after reading the whole book, I can say there technically wasn’t and their friendship was handled very carefully. We do not get his POV, which makes a big difference in that regard, but they are truly friends first. Maristella starts to have some romantic feelings for him towards the end, but she does her best to nip it in the bud and ask questions about his fiancée. I would have liked a couple changes at the end regarding this, but it was decent enough. *Spoilers* I would have preferred to have Kalvistan to go the young woman he is engaged to and break the engagement liked he planned rather than him taking his father’s word that it can be canceled and going ahead and confessing his feelings for Maristella. It’s a slight difference, but I think that would have removed any possible angle of cheating because he was technically still engaged to the other woman when he confesses to Maristella. He didn’t love the other woman and she didn’t truly love him, so it worked out for Kalvistan and Maristella to be together, but having it be a little clearer in that regard would have been better, in my opinion. *End of Spoiler*.

 

There were a few formatting elements and typos that caught by eye, but nothing major that distracted me from the story. Because Maristella is often kept at home during this book, there is a lot of telling what has happened—usually by her two sisters. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the events on-page, rather than just being told about it, but it made sense for Maristella’s situation.

 

This book was very clean, but I’m still going to suggest ages 14+ for it due to mentions of a side character wearing low-cut gowns and flaunting herself to different men. It’s definitely shown as distasteful, but she still does receive attention from most of those men that encourages her actions and lack of clothing in the neckline area. 

 

I was really enjoying this book until some parts at the end; I had honestly forgotten that there were mermaids/merfolk in this world besides a couple comments about them at the beginning, so the ending caught me by surprise with more mentions of them and them apparently being real. I thought it was just talk/rumors. It wasn’t my favorite element as the rest of the book and world’s setting felt like just a medieval, non-magical fantasy book. Honestly, though, there was an “and they lived happily ever after” vibe to the ending to this story that I want for all my fictional couples, so I can’t complain. 😉

 

 

See y’all on Wednesday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Author for this honest review.

"Of Knives and Nobility" by E.G. Bella

About this book:

  “He’s determined to rescue her. She knows it’s impossible.
    Two years after the invasion that ended his betrothal to the Cabranian princess, Prince Fenrick of Pethaylia watches his younger brother marry and longs for love of his own. When the borders between Pethaylia and Cabrana finally reopen, whispers circulate of the beautiful princess still awaiting a victorious suitor, and Fenrick resolves to try once more for her hand. Surely The Tests can’t be as difficult as rumors claim.
    Still grieving the unexpected loss of her father, Princess Ellina of Cabrana is a captive in her own home. Resolved not to soften her heart to any of the suitors who attempt her mother’s corrupt tests, she wants nothing to do with the eager prince from Pethaylia. He’ll fail and leave her again, like everyone else. Perhaps it’s better that way.
    As Fenrick fights to earn her favor, he realizes that failing at The Tests will lose more than her hand, but her hope as well. His efforts and unending kindness light a spark in Ellina’s chest, but how can anyone overcome the queen’s deception? As stakes rise and lies twist, more than their own happily-ever-afters hang in the balance.”


Series: Part of the “Twist of Tales” multi-authored series, but is not connected to any other books.


Spiritual Content- Prayers; Talks about God, loyalty to Him, & trusting Him; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; When she doubts it, Fenrick tells Ellina that God is always with them and to trust Him; Mentions of God & loyalty to Him; Mentions of prayers & praying; A couple mentions of a minister; 
             *Note: Mentions of luck & being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Some lies (mostly done to protect others; guilt is felt after saying some of them); Some eye rolling; Fighting, Holding someone at knife-point (x2), Being beaten and tied-up, Injuries, Pain, & Being knocked unconscious (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Being grabbed & locked in a room (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing fights & others knocked unconscious (barely-above-not-detailed); Grief (Ellina for her father, barely-above-not-detailed); Fenrick is ordered to kill others (thieves and someone who committed treason) as part of the test, *Spoilers* but does not as he does not want to murder innocent men; He finds a loophole in the first task; In the second order, he is tempted for Ellina’s sake, but cannot do it and asks God to forgive him for thinking about doing it *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of murders, orders to murder, possible murders, & a body being washed ashore; Mentions of deaths & grieving (Ellina for her late father & her mother’s mistreatment); Mentions of a plague, deaths, & countries closing their borders because of it; Mentions of possible deaths, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of threats of harm & death; Mentions of jail, arrests, & possible hangings; Mentions of thieves & stealing; Mentions of flooding & damages to homes; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of manipulation (from a parent); A few mentions of invasions/wars; A few mentions of kidnappings & ransoms; A mention of an assassin; A mention of hatred; A mention of a rumor; 
             *Note: Ellina’s mother is very controlling and manipulative towards her, which is shown by her belittling Ellina (on both her appearance and implying Ellina isn’t smart), not allowing Ellina to leave the castle, having Ellina locked in her room, ordering guards to grab and closely watch Ellina, & Ellina is malnourished from a lack of food; *Spoilers* Fenrick and others help Ellina escape the castle for an afternoon (she’s very concerned that her mother will find out); Fenrick gives Ellina a knife to protect herself from her mother and *Major Spoilers* at the end, Ellina uses it against her mother; Her mother tries to manipulate her again by apologizing (not sincerely), but Fenrick tells Ellina to not listen to her; The queen is grabbed by guards and it’s said there will be a trial for her actions *End of Spoilers*.
 
 
Sexual Content- A head kiss; Some touches, hand holding, embraces, nearness, & blushes (barely-above-not-detailed); A bit of noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Fenrick tells someone that true love should “never cause you to abandon goodness” and it “allows both parties to challenge one another, to grow together, to become stronger through life’s tests”; A few mentions of crushes & being smitten; A couple mentions of a couple kissing at a wedding; Light love, falling in love, & the emotions; 
             *Note: Ellina and Fenrick secretly meet in a room with that has a bed in it, but nothing sexual happens; Ellina’s mother criticizes Ellina’s figure when she is eating (a couple times).
 
-Ellina Thorell
-Fenrick Norlander
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        177 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was overall a sweet story! There was a sad undertone because of Ellina’s mother’s actions and cruelty toward her daughter, but the main characters/couple were wonderful. Fenrick was a sweetheart! He had such a kind demeanor and heart, especially towards Ellina which was much needed after years of manipulation and never receiving love from her mother. I saw that the author called Fenrick a “morally admirable hero” on her website and I don’t think I’ve ever loved an idea more—and now I need more Male Main Characters like him who can be described that way!

 

This non-magical fairytale retelling was a gender-switched version of ‘The Princess and the Pea’—instead of her going through tests including a bad night of sleep to become a princess, it was him going through tests to win her hand and heart—but also had elements of ‘Rapunzel’ with Ellina’s mother keeping her locked up in a tower (her name wasn’t Gothel, but her actions were pretty close!) and also had some parts that reminded me of ‘Snow White’. It’s wasn’t a full retelling of any of them, though it had bits and pieces of those three in a very unique way. Our main couple is really what sold me on this book because I greatly enjoyed both of them and their hearts. There was unexpected humor that caught me off guard and caused me to laugh out loud—the knee popping scene especially! I wished the ending had been a little longer, but was overall pleased by the ending and seeing our Ellina being positively influenced by Fenrick to have courage and loyalty to God. I particularly liked their prayers for the Lord to give them strength in hard moments and appreciate the amount of faith content in this story. I honestly hope there will be another book set in this world so I can see glimpses of Ellina and Fenrick again!

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"Decree" by Tricia Mingerink

 This review has spoilers for the prior books in the series, please read with caution.

 

About this book:
  “The Adventure Continues.
    Discover more of The Blades of Acktar in this collection of novellas and short stories.
    The Blades as They Should’ve Been
    A test and the Gathering of Nobles will decide Leith and Martyn’s futures. Can they fight to become more than the Blades they were? Will Keevan accept the man who attempted to kill him as family?
    The First Mission
    When Martyn visits Surgis, his past seems determined to haunt him. Can he figure out how to forgive, especially when confronted with an enemy in need of his help?
    To the Far Great Mountains
    A death sends Leith and Martyn far beyond the borders of Acktar. Will they be able to arrest their quarry before they are caught themselves?
    From the story of how Leith and Martyn met to Ranson’s search for a life outside of the Blades, these stories will answer plaguing questions and expand the world of Acktar in this fifth and final book in the series!”


Series: Book #5 in the “Blades of Acktar” series. Reviews of Book #1 Here, Book #2 Here, Book #3 Here, Book #3.5 Here, and Book #4 Here!


Spiritual Content- Psalm 78:72 & Psalm 119:67 and 71 at the beginning; Prayers & Blessings over food; Witnessing & telling about someone from the Bible; Talks about God, trusting Him, His will, & faiths; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; A young Martyn doesn’t think God is listening to his prayers; An older Martyn wonders why something bad/cruel had to happen, but someone talks to him about the good things that have come out of the years of hardships; Mentions of God, Jesus, His grace, trusting Him, faiths, & forgiveness; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of churches, church going, & ministers; Mentions of Christians; Mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of Christians being executed for their faiths; A couple mentions of a cross necklace; A mention of being blessed; 
             *Note: A cruel minister kicks a child out of his church; Mentions of evil in the world; A mention of being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dashed’, a ‘shoot’, an unfinished ‘what the—‘, and two ‘blasted’s; Mentions of curses (none are not written out & some are treated with soap after being said); A couple lies; Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Eavesdropping; Fighting, Stabbing, Knocking others unconscious, Being attacked and beaten, Being held at knife-point, Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Guilt from killing (in self-defense and in war, up to semi-detailed); Imagining someone being killed by a slit throat (including a baby, barely-above-not-detailed); In one of the short stories, a young Martyn is abandoned by his parents at a church (*Spoilers* Martyn grew up believing that they chose his younger brother over him, however, his brother later shares that their parents were trying to give Martyn a chance of survival believing they would die soon, and when they survived, they went back for him, but were told that Martyn died *End of Spoilers*); Many mentions of fights, battles, beatings, torture, someone nearly being burned at the stake, slit throats and arrows in the throat, dead bodies, pain, injuries, blood/bleeding, & passing out; Many mentions of murders, assassinations, & assassins; Many mentions of criminals, thieves/bandits, stealing, & stolen items (including food to survive); Mentions of deaths & grief (including for parents, a wife for her husband, parents for their son, & parents for babies that were miscarried or stillborn); Mentions of executions & hangings (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of children watching their parent’s death (including by battles/wars and executions); Mentions of kidnappings & ransoms (including a little girl being kidnapped); Mentions of arrests & jails; Mentions of bullies; Mentions of taverns & alcohol; Mentions of lies, lying, Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of hatred; A few mentions of a father beating his wife and son; A few mentions of nightmares; A few mentions of eavesdropping; A couple mentions of possibly starving to death; A couple mentions of gambling; A couple mentions of throwing up; A mention of there not being much left to a body after wild animals got to it; A mention of an injured horse; A mention of manure; A mention of jealousy; 
             *Note: Mentions of miscarriages & stillbirths (and grief from the families).
 
 
Sexual Content A fingers-to-lips touch, nine cheek kisses, four forehead/hair kisses, an almost kiss, eight not-detailed kisses, and a barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss, touch, & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); A man tries to close Michelle in against a wall and hassles her (this causes her to have fear later when thinking about what could have happened); Michelle has a reputation of being a flirt, but in her novella, she’s turned away from being that way; *Spoiler* Michelle realizes that she’s gone too far in the opposite direction from her old self who flirted and flaunted by now dressing “in a way that was taking responsibility for the hearts of others” and can only control her own actions *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of couples sharing kisses; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of flirts & flirting; Mentions of crushes & “mushy” feelings for someone; A few mentions of men “having fun” with a woman (which does not happen) & leering at her; A mention of a man snatching a woman (Book #1, implied could have been sexual assault if it wasn’t stopped in time); Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions; 
             *Note: Michelle dresses in boxy dresses to hide her curves and stop accusations about her character; A few mentions of dresses hugging women’s figures; A mention of a teen boy’s voice changing (puberty).
 
-Leith Torren/Grayce
-Martyn Hamish
                                P.O.V. switches between them, Brandi, Keevan, Shadrach, Kayleigh, Michelle, Ranson, Annita, & Laurence
                                                        434 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Aww. The end of a series. It’s always bittersweet, but this one was mainly sweet with seeing the characters happy after everything they’ve been through in the previous books. 

 

To be fair, the novellas and short stories in this collection went back and forth between heartbreak and happiness. I think I nearly got whiplash over some of the differences. 😅😭 It was really good to see these characters and their found family continue moving forward with their futures. The past will haunts and hurts them, but they are doing their best to put one foot in front of the other and focus on having justice and God’s grace rule in the country. 

 

I have to say, this author writes the depth and struggle of forgiveness very well. It was apparent in some of the prior books of this series, but even more so in this collection with a few of the stories. 

 

I’m going to need every series to have a short story collection or bonus novellas about the characters being in love, happy, and with a growing family. It just makes my Found Family trope loving little heart sing in happiness. 🥰 This collection was a great end to the series! I would still say this series is better for older teens due to the violence in the first three books of the series especially, but I can get the love and hype for this series that so many of my book friends have for it.

 

 

See y’all on Wednesday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"Twilight Tactics" by Lynette Eason

About this book:

  “FBI agent Collin Sullivan arrives at Broken Chains Ranch with Ollie Callahan--a foster teen and sole witness to a mob hit. The ranch, started by Collin's cousin to provide a trauma recovery facility for veterans, should be a place he can keep Ollie safe until the trial. But what was meant as a peaceful haven becomes a battleground when armed attackers surround the property.
    Survival expert Elena Thompson teaches wilderness skills at the ranch and coaches Ollie in self-defense, but soon the series of attacks on the ranch escalates into a full siege. The question is, Who are the attackers after? Ollie, the young witness? Or Elena, with her mysterious past? Cut off from help by tech skills superior to their own, Collin and Elena fight to keep everyone alive as secrets and danger close in.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Soldiers in Shadows” series. 


Spiritual Content- A Scripture is quoted; Prayers & Thanking God and Jesus; A couple talks about God and His grace; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Ollie asks God why He hates her (because of her life), but isn’t sure He is real (nothing else is said about this or her having a change of thought about it); Mentions of God, Jesus, & trusting Him; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God and Jesus; A few mentions of God’s/divine intervention and peace; A couple mentions of believers; A mention of memorizing Bible verses; A mention of a godly man; A mention of a military chaplain (who is female); 
             *Note: Mentions of luck & being lucky; A mention of someone driving like the “devil himself” was after him; A mention of aliens.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blasted’, two ‘idiot’s, two ‘dumb’s, two ‘shut up’s, four ‘wimp’s, and fourteen ‘stupid’s; A mention of a curse (said, not written); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Car accidents and being ran off the road, Being shot at (also by drones and stun guns), Shooting at others, Being held at gun-point (multiple times), Gunfire, Explosions, Using a flash-bang, Stabbing someone, Being grabbed, Being attacked, Fighting in self-defense, Being chased, Being locked in a room (*Spoiler* and being “reeducation” in a cult which involves hearing people scream *End of Spoiler*), Being trapped in a partial cave-in, Being drugged, Injuries, Pain, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Seeing someone shot (barely-above-not-detailed); Helping someone who has been shot (with medical terms and items used, twice; up to semi-detailed); Elena grew up in a compound of preppers (that some call a cult due to the controlling mindset of the leader who was called “Papa”; *Major Spoilers* Her mother got her out when she was around age fourteen, but because her sister didn’t say she wanted to leave, the mother had to leave her in the group; The sister was punished for Elena escaping and since then has risen to the top of the group’s leadership; Elena’s sister, Iris, wants to kidnap her to get revenge on Elena and make her suffer; At the end, Iris goes to shoot Elena, but their father shoots Iris first to protect Elena and Iris is arrested *End of Spoilers*); Many mentions of murders, a teen girl witnessing a murder, a mafia/mob, killers, & hit men (including hit men planning to kidnap a young teen and kill her; up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of attacks, threats (including of killing), & violence; Mentions of deaths (including from murder, cancer, and natural deaths) & grief (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of wars; Mentions of people disappearing in a cult and never being seen again (some believe the people were killed); Mentions of weapons, guns being aimed at people and used to threaten, bullets, being shot and shot at, shooters, bombs/explosives, & flash-bangs (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of car accidents & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of someone being drugged & knocked unconscious; Mentions of injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of a ruptured appendix & pain from it; Mentions of “reeducation” in a cult (which includes torture and brainwashing in a cult through being locked in a jail, exposed to loud music, fluctuating temperatures, and being told to submit to the leader); Mentions of criminals; Mentions of hostages, kidnappings, & someone being threatened with a loved one being killed; Mentions of stealing, stolen medication, & possible thieves; Mentions of jails/prisons & arrests; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of hatred; A few mentions of being trapped an avalanche (Book .5); A few mentions of drug addicts; A few mentions of parents fighting (verbally); A few mentions of hunting and skinning animals; A couple mentions of alcohol & drunks; A couple mentions of cigarettes; A mention of serial killers; A mention of domestic violence; A mention of a stalker; A mention of a man possibly being a psychopath; A mention of blackmail; A mention of rumors; A mention of a tattoo; A mention of throwing up; 
             *Note: Elena almost has a panic attack (barely-above-not-detailed); Ollie has been in and out of the foster care system her whole life and longs to belong somewhere and be loved (also a couple mentions of some foster parents using the government money for alcohol rather than taking care of her); Ollie has Addison’s disease and takes medications for it; A couple scenes of main characters trying not to be claustrophobic in tight spaces; Sully has learned that because bad guys ignore the rules, he sometimes has to do the same or at least bend the rules to catch them; Mentions of PTSD (including veterans facing it and going to counseling for it); Mentions of brand names & items (Jell-O, Gatorade, & iPads); Mentions of fictional characters (Spiderman & Wonder Woman); A few mentions of car brands; A few mentions of counseling after traumatic events; A couple mentions of someone who was kidnapped needing therapy after being traumatized; A couple mentions of apps/websites (Google & the Food Fleet app); A couple mentions of TV Shows (America’s Got Talent, The Andy Griffith Show); A mention of a store (Costco). 
 
 
Sexual Content- Two head/forehead kisses, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, two border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses, and three semi-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, Flutters, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of kissing; A mention of a married couple sharing a kiss; A mention of mooning over someone; A mention of crush; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: When Elena is teaching Ollie self-defense, Ollie accidentally pulls Elena’s yoga pants down and it reveals that Elena is wearing Wonder Woman boy shorts underneath (this makes Ollie laugh; Sully sees a glimpse of Elena’s underwear and snickers, but it is not a sexual scene).
 
-Elena Thompson
-Collin “Sully” Sullivan, age 33
                                P.O.V. switches between them & Ollie
                                                        352 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was a different kind of romantic suspense! I’m not one for books featuring cults—they might not be serial killer creepy, but they’re creepy in other ways—so I was a little hesitant about this book when I found out the FMC had escaped from a cult upbringing. It definitely added a different dynamic to this book and the plot compared to most suspense books I’ve read. I can’t say I loved those parts or some of the ending regarding it (mainly about her sister) but it was still suspenseful and my heart was in my throat for most of the book anticipating the worst to come.

 

As far as things I liked: 

     - I really appreciate that both FMC and MMC had Christian faiths and it was naturally worked into the plot. Often times one character is mad at God and the other half of the main couple isn’t, so it was refreshing to have them both be believers. That said, I would have loved to see more discussions about their faiths with each other. 

     - The pacing was believable and well done with everything that was going on. I was shocked at how fast this book went by as I was reading it.

    - The romance was on the lighter side—partially because the couple had previous met*. The main focus was keeping everyone safe and alive, not their feelings, which I appreciated.

    - The scenes of FMC teaching self-defense to Ollie. There’s been too many female characters in romantic suspense books that don’t know about breaking out of someone’s grip via the break at the captor’s thumbs, so it was good to see it highlighted in this book for readers to learn. 

 

As a strange note, there’s a scene where Ollie accidentally pulls down Elena's yoga pants when they are practicing self-defense and her Wonder Woman boy short underwear is shown. Sully sees a glimpse of this happening and it’s laughed off, but while isn’t not sexual, I did think it was strange to have in a Christian Fiction book. 

 

*I didn’t know the novella by this author “Snowbound Secrets” (which was in the novella collection titled “Whiteout”) was a .5 for this series, so I wish I had read that story prior to picking up this book because it did feel a bit like I was missing certain information and backstories. Nothing too major, though, so I was able to follow along well enough. I assume that’s where Elena and Sully meet for the first time? Sparks have obviously flown prior to this book starting, which is a bit of a pro and con for me. Because of this, I felt more like I was jumping into the middle of a series than the first book.

 

This novel wasn’t super creepy or about a bunch of murders, so it’s one I think could work for older/High School aged teens interested in suspense books. It might have not been a new favorite, but I am interested in continuing the series as the books release.

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.