"Tracking a Killer" by Elizabeth Goddard

About this book:

  “Can an officer and her furry partner survive a killer and the wilderness?
   When Rocky Mountain K-9 officer Harlow Zane and her cadaver dog, Nell, join the search for a serial killer, the last thing she expects is that she’ll draw the killer’s obsessive attention. But her former academy rival, FBI Special Agent Wes Grey, notices she matches the victim profile. After another look-alike goes missing, they must work together to catch the criminal…before Harlow’s the next to disappear.”


Series: Part of the “Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit” mini-series under the “Love Inspired Suspense” line. It does mentions characters and events from other books in the series. 


Spiritual Content- 1 Peter 4:8 at the beginning (& mentioned in the author’s note at the end); Another Scripture is mentioned (about vengeance not being ours); Thanking God; Many prayers (the majority of the prayers are asking God for something or for Him to please do something); Harlow prays once to get past her resentment and anger towards Wes; Wes comments on sin and murder being the first crime against humanity; Mentions of God & prayers; A few mentions of God’s creation; A couple mentions of Christians & talking about one’s faith (Wes does this one Harlow finds it a nice surprise); A mention of a Bible.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘idiot’s and three ‘stupid’s; A mention of a curse (said, not written); Being attacked, Being hit with a shovel, Being drugged, Being held at knife-point, Being tied-up, nearly abducted, fighting back (self-defense), passing out, & PTSD from it when recalling those events (up to semi-detailed); Gunfire, Attacks, & shooting to kill someone and being successful (up to semi-detailed); Seeing someone being attacked & nearly abducted (twice, up to semi-detailed); Finding someone attacked (believed to dead and the person who found the other is distraught before realizing that the person is still breathing, up to semi-detailed); Murdered bodies are found (including recalling finding a murdered child, up to semi-detailed); Harlow is attacked and nearly abducted five times & recalls it (including via a nightmare, up to semi-detailed); Harlow wants to use herself as bait for the serial killer *Spoiler* and when they do use her for bait, her beagle is shot with a dart (but is fine as the killer says he doesn’t kill dogs), she is taken by the killer while being held at knife-point and tied-up; Harlow is afraid that she might actually die, but Wes comes and saves her *End of Spoiler*; *Spoiler* At the end, Wes is drugged and abducted by the serial killer to lure Harlow out and she’s afraid Wes was killed; She finds him and thinks he’s dead until she noticed that he’s breathing; The serial killer planned to kill him for being in the way; The serial killer also says that the other women wanted him to take them, which Harlow corrects that they didn’t (he’s not mentally stable, up to semi-detailed) *End of Spoiler*; As a child, Harlow *Spoiler* found the body of a murdered little girl in a house’s walls and it terrified her (the child went missing three decades before and was assumed to be murdered by a neighbor who was “fixated” on the girl; All parties involved are dead so there was no justice for the situation happened; up to semi-detailed) *End of Spoiler*Harlow & Wes have a history together prior to the book starting & there’s mentions of when they exploded at the other (verbally); All about many mentions of a killer/serial killer, the victims, the bodies, Harlow’s cadaver detection beagle finding the remains, the “scent of death”, abductions, & how the deaths happened (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a missing/kidnapped baby, a car fire, an unconscious woman, & another woman being killed in a supposed car accident (up to semi-detailed);  
 

Mentions of crimes, crime scenes, & criminals; Mentions of gunfire, being stabbed, knives, injuries, blood/bleeding, & a break-in (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of nightmares & screams (Harlow after the attempted abductions); A few mentions of someone being stalked/watched; A few mentions of prison; A couple mentions of hostage situations; A couple mentions of vandalism; A couple mentions of alcohol & a possible alcoholic; A couple mentions of rumors; A mention of someone trying to commit suicide; A mention of a possible baby smuggling ring; A mention of drugs; A mention of stuffed wildlife heads at a cabin; 
             *Note: The serial killer is called a psychopath & that his plans made “twisted sense” to him (It’s implied that the serial killer isn’t mentally stable); Mentions of Harlow going to therapy for a past event & it being required for her to go to a therapist/counseling after an event in this book (Wes thinks that he will probably go as well); Mentions of car brands; A few mentions of a mental rehab center; A couple mentions of many serial killers having “varying degrees of mental illness[es]” and are “often victims of abuse”; A couple mentions of a suspected serial killer spending his childhood going “from one foster home to another” and someone else adding that “plenty of people have those characteristics who aren’t killers, of course. They’re just struggling.”; A couple mentions of Wes’ mother having a stroke.
 
 
Sexual Content- A hand kiss, an almost kiss, a forehead kiss, two not-detailed kisses, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Remembering kisses (semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Cuddling after a traumatizing event, Hand holding, Heat, Electricity, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Remembering touches & embraces (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Staring (including muscles, up to semi-detailed); Harlow & Wes used to date years before the book starts; After Harlow is attacked for the second time, Wes stays with her in her cabin to protect her (he sleeps in a chair or another bed, but at one point does try not to stare at her sleeping form and fails; Later he thinks of it as playing house; barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of dating, a breakup, & exes; Love, falling in love, being in love, & the emotions.
 
-Harlow Zane
-Wes Grey
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        217 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

As a beagle mom, I was here for the beagle and the beagle only in this story. And really, that’s truly all I liked about this book, unfortunately.  

 

Harlow wasn’t the smartest law enforcement agent I’ve read about, that’s for sure. When she pulled over to change a flat tire in a place she knows the serial killer has recently been, she let her guard down. She has a gun but didn’t have it on her, so that part was a bit ridiculous. 

 

I thought it was also ridiculous that she felt like she had to prove herself on the team when she becomes a target of the possible serial killer—twice. Girl, your own safety is important too! She’s afraid that she’ll get kicked out of the group for her own protection and prays that it’s “not fair” to God. She acted like she was a teenager at times and it was very annoying. 

 

We’re constantly being told that she’s a trained police officer and a professional and can do her job, but, honestly, we haven’t seen much of that. Honestly, it would have made more sense if she wasn’t law enforcement and just a girl from his past with her dog because she never acted professional in her reactions. 

 

This book was 70% focused on their romance and their failed relationship and history, rather than the suspense of finding a killer. The romance parts were very dramatic and was incredibly distracting for their mission. 

 

We get teased a lot with their history with being told some of the details about the fallout but not the actual details of what happened. She actually knows the exact number of days since their blow up. (Eight years, five months, and ten days, to be exact.) 

 

There was also mentions of a young child being murdered that honestly just broke my heart. While it does unfortunately happen, it’s not something I’d like to ever read about without a heads up to be able to prepare myself the best I can about such a topic. 

 

I’m really bummed that this book was such a miss for me because the beagle on the cover and in the plot. I won’t recommend it for BFCG’s ages because of their romantic attraction, lack of faith moments, & the topic of a murdered child. 

 

 

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.

"Shadows at Dusk" by Elizabeth Goddard

About this book:

  “Montana Detective Trevor West is desperate to learn what happened to his sister, who went missing in Alaska over a year ago, leaving nothing but a few photographs as clues to her whereabouts. At the advice of Police Chief Autumn Long, Trevor enlists the help of an experienced bush pilot. If Carrie James can't help him find the places in the photographs, no one can.
   But Carrie has her own agenda. Grieving the death of her closest friend and the only person she could trust, Carrie will help Trevor find his sister on one condition--that he help her track down her friend's killer.
   As the two close in on the answers they crave, they'll face dangers and connections they could not have imagined. They'll have to learn to trust one another--and face the dark secrets of the past--if they are ever to discover the truth and bring a killer to justice.”


Series: Book #2 in the “Missing in Alaska” series. Review of Book #1 Here! 


Spiritual Content- Isaiah 43:2 at the beginning; A couple Scriptures are read & remembered; Bible reading; 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Prayers; Both Carrie & Trevor have a faith; Mentions of God & His creation; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of missionaries; A couple mentions of a Bible; 
             *Note: A mention of someone’s eyes having darkness and evil in them; A mention of a man looking evil.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blast’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘stupid’, a ‘wimp’, and nine forms of ‘idiot’; A mention of curses (said, not written); Sarcasm; Near death situations, A plane crash, Almost drowning, Being pushed out of a plane, Being attacked, Being abducted (and also attempted), Being held at gunpoint and knifepoint (and holding others at gunpoint), Being shot at, Shooting, Gunfire, Fighting, Knocking someone out, a Fire, Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Remembering and Nightmares of past events (semi-detailed); Seeing bodies & someone shot (up to semi-detailed); Trevor is trying to find his sister that went missing a year prior & tries to hang onto hope that she’s still alive *Major Spoiler* She was left to die in a cave by someone who didn’t want her snooping around their illegal activities *End of Spoiler*; Carrie comes across a beloved friend’s body (we see her rocking the body and her grief on-page as well as her remembering seeing it and imaging others ending up like his body, up to semi-detailed); Carrie helps someone who has signs of sepsis (up to semi-detailed); Trevor wants to knock out & punch a few bad guys (because of what they’ve done to those he cares about); *Spoiler* Towards the end, Carrie believes that Trevor might have died and cries/grieves for him, but doesn’t give up on finding him alive *End of Spoiler*; Many mentions of deaths, accidents, murders, murderers, bodies, & how the murders happened (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of criminals/fugitives, crime scenes, contraband items, thieves, stealing, threats, & whistleblowers; Many mentions of missing family members, deaths and their potential death, & grief (including Trevor for his missing sister, parents for a daughter, a woman for her sister, & a man for his wife); Many mentions of shooting, being shot at, being held at gunpoint and knifepoint, gunfire, being attacked, fighting, beatings, knocking others out, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of plane crashes, explosions, near deaths, & deaths (including a couple attempted murders, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of someone being pushed out of a plane & her recovery (attempted murder, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of radiation poisoning, hazardous waste, potential deaths from it, & explosions (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a fire & it being a trap (luring someone out/attempted murder); Mentions of the possibility of being murdered and buried & buried alive; Mentions of abductions & being a prisoner; Mentions of an abusive husband; Mentions of break-ins; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A few mentions of a car accident & death (*Spoiler* Trevor’s wife *End of Spoiler*); A few mentions of a stalker; A few mentions of arrests; A few mentions of cons & a conman; A few mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of wars; A couple mentions of drugs & being drugged; A couple mentions of rumors; 
             *Note: Mentions of car brands; A few mentions of celebrities (Tony Stark & Bear Grylls); A few mentions of brand names & items (iPad & Jell-O); A couple mentions of the phrase “time heals all wounds” (which upsets Trevor); A mention of a singer & song (“Only the Good Die Young” by Billy Joel).
 
 
Sexual Content- A cheek kiss, a forehead kiss, three semi-detailed kisses (one forced/unwanted), and a border-line semi-detailed // detailed kiss; Remembering kisses (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Electricity, & Warmth (including warmth for survival, up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of kisses, kissing, & nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of girlfriends/boyfriends, dating, & dates; Mentions of flirting; A few mentions of a wife cheating on her husband with his best friend (*Spoiler* Trevor’s wife *End of Spoiler*); A few mentions of jealousy; A mention of a man making a pass at a woman; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Carrie kicks a man in the groin in self-defense; A mention of an alpha male.
 
-Carrie James
-Trevor West
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        336 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Add a star for Older Teens interested in law enforcement and/or Alaska}

Like I said in my review of the first book of this series, Alaska wilderness stories aren’t really my thing. I’m not sure if it’s the wilderness aspect or the fact I’m not made for cold weather (or a mix of both), but despite those reasons, I wanted to try out this second book since I’ve enjoyed a couple other books by this author before. 

The verdict? Not bad, but it’s definitely a three-star book for me, personally. I did find some parts to be a quite sad, though, I think I’m extra sensitive to others’ grief, especially regarding siblings. The author kept the plot moving and action-packed, which helped the book not feel depressingly heavy. 

One thing I liked was that we see the big betrayal for Carrie that’s mentioned on the back cover in the prologue, so there’s no wondering or hinting about what it was—unlike the prior book of the series with Autumn’s backstory. Now, that said, we are told a bit of Trevor’s past and it’s a bomb that’s just dropped on the page and it didn’t really add much to the story, in my opinion. On the note of Trevor and Carrie, I wasn’t a big fan of the romance, but I’m learning that I’m picky nowadays with the romantic content in my romantic suspense books. At least there wasn’t too many horribly timed kisses like I’ve ranted about before for this genre! I thought it was funny to see Trevor even think about a dangerous time not being the time to kiss her and also the comments about how they’re interested in each other, but haven’t know each other for long and in stressful situations, which isn’t the best for starting out on a relationship with someone. It felt like poking fun at all the books that do do that, which I honestly found humous to see. 

Overall, this wasn’t bad and while it was suspenseful, it had a major lack of finding dead bodies or gore/blood, which I appreciate. It might not be a new favorite for me, but I can see Older Teens that enjoy suspense and are interested in Alaska-themed stories enjoy this one. 
 

 

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.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Revell) for this honest review.

"Cold Light of Day" by Elizabeth Goddard

About this book:

  “Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and even an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community.
   Grier is in Alaska for the same reason so many others are--to disappear--when Chief Long enlists his help. He emerges from the shadows and proves his mettle, but his presence in her life could be a deadly trap for them both. If his secret is exposed, all will be lost. And he's not sure even Autumn could save him.
   As the stakes rise and the dangers increase, Autumn and Grier must rely on each other to extinguish the deadly threats.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Missing in Alaska” series. 


Spiritual Content- Micah 6:8 at the beginning & read a few times in the story; A handful of Scriptures are read, remembered, & referenced; Prayers & Thanking God; Talks about God; 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, His purpose, & being in His hands; Mentions of prayers & praying; A few mentions of a man’s truck having “Jesus Saves” and other Christian phrases and symbols on it; A few mentions of blessings & being Blessed; A couple mentions of having faith; A couple mentions of Sunday school classes; A mention of God’s creation; A mention of a chapel & wanting to pray; A mention of a miracle; A mention of a godsend; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of a villain saying he attended the best Catholic schools & quoting “there is a season for everything”; A couple mentions of a witch hunt (the phrase, not literally); A mention of it seeming like someone has the “forces of the universe” against them.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blah, blah, blah’, a ‘blasted’, a ‘dumb’, three ‘stupid’, and five ‘idiot’s; Being tortured, pain, & wanting to die (waterboarding, up to semi-detailed); Almost being shot, Being abducted, Being held at gunpoint, Being attacked, Fighting, Gunfire, Pain, Blood/Bleeding, & Seeing others killed, shot, or almost shot (up to semi-detailed); Shooting & killing a criminal (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing murders & people being killed (semi-detailed); Seeing a car going over a railing (up to semi-detailed); Rescuing others from drowning (up to semi-detailed); Finding bodies (x4, all were affected by nature or animals) & figuring how what happened to them (semi-detailed); A mudslide (semi-detailed); An almost panic attack (barely-above-not-detailed); Autumn’s mother saved her from drowning & was never found (this is recalled by Autumn a couple times and she feels to blame for her mother’s death, *Spoiler* her mother is actually alive and faked her death *End of Spoiler*); Some eye rolling; All about many, many mentions of murders, murderers, bodies, how the murders happened, nature & animals affecting the bodies, seeing murders, seeing people shot, shooters, manhunts for criminals, seeing people held at gunpoint, gunfire, gunshots, blood/bleeding, injuries, pain, missing people, the possibility of being killed, drownings, near drownings, violence, crimes, crime scenes, & criminals; (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a possible suicide attempt; Mentions of beatings & torture (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of abductions & being drugged; Mentions of hostages & being held hostage; Mentions of avalanches, mudslides, people being killed in them, & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of fighting, fights, & attacks; Mentions of organized crime groups & trafficking rings (arms, drugs, & people); Mentions of money laundering; Mentions of threats; Mentions of prisons, jails, & arrests; Mentions of dirty cops & officials; Mentions of car accidents, injuries, & deaths (of someone’s parents); Mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, drunk driving/DUI, & a bar (including Autumn’s father falling into depression and alcoholism after traumatic events); Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of someone’s dog missing & possibly being hurt or dead (the dog is okay); A few mentions of wars (Vietnam & WWII); A few mentions of burglaries, robberies, & break-ins; A few mentions of bringing closure to families of missing people; A few mentions of grief (shown on the pages for a man with his nephew); A few mentions of hunters; A couple mentions of an explosion; A couple mentions of domestic violence; A couple mentions of parents fighting; A couple mentions of stolen cars; A couple mentions of bribes (to government officials); A couple mentions of hypothermia; A couple mentions of gossip; A mention of serial killings; A mention of embezzlement; A mention of eavesdropping; A mention of wounded wildlife; 
             *Note: Mentions of Bigfoot and Nantiinaq (& the town cryptozoologist talking about and trying to find him often); Mentions of car, gun, & camera brands; A few mentions of an iPad; A few mentions of fictional characters (Captain America & Steve Rogers). 
 
 
Sexual Content- Staring at someone’s lips (twice), an almost (semi-detailed) kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and three semi-detailed kiss; Recalling an kisses (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing & Staring (including Autumn staring a bit at Grier changing out of his diving suit, but looking away because it feels “inappropriate” to watch; barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of kisses & an almost kiss; A couple mentions of a man being obsessed with a woman because of her beauty; A couple mentions of blushes & winks; A mention of electricity when Autumn & Grier are in a room together; A mention of flirting; A mention of dating; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Autumn hits a man in “his most vulnerable parts”; A few mentions of a wife planning to leave her family for another man.
 
-Autumn Long, age 30
-Grier Brenner, mid-thirties 
                                P.O.V. switches between them & another (in the Prologue only)
                                                        352 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Not for those sensitive to murder or torture}

I’ve never been a fan of the “lost in the wilderness” trope (perhaps because that feels like camping and I am absolutely nota camping girl), so I was a little less than excited about this plot, but decided to give it a try because I recently read another trilogy by this author and enjoyed it. 

The setting of this book felt like another world. I’ll be honest and say that a lot of the Alaska and diving and areas/places and cold weather things didn’t always make sense to me so I was lost and had to reread quite a few parts. This book reminded me of something I already knew: I’m a Texas girl through and through, who likes hot weather. 

Besides those elements, I think my main struggle with this book is the fact that the reader is left out on knowing so much. His background, her family past. And when they finally tell or get told info, it gets cut off or the chapter ends without telling us anything but their reaction. I don’t like being left out in my suspense books. I want to be in the action and reveals with the main characters, right in the thick of it, but that’s definitely not how this book worked. I don’t feel like I got the answers I wanted until 70% in, so it was a struggle to stay interested in the plotline. I feel bad giving it a two-stars for my personal rating, but that means it was “okay” and that’s how I would describe my feeling for it.
 

 

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.

"Don't Keep Silent" by Elizabeth Goddard

About this book:

  “Justice comes easy for these two. But forgiveness? That's another matter altogether.
   Investigative reporter Rae Burke will do anything to find her missing sister-in-law, even if it means facing Liam McKade, a man who almost lost his life saving hers. A former DEA agent, Liam thought he could find peace at his Wyoming ranch, but he doesn't feel at home anywhere anymore. When the reporter who blew his cover on an important investigation inserts herself back into his life, he's less than thrilled. But Rae's keen investigative skills have led her down the right path--and directly into the dragon's mouth--leaving Liam no choice but to protect her. 
   As the danger increases, the past they both tried to flee catches up to them, along with the feelings they once had for each other . . .”


Series: Book #3 in the “Uncommon Justice” trilogy. Review of Book #1 Here! And Book #2 Here!


Spiritual Content- Proverbs 31:8-9 at the beginning; A Scripture is mentioned; Prayers; 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, Him opening doors, & trusting Him; Mentions of prayers & praying; A mention of devotionals; A mention of someone being a godsend; A mention of not knowing someone from Adam; A mention of thinking of someone as a martyr; A mention of Rae exposing sins in her writing; 
             *Note: Rae doesn’t understand why humans commit “such heinous acts against fellow humans” and thinks that she wouldn’t ask the creator of the universe why, because “there would be no way to comprehend his answer” (this is not mentioned or brought up again later); Mentions of evils in the world & a man being killed by them; A mention of someone wanting to escape the “living hell” he is currently in; A mention of someone’s demons; A mention of Rae idolizing her father.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘stinking’, a ‘sucker’, and two ‘stupid’s; A mention of curses (said, not written); Some Sarcasm; Pain (including emotional), Injuries, Seeing others shot (one killed), Being followed, Being ran-off the road, Being drugged, & being abducted (semi-detailed); Recalling a couple near-death experiences (up to semi-detailed); The prologue is set in the point of view of a woman running away from her abductors, being faced with the possibility of dying, & falling through an frozen pond (semi-detailed); Alan is emotionally distraught after this wife disappears and later thinks that while he isn’t violent, he would kill the man who took his wife away from him; Rae has a panic attack (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); All about many, many mentions of abductions, abductors, kidnappings, a missing woman, her possibly being dead, bodies, stalkers, being stalked, physical abuse, beatings, injuries, ransoms, blackmail, & threats (semi-detailed); All about many, many mentions of criminals, crimes, crime scenes, violence, money laundering, drug dealers, drug trafficking, human trafficking, trafficking rings, gangs, & prisons; Many mentions of murders, murderers, & how it happened (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of pain, blood/bleeding, injuries, bullets/gunfire, shootouts, being held at gunpoint, being shot, being left for the dead, being tied up and threatened, & near-death experiences (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of wars, battles, bombs, killings, & deaths (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of husbands and wives fighting & news stories of them killing each other; Mentions of a police officer thinking that Alan killed his wife & has her body somewhere (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a fire & death (of a loved one, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of being ran-off the road, falling down a mountainside, & attempted murders (semi-detailed); Mentions of break-ins, stealing, thieves, thefts, stolen items, & embezzling; Mentions of an alcoholic father, alcohol, drinking, drunks, drunk driving, & deaths; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars (including Alan lying to his daughter about where her mother is); A few mentions of capital punishment & innocent men dying; A couple mentions of a mother leaving her sons with her abusive husband (Liam’s mother); A couple mentions of grieving the loss of a loved one; A couple mentions of hiring a hit man & hits; A couple mentions of divorces; A couple mentions of abused horses & horse abusers (including the mention of a car resting on its side like an abused horse that wants to die); A couple mentions of hunters & hunting; A mention of an avalanche & death; A mention of children not deserving the loss of a parent (yet it happens every day); A mention of cigarettes; A mention of tattoos; 
             *Note: Rae & Liam both mention a few times about seeing some victims never getting justice because law enforcement can’t be everywhere & that people die and bad guys get away; Mentions of social media (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram); Mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of PTSD; A mention of an actor (Jason Statham); A mention of Barbie dolls. 
 
 
Sexual Content- A not-detailed kiss and two detailed kisses; Recalling a kiss (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Warmth, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Remembering touches & embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (up to semi-detailed); Noticing & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Winks; A ‘babe’ and a ‘baby’; Many mentions of sex trafficking, traffickers, Rae almost being trafficked while undercover, women being violently assaulted, & women in prisons being recruited for sex buyers (all that’s said on the details of such content is that it’s a “never-ending nightmare”, their clients being a part of an “exclusive high-mountain club”, a man “having his fun” with a woman, men paying for a tryst with a woman, that often times women were “used…then disposed of”, & a few hints of what could be happening to a woman (but nothing is actually said beside it being torture); Mentions of a possible affair/cheating and/or a wife leaving her husband; Mentions of kisses & kissing (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of a child being conceived in an assault; A few mentions of couples (married and dating) kissing; A few mentions of jealousy & possessiveness; A few mentions of dates & dating; A couple mentions of flirting; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
 
-Rae Burke
-Liam McKade, age 31
                      P.O.V. switches between them, Alan, & Prologue in someone else’s
                                                        368 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I’ve been really looking forward to finishing this trilogy after really enjoying the first and second book, but unfortunately, this third book wasn’t what I hoped it would be. 

I think it’s because of a few different reasons: 

1. I struggled with this book much more than I expected to. Is it because I’m struggling following the plot? Because Rae keeps making not the greatest choices? Because she feels super young in her reactions and thoughts? Because of the second chance romance that barely has any interest on his part? Hmm, I guess it could be all of the above.

 

2. It’s no secret that I’m not a big fan of the second chance romance/relationship trope and with this novel, we’re teased until halfway through were we finally get the full story on what exactly happened prior. 

 

3. We’re told so much in both the prior comment and then also at the end with the big reveal. When it comes to my suspense books, I incredibly dislike being told in conversations what happened and why the suspense elements of the plot played-out in a conversation. I want to see it happen on the pages, not be told in a lot of dialogue. So that was unfortunate about this book’s ending and knocked off a star in my personal rating.

 

As far as books that indirectly deal with human trafficking, it was probably one of the cleanest and there wasn’t too much other content outside of the typical suspense content (kidnappings, blood, gunfire, etc.). So, it wasn’t a bad read, just one I guess I had higher expectations of before reading.

 

 
 
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.

"Always Look Twice" by Elizabeth Goddard

About this book:

  “Justice Lies Just on the Other Side of Fear
     At the advice of her therapist, homicide survivor Harper Reynolds has traded her job as a crime scene photographer for a more peaceful life taking photographs of the natural world. But her hopes for a life surrounded by the serenity of the outdoors are dashed when she inadvertently captures a murder being committed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She flees the scene in fear--and loses the camera.
    Former Green Beret Heath McKade is a reserve deputy in an understaffed county who has been called in to protect Harper, a childhood friend he is surprised to see back in the area. When Harper learns that the sheriff's department can't find any evidence of the murder she witnessed, she is determined to do what she can to see that justice is done. What neither Harper nor Heath could know is how many explosive secrets from the past will be exposed--or how deeply they will fall for each other.”


Series: Book #2 in the “Uncommon Justice” trilogy. Review of Book #1 Here! 


Spiritual Content- Proverbs 18:10 at the beginning & also read, remembered, & quoted later in the story; Prayers & Thanking God; A few talks about God; 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Harper hasn’t prayed in a long time, but prays and wonders if God will hear her; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; A few mentions of faiths; A couple mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; A mention of a come-to-Jesus moment; A mention of a Sunday service; A mention of being a Good Samaritan; 
             *Note: A ‘for the love of Pete’ is said; A mention of the villain thinking that Providence is shining on him.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blast’, a ‘screw-up’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘suck it up’, five ‘stupid’s, and seven ‘idiot’s; Seeing a murder & the killer (and recalling it, all up to semi-detailed); Seeing someone else shot and killed & the blood (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Finding a body that seems to be suicide (up to semi-detailed); Recalling seeing a murder of a loved one (Harper with her father’s death, up to semi-detailed); Pain, Injuries, Stiches, & Blood/Bleeding (up to semi-detailed): Explosions, Bombs, Fires, & Being caught in and near all of these (semi-detailed); Being locked in a moving vehicle (possibly an abduction/murder in progress), jumping out, & injuries (semi-detailed); Being close to a grizzly bear (close call and thinking about possibly having to kill or harm it in self-defense, semi-detailed); The villain/killer’s point of view on why he murdered people (he says he had no choice because they saw something they shouldn’t have) & his plans to kill others (barely-above-not-detailed); *Major Spoiler* The villain wants to die in a bomb instead of from cancer, and does so *End of Major Spoiler*; Harper has PTSD (homicide survivor’s guilt) after a traumatic event as a child (seeing her father murdered) & her job as a crime scene photographer; Per her therapist’s suggestion, Harper is taking a year break from her job after working on a case that hits close to home for her & has triggered grief and depression; Harper and her sister have a couple conversations about their father’s murder & recalling harsh words said to each other; Heath feel like he is to blame for his mother’s death & his father become an angry monster after her death; All about many, many mentions of murders, witnessing a murder (it’s also said that the woman was being chased and hunted by the killer), murderers, shooters, the terror of such an event, violence, crimes, crime scenes, deaths, bodies, pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of bombs/explosions, bombers, terrorists, fires, smoke, & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a possible suicide & how it happened (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of car crashes, deaths, drinking, a drunk, possible drunk driving, injuries, seizures, & someone being in a coma; Mentions of having guilt after someone dies; Mentions of a mother leaving her (verbally and physically) abusive and drunk husband & leaving her young children with him (*Spoiler* Heath’s mother and when she came back to try again, there was a house fire and she was killed in it; Heath feels guilt about this because he begged her to come back home *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of being shot, psychological pain, weapons, gunfire, & screams; Mentions of injuries, stitches, passing out, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of missing people; Mentions of the Holocaust & an anti-government group that denies the Holocaust happened; Mentions of a stolen car; Mentions of hunting, hunters, & stuffed animal heads; Mentions of cancer, chemotherapy, & someone being near death (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Mentions of nightmares of past traumatic events (childhood traumas); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of outlaws & robbing a bank; A few mentions of arrests; A couple mentions of 9/11; A couple mentions of women who have been stalked, abused, or traumatized in some way having a look of fear on their faces; A couple mentions of threats; A couple mentions of a child being upset by her parents’ fighting; A couple mentions of abused animals; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a war zone; A mention of a DUI; A mention of drugs; A mention of prison time; A mention of a possible fight; A mention of possible insurance fraud; A mention of a divorce; A mention of animal droppings; 
             *Note: Mentions of car brands; A few mentions of brand names (Nikon & iPad); A couple mentions of someone being on medication for mild bipolar depression; A mention of the author Louis L’Amour; A mention of Wyatt Earp in Tombstone.
 
 
Sexual Content- Two cheek kisses, two forehead/head kisses, an almost (barely-above-not-detailed) kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, two semi-detailed kisses, and a border-line semi-detailed // detailed kiss; Recalling a kiss & an almost kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to kiss someone (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling; Wanting to touch & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing & Staring (including form-fitting jeans and curves, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of dating, dates, boyfriends, & girlfriends; Mentions of flirting, blushes, & winks; A few mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a guy being said to look gorgeous; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
 
-Harper Reynolds
-Heath McKade
                                P.O.V. switches between them, Liam (x3), & the villain (x5) 
                                                        367 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

After devouring the first book in this series, I’ve been eagerly awaiting to read this second book. Mainly because of Heath who we saw in “Never Let Go” and how he instantly intrigued me, but also because of Harper being a crime scene photographer. 

After finishing this novel, I’ll say that I found them both to be fine characters. They didn’t capture my attention like Willow and Austin from the prior book, but I still enjoyed reading their story. I thought it was really interesting, though, that Heath felt different from the first book. I think that may because of the difference in who is viewing him (his younger brother that looks up to him vs himself). With Harper and her job, I found the crime scene photography parts fascinating. There wasn’t as many parts of that aspect like I was expecting, but that’s because she’s been on leave for a year, after a hard case. Harper was actually harder for me to connect to because of her not wanting to accept help from others and her lack of reason about a possible villain, but other than that, she was fine and I thought the ending was different and wasn’t expecting how it would all go. 

I do wish there had been more faith content because there wasn’t much. My main negative, I suppose, would be that Heath and Harper both looked at themselves as “too broken” and not worthy of the other’s love, which I see so much Christian Romantic Suspense that I had to try hard not to be annoyed at them. I wanted them to get over it and lean on their faiths on those parts. Overall, this wasn’t a bad story, I was interested and stayed interested throughout the 300+ pages. I plan to continue the trilogy and read the last book, Liam’s story, soon. 

 

 

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.