FIRE AND ASH by Anne Patrick

Sadie McGregor is a fire investigator. When a suspicious fire kills a college student in her hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri she is asked to return to investigate it. There she meets up with the handsome Sheriff Quinn Harrington. As they work together to discover the truth of what really happened they find a lot more than ever bargained for... both privately and professionally.

Anne Patrick has done it again! I loved this story! Fire and Ash is the perfect blend of mystery, suspense and romance. The chemistry of all the characters flowed so naturally and was so believable you felt by the end of the story that they were your very close friends. One thing I really appreciate about Anne's work is she writes about real people who have real problems. She shows you how they struggle with issues in their life but she also shows you how the Lord places certain people in your life at certain times for a certain purpose. I also like how Anne never really allows you to know who did it until the end. I always think I know the answer but then another clue pops up and it leads to another suspect. She always keeps you guessing. I highly recommend Fire and Ash! Great job Anne!!

FLASHPOINT by Stephanie Newton

Lara Hughes is a firefighter who would rather risk her life rushing into a burning building rather than risk her heart in a relationship. Her feelings of unworthiness go deep. Matt Clark is a firefighter and Lara's partner. He is developing strong feelings for Lara as he sees what a strong and caring woman she is, but she won't seem to give him a chance. As the two of them investigate suspicious fires that seem to be connected to a drug ring, they become targets. Will they be able to find out who is truly behind this activity before it's too late and will this change how Lara thinks?

After reading four books by this author I've come to believe that you are guaranteed a GREAT story! Her characters come to life and seem to be real people. She makes you care about them. I like that she's kept the characters from previous books interactive in the story but not in such a way that you would be lost if you picked up any book in the series. She did a great job addressing Lara's feelings of unworthiness. It was believable to me. I also liked how Matt kept gently showing her that everyone has a past but God is bigger than all of that. One thing that I really enjoy about this author's books is she has a lot of interactive dialog between the characters, which keeps you turning pages. I took a liking to Matt's brother Tyler and would love to hear more from him. If you like Dee Henderson, Irene Hannon or Lynette Eason you will definitely want to pick up all of Stephanie Newton's books. I highly recommend this story and am looking forward to "Christmas Target". A thank you goes to the author for sending me this book to review.

DARK ALLIANCE by Anne Patrick

Tara is a princess. She will soon marry and accept a duel ruler-ship with her father. But first, she wants to find her brother who was kidnapped when they were kids. Former CIA agent Alex Girard is perfect for the job. In guarding the princess and helping her he is also fulfilling a personal quest to avenge his father's death. Alex viewed Tara as a rich spoiled princess but as he spends time with her he quickly realizes how wrong he has been. The attraction is growing between them but a future isn't possible....or is it???

This was a good story by Anne. She always portrays great strength and character in her heroes and heroines. This story was no exception. I was enthralled from the beginning to its satisfying conclusion. Once again she keeps you guessing as to who the culprit is until the end, with lots of twists and turns along the way. I thought I had it figured out a couple of times but found I was wrong. I would like to mention that although it was a great story it would not be considered "Christian Fiction" due to some of the language used. Despite that, there was a message of love and forgiveness.