POINT BLANK PROTECTOR by Stephanie Newton

Tyler Clark is a DEA agent whose cover was blown. Now he has to see the police psychologist, Gracie VanDoren, and also figure out who he really is and what he wants to do. But he knows for sure he does not need a shrink. Gracie is a sweet and cheerful person and really wants to help Tyler integrate himself back into the 'real' world. He's not too happy about that but when Gracie receives several threats and he sees her fear is real he is compelled to be her protector.

I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in the Emerald Coast 911 Series but I have to say that this is my favorite so far. I liked everything about this story. I read it in a day because I could not put it down. It kept me turning pages as I journeyed with Tyler and Gracie down some pretty tough roads. The underlying theme of 'God being unchangeable even if our circumstances change' was played out very well. I liked that there was a sub-story going on between Matt and Lara (from Smoke Screen). That was fun. Tyler is Matt's brother. The author did a great job developing the characters so that I truly feel like I know these folks in the Sea Breeze community. If you enjoy Dee Henderson, Anne Patrick and Irene Hannon I would recommend not only Point Blank Protector but any of Stephanie Newton's books. Looking forward to the next adventure! A thank you goes to the author for sending a complimentary copy to me for my review.

MY FOOLISH HEART by Susan May Warren

No one from town knew Isadora Presley was the host of a radio talk show called My Foolish Heart (except her good friend Lucy). She would give callers advice on love, dating and finding the perfect mate. But she really didn't have any practice with any of those things, until a certain caller catches her attention. Caleb Knight comes to Deep Haven to fulfill his dream of being a coach. Having done a tour of duty in Iraq he now has a disability he wishes to keep hidden. His first meeting with his neighbor, Issy, is not at all a good experience. So he calls in to Miss Foolish Heart's show for advice. There's an attraction through the radio. But Issy and Caleb soon find themselves becoming friendly with one another. Is it like Miss Foolish Heart says..."your perfect love just might be right next door???"

When I started reading My Foolish Heart I was thinking that this is a cute story but as I continued to read I realized there was a whole lot more to it. This story reached so many emotional areas. It covered PTSD, guilt, shame, forgiveness, faith, disabilities and more. It really had 2 story lines going on which I really enjoyed. You have the relationship between Issy and Caleb but you also have something between Lucy and Seb. I thoroughly enjoyed watching these characters grow and change and as they did it encouraged me as well. They had some difficult things to tackle and it made me reflect how I might behave in that situation. Though this story dealt with emotional issues there was splashes of humor right where you needed them. Faith and trust in God was the the underlying theme but it wasn't shown as an instant fix. It was shown in a very real and tangible way. I enjoyed returning to Deep Haven again. See some familiar faces and meeting some new ones. Although it's part of the Deep Haven Series you could easily read it as stand alone. If you enjoy a really good story with a great spiritual message then I recommend My Foolish Heart. A thank you goes to Tyndale for providing this complementary copy for my review.

A COWBOY'S TOUCH by Denise Hunter

A Cowboy's Touch was simply a delightful tale. I enjoyed every minute of the journey. Abigail Jones was stressed and it was affecting her health. So her mother suggests that she go check on the health of her great aunt who lives in Moose Creek, Montana and at the same time take a much needed rest. There she meets Wade Ryan, a single dad in need of a nanny for the summer. Abigail is taken with Maddy (Wade's daughter) right away and agrees. She also finds herself attracted to Wade. Wade has no intention of getting involved but he sees how Maddy has bloomed since Abigail's been there and how he enjoys her company and sense of humor. Abby is finding her faith again and discovering she's not really wanting the summer to end. Abigail is keeping a secret though. When the secret finally comes out, will it drive away the one person she finally feels at home with?

I REALLY liked this story. It drew me in from the beginning and held me there until the end. I loved all the characters and felt they were very well drawn. Very life-like. I thoroughly enjoyed Abigail and loved her sense-of-humor. I found myself laughing out loud in several places because of the things she said. I also loved her down-to-earth quality. Wade was an awesome hero. His sweet & tender ways could make ya swoon! The interaction between him and Abby was terrific. Maddy will easily win your heart. She won mine! This was just an all-around feel good kind of story but it also addressed the issues of guilt, finding the Lord and forgiveness. Denise Hunter does stories of the heart SO well! I really didn't want the story to end but I LOVE the ending!!!! I highly recommend A Cowboy's Touch. A thank you goes to Booksneeze for providing me with the complimentary copy for my review.

SURRENDER THE NIGHT by MaryLu Tyndall

Rose McGuire lived in fear because of the things that had happened to her. After losing her parents and being attacked she is now living with her aunt and uncle. During the War of 1812 when the British soldiers invade Baltimore, Rose finds herself alone on her family farm when a heartless lieutenant finds her and begins to assault her. Enter British Lieutenant Alexander Reed who saves her from her fate but finds himself shot in the process as well as killing his commanding officer. Though Rose hates the British for all the things they've done she shows mercy to Alex by hiding him and tending his wound. Should she be found out her whole family could be executed. Slowly she begins to see that Alex is not like the rest of the British soldiers. He stirs something inside her like no one ever has. She seems to feel safe when she's around him. Rose has a suitor though who wants her land and her and will stop at nothing to gain what he wants. What will happen if he should find out that she's helping the enemy?

Surrender the Night is one of those stories that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let you go until you turn the last page. MaryLu does a fantastic job of bringing history to life. She made me feel like I was right there in the midst of war asking myself the whole time, "How would I have handled that?". I really liked our lead couple. I could easily relate to Rose. Alex was an excellent hero. You really felt the anxiety in both Alex and Rose as they each dealt with many emotions. I love what I felt was the theme of the story which was 'nothing is impossible with God'. We see the characters struggle with the same issues we struggle with today. Trusting God with what seems to be impossible. It was also great to see Noah and Marianne again as well as Luke Heaton and some other favorites from Surrender the Heart. I highly recommend Surrender the Night. Looking forward to Surrender the Dawn. Great job as always MaryLu! A thank you goes to the author for providing me this copy for my review in exchange for my honest opinion.

BEYOND EVER AFTER by Carie Lawson

Haven McCord Castlin has loved Brody Castlin since she was seven years old. But marriage didn't turn out to be what she'd hoped for. It seems like all they ever do is fight. The closeness and friendship they once shared has disappeared. Feeling the need to get away she asks Brody if she can go to the African Mission. Her brothers, Case and Zane have told Brody of the dangers there so he offers her a summer truce and says he'll go with her to make sure she's safe. Brody loves Haven but doesn't know how to make her happy. He feels undeserving of her love and knows her family would always resent him. He thinks the only way to truly make her happy would be to set her free. What they find in Africa is more than what they expected. Each of them learn and grow as they work together but will it be enough to cover past hurts? Will they find the strength to fight for true love?

Beyond Ever After is one of those stories that continues to linger in your mind long after you close the book. It was hard to put down and I found myself thinking about the story until I could pick it up again. We have witnessed Haven and Brody's relationship in Beyond Africa and Beyond Summer and I was very curious as to why their marriage was the way it was. Why Brody seemed so distant from her family. This story is Brody and Haven's journey. My heart hurt for our lead couple as we find out their history of mistakes and bad decisions. What a toll that takes on a relationship. One thing I really respected about Brody was that, for all the mistakes, he was man enough to take responsibility for what he'd done. You could understand why Haven was an emotional mess. Brody was hard to read sometimes. I loved watching Brody and Haven in Africa as they learned to work in together and hold their tongues. The Lord was working in each of them. I must say this author wrote such a clear description of the African orphanage that I could see the children's faces, feel the rain and heat on my skin and see the beauty as they walked the jungle paths. I enjoyed catching up with Case & Lilly, Zane and Carly and of course Preston and Grace. The McCords are such a great family. I have to say I absolutely loved the ending! BIG SIGH! If you have never read a Carie Lawson book you are missing out! I would HIGHLY recommend Beyond Ever After! But to really get the most out of this story I recommend you read this series in order. Awesome job, Carie! Can't wait for Beyond Baseball! A thank you goes to this author for providing me with this complimentary copy for my review!

NO SAFE HAVEN by Kimberley and Kayla R. Woodhouse

The two words that come to mind when I think of No Safe Haven is "Totally Awesome". This mother/daughter duo has delivered a heart-pounding adventure, loaded with memorable characters, edge of your seat suspense and sweet romance. It's a tale that will stay with you long after your close the book.

Jenna and her daughter Andie are trying to move on with their life. It has been a year since Marc was killed. Andie, who has always suffered from a rare nerve disorder, just got good news from the doctor. While flying back home their pilot sabotages their private plane and they crash into a high part of a remote mountain in Alaska. Cole Maddox was on the plane because of a promise he made to Marc. He needs to keep Jenna and Andie safe but they're having a hard time trusting him. To make matters worse a snow storm is brewing and headed their way.

I've got to say this story kept me flipping pages from beginning to end. I really didn't get anything done because each page held me spellbound. You become totally involved from the very first page. The characters were so well drawn and the dialog was superb. One thing that I really enjoyed was Andie's simple faith and the way that it affected everyone she was around. It was so uplifting and encouraging. I loved the tension between Cole and Jenna. It just felt tangible to me. The description of the mountain and the snow storm was so good that it made me shiver. I also like the way the story was layed out with the date/time and thoughts of each character. Reading about how the rare nerve disorder affects daily living was very thought provoking. I highly recommend No Safe Haven. I look forward to Race Against Time. Great Job Kimberley and Kayla!!! A thank you goes to LibraryThing for providing this complementary copy for my review.

THE PRAIRIE PRINCE by Marcia Lynn McClure

Katie Matthews had a difficult life. Her father is harsh to her and her mother to the point of abuse when he's been drinking. She survives by running to a particular place on her father's property where she can daydream and feel at peace. She's devastated when her father sells it off. Soon though she meets the new owner, Stover Steele. They are drawn to each other right away but Stover thinks she's a little young and he still has his three little sisters to raise and Katie believes that someone like Stover would never be interested in her. Stover finds himself, however, coming to Katie's rescue quite a few times. He sees her gentle spirit and it angers him at how harsh her father is with her. Will Stover and Katie have the chance to find true love or will fear and danger find them first?

This was a really great romantic read. Katie was such a sweet girl and you truly felt bad for her and her mother having to live with such a harsh and loveless man. One thing I thoroughly enjoyed about this story was Stover's three little sisters. They were so active and always getting into innocent trouble. It just made me smile wide! I also loved the secondary story between Stover's sister Piller and Katie's brother Jared. It's almost like having two stories in one. Hillary was a girl in the story who was trying to win the attention of Stover away from Katie by not be honest. I really appreciated that Stover saw right through her antics. Many times a 'smart' hero will fall for the lies and that makes me frustrated. There was a big gasp at the end right before a big sigh! If you're looking for a total 'get away from your troubles' type read then try The Prairie Prince. It comes complete with lots of great kissing scenes and a shirtless hero nicely tucked inside a very clean romance. Who could ask for more?