Margaret Daley

Strongest whenever the setting took center stage, the descriptions of the heat in the everglades, the swampiness and the ominous question of what’s potentially lurking there, it made for an atmospheric reading experience.

As someone more drawn to romance than suspense, I wanted further exploration of Kyra and Michael’s relationship. Michael’s lifelong crush explained his instant attachment to Kyra, however, I didn’t really feel like I saw enough of Kyra falling in love with him. If show more anything, the way Michael continuously wanted to take over even though he’s a doctor and Kyra’s the one experienced in law enforcement and protection, I would have thought she’d be resistant to this guy, instead she’s just as into him as he is her without many scenes showing how or why that happened beyond the standard we’re surviving a dangerous situation together.

I liked that the dangerous situation had solid emotional stakes with Michael’s sister’s involvement and the chapters consistently ended on suspenseful notes. The thing is I’m not the biggest fan of action sequences and this story overflows with action sequences so this wasn’t really the right fit for me though it may be for readers who favor almost non-stop action. show less

This is a sadly frustrating novella.

Single mother Leah Taylor and small town doctor and mayor Shane O'Grady are both likable characters, and I wanted to like their story. And really, there's a fair amount to like. Leah works hard to protect her family, including cavalierly experimenting grandfather and her socially awkward, brilliant younger son, Joey. Shane became a doctor and came back to his home town of Shady Oaks because he cares about people and the town he grew up in. Shane's mom, show more also Dr. O'Grady, is a delight for those who want to see strong, intelligent, mature women in their fiction. Joie is a fairly convincing inconveniently bright child, not a cartoon, and his older brother Sam is believably both loyal to and frustrated by a brother he loves but doesn't entirely understand.

But.

I hate it when characters do stupid things for the sake of the plot. Leah and Shane meet initially because they both have dogs. Leah has an intact male beagle, while Shane has a female bichon frise who is in heat. Since the bichon was originally his wife's, and his wife has been dead for three years, the bichon is at least three years old. This isn't the first heat season that Shane has been through with her; it can't be.

It's just not believable that two intelligent adults, both of whom have had intact dogs for years, are so completely surprised and flummoxed by Arnold the beagle's "obsession" with Princess the bichon frise who is in heat, and her returning that interest. They both must have dealt with the problem before, and Shane in particular ought to have been highly motivated to figure out how to keep Princess isolated from male dogs he doesn't want her to mate with.

Yet several crucial events rely on the fact that this utterly predictable behavior is a complete surprise to both of them, and neither one has any idea what to do about it. They can't be this stupid, but they are, because the plot requires it.

The Bad Guy in the story, also, is a complete cartoon, a malicious idiot with no reason for his behavior except that he's stupid and malicious, and he carries unbelievable sway with people who have known him all his life and know what an idiot he is, right up until the plot requires them to come to their senses.

All in all, frustrating, and not worth the time I spent reading it.

I bought this book. show less

My concern with this plot is the same as it is with most Love Inspired Suspense books--the two main characters know each other for only a short time and in high-stakes circumstances before getting engaged (or married in some cases, though not in this book). In real life, I'm not sure that would be a good idea.

Add in that for part of the book, Kayden has amnesia and can't remember who she is . . . she doesn't even remember she's a twin!

I like Drake and his family. They seem like honest, show more loving people who do the right thing. show less

Kate Winslow is founder and operator of the Beacon of Hope School. A school that girls from the street can call home and be safe. When Rose (one of Kate's girls) goes missing Texas Ranger Wyatt Sheridan is sent to help find her. As Kate and Wyatt work together to find Rose they also find their feelings for one another beginning to grow. Frustrations mount though when every time they think they have a lead it turns out to be a dead-end. All clues point to a human trafficking ring but finding show more the leader is proving to be difficult. Then Kate is kidnapped. Wyatt will have to draw on every ounce of faith and investigative skills he has to find her.

Saving Hope is a well written, multi-layered, realistic story that tackled the very difficult subject of child trafficking. It stirs your anger that people could actually be that evil. This tale definitely kept me turning pages as I experienced tragedy and triumph with Kate and Wyatt. I felt like the characters were well drawn and had realistic reactions and responses to the situations they faced. The story had enough of a romance to please romance fans but I think this would also appeal to non-romance fans because the romance didn't overshadow the story. I believe the emotions and the thought process of teens (especially girls) was spot on. It showed how easily they can be deceived and how important it is as a parent to be involved with your kids. I liked the way things were handled. There was a spiritual thread running through the story but it was unobtrusive and felt very natural. I loved the twist at the end that I didn't see coming. To me that's a big plus. If you enjoy a good romantic suspense then try Saving Hope. This is book one in Men of the Texas Rangers series. Looking forward to the next installment. A thank you goes to Abingdon Press for providing this ARC for my review through Netgalley.
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press (March 2012)
ISBN-10: 1426714289
ISBN-13: 978-1426714283 show less