Roxanne Rustand

Filled with mystery, romance, & adventure, the Danger in the Shadows collection starts off with a bang & doesn’t let go! Each story is unique & carries a beautiful faith thread woven throughout. I’ve read several of these amazing stories & especially loved Haunting of the High One by Kimberley Woodhouse which combines the majesty & danger of Denali with a compelling faith journey, surprising mystery, & hint of romance.

Charity Waldrep’s ready to conquer Denali again after twelve long show more years of anger & guilt. The last time she summited the formidable peak she lost her best friend & blames herself & God. Now after relentlessly pursuing peace she’s hoping to find it on top of the mountain & bury her guilt for good. But, will she survive the solo climb or will the mountain claim another life?

Andrew Hartford’s part of the mountain’s rescue team & has his own troubled past. When he meets Charity on Denali after twelve years he’s puzzled by her anger towards him until he remembers what happened. Now he’s determined to protect her from the mountain & herself. When Charity’s forced to lean on him for support, her antagonism slowly disappears & they begin to build a mutual understanding & respect. But, not only is there danger from the harsh climate of Denali, but an unforeseen danger seeking revenge.

This touching story had me on the edge of my seat. The timeline jumps from the past when Charity & Beth were teenagers to their 30th birthday to present day. There’s a subtle mystery that builds throughout juxtaposed with Charity’s antagonism towards religion & Beth’s hope for her friend to find faith. I loved Charity’s beautiful journey from anger & antagonism to faith.

Andrew’s backstory & faith journey is also woven throughout from when he was a teenager to present day. When he & Charity meet again, the sparks fly. I enjoyed seeing their relationship change to one of reliance & friendship. Both of these broken people find a chance for love & hope.

The mystery definitely surprised me! The clues are subtle & lead to an action packed, explosive ending. Highly recommend to romantic suspense fans! Each book in the collection is meant to be read as a standalone & can be read in any order. I received an advanced copy from the author, but also purchased a copy in Kindle Unlimited. All opinions are completely my own & voluntarily provided. show less

Philip Wong isn't a love or marriage enthusiast, what with all the cases he's handled as a stellar divorce lawyer. Vanessa Lim was once obliged to give up her dream and is now a receptionist at a law office, where she isn't too keen on a certain divorce lawyer. But desperate times lead Philip and Vanessa to strike up a short-term, Christmastime dating contract in The Love Clause by author Liwen Y. Ho.

So, no, this isn't the first time I've read a romance by this author that includes a fake show more date during the holidays, but as I quite enjoyed one, I figured I could enjoy another.

I was pulled right into the first chapter, feeling like no stranger to Philip and his boss. Their funny interaction is an ideal setup for the tale that follows. Self-satisfied Philip is a pretty outrageous dude with a good dose of vulnerability under his self-satisfaction. It's cool how Vanessa can both empathize with him and stand up to him when she has to. Get it, girl!

Admittedly, the development of the story got a little odd to me after a while, and I wasn't sure if one or two of its points made the most sense. Also, considering where (and how) Philip and Vanessa are at the start, the distance they cover seems to be an unnatural stretch to get them to a certain point by the end of the story. I think the idea of the plot would have worked well even without so big a leap.

Still, it's a fun holiday read that I found both amusing and touching.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review. show less

After her ex implicates her in an embezzlement scheme, for which she rec'd community service and probation, Lauren takes up a friend's offer to housesit for the summer. She and 10 yo Hannah would begin to heal and then decide the next step. Only lawyer Michael has decided to relocate to his great-aunt's house - the very one that Lauren is housesitting. Sparks fly.

As far as I know, I haven't read other books by this author or in the Big Sky Secrets series. I always think it is hard to do romantic suspense well in the page limit of Love Inspired Suspense. It's hard to tell two different stories. This one does a credible job on the suspense.

I'm not sure most people would react the way Jake did to finding someone hiding in a trailer pointing a rifle at them. Certainly his years on the force probably come into play there.

Emma's decision to trust Jake show more with her true story seems a bit abrupt. She's been keeping this secret for years and suddenly decides to tell it to a man she met only a few days before? I'm not sure I buy it.

The discussion questions at the end bring up a number of good points:
1. How frightening or surprising events change your life.
2. Are lies ever justified? What about the social "white lies" that most of us tell?
3. How far would you go to defend yourself or your loved ones?
4. Are there circumstances where divorce is the only option?
5. Betrayal by someone you trusted and how you handle it.
6. What are the qualities needed for a loving and enduring relationship? show less