Susan May Warren

I caught myself holding my breath several times while reading this suspense-chilling novel. I felt the searing cold that steals your very breath, tightens your chest, and makes every hard-earned step feel urgent. The danger isn’t distant or abstract. It presses in with wild wind, blinding snow, and the full knowledge that one wrong decision could mean the end.

Everything felt urgent. The wilderness. The pursuit. The isolation. Yet the tension went deeper than survival. Keely carries show more longing, grief, and unanswered questions she has tried to outrun for too long. Dawson lives inside the weight of loss and guilt, his body moving forward while his heart remains tethered to what went wrong. Their connection forms under pressure, stripped of pretense, and every interaction felt charged with both fear and hope.

And Caspian … oh, Caspian. He was the emotional heartbeat of the story, loyal to his core, his presence marked by bark, instinct, and unwavering devotion. I worried about him. I smiled because of him. I felt the ache of his loyalty and the beauty of his faithful purpose. Watching him work, protect, and love pulled at me in deeply emotional and memorable ways.

Threaded through it all was faith that clearly showed up. Scripture, prayer, and spiritual truth met fear, trauma, and regret right where they lived. The book speaks honestly about suffering, forgiveness, and peace … not as ideas, but as realities and actions that must be chosen again and again as we keep our eyes on Jesus and our hearts obedient to Him.

Courage within these pages took shape as loyalty, obedience, commitment, and mercy. It looked like frozen wounds yielding to God’s touch, forgiveness loosening its grip on fear, and peace settling deep in the knowledge of being forgiven, accepted, and safe. Many lines in this book stayed with me, including this one: “Peace doesn’t come from inside. It comes from knowing that you’re forgiven. Accepted. Safe.”

Community moments brought genuine warmth in the middle of the storm. People showed up, offered shelter, and chose sacrifice. Those scenes grounded the story and reminded me how often God supplies the needs of others, gently nudging those whose hearts are fully surrendered to Him.

I closed this book grateful and moved, not because my life looks like this story, but because the ache beneath it felt familiar and invited a quieter, deeper attentiveness to Jesus.

Readers who love chilling, heart-racing suspense where faith in Jesus and relationships with others truly matter.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review nor paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on the writing style and story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability. show less

Some books flicker for a moment. This one branded truth on my heart and lit up every place I’ve tried to carry what only Jesus can.

I expected danger. I expected suspense. But I didn’t expect conviction to hit like it did. Because somewhere in the middle of the smoke, the gunfire, and the wilderness, I found something stronger than adrenaline: a story soaked in grace, burning with faith, and steady under pressure.

The writing is sharp, the pacing fast, and the tension holds like a pulled show more wire—but what really hits is the truth underneath it all.

“Even if he’d been a good person before, the fact that he lived as a Christian now meant he always had Someone to rely on. A place to go for strength, wisdom, and true joy.”
That. That’s what stayed with me. Because it wasn’t about running from the fire—it was about knowing where to run when it comes.

And when everything inside one of the characters cracks open?
“Jesus was her Savior. Him alone and no one else.”
That moment stopped me. I’ve been there—when I finally let go of trying to save everyone else and realized I couldn’t even hold myself together without Him.

The flames in this story are mirrors. They expose what’s fragile. What’s been faked. What won’t hold up when the heat closes in. But they also ignite what’s real. What’s buried. What’s ready to rise.

This book not only stirred up adrenaline—it brought me back to the altar. Back to the truth that when my heart is burning, the answer isn’t escape—it’s surrender. It’s falling to my knees. Opening my hands. And finally letting Jesus be the only Savior in every story—in every moment.

If your faith feels faint…If your hands feel full of things you were never meant to carry…
If your heart is worn thin from trying to be everything for everyone—read this.

Let it remind you where to run when the heat closes in. Let it point you back to the only flame that never consumes:
Jesus. All while keeping you breathless with excellent writing and edge-of-your-seat suspense.

I received a digital version of this book from the publisher. I am not required to write a positive review nor paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on writing and story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability. show less

"Our best hope in the middle of confusion and chaos is not to try and solve our problems ourselves. We just have to remember whose we are and who we hope in."

I loved how this book continued the story of Fraser and Pippa and also delved into the story of Creed and Imani. Creed's heart, his maturity, his loyalty, and his determination all drew me in and completely captivated me. The intertwining of Lauchtenland's royals from Rachel Hauck's books with the author's fantastic set of characters show more from this series (and previous series) was incredibly fun and exhilarating. Be prepared for explosive action, suspense, and tons of surprises in the plot as the Minnesota Marshalls and their significant others track down those responsible for murders, bombings, nuclear threats, and international sabotage.
Don't be fooled by all the action, though. The story also had great depth and dealt with some serious things like guilt, grief, forgiveness, medical illness, and finding purpose and place in this world. There were poignant moments of faith and spiritual awakening, as well as reminders of who God is. The heart-warming family dynamics with the witty dialogue and banter was especially meaningful for recharging when the team became weary.

The Minnesota Marshalls may be my favorite fictional family so far (but we won't tell the Montana Marshalls or the Deep Haven Christiansens now, will we?). Creed gave us an excellent finale and I'm looking forward to the author's next series.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of publisher via JustRead Publicity Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own. show less

"She was the adventure he'd longed for. And he might be boring, and nice, but she made him feel like the safe, dependable guy was the hero after all."

Oh my goodness. What an incredible, high-octane, soul-searching start to The Montana Marshalls series! This book is classic Susan May Warren - fun and easy-to-follow writing style with delicious dialogue, a great plot with twists and turns, a nice dose of suspense that keeps you turning the pages, a cast of characters you will fall in love with show more who embodies intense emotions and hurts and spiritual revelations, and, of course, heart-stuttering romance. Fans of Susan May Warren will be satisfied. Those who've never read Susan May Warren will become fans quickly after reading this book.

Set in beautiful present-day Montana, we meet the Marshall family as the story unfolds to reveal Knox and Tate. Knox is the second oldest in the family of six and he's the only one who stayed on the family ranch to continue the legacy. He's noble, loyal, protective, tender, and smart though suffers from inferiority complex when he compares himself to his siblings. Kelsey is a rising country singer who has a dark and painful past; she tries to stuff down her vulnerable, tender, loving heart by being on stage and making her career her one and only goal in life. Her best friend and fellow band member Glo and Knox's younger brother Tate, who is hired as their bodyguard, bring Kelsey and Knox together in a whirlwind of rodeos, country music concerts, and danger trailing their every step.

The author has a way of pulling you right into the heart of the story from page one and not letting go until the entire series is finished. I'm so looking forward to Tate's story, as well as the other four siblings' stories!
I was given a copy of the book from the author and SDG Publishing and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own. show less