Protecting Tanner Hollow: Four Romantic Suspense Novellas (original 2019; edition 2019)

I enjoyed the collection of four novellas. Eason is a favorite author of mine. ( )

I have had Protecting Tanner Hollow on my TBR shelf for a while now. I scratched out a little just because reading time and pulled it down. It was the perfect choice for a quick and entertaining reading experience. If you like romantic suspense and the novella form, this book is for you.

Each of the four novellas in Protecting Tanner Hollow take place in the small North Carolina town of the same name. Many of the same characters overlap in each story, such as Sheriff Nolan Tanner, but the plot lines are distinct. Eason also includes characters from her Blue Justice series! In true novella format, there’s not a lot of character development and the romances are quick to take off. But the twisting, turning suspense keeps the pages turning and the reader guessing. Themes such as greed, betrayal, and jealousy run throughout. Each installment is less than 100 pages — great for when you want to complete a book, but have only a little time. I read one story a day, and found that to be just right for me.

Full of fast-paced action and romantic sparks, Protecting Tanner Hollow is a fun read!

Recommended.

Audience: adults. ( )

It’s been sometime since I’ve read a Lynette Eason story but let me tell y’all this. It was like a refreshing glass of iced tea…..something things never change! She was an author I used to buddy read with my mama, and I’ve just not felt like picking one up since she passed away. But, this one called to me, and I’m so glad it did! This book was just what I wanted it to be.

This a collection of Eason’s four eBook novellas centered around Tanner Hollow. These four stories are filled with beautifully created characters, the perfect amount of suspenseful twists and turns, and dashes of tender romance. Eason chisels these stories with a passion for her readers and it shows. These stories make you fall in love with the characters, make you want to protect Tanner Hollow like it’s your own, and make you never want to jump off the roller coaster ride you find yourself on.

Tanner Hollow is a town I want to move to and get lost in. I want to help with the suspenseful twists, and I want to meet all the handsome men that live in Tanner Hollow. Eason has once again created stories that my mama would love and I’m so happy I got the chance to read this one! If you are looking for a book that will absolutely captivate you and keep you up long into the wee hours of the morning, then definitely grab you a copy of this awesome novella collection now.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.* ( )

Thank you to Revell for sending this copy to review. A positive review was not required and all words are my own.

“Protecting Tanner Hollow” is a four part romantic suspense novellas with the town of Tanner Hollow as the setting. Each novella is connected by reoccurring characters, mainly Deputy/Sheriff Nolan Tanner and his firefighter brother Jason.

“Lethal Homecoming” – This introduces Nolan Tanner to the reader when his former girlfriend Kallie Ainsworth returns following the death of her abusive step-father. Nolan is there to stop an attempt in her life. All of his old feelings come back as he tries to investigate who would want to kill her.

“Lethal Conspiracy” – Introduces Jason Tanner who saves the life of Lillian Maloney who is first believed to have tried to commit suicide. But, as he soon learns, someone is trying to kill her despite covering up another murder.

This novella also introduces Crime Scene Technician Claire Montgomery, another character who will be featured in the fourth (4th) novella (“Lethal Agenda”).

“Lethal Secrets” – The third novella involves Nolan’s cousin, Eli Murphy who stops to change the tire on a station wagon belonging to single mom of five (5) kids, Honor McBride. Honor is running to save her life and the lives of her kids. Eli, despite swearing off women, helps Honor rebuild her life while keeping her safe.

“Lethal Agenda” – The conclusion of the Tanner Hollow saga involves Claire Montgomery, introduced in “Lethal Conspiracy”. From the outset, Claire is almost killed by someone who took her work personally. The attack is thwarted thanks to the quick work of Detective Derek St. John who already had a previous run-in with her.

This set of novellas draws you in from the first chapter of each one and takes the reader on a fast-paced read. How fast? Each one is roughly 85-100 pages; enough to tell a quick and concise story without overwhelming the reader or overly complicated plots. They’re easy, half-day reads or a day read for the entire book.

Eason knows how to get the reader hooked and keep them hooked until the end of the story which can wrap up faster than expected.

While sold under Revell’s label which is primarily Christian Reads, Eason doesn’t preach or “brow-beat” religious tones in either of the stories. Some readers might appreciate the light Christian themes; others might find it lacks.

I thoroughly enjoyed the novellas, which is a surprise because I don’t usually read them (and I don’t know why I don’t; probably don’t know enough about them or find interesting ones to read). I honestly couldn’t rate which “Tanner Hollow” story was my favorite due to the fact they were short and I enjoyed each one. The “theme” of each story was different, yet well connected.

I’d love to re-visit Tanner Hollow again to see how everyone is doing, and this format would be perfect. Concise and exciting. Perhaps a “Return to Tanner Hollow”, with another four (4) novellas might be a future idea for the author.

Recommended for those who like short, concise stories in a series with a “clean read” tone to them. ( )

* * My review is only for the final story in this collection, Lethal Agenda. * *

I was really excited to read Derek St. John’s story. He had this mysterious vibe to him, popping in and out of the Blue Justice series in stealth-like fashion.

Unfortunately, his story fell flat for me. Derek didn’t shine strongly on his own I was expecting him to. His romance with Claire also did not work for me.

The crime/suspense/mystery thread was pretty good and very entertaining. The inclusion of Levi, Claire’s autistic neighbor, was a nice addition!

If Lynette Eason set out to give fans of the St. John family one final, awesome reunion, she totally succeeded! Three years have passed since the events in Vow of Justice, the final book in the main series, and it was great to catch up with everyone. In fact, it was pretty awesome!

Even though Lethal Agenda didn’t wow me, I’m still a big fan of Lynette Eason and look forward to her new series! The first book, Collateral Damage, releases on January 7.

I do plan on reading the other novellas in this collection and look forward to visiting Tanner Hollow again as soon as time allows!

Protecting Tanner Hollow is available NOW – visit www.christianbook.com to purchase your copy today!

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. A positive review was not required. Opinions expressed are completely my own. ( )