Forget Me Not

Okay, so this isn't Saturday but this is a Retro-Read...published in 2010...
but my TBR pile has dwindled to zilch so I had to get creative. :-)

GIVEAWAY

HINZE, VICKI
FORGET ME NOT

Their exclusive enemies took everything. Now they want more.

Crossroads Crisis Center owner Benjamin Brandt was a content man -- in his faith, his work and his family. Then, in a flash, everything he loved was swept away. His wife and son were murdered, and grief-stricken Ben lost faith. Determination to find their killers keeps him going, but after three years of dead ends and torment, his hope is dying too. Why had he survived? He'd failed to protect his family.

Now, a mysterious woman appears at Crossroads seeking answers and help -- a victim who eerily resembles Ben's deceased wife, Susan. A woman robbed of her identity, her life, of everything except her faith -- and Susan's necklace.

The connections between the two women mount, exceeding coincidence, and to keep the truth hidden, someone is willing to kill. Finding out who and why turns Ben and the mystery woman's situation from dangerous to deadly. Their only hope for survival is to work together, trust each other, and face whatever they discover head on, no matter how painful. But will that be enough to save their lives and heal their tattered hearts?

My Review:

This is a read-in-one gulp kind of novel. Seriously, once you start you won't be able to stop. So clear your calendar, send your loved ones off on an adventure without you and curl up by with this intense read for the afternoon.

A twisty, turny plot that is so complicated I'll just advise you to go with the flow and be content with knowing that eventually everything will be revealed. Edgy and tense and utterly compelling.

And if all that danger and mystery isn't enough to leave you gasping for breath, the romance is sure to. From a less than stellar first meet -- let's just say that Ben doesn't make a great first impression...or second...and possibly third. He's wary and cynical and bitter. A real contrast to the mystery woman who has been stripped of everything but her faith. And he wants none of it, but she has a way about her and he can't deny that it's her faith that anchors her. Definitely interesting dynamics between these two.

Taut suspense coupled with an impossible romance provide hours of sublime reading pleasure.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Forget Me Not please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the  subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 18 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Torn Loyalties

HINZE,VICKI
TORN LOYALTIES

Madison McKay doesn't trust anyone. The former military woman and owner of Lost, Inc., learned about betrayal the hard way, in work and in love. That's why she'd never let herself fall for ex-military special investigator Grant Deaver. Yet when Madison is framed for a security breach at a top secret military facility, she's forced to put her life in Grant's hands. But after she discovers that he's been deceiving her, everything will be torn apart unless Grant can convince her to trust him with her life…and her heart.

My Review:

One of the great strengths of this book is the kick-butt heroine. A war hero with gritty determination and a near inability to trust. Talk about fodder for plot-lines! Madison is a character I won't soon forget.

Grant's devotion, his steady pursuit and infinite patience with Madison is the stuff romance readers drool over. At least this one did. And he has an internal conflict that ups the angst quite a few notches.

But be prepared for a complex plot that relies on the two previous books in the series. If you haven't read them, just go with the flow at the beginning because you're given a lot of information that you won't be able to process right away. It will all come together though as the story progresses with plenty of twists and turns and confusions galore to keep your mind reeling.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Torn Loyalties, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday January 27, 2013 Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Christmas Countdown

GIVEAWAY!

HINZE, VICKI
CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

A simple trip home for the holidays is all former FBI profiler Maggie Mason wants. But a serial killer has other plans. Trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Maggie finds an ally in Lost, Inc. with private investigator Dr. Ian Crane. The handsome widower is reluctant to love again, and the last thing Maggie wants is to put Ian in the line of fire, too. Love could cost them everything…unless they can find their way to each other, in time for Christmas.

My Review:

What a deliciously sinister way to countdown to Christmas. This suspense is a totally gripping page turner. I kept  nervously looking over my shoulder as I read. Brilliant, spine-chilling plot! But that's not all that makes this a stellar read. I loved the way Hinze developed the romantic relationship between Maggie and Ian. It felt like we had all the time in the world to become immersed in their story. Not quite sure how the author managed to achieve that given the shorter word count in a Love Inspired Suspense but I'm glad she did. And she delivers one of the most amazing kissing scenes that I've read (and I've read a lot of them!) If goosebumps aren't tracking up your spine from the suspense they will be from the romance!

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Christmas Countdown, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 25 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Not This Time

GIVEAWAY!

HINZE, VICKI
NOT THIS TIME

Small town scandal.
International terrorist attack.
Who among them is the traitor?

Sara and Beth have built a multi-million dollar business together, but their once solid friendship is now strained. Beth is leery of Sara's husband, and when he is kidnapped, authorities consider Beth their prime suspect.

Then their small town of Seagrove Village is rocked by an act of terrorism, and Beth doesn't know who to trust. Someone she knows is linked to the attack but who? Is there a connection to Crossroads Crisis Center? In the midst of the confusion and fear, Beth finds herself attracted to a man from her past. She knows she shouldn't fall in love with him, but she can't resist or even explain their bond. As her world unravels around her, she wonders, is it possible to be beyond redemption?

My Review:

Seriously mind-boggling good. Guaranteed to induce a rabid-reading frenzy in even the most stalwart of readers. You will be awestruck, dumbstruck and just plain struck by the intrepid plot. Impeccably paced, Hinze expertly balances suspense and romance and throws in enough angst to keep her readers on their toes for the duration.

And the romance? Intimacy leaps off the page even though the hero and heroine spend most of the book apart. How did Hinze manage that? Read and find out. Delicious!


This is the third book in the Crossroad Crisis Center series and if you haven't read the first two you might feel like a fish out of water in the first chapter or two. You meet a lot of characters in a short time and it was a little confusing for me even though I'd read Deadly Ties (the second book). But do not despair, just go with the flow and it will all even out in a couple of chapters.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Not This Time, leave a comment below. Or you can email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please make sure to put the title in the subject line so it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday March 18 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Deadly Ties

HINZE, VICKI
DEADLY TIES

Her enemy will stop at nothing for control...she will risk everything for freedom.

A horrific crime shatters Lisa Harper's idyllic childhood. Her father is dead and her desperate mother, Annie, quickly marries Dutch Hauk, an abusive monster who soon reveals his hatred for Lisa. to protect her, Annie defies her ruthless husband and forfeits custody to a trusted friend. Enraged, Dutch vows to keep Annie and Lisa apart -- and he does. Years later, though keenly aware of Dutch's evil intent, Lisa and her mother seize a chance to be a family, safe in a home where love dwells. But they fail to fathom how far Dutch will go to keep his vow.

Determined to control his women, Dutch proves resourceful. His associates in crime are feared at the highest levels across the globe -- and for Lisa they plan a fate worse than death. Yet she too has formidable connections, including former Special Operations Officer Mark Taylor. Burdened by his own traumatic past, Mark has loved Lisa from afar. Now, for Lisa and her mother to survive, Mark must risk his life -- and even more difficult for him, he must trust God. All as one question haunts them: Can Mark and Lisa untangle these deadly ties before it is too late?

My review:

Gripping and gritty, this is definitely a book for romantic suspense lovers. While Hinze is careful not to go too far there are enough suggestive passages that a reader with a vivid  imagination might find parts of this book disturbing. I know it had me looking over my shoulder at night!

The second in the Crossroads Crisis Center series, you might want to read the first book, Forget Me Not before diving into Deadly Ties. It's not essential but I found myself floundering a bit in the beginning as I tried to keep everyone (and their circumstances) straight. Hinze has created wonderful characters though and it was worth getting to know them. I particularly loved the banter between Mark and his team and it looks like the rest of the series will highlight each one of them. I'm definitely looking forward to that.

Lisa is one tough cookie and yet has managed to keep her faith and innocence in tact. She looks for the good in people and has chosen a profession where she can help them most.  This is at direct odds with everything she experiences in this taut thriller. Watching her struggle and adjust and lead Mark around by the nose made reading sublime.

Important Notice:  Deadly Ties is one of ACFW's July book club reads. If you can get your hands on a copy and get it read by July 20 you will be able to join the discussion. It's fun and free and easy to do.  Click here for more information:

http://www.acfw.com/book_club

You don't need to be a member of American Christian Fiction Writers to join and it's a great place to engage in book chats with authors.