EXIT STRATEGY by Shirlee McCoy

Okay, so I think I have a problem. Every time I read an amazing romance, I want to write one in that same genre. Read FIVE DAYS IN SKYE, felt the pull to write an inspirational romance (I had already started one, and it just fueled by fire). Read A HOPE REMEMBERED, wanted to write a historical romance.

And now I've read EXIT STRATEGY by Shirlee McCoy, and I want to try my hand at a romantic suspense! See? A definite problem.

Let's take a closer look at EXIT STRATEGY: Lark Porter thinks she'll find answers about her husband's death when she returns to their former home, but someone doesn't like the questions she's asking. She's quickly taken captive, and all that stands between her and certain death is a mysterious stranger telling her to trust him if she wants to get out alive. 

Hostage Rescue and Extraction Team member Cyrus Mitchell marvels at Lark's strength and determination to survive. The closer they get to freedom, the more dangerous the situation becomes. Once free, though, it takes all the skills and training Cyrus has to outmaneuver the deadly killers on their trail.

I got this book from NetGalley, as it doesn't come out until next week. I would definitely recommend buying this book, and I just discovered that it's the second book in a series, so I've purchased the first Mission: Rescue title, Protective Instincts.

My thoughts:
1. Lark is multi-faceted. Strong, yet scared. Capable, but vulnerable. I really liked her as a heroine--someone who obviously needs the help of someone with more training and expertise, but someone who has a goal of their own.

Cyrus is equally as dimensional. I really liked that he had a past that drove some of the decisions that he made in the present. I liked his strength, smarts, and sincerity. At the same time, he had flaws, which is hard to do with a protector hero.

2. The suspense was suspenseful -- and believable! I've read some books that are supposed to be thrillers or suspenses, and they feel so far from reality that I'm not scared or kept in suspense. But EXIT STRATEGY keeps the tension on the page, the thought that Lark and Cyrus are just moments from being found, constant.

If you've never tried out a romantic suspense novel, give EXIT STRATEGY a spot on your list. You won't be sorry!

What have you read lately that has inspired you to write?

THE ACCIDENTAL BRIDE by Denise Hunter

So I've been reading a lot of inspirational fiction in the past few weeks. One of my new favorites is THE ACCIDENTAL BRIDE by Denise Hunter. I know it's not a super-new novel, but she's a new author to me.

About THE ACCIDENTAL BRIDE: When a wedding reenactment turns real, Shay finds she's an accidental bride.

Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana, on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite the hard work, she can't seem to keep her head above water--and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but expected.

Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders' Day wedding reenactment, Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high-school sweetheart--the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit.

Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busybody and an absentminded preacher, the make-believe vows result in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she may lose her home. If she accepts, she may lose her heart.

Shay isn't sure if the recent events are God's will or just a preacher's blunder. Will trusting her heart to the man who once shattered it be the worst mistake of her life? Or could their marriage be the best accident that ever happened?

My Thoughts:
1. While this was inspirational, it was light on this end. I've been realizing that there are different degrees of the inspirational element in each novel. I didn't mind that it didn't have more of a Christian element, it was just something I noticed. Maybe I'm reading with too much of an author's eye!

2. I really liked Shay as a main character. I thought her grudge against Travis was realistic and deserved. I liked that she was vulnerable in some ways, and strong in others. She had a real past, and it was communicated through her choices and actions now.

3. I loved the premise of this book! When my friend recommended it to me, I was sold just on the idea alone. And the book delivered. I loved the accidental marriage and the proposal that Travis comes up with. I really wanted him and Shay to work things out, and since it's romance, we already know they will!

I hope you'll pick this book up if you haven't yet. What inspirational romance have you read lately that you loved?

MEANT TO BE MINE by Becky Wade

So I've been on a quest to read more romance, in all genres. I have a great friend who recommended MEANT TO BE MINE by Becky Wade. Even better, it was published recently! (Another goal of mine was to read what was being published now, not what was popular several years ago.)

I loved this book. I mean, I really loved it. It is inspirational romance, which means it's very clean--which is just my cup of tea! Don't get me wrong, I love strong sexual tension and a handsome hero. And MEANT TO BE MINE delivers both.

About MEANT TO BE MINE: Ty Porter has always been irresistible to Celia Park. All through high school--irresistible. When their paths cross again after college--"still" irresistible. This time, though, Ty feels exactly the same way about Celia. Their whirlwind romance deposits them at a street-corner Las Vegas wedding chapel.

The next morning they wake to a marriage certificate and a dose of cold reality. Celia's ready to be Ty's wife, but Ty's not ready to be anybody's husband. As a professional bull rider, he lives on the road and can't bring himself to settle down.

Five and a half years pass. Celia's buried her dreams so that she can afford to raise her daughter. Ty's achieved all of his goals. Or thought he had, until he looks again into the face of the one woman he couldn't forget and into the face of the child he never knew he had.
How much will Ty sacrifice to make Celia's dreams come true, to win her trust, and to prove to her that their spontaneous marriage can still become the love of a lifetime?

There's so much to like about this book. Ty and Celia are obviously drawn to each other, but there are issues that need to be overcome. Since I already know the ending of the book, the getting there is the most important part.

And Becky Wade does a great job of making sure that readers want to salivate over how Ty and Celia will end up together. 

I love that the reasons he's not with her are legitimate, and the ones she has are too. I really liked the Christianity aspect of the book as well. Both parties have to come to terms with what they've done wrong, as well as working on forgiving the other.

It's a romance, so we know Ty and Celia will end up together -- the title is MEANT TO BE MINE -- after all. But this is one of the best stories I've read in a while that has believable, meaningful content on how the hero and heroine come together.

I highly recommend it!

Falling For Her Fiance by Cindi Madsen

I love a good contemporary romance--obviously! It's what I write--and one of my favorite novels is FALLING FOR HER FIANCE by Cindi Madsen. This book's been out for a while, but I find myself going back to it all the time.

About FALLING FOR HER FIANCE: Danielle and Wes have been best friends since college, so when Wes needs a date for his sister’s wedding and Dani needs a partner for her company’s retreat, they devise the perfect plan: a fake engagement to get through both events unscathed. Adrenaline-junkie Wes can prove to both his ex and his family that he’s well and truly moved on, and serious-minded Dani can prove to her boss that she’s worthy of the promotion he seems to only want to give to a family-oriented employee. But amid the fake swoons, fake kisses, and forced proximity, neither expects the very real feelings that develop. There’s nothing more dangerous than falling for your best friend…but what if the landing isn't worth the fall?

First, this is a clean romance, and that automatically makes it valuable to me. Second, I really liked Dani's plight. I think I always sympathize with a character who is working hard to get what they want. And that's Dani. She's concerned about doing a good job and being reliable.

Wes is also likeable, and I hadn't read a book with a helicopter pilot before. So this felt fresh, with a different kind of hero than the same old billionaire's and rock stars.

The romance develops smoothly, and by the end, I really wanted them to be together! And that's the mark of a well-done romance novel. I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't yet!

Book Spotlight: Hope At Dawn by Stacy Henrie

I am a lover of all things romance, and historical romance has recently taken a hold of my heart. One of the first historical romances I read was HOPE AT DAWN by Stacy Henrie.

About HOPE AT DAWN:

IN A TIME OF WAR, LOVE IS THE INSPIRATION.

With her brothers away fighting the Great War overseas, Livy Campbell desperately wants to help her family. Her chance comes when she meets a handsome stranger who lands her a job as a teacher in a place far from her parents' farm. But the war casts a long shadow over the German-American town that Livy now calls home-and the darkness will test everything she thought she knew about family and love . . .

More than anything, Friedrick Wagner wants to be part of his adopted country's struggle for peace. But when the bitter animosity between Germans and Americans soon turns citizens against newcomers, friend against friend, he will do whatever it takes to protect Livy from the hysteria that grips their town. As tragedy-and dark secrets from the past-threaten their future, Friedrick and Livy have one chance to stand up for what's right . . . and one chance to fight for their love.

This is a tale of magic and romance that took place right here in our country. I found Livy's struggles to be realistic and delightful. She was a character that I could connect to, though hundreds of years separated us.

And Friedrick provides insight into what it was like for German-Americans during World War I. I enjoyed his family, and especially the tenderness he felt for Livy.

I'd highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a good romance. It's clean, and inspirational, both of which are important to me.

Five stars!

I can't wait to get the next book, Hope Rising.

What have you read that I need to put on my list?