Love and Honor Series – Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner

I have honestly never read a book that kept me as engaged as this one did. Melissa Braxton, the heroine of the story, has turned her life around after her abusive father killed her mother. Now, she works with a friend to house those who are fleeing from abuse. Phil Osbourne, an intrepid and skilled member of the Alpha team is trying to discover where he fits in since his leg was amputated during a field operation. Melissa falls in love with Phil, but he keeps rebuffing her feelings because he doesn’t feel that he can take care of her since he is not a whole man. The plot is so fast-paced that it kept me reading and mesmerized by the sub-plots of Melissa looking for her sister who went to a different foster home and Phil’s relationship with his brother Winston, a D.A. in Miami. The closeness and support of family is an important theme in this clean read, as is the sense of finding your own identity and self-worth. I enjoyed how Melissa and Phil supported each other and the way their relationship developed in spite of Phil’s best efforts to distance himself. There were several real gut-wrenching tragedies in the plot that had me crying, but they just made the entire story more realistic and compelling. The drug lords who are the enemies are like Satan himself on steroids, destroying everything in their path and not caring about the lives of women or children. I especially enjoyed the almost cameo-like visit from “Pot Pie,” a member of Phil’s former army team and the humor he lent to a very serious storyline. I could have kept reading this book for hundred of more pages and never gotten bored because I was totally invested in the stories of the credible characters and the challenges that they faced. In fact, I was sad to see the story end but happy that there is another book in the series coming. This book is part of a series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone although I would recommend savoring each book and the characters that are presented. There are possible triggers in the novel, most importantly the abuse and violent drug kingpins. But the topics are treated sensitively and there are no graphic details. This is my favorite of the series because Phil is one of the characters from the series who planted himself firmly in my heart and his being the focus of this book was a bonus for me. This is a must read book for those who enjoy romantic suspense with a military flair and realistic details!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books via Netgalley. I also received a complimentary copy recently from the author and cherish having a hard copy to treasure. Nevertheless, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This is a clean Christian read with some intense moments, so a definite PG. Also includes triggers: abuse, violence, murder. No graphic descriptions but these are part of the story.

With nearly a million book sales, *USA TODAY* bestselling and award-winning **author Hallee Bridgeman** writes action-packed romantic suspense focusing on realistic characters who face real-world problems. Her work has been described as everything from refreshing to heart-stopping exciting and edgy.
An Army brat turned Floridian, Hallee and her husband finally settled with their three children in central Kentucky so they could enjoy the beautiful changing of the seasons. When she’s not penning novels, you will find her in the kitchen, which she considers the ‘heart of the home’. Her passion for cooking spurred her to launch a whole food, real food “Parody” cookbook series. In addition to nutritious, Biblically grounded recipes, readers will find that each cookbook also confronts some controversial aspect of secular pop culture.
Hallee has served as the Director of the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, President of the Faith-Hope-Love chapter of the Romance Writers of America, Secretary and Assistant Programming Chair of Novelists, Inc. (NINC), is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and the American Christian Writers (ACW). An accomplished speaker, Hallee has taught and inspired writers around the globe, from Sydney, Australia, to Dallas, Texas, to Portland, Oregon, to Washington, D.C., and all places in between.
Hallee loves coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. Above all else, she loves God with all of her heart, soul, mind, and strength; has been redeemed by the blood of Christ; and relies on the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide her. She prays her work here on earth is a blessing to you and would love to hear from you. You can reach Hallee at hallee@halleebridgeman.com

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This book tugged at my heart immediately because from the first scene Lynda is in danger although she doesn’t really know it. She is an FBI agent in Alaska and she and her partner Jack Haynes are taken hostage by a radical environmental group that has been suspected of destroying pipelines. Throughout the book, Lynda goes from one dangerous situation to another and along the way encounters her former boyfriend from college, Bill. Bill left college suddenly and broke Lynda’s heart. Now he is part of an Alpha team with whom she is working in order to track down forces working internationally to set off bombs and destroy more oil pipelines. Lynda is an analyst while Bill is a warrior as well as an intuitive interrogator. Together, they make an formidable team, but their attraction to each other is undeniable. I enjoyed the chemistry between these two who had difficulty facing the past and looking forward to a new future together. The dialogue between the two was witty, especially Bill’s southern colloquialisms that had me laughing aloud at times. The action was tense as the two of them immersed themselves in the case, dedicated to the task at hand regardless of the threat to their lives. There were a lot of unexpected twists in the book which I thoroughly enjoyed since I did not see them coming. I liked the fast pace and the genuine emotion that was displayed both on and off the job. This is a dynamic page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat, with my pulse racing and sparking the need in me to see the romance between the two protagonists actually work. Brilliantly written with credible characters and intriguing action, this is a book that was both entertaining as well as believable and captivating. Faith plays an active part in Lynda and Bill’s lives and their heartfelt prayers together and separately were profoundly insightful into revealing more about their characters. The research was remarkable and led to a very satisfying and compelling suspense-filled book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”