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kayathebookworm's reviews
212 reviews
Dead End by Nancy Mehl
3.0
3.5 stars. Good but nothing really special.
I was happy to see improvement and growth in Kaely’s mental health and in her relationship with Noah. This suspense kept me guessing who the UNSUB might be. The search for what their motive might be also had me stumped; I was shocked when I found out what the UNSUB’s motive ended up being.
Feel free to refer to my past reviews of the other books in this series for more details on my feelings on the plot and characters as a whole. Much of my complaints about this book are the same as the others in the series so I’m not going to get into them here too.
God bless,
Kaya :)
I was happy to see improvement and growth in Kaely’s mental health and in her relationship with Noah. This suspense kept me guessing who the UNSUB might be. The search for what their motive might be also had me stumped; I was shocked when I found out what the UNSUB’s motive ended up being.
Feel free to refer to my past reviews of the other books in this series for more details on my feelings on the plot and characters as a whole. Much of my complaints about this book are the same as the others in the series so I’m not going to get into them here too.
God bless,
Kaya :)
Fire Storm by Nancy Mehl
3.0
I didn't care too much for this one. It was okay but I felt like it dragged on much too long. The faith was quite weak and I was disappointed that the romance between Noah and Kaely wasn't developed more. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, though, as I'm hoping it will wrap up the loose ends of the first two books. 3 stars.
Trust Me by Kelly Irvin
3.0
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed Trust Me and would definitely recommend it to my fellow Christian romance-suspense lovers.
The romance aspect of the book was very well done and I really liked Hunter and Delaney together. I also appreciated the faith aspect although I wish we would have seen Laney be saved and develop a closer relationship with the Lord. The suspense too was good and kept me guessing who the murderer might be but I did correctly guess who it turned out to be.
Overall, I enjoyed Trust Me but I just didn’t love it. I can’t quite put my finger on the reason but it just felt like it was missing something. I wasn’t really sucked into it like I usually am with other books. For these reasons, I am giving Trust Me 3.5 stars. I liked it but I didn’t love it.
God bless,
Kaya :)
The romance aspect of the book was very well done and I really liked Hunter and Delaney together. I also appreciated the faith aspect although I wish we would have seen Laney be saved and develop a closer relationship with the Lord. The suspense too was good and kept me guessing who the murderer might be but I did correctly guess who it turned out to be.
Overall, I enjoyed Trust Me but I just didn’t love it. I can’t quite put my finger on the reason but it just felt like it was missing something. I wasn’t really sucked into it like I usually am with other books. For these reasons, I am giving Trust Me 3.5 stars. I liked it but I didn’t love it.
God bless,
Kaya :)
Midnight Will Come by Kristina Hall
3.0
3 stars. Good but not great. The suspense was gripping but not so much so that I couldn't put it down. The romance felt a little dry to me but maybe that's simply because I'm not a fan of romances where one of the interests has been previously married. Even beside that, though, there just didn't seem to be much of a spark in the romance and it came off as underdeveloped. More than anything else, I enjoyed the faith aspect of the book and how we as readers had a peek into the two main characters' strong faith and constant prayer lives. The book leaves off on a bit of a cliffhanger but I still don't think I'll finish the series.
God bless,
Kaya :)
God bless,
Kaya :)
Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason
4.0
3.5 stars. Too Close to Home was good but turned out to be my least favorite in the series. I read the series backwards (don’t recommend) and found that I liked Connor, Samantha, and Jaime more in the other books than in this one. Overall, the suspense was good but the faith felt weak and the romance appeared too surface-level. I’ve said these things many times before in other reviews so I’m keeping it short today as I get tired of complaining about the same things in every single review. Though I didn’t love Too Close to Home, I would recommend reading it and the whole Women of Justice series anyway because the other two books are wonderful and are some of my favorites in the Christian suspense genre.
God bless,
Kaya :)
God bless,
Kaya :)
When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason
3.0
3.25 stars. I’m not totally sure how I feel about When the Smoke Clears. I liked it and I’m looking forward to finishing the rest of the series (keep in mind that these can’t really be read as stand alones because all of the books make one cohesive story) but it felt a bit off.
The suspense was great and it kept me on my toes but I think some other aspects of the book were lacking. First of all, I don’t really feel a connection to any of the characters (except maybe Serena, who the next book focuses on) as they seemed underdeveloped. In the same way, I liked the romance but it didn’t seem to have much of a basis… it other words, it too felt underdeveloped. I’m quite disappointed as this has been my complaint with the last two Lynette Eason books I have read (the other was Always Watching from the Elite Guardians series). Also, from what I can figure, Alexia has two different killers after her. At the end, we find out who one of them is but I still don’t really understand this person’s motive for wanting to kill her. We’re are told what it is but it doesn’t really make sense.
Anyway, I’m moving on to the next book in the series now because this one left off unresolved ;). Hopefully the rest of the series will help me to better appreciate and understand When the Smoke Clears.
God bless,
Kaya
The suspense was great and it kept me on my toes but I think some other aspects of the book were lacking. First of all, I don’t really feel a connection to any of the characters (except maybe Serena, who the next book focuses on) as they seemed underdeveloped. In the same way, I liked the romance but it didn’t seem to have much of a basis… it other words, it too felt underdeveloped. I’m quite disappointed as this has been my complaint with the last two Lynette Eason books I have read (the other was Always Watching from the Elite Guardians series). Also, from what I can figure, Alexia has two different killers after her. At the end, we find out who one of them is but I still don’t really understand this person’s motive for wanting to kill her. We’re are told what it is but it doesn’t really make sense.
Anyway, I’m moving on to the next book in the series now because this one left off unresolved ;). Hopefully the rest of the series will help me to better appreciate and understand When the Smoke Clears.
God bless,
Kaya
Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson
4.0
I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. This is the first rom-com book I have ever read and I figured it would just be a cheesy Hallmark type of romance (which I usually like to be honest
A Killer Among Us by Lynette Eason
4.0
If only all Christian suspense books were like this one. It was just so good. For the sake of time, I am going to break down this review into three categories which I will discuss further in depth: romance, faith, and mystery.
When reading books in the same genre as A Killer Among Us, I often find one of my biggest complaints to be that I didn’t like how much romance was in the book. Romance is a touchy thing with me as I like a little but not too much. I feel like this book offered the perfect balance. There wasn’t too much romance and, when there was, it was really well done. I especially appreciate how we are briefly shown how Noah struggled with lust and desires even though he made the commitment to save intimacy for marriage. This is a realistic and relatable struggle that I admire the author for acknowledging. In many books with romance, I also dislike when characters try to hide their feelings from one another and take too long to express how they feel so I liked how the two main characters of this book didn’t seem to have this annoying issue; they openly talked about their relationship and expressed their feelings.
Also, after reading a so-called “Christian” fiction book, I tend to complain a lot about how there isn’t enough faith content and, when there is, it’s weak. I am glad to report that I did not have that problem with this one. Faith was mentioned often and it is clear the characters are genuinely longing for a close connection to God. I also liked how we get to see Noah telling others of Christ and explaining to people that following Him is not a religion but a relationship.
Now, on to the biggest component of the book: the mystery. I will say I had a suspicion about who the serial killer was — which turned out to be correct — but it wasn’t a strong suspicion. It still surprised me when I found out as I kind of reasoned in my head that this person couldn’t be the killer. This book had my wheels turning, trying to figure out who the killer could be. When I read some suspense books, I don’t even bother trying to figure it out because it is just so obvious but I did not have that problem with this one.
Lastly, I want to mention how much I appreciate that the dedication page in Lynette Eason’s books are always (at least to my knowledge) to Jesus. I just think this is such a sweet act of praise to the One who truly makes it all happen.
Overall, I’m giving the book 4 stars. Just read it.
God bless,
Kaya :)
When reading books in the same genre as A Killer Among Us, I often find one of my biggest complaints to be that I didn’t like how much romance was in the book. Romance is a touchy thing with me as I like a little but not too much. I feel like this book offered the perfect balance. There wasn’t too much romance and, when there was, it was really well done. I especially appreciate how we are briefly shown how Noah struggled with lust and desires even though he made the commitment to save intimacy for marriage. This is a realistic and relatable struggle that I admire the author for acknowledging. In many books with romance, I also dislike when characters try to hide their feelings from one another and take too long to express how they feel so I liked how the two main characters of this book didn’t seem to have this annoying issue; they openly talked about their relationship and expressed their feelings.
Also, after reading a so-called “Christian” fiction book, I tend to complain a lot about how there isn’t enough faith content and, when there is, it’s weak. I am glad to report that I did not have that problem with this one. Faith was mentioned often and it is clear the characters are genuinely longing for a close connection to God. I also liked how we get to see Noah telling others of Christ and explaining to people that following Him is not a religion but a relationship.
Now, on to the biggest component of the book: the mystery. I will say I had a suspicion about who the serial killer was — which turned out to be correct — but it wasn’t a strong suspicion. It still surprised me when I found out as I kind of reasoned in my head that this person couldn’t be the killer. This book had my wheels turning, trying to figure out who the killer could be. When I read some suspense books, I don’t even bother trying to figure it out because it is just so obvious but I did not have that problem with this one.
Lastly, I want to mention how much I appreciate that the dedication page in Lynette Eason’s books are always (at least to my knowledge) to Jesus. I just think this is such a sweet act of praise to the One who truly makes it all happen.
Overall, I’m giving the book 4 stars. Just read it.
God bless,
Kaya :)
Aftermath by Terri Blackstock
3.0
Aftermath — my most recent read by Terri Blackstock — was just as gripping as it claims to be.
I particularly liked the romance as I especially enjoy books that are mostly suspense with a little bit of romance. It took up very little of the book, literally only a few pages, but was adorable and well-developed.
I will say that I had a suspicion — which turned out to be correct — of who the perpetrators of the bombing would be not long into reading the story.
While I enjoyed the book overall, there was one thing I did not like: Taylor. She drove me crazy. I think it was intended for the readers to have compassion on her, and in a way I do, but let’s just be honest, she is straight up insane. She needed to be checked into a mental facility (and be prosecuted for almost killing two men!). I could be wrong, but I don’t believe her OCD diagnosis was correctly used to explain her mental health issues either. I think her symptoms started out as OCD when she was a teenager and spiraled into something much worse after the bombing; probably more like schizophrenia and manic depression.
Well, anyway, enough of my rant but I just thought I would include my thoughts on this. I actually have more issues with the book but I think this review has dragged on long enough. Despite it’s flaws, Aftermath is a good book. It’s worth a read, it just might not be the best book you’ve ever read. 3.25 stars.
God bless,
Kaya :)
I particularly liked the romance as I especially enjoy books that are mostly suspense with a little bit of romance. It took up very little of the book, literally only a few pages, but was adorable and well-developed.
I will say that I had a suspicion — which turned out to be correct — of who the perpetrators of the bombing would be not long into reading the story.
While I enjoyed the book overall, there was one thing I did not like: Taylor. She drove me crazy. I think it was intended for the readers to have compassion on her, and in a way I do, but let’s just be honest, she is straight up insane. She needed to be checked into a mental facility (and be prosecuted for almost killing two men!). I could be wrong, but I don’t believe her OCD diagnosis was correctly used to explain her mental health issues either. I think her symptoms started out as OCD when she was a teenager and spiraled into something much worse after the bombing; probably more like schizophrenia and manic depression.
Well, anyway, enough of my rant but I just thought I would include my thoughts on this. I actually have more issues with the book but I think this review has dragged on long enough. Despite it’s flaws, Aftermath is a good book. It’s worth a read, it just might not be the best book you’ve ever read. 3.25 stars.
God bless,
Kaya :)
The Listener: What if you could hear what God hears? by Terri Blackstock
3.0
I had low expectations for this book and I’ll admit that the premise is a little odd but it really surprised me as I ended up enjoying it greatly. It has served as a much needed reminder that the world around us is hurting desperately and needs Jesus as the solution to their every need. I read the book in a few hours but it could definitely be enjoyed in one sitting. I am giving The Listener 4 stars and would recommend it. And, for those who have read the book and liked it, I would also recommend Miracle At The Higher Ground Cafe by Max Lucado as The Listener reminded me a lot of this book. 3.5 stars.
God bless,
Kaya :)
God bless,
Kaya :)