Christy Barritt: The Baby Assignment

By Kelly Bridgewater

Tasked with figuring out who left a baby girl at the Houston FBI office, Special Agent Tanner Wilson has only one hint--his ex-girlfriend's name written on a scrap of paper. But child psychologist Macy Mills doesn't recognize little Addie, and someone's dead set on abducting her . . .  even if it costs Tanner's and Macy's lives. And with Addie and Macy as targets, Tanner's new mission is to protect them both--at the risk of his own life and heart. Macy will do anything to help him find who's after Addie, and make amends for her past mistakes. But for their reunion to become a second chance at love, they must find a way to survive the danger threatening to tear them apart.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

The Baby Assignment by Christy Barritt is a short novella from Harlequin. The romantic suspense novel is a quick read with non-stop thrills. From the first moment Special Agent Tanner Wilson arrives on the scene, he makes a huge splash, causing the world of Macy Mills to turn upside down. The romance and the suspense is formulaic, but Barritt does a great job at creating interesting types of suspense twists that keep me turning the pages. The romance heats up the moment Tanner and Macy meet each other again. I really enjoyed the novel especially because Barritt does a great job at creating original stories. Overall, I finished The Baby Assignment really quickly, but I enjoyed spending time with Tanner and Macy and watching them fight for each other and the baby.

I received a complimentary copy of The Baby Assignment by Christy Barritt from Christy Barritt, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Christy Barritt: Shadow of Suspicion

By Kelly Bridgewater

First, computer specialist Laney Ryan's accused of kidnapping her neighbor's daughter—and now someone's trying to kill her. The police don't believe Laney's story…except for Detective Mark James, whose instincts say Laney isn't guilty. Together, Mark and Laney must figure out who really abducted the teen and uncover why they're framing Laney. But when their search for the truth turns deadly, Mark realizes his feelings for Laney aren't strictly professional and that he'll stop at nothing to keep her safe. With a dangerous suspect swiftly closing in, can they find the missing girl and clear Laney's name…before their possible future together is fatally cut short?

http://www.christybarritt.com/book/shadow-of-suspicion/

 My Thoughts:

Christy Barritt is at it again. With her latest Love Inspired Suspense novel, Shadow of Suspicion, I really was drawn into the story right away with the doors banging open and invading Laney's home. From there on, the rest of the story lives up to the same height of rush and hide. Something happened at the end of every chapter, capturing my intrigue and making me flip the pages to see what happens next. The romance between Laney and Mark doesn't even hint at anything until page 100. It slowly progresses, and then ends up at a predictable marriage. I know it is required of this publisher, but it always makes me shake my head. Except for the romance, I really like Barritt's take on how she created Laney to be the perfect suspect for the kidnapping, but she laid the story out so well that I didn't figure out who the main bad guy was. I highly recommend this story for fans of Barritt's other works and fans of the Love Inspired Suspense line.

I received a complimentary copy of Shadow of Suspicion from Christy Barritt, but my opinions are my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Do you like to read the Love Inspired line? Regular Romance? Suspense? Historical? What draws you to this genre? If not, what repeals you from these books?

Meghan Carver + GIVEAWAY Winner!

By Kelly Bridgewater

* Winner of the physical copy of Under Duress is mentioned at the bottom of this blog post. Thank you for everyone who entered and created some noise for Meghan's book on social media. I know she appreciated it.

From Meghan

Criminals are trying to kidnap attorney Samantha Callahan's adopted daughter, Lily—and she has no idea why. So when bullets start flying, Samantha and Lily speed off in her car…and crash right into help. Ex-cop Reid Palmer is shocked when former law school classmate Samantha rear-ends his car and then climbs in with her daughter and begs him to drive. Now they are on the run, and Reid will do anything to protect them and figure out why kidnappers are after Lily. As they struggle to evade capture, Reid begins to realize that Samantha is more to him than just a woman in trouble. But with the enemies closing in and their motives finally revealed, will Reid be able to make sure justice is served?

My Thoughts:

My friend, Meghan Carver, had published her first book with the Love Inspired Suspense book line. I have read a number of these short books, so I know what to accept. I accept that a couple that will meet within the first chapter, overcome some struggles, and fall in love by the end of the book. Carver's book, Under Duress, accomplishes just that. 

The tension starts on the first page and doesn't let go really at all. From the first encounter with Samatha, I saw her chasing through the streets of Heartland Hills, racing to save her about to be daughter, Lilly. Luckily, she arrives just in time. For the rest of the book, Carver does not let up on the tension. There is a number of car chases and a bullet wound. Just like I like my suspense books. Non-stop action. 

In most of the Love Inspired Suspense books I have read, I always feel that the romance is too rushed. I know this is what the Harlequin books want, but I could do with a longer courtship. But following the rules of the publication, Carver makes her romance come to life between Samatha and Reid. They get their happily-ever-after.

I really enjoyed the background and job of Samantha. I, however, wished there would have been more of this type of information in the overall plot. Maybe Carver can continue Samantha and Reid's story, so we see more of their interaction. I would definitely like that. 

In conclusion, Meghan Carver's debut novel, Under Duress, will satisfy readers of the short novels Love Inspired Suspense. I can't wait to see what else Meghan creates. 

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Under Duress

From Meghan

Meghan Carver's Bio:

By sixth grade, Meghan Carver knew she wanted to write. After earning a degree in English from Millikin University, she detoured to law school, earning a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University. She then worked in immigration law and taught Comp 101 at the local college. Now, she homeschools her six children with her college professor husband. When she isn’t writing, homeschooling, or planning the family’s next travel adventure, she is active in her church, sews for her kidlets, and reads.

Where to connect with Meghan:

Website: www.meghancarver.com

Blog: www.meghancarver.blogspot.com 

Goodreads: Meghan Carver

Facebook: Meghan Carver

Twitter:@MeghanCCarver

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Okay, now for the moment you have all been waiting for. . .

The winner of the physical copy of Meghan Carver's Under Duress is TINA!!! Please email me or message me on Facebook, so I can get your email address and mail you your copy of Under Duress ASAP.

***If the winner doesn't claim it within 24 hours, I will pick another winner, so stay tuned.***

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Meghan Carver + Giveaway

By Kelly Bridgewater

I met Meghan at the 2013 ACFW conference in Indianapolis. We have met every year at the Indiana Chapter meetings of the ACFW. We have so much in common, like we LOVE snow and suspense books. Meghan is such a sweet lady, and I'm really glad to call her my friend. So of course, when she announced on Facebook that she signed a book with Love Inspired Suspense, I jumped for joy along with her. I couldn't wait to have her come on my blog and share her writing journey with everyone. Plus, I had to give away a copy of her book (that I bought). Anything to support my writer friends :).

Thank you for stopping by, Meghan. I'm really glad to have you here!!


About Meghan . . .

From Meghan

By sixth grade, Meghan Carver knew she wanted to write. After earning a degree in English from Millikin University, she detoured to law school, earning a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University. She then worked in immigration law and taught Comp 101 at the local college. Now, she homeschools her six children with her college professor husband. When she isn’t writing, homeschooling, or planning the family’s next travel adventure, she is active in her church, sews for her kidlets, and reads.

Where to connect with Meghan . . .

Website: www.meghancarver.com

Blog: www.meghancarver.blogspot.com 

Goodreads: Meghan Carver

Facebook: Meghan Carver

Twitter:@MeghanCCarver

Author Interview:
Meghan Carver

1.)    Tell us a little bit about yourself:  How did you start writing?  What has kept you writing?

I fell in love with writing in the sixth grade during an all-school essay-writing exercise. Perhaps, at first, I just loved the scratch of the pencil across the paper and the fact that the paper was stapled into a cute little Blue Book. (Who remembers those? J) But I also loved being able to express myself in a thoughtful way. Then, a few days later, a teacher handed it back to me with an encouraging comment written in red, and I was hooked.

2.)    What draws you into contemporary romance stories?

Definitely the characters. I love to find characters with whom I can identify, and a quirk or two or unique circumstances also help my interest.

3.)    My latest story can be described by these 5 adjectives . . .

I asked my 16yo this question, since she's one of my biggest supporters and always the first to read a new story, assuming she can wrestle it away from the 14yo. Her adjective choices are exciting, entertaining, amusing (in some spots), creative, encouraging.

4.)    Where did the idea for this novel come from?

From Meghan

By education, I'm an attorney, so I like to have characters who are attorneys. A lot of lawyer jokes are funny because they're sadly true, but lawyers can be terrific, God-fearing and God-serving people, too. I wanted to write a lawyer character who had had difficulty in the past but was still focused on God's will. I ended up with two such characters! The particular type of practice was not difficult to nail down. I didn't want a divorce attorney or a bankruptcy attorney or a defense lawyer. I'm adopted, so I immediately thought of adoption law, and I loved the idea of an adoption lawyer adopting a child.

 5.)    What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?

God gives second chances. His mercies are new every morning!

6.)    Is there any up-coming projects? What are they?

Of course there are upcoming projects! J Watch my blog or social media for announcements. 

7.)    What books are on your shelf or er-eader right now?

I decided this year to participate in a reading challenge, and I posted about it on my blog. [http://www.meghancarver.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-reading-challenge-under-duress.html] I read about fifty books a year, although I'm always trying to add in more. (A pitiful amount compared to our host, Kelly! That girl can read!) Most books I decide as I go, but there are always Love Inspired books in the hopper. I also have queued up To Kill a Mockingbird, Jenny and the Cat Club (a children's classic recommended by my 10yo), and a bunch of novella collections.

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Thank you so much for being my guest today, Meghan! I loved getting to know you better and can't wait to read Under Duress. Readers, if you haven't read any of any Love Inspired Suspense novels, you're missing out. They are GREAT books that will appeal to adults and young adults. I have LOVED every single one that I have read. 

Okay, my reader friends, don't miss this opportunity to get your own copy of Under Duress. I am generously offering a copy of Under Duress to one person (limited to U.S. residents only). To enter: just leave a comment, and share this link on social media for more chances to win with my name in the comments, so I can count the shares and put your name more than once in the drawing. The contest runs until Thursday,February 11th at noon. I will pick a winner on Thursday, February 11th and announce it here on the blog Friday, February 12th along with my review of Meghan's book. :)

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