Susan May Warren: Ruby Jane

By Kelly Bridgewater

She loved...and lost.

Ruby Jane never thought she'd meet the man of her dreams while running from the police in Russia. That he'd steal her heart on a train to Siberia. But loving a former CIA officer comes with a price...a life of danger. A life of high stakes.

A life where he simply disappears...

He has no memory of the man he was.

Mack Jones has no memory of his past...just the dark sense that he is hiding. And, he wants to stay that way. Mack likes the life he's built in a small tourist town, tucked away beyond the mountains, and has no desire to dig around in the gray areas of his memory.

When his place of business catches fire and Mack rescues the owner, he makes the news, which of course alerts the past he's hoping to outrun.

The only person who can help him is a mysterious woman he doesn't remember.

But a woman he desperately needs.

The surprising, thrilling conclusion to the Montana Marshall series.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Ruby Jane is the fifth and final installment in the family saga of the Montana Marshall's. In true Susan May Warren fashion, the plot is a high octane chase with plenty of sparks and romance to satisfy any true romantic suspense fan. I have read all of the Montana Marshall brothers' stories, and I couldn't wait to read this one. Warren does a fabulous job at crafting a story with familiar characters and tying up loose ends from the overall story. In Ruby Jane, Warren actually shows how all five stories are intertwined to make one big climatic moment. I really enjoyed spending time with these five characters and can't wait to read the next series from Susan May Warren. I loved this series and can't wait to own all five of them in paperback too, so I can add it to my Warren shelf on my bookshelf.

I received a complimentary copy of Ruby Jane by Susan May Warren from SMW Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Ruby Jane

Susan May Warren: Wyatt

By Kelly Bridgewater

He’s lost her twice…he’s not going to lose her again...

NHL Hockey Goalie Wyatt Marshall has everything--fame, money and a thriving career. But he’s hiding the two things that matter most...a career-ending injury, and his broken heart. He’s been in love with Coco Stanley since she walked into his life at age fourteen, a foster child for the Marshall family. She stole his heart years later, when, after a secret tryst, she returned to her home country of Russia. But she won’t let him back into her life—and he can’t figure out why.

She’s harboring a secret that could cost lives...

Coco Stanley is tired of living her life undercover. Or at least, with an assumed name, always pretending to be someone she’s not. And that’s not the only secret she’s harboring. If Wyatt discovers the real reason she left him, it might just destroy him. She’s resigned herself to loving him from afar...

But when he discovers she’s in danger...

Wyatt is horrified when he learns Coco has been shot and left in Russia, her fate unknown. There is nothing—nothing—that will stop him from finding her. So what if he’s not one of his super-heroic brothers, not a Ranger, not a SEAL...Wyatt is a hockey goalie, a special kind of crazy brave. Except, is he brave enough to face the secret Coco is keeping, or will it destroy everything he’s hoped for?

What will it cost them to save her?

What Wyatt and Coco don’t know is that revenge is stalking her and bringing her home just might cost them their long-awaited happy ending.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I have enjoyed the Marshall family and have looked forward to reading every new installment that Susan May Warren crafts. With Wyatt, I feel a special connection because of my love for hockey. I have loved hockey since I was fourteen years old. Still today, I 'm rooting for my Colorado Avalanche. So I have enjoyed the couple of books that Warren has written about hockey players. In Ford, there was a lot of running for their lives. In Wyatt, there are moments of high tension, but for the most part, it was Wyatt learning about his past and the consequences from them. Coco has some secrets that she has kept from Wyatt and everyone too. This story is all about forgiveness and learning to move forward with life no matter what it hands you. The romance has been long in coming. Wyatt and Coco have the predictable ending. Not that I see it being really any easy road. They had to fight to achieve what appears to be a happily-ever-after. There are rough patches ahead for this couple. The romance is definitely there with plenty of sparks and moments of doubt. Warren's writing is top-notch. She is a fabulous writer. Sometimes I pause and just reread her writing slowly. As a budding writer, I admire her skill. I can't do what she does. Warren really knows how to dive into her character's emotions and lay them all out on the table for the reader to empathize with. Another favorite part is the organic spiritual threads inside and outside the characters. Not pushy. Just realistic, humbled people who love God and are not afraid to share it with others with the need arises. Overall, Wyatt by Susan May Warren is definitely another keeper for the shelf. I enjoy this family as much as the Christiansen family. I anxiously await Ruby Jane's story.

I received a complimentary copy of Wyatt by Susan May Warren from SDG Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Wyatt

About the Author:

From Amazon

Growing up in Minneapolis and attending the U of MN, I learned to love city life, although I'm a woodsy girl at heart. Or maybe I'm an adventurer -- having lived and traveled all over the world, including Siberia Russia as a missionary for eight years. Probably that's why my characters can't sit still, and seem to get into one scrape after another -- they're too much like me! I love God, my family, my country, my church, and feel privileged every day to be able to write stories.

Here's my "Official" Bio.

With over 1 million books sold, critically acclaimed novelist Susan May Warren is the Christy, RITA and Carol award-winning author of over seventy-five novels with Revell, Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press. Known for her compelling plots and unforgettable characters, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic-suspense, thrillers, rom-com and Christmas novellas.

With books translated into eight languages, many of her novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award.

Of her books, Publisher's Weekly has written, "Warren lays bare her characters' human frailties, including fear, grief, and resentment, as openly as she details their virtues of love, devotion, and resiliency. She has crafted an engaging tale of romance, rivalry, and the power of forgiveness."

And Library Journal adds, "Warren's characters are well-developed and she knows how to create a first rate contemporary romance..."

Susan is also a nationally acclaimed writing coach, teaching at conferences around the nation and winner of the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year award. She loves to help people launch their writing careers and is the founder of Novel.Academy and www.LearnHowtoWriteaNovel.com, a writing website that helps authors get published and stay published. She's also the author of the popular writing method, The Story Equation. (Taken from Amazon.)

Susan May Warren: Knox

By Kelly Bridgewater

Montana rancher Knox Marshall's danger years are behind him. A former bull-rider, he now runs the Marshall family ranch, raising champion bucking bulls for the National Professional Bullrider's Expo (NBR-X). Wealth and success are his, but life is stable, expected, and…ordinary. He can't help but wonder if his best years are behind him.

Kelsey Jones just wants a safe life, a family, a home. Onstage, the beautiful rising star of the Yankee Belles becomes the person she longs to be - vivacious and confident - burying the brokenness she carries from a violent assault. Becoming NBR-X’s next country act is key to outrunning her past and achieving the success and security she craves.

Knox and Kelsey's paths collide when an explosion at an NBR-X event traps them in the rubble and leaves them reeling. Kelsey’s crippling nightmares return, but for Knox, an obsession to find the bomber is ignited.

When Kelsey’s past threatens Knox’s family, he'll have to choose between saving the Marshall legacy or becoming the protector he's always longed to be.

The explosive beginning to the Montana Marshall series.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Susan May Warren has crafted another family saga with the Marshalls. Warren starts the series with Knox, the brother who stayed home to help mom with the family ranch. There are a number of familiar characters if you are a fan or reader of her previous books. It was nice to see them make an appearance. They didn't just appear and disappear; these reoccurring characters actually helped Knox find himself and find love. The plot centers around a suspenseful moment and the hunt for justice. I really enjoyed the plot. I got wrapped up in the first chapter and finished the book in a little over a day. (It was a Sunday, so I had to go to church and take the teenagers to youth group.) The romance didn't wow me or feel too rushed. It was there. I know it was important to Knox and Kelsey, and I knew it was going to happen but that was about it. The mystery element and the family dynamics captured my attention more. Warren did introduce and spend time with Tate, the hero for book two. He has a past that is hinted at, and I can't wait to see what happens with him in the next book. An entertaining read filled with numerous surprises. Definitely a great start to a new series.

I received a complimentary copy of Knox by Susan May Warren from Stonewater Books, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

About the Author:

From Amazon

Growing up in Minneapolis and attending the U of MN, I learned to love city life, although I'm a woodsy girl at heart. Or maybe I'm an adventurer -- having lived and traveled all over the world, including Siberia Russia as a missionary for eight years. Probably that's why my characters can't sit still, and seem to get into one scrape after another -- they're too much like me! I love God, my family, my country, my church, and feel privileged every day to be able to write stories.

Here's my "Official" Bio.

With over 1 million books sold, critically acclaimed novelist Susan May Warren is the Christy, RITA and Carol award-winning author of over forty-five novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press. Known for her compelling plots and unforgettable characters, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic-suspense, thrillers, rom-com and Christmas novellas.

With books translated into eight languages, many of her novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. She's a three time RITA finalist and an eight time Christy Finalist.

Of her books, Publisher's Weekly has written, "Warren lays bare her characters' human frailties, including fear, grief, and resentment, as openly as she details their virtues of love, devotion, and resiliency. She has crafted an engaging tale of romance, rivalry, and the power of forgiveness."

And Library Journal adds, "Warren's characters are well-developed and she knows how to create a first rate contemporary romance..."

Susan is also a nationally acclaimed writing coach, teaching at conferences around the nation and winner of the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year award. She loves to help people launch their writing careers and is the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com and www.LearnHowtoWriteaNovel.com, a writing website that helps authors get published and stay published. She's also the author of the popular writing method, The Story Equation. (Taken from Amazon.)