contemporary romantic suspense

A Vast and Gracious Tide by Lisa Carter

/ sandramervillehart

Sergeant First Class Caden Wallis loses more than his foot in Afghanistan—he loses his leader and friend, Joe, and Friday, his bomb-sniffing dog. While he struggles to recover, his girlfriend dumps him. There’s only one thing left to do—return a quilt that brought him such comfort during his recovery to its rightful owner and then end it all.

McKenna Dockery can’t get over the loss of her fiancé three years ago. If not for his death, they’d be married by now. She gave up her dream of dancing when he died to help out in her family’s restaurant in the Outer Banks. She’s been a Banker all her life and never wants to leave.

When McKenna meets Caden on the beach, she recognizes his despair and quickly grasps his suicidal intentions. She offers him a chance to do something positive again.

Then a dead body washes ashore and suspicion falls on Caden, the stranger in town. And that’s only the beginning.

This multi-layered story captured my interest—and my heart—from the Prologue and never let go. Suspenseful. Lovable, broken characters that tugged at my emotions. Add a skillfully-woven romance to the mix and you’ve got a great story.

I highly recommend this book to readers of contemporary romance and romantic suspense.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

Deadly Guardian by Deborah Sprinkle

/ sandramervillehart

Chemistry teacher Madison Long’s plans for the summer break quickly take a bad turn. Long walks with her dog beside the lake leave her looking over her shoulder. She’s being watched though she never spots the guy.

Detective Nate Zuberi helps her out of a sticky situation with an ex-boyfriend only to find the man dead hours later. Is Madison guilty of murder? Despite Nate’s growing feelings for her, he has to consider the possibility.

Danger mounts as someone continues to stalk Madison. Who is after her? And why is Nate in danger?

Readers are given no time to relax as Madison goes from one danger to the next. This intricately-woven suspense is Sprinkle’s debut novel. The author has written a spell-binding romantic suspense. I couldn’t put it down! I had to know what happened next.

I recommend this book for readers of romantic suspense. A page-turner!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

House of Secrets by Ramona Richards

/ sandramervillehart

This Love Inspired Suspense novel kept me on the edge of my seat!

June Eaton is a strong woman, a leader in her community because of her deceased husband’s position as pastor of the church. She moved from the parsonage after his death three years ago, though longing to stay in the Victorian home with all its hidden rooms and compartments.

Sheriff Ray Taylor cares about June—and those feelings shift into overdrive when she finds the new pastor murdered at the parsonage. June is in constant danger from the murderer because she interrupted the pair. Yet the danger opens old wounds for her that are difficult to overcome.

This book is a page turner! I was constantly worried for June and what would happen next. The parsonage fascinated me. Loved these believable characters. The sheriff is a true hero in a tough situation.

Well-written. Recommend!

-Sandra Merville Hart