I expected this to be a fast-paced plot, and it was. But I was surprised by the amount of medical injuries/crises, the storyline about severed relationships due to spiritual beliefs, and the depth of the family secrets and betrayals. At times, I wasn't sure who to trust, and that ratcheted up the tension and made the pages fly by.
However, the romantic connection between the hero and heroine didn't feel realistic and was more "tell" than "show." I was worried the immigration plotline would become political, and I'm confident the author's political beliefs are completely opposed to mine, but she managed to keep the topic relatively balanced.
Thank you to Tyndale Fiction for the complimentary copy of this novel; all opinions are my own.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Starts at high speed and never slows down!
Lethal Standoff is a new Christian romantic suspense novel by the talented, veteran author DiAnn Mills and features dedicated and compassionate female hostage negotiator, Carrington Reed. The story is action-packed and infused with romantic tension from the start, and the entire story is set within the framework of faith.
Carrington Reed is caring, compassionate, and sincere in her desire to help all parties involved in a hostage situation. She genuinely tries to look past the perpetrators' actions to get to the root causes of what they've done to gain as successful a resolution as she possibly can for all. She is in high demand as an independent hostage negotiator, and the wear and tear of the work is taking a toll. Carrington harbors a health concern that could put an end to her successful career.Levi Ehrlich is a Houston journalist who reports on the very situations Carrington tries to defuse, so their paths have crossed often in the past. They've developed something of a friendship due in large part to his trustworthy, fair, and balanced reporting. Until now, their relationship has remained strictly professional, but both secretly feel an undeniable romantic attraction to the other.
Levi's personal life has undergone some extreme changes since his recent conversion to Messianic Judaism. Born into a conservative Jewish family, he's been rejected by his father, mother, and sister. Still, he holds out hope that someday they will relent and accept him again, no matter the differences in their beliefs.The plot is fast-paced as Carrington is called from one crisis to another, and Levi is close behind in search of a good story. When Levi's boss demands exaggerated, sensationalized copy to boost circulation, Levi refuses to compromise his integrity, even under threat of dismissal. However, when the hostage negotiation takes some drastic turn, Carrington and Levi are certain there's more to the hostage-taker's motive than he claims. As they follow their instincts, the story answers with some surprising twists and turns.
The author's storytelling is immersive and compelling; the pages practically turned themselves on the way to the final resolution. With both characters experiencing spiritual struggles, there are some frank and open discussions and questioning of faith and its impact on their lives and the impact of their life experiences on the state of their faith. This is a story of forgiveness and renewal.I recommend LETHAL STANDOFF to readers of Christian romantic suspense.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.