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Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

alaskan courage

All good things must come to an end: Review of Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey {plus giveaway!}

February 4, 2015

Sigh.

I knew this day was coming, the day we’d bid farewell to the McKenna family and this crazy amazing series of romantic suspense books by Dani Pettrey. Sabotaged, the fifth and final book in the series, releases this month, and it’s just as heart-pumping as the rest. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for my review.)

SabotagedSM1This book centers around the Iditarod and a missing dog sled driver who is also the uncle of Kirra, a local veterinarian who grew up around the McKenna family. Reef, a McKenna sibling with a sketchy and troubled past, is working search-and-rescue with Kirra when her uncle goes off course. They’re then thrust into a mystery that has them traveling to points along the race path and fearing for their lives.

Each of five books follows one of the McKenna siblings and a crime/mystery they find themselves involved in solving. If you want to catch up and start from the beginning, you can. You could read each book separately but the background helps, I think.

Here’s the order, with links to my reviews:

Submerged. (Sadly, I didn’t actually review this one, but it hooked me enough to want to read and review the books that followed!)

Shattered.

Stranded.

Silenced.

Sabotaged.

Pettrey’s books are so well-written I find myself wanting to hang out in Alaska, no matter the cold, and re-read the whole series (a rare act on my part). They’re full of action, suspense, romance and deep truths. Now that the series has ended, I’ve been thinking about which story or character was my favorite and I have a hard time choosing. It’s a toss-up between Submerged, which introduced the series with Cole and Bailey, and Stranded, which focused on Gage and Darcy.

Overall, these stories are like a Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys mash-up for grown-ups if those main characters were related and each had love interests.

I’m sad to see this series end but thrilled and excited about the next series Pettrey is working on. It’s set on the East Coast and will revolve around the Chesapeake Bay area.

But you know what makes the ending of a series better? A fun giveaway! Click the picture below to enter the Heart of Adventure sweepstakes. Prizes include a gift certificate to Hotels.com, a donation to an animal shelter or veterinarian, and a sweetheart survival kit (chocolate included!). You can find everything you need to know about the giveaway here. The contest runs through Feb. 22, so head on over and enter!

Enter the HEART OF ADVENTURE Sweepstakes from Author Dani Pettrey!
And if you want to get a glimpse of what Pettrey’s stories are like, check out her amazing Pinterest boards for each book. If that doesn’t get you interested in an Alaskan adventure, nothing will!

Filed Under: books, Fiction, giveaways, The Weekly Read Tagged With: alaskan courage, bethany house, dani pettrey, giveaway, heart of adventure, romantic suspense, series fiction, sweepstakes

Edge of your seat suspense: Review of Shattered by Dani Pettrey

February 27, 2013

The weather outside was frightful and cold when I dived in to Dani Pettrey’s second novel in the Alaskan Courage series, Shattered. Wrapping myself in blankets and sweatshirts while watching snow fall on a gray winter day was a sure-fire way to immerse myself in the setting. But Pettrey’s writing is such that even on a hot summer day readers will feel like they’re there.

Not long ago, I read Pettrey’s first novel, Submerged, on the recommendation of a friend, and I was caught up in the characters and mystery of the story. I didn’t hesitate to take the cShatteredhance to review her second novel and return to the island with Shattered.

The McKenna family is once again thrown into the middle of a murder mystery. Reef, a brother who  has been estranged from the rest of the family, has returned to his hometown of Yancey, Alaska but is soon a suspect in the murder of a fellow snowboarder. His sister Piper is convinced of his innocence and sets out to prove it. Deputy Landon Grainger, a longtime family friend, wants to believe Reef is innocent, but when the evidence points strongly to Reef and the sheriff wants a quick conviction, Landon puts his  job on the line to pursue the truth with Piper.

I haven’t read mystery/suspense in a long time, but picking up this set of books from Pettrey has sparked my interest. They’re compelling, the characters have depth and feeling, and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep readers turning the pages.

The McKenna family is tight-knit, but they behave like a real family with problems. They look out for each other but they drive each other crazy sometimes. I want to re-read these books to spend time with the family because it’s not hard to imagine they’d welcome you to their family get-togethers.

And while I’m not the biggest fan of cold weather, Pettrey makes Alaska down-right appealing.

If you’re looking for an enjoyable escape with unpredictable plot twists, then pick up Pettrey’s latest. (Or the first one in the series, Submerged.)

I’m a new fan not only of Pettrey but of this genre of novel.

And the good news is: Pettrey just announced three more books to be published in this series. So, there’ll be plenty of romantic suspense in the future as well!

Meet Dani: pettrey

Dani Pettrey is a wife, homeschooling mom, and author. She feels blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she loves–the thrill of adventure, nail biting suspense, the deepening of her characters’ faith, and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland with their two teenage daughters.

Visit her website at www.danipettrey.com.
You’re invited!
Dani Pettrey is celebrating the release of Shattered with a Nook HD giveaway and a Facebook Author Chat Party {3/14}. Shattered Pettrey
One winner will receive:

  • A brand new Nook HD
  • Submerged and Shattered by Dani Pettrey {Be caught up in this riveting series.}

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 13th. Winner will be announced at the “Shattered” Author Chat Party on 3/14. Connect with Dani for an evening of book chat, trivia, and a chance to win gift certificates, books, and other fun prizes!

So grab your copy of Shattered and join Dani on the evening of the March 14th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book – don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 14th!

In exchange for this review, I received a free advanced digital copy of Shattered from LitFuse Publicity Group.

Filed Under: Fiction, The Weekly Read Tagged With: alaska, alaskan courage, christian novel, dani pettrey, mystery, new fiction, romantic suspense

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Hi. I’m Lisa, and I’m glad you’re here. If we were meeting in real life, I’d offer you something to eat or drink while we sat on the porch letting the conversation wander as it does. That’s a little bit what this space is like. We talk about books and family and travel and food and running, whatever I might encounter in world. I’m looking for the beauty in the midst of it all, even the tough stuff. (You’ll find a lot of that here, too.) Thanks for stopping by. Stay as long as you like.

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