Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

bethany house

One author I turn to when I need a guaranteed good read: Review of A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

A note about book reviews: Generally I post them on Wednesdays only, but I’m adding in a few extra ones here and there in June and July. Maybe you’ll find a fun summer read!

a worthy pursuitSome people have comfort food; I have comfort authors. (Okay, I have comfort food, too.) During a recent multi-day stretch of solo parenting while my husband was away, I read two books by two favorite authors because I needed the comfort of a well-written, entertaining, inspirational romance. One of the authors guaranteed to provide that for me is Karen Witemeyer and her new book A Worthy Pursuit is worth picking up. (Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my review.)

Witemeyer creatively places her heroine and hero in situations that cause conflict and stand in the way of their feelings. In this one, Stone Hammond is a tracker sent to find the woman who kidnapped the granddaughter of his wealthy client. He’s the best in the business and the clues lead him to the Texas homestead of Charlotte Atherton, the girl’s former teacher. Charlotte claims she was acting as the girl’s legal guardian and produces paperwork to prove it, placing Stone in the position of wondering if he’s trusted the wrong person in this circumstance. When danger threatens Charlotte and her charges, Stone vows to protect them. Both of them have to decide if it’s worth the risk to trust.

Though it’s an inspirational romance set in the 1800s Texas frontier, Witemeyer rarely casts her heroines as damsels in distress. They are strong women capable of taking care of themselves and making decisions but who find themselves in situations where they need the help of a good man. Charlotte is fiesty and independent but scared to trust. Stone is as hard as his name sounds when he’s in pursuit of his prey but fiercely determined to protect the innocent and win the heart of this woman.

Danger and romance combine for a story I could hardly step away from. Another solid story from Witemeyer and just what I needed for the mood I was in.

For reviews on other Witemeyer books I’ve read, check out these:

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

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!