Tangled Webs (By: Irene Hannon)

Tangled Webs

By: Irene Hannon

Storyline 

Finn MacGregor is finished with his career as an Army Ranger, and just wants a little peace and quiet to figure out what he is going to do for the rest of his life. When he rents a secluded cabin deep in the backwoods of Missouri, he figures the solitude and lack of cell phone coverage won't be hard to get used to. And maybe he can get his secrets and demons figured out while there. But when a woman's terrified scream pierces through the night, he finds himself back in rescue mode to his beautiful neighbor - who has secrets and demons of her own to wrestle through.

Dana Lewis plans to stay at her own secluded cabin indefinitely. That is, unless a mysterious prankster can convince her to leave by frightening her off the property. As Finn and Dana work together to figure out who is behind the pranks and why they want her gone, these two troubled souls learn to trust each other - both in solving the mystery and in their personal lives.

Depth

Finn and Dana both have damaged souls from their pasts. As they very slowly learn to trust each other, they must learn to let go and have the courage to move forward in their lives. Also addressed in a side storyline is the very real issue of absolute truth, absolute right and wrong. What do you do when the only answer (it seems) to a tough situation is unethical - at best? Author Irene does an excellent job detailing how quickly that decision can become a tangled web of lies, deceit and cover ups.

Additionally, some of the main characters either have a broken past to deal with or currently have great pain to contend with. Broken families, past mistakes, and unfulfilled dreams are addressed.

Faith

The best faith storyline in this book actually comes through the wrestlings of one of the perpetrators. He is a church-going, Bible-believing, man of honor who makes one wrong decision - and continues to walk in it as he descends further down into the tangled web of its consequences. His conscience tries to kick in, but after ignoring it enough times, that voice becomes harder to distinguish. It's a good reminder to the reader that every choice, no matter how small, will either bring you closer to or further away from God. Thankfully, even after walking in a way contrary to God, He will always be there, waiting for us, ready to offer forgiveness and redemption

Love Story

Finn and Dana are instantly attracted to each other and have a few sparks as they get to know one another, but ultimately their love story is wrapped up in the mystery and depth of the story, so the romance isn't overpowering.

Overall

We have enjoyed the Men of Valor series, and it was good to finally hear Finn's story. The first half of the book was a little slow and didn't really have much meat to its plot, which accounts for this less than stellar star rating. The second half of the book picked up the pace however and concluded in a satisfying ending.

Find it on Amazon: Tangled Webs

Note: We were given this book free in return for our honest review

Hope Harbor (By: Irene Hannon)

Hope Harbor

By: Irene Hannon

Storyline
Tracy Campbell is trying to do it all - save the cranberry farm that's been in her family for three generations, run a non-profit ministry to the elderly and do accounting work on the side to make ends meet. To all of this, she is fighting loneliness and guarding a tragic secret from her past - but has accepted this will be her life from now on. When widower Michael Hunter comes to town and almost runs her down on her bicycle, Tracy reluctantly begins working with him to ease her load - and starts to believe that maybe God has given her a second chance at happiness after all. 

Author Irene is an excellent writer, delivering solid plot lines with just the right amount of story to keep us engaged. This book lacks the page-turning excitement that would lift it into a five star rating, but has everything else! She transports us to the small coastal Oregon community and makes the reader feel as though they belong there too. These 2 Chicks kept finding themselves craving Charley's fish tacos and wanting to visit the Oregon coast!

Depth

This book is deceptively light-hearted! It reads easily and nothing terribly heavy presents itself, but upon further reflection, author Irene did a fantastic job bringing real life problems into the story - mostly tragic family histories - and dealing with the issues realistically and thoughtfully. There were no easy fixes and she offered redemption in the middle of the problems.

Faith

Some characters have a strong faith in God, some are not on speaking terms with the Almighty, but faith is very real and evident in all the events that take place. God speaks to his people and gently leads his lost sheep back into His care.

Squeal Factor

Since both Michael and Tracy are hesitant to move into a relationship, it takes a while for the chemistry between the two to heat up. But once it does, they share some very tender moments and are themselves surprised to find the courage to love again. As their love grew, our love grew for them too!

Overall

Hope Harbor is an enjoyable, solid read that will stay with the reader long after they've turned the last page. The fictional, quiet town on the Oregon coast is the perfect setting for all the hearts desperately in need of healing in this book.

Find it on Amazon: Hope Harbor


Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review 

Buried Secrets (By: Irene Hannon)

Buried Secrets
By: Irene Hannon

Buried Secrets is the first novel in the new Men of Valor series by Christian romantic suspense author Irene Hannon. If you enjoy a blend of mystery, intrigue, suspense and romance, this is an author you'll want to check out!

Storyline

A secret, buried long ago, rises to the surface in a small Missouri town and threatens the livelihood of those who want it to remain hidden. Police Chief Lisa Grant and Detective Mac McGregor are on the case to solve the mystery - and might also possibly be finding the love they've always wanted in each other. This story is solid right from the beginning and is clever, witty and interesting on every page. The suspense is good without getting creepy, the mystery is revealed at a good pace, the characters develop well and the fantastic writing is definitely the strength of this book!
 
Depth

Buried Secrets could possibly be called lighthearted except for the fact that the plot centers around murder! A story involving the dark sides of human nature will naturally go deeper, and that's what gives this category its three stars. Otherwise, there are some brief brushes with characters' motivations and pasts which give this read enough reality, but not so much as to weigh us down.

Faith

Both main characters have solid faith and rely on the Lord for guidance and direction for life. This book was a little lighter on faith than our usual reads, as there isn't much in the way of redemption, supernatural revelations or deep explorations of what faith is. However, Christian principles are followed and faith is evident!

Squeal Factor

Mac and Lisa have a very strong emotional connection that slowly but surely turns into a mature love story. They've got sparks and chemistry that made their romance all the more fun!

Overall

We are happy to have recently discovered Irene Hannon and her supreme ability to blend suspense and romance together into wonderful reads! We love mysteries that give us a little suspense without making us afraid to turn out the lights at night - and she delivers just that. If this first Men of Valor book is any indication, it's going to be a great series!

Find it on Amazon: Buried Secrets

We were given this book from the publisher in exchange for our honest review.