Book Review: The Paris Betrayal by James Hannibal

After a rough mission in Rome involving the discovery of a devastating bioweapon, Company spy Ben Calix returns to Paris to find his perfectly ordered world has collapsed. A sniper attack. An ambush. A call for help that brings French SWAT forces down on his head. Ben is out. This is a severance--reserved for incompetents and traitors.

Searching for answers and anticipating a coming attack, Ben and a woman swept up in his misfortunes must travel across Europe to find the sniper who tried to kill him, the medic who saved his life, the schoolmaster who trained him, and an upstart hacker from his former team. More than that, Ben must come to grips with his own insignificance as the Company's plan to stop Leviathan from unleashing the bioweapon at any cost moves forward without him—and he struggles against the infection that is swiftly claiming territory within his own body.

My rating:

Award-winning author James R. Hannibal rachets up the tension on every page of this suspenseful new thriller. 
I think it's safe to say that my first James Hannibal book was a smashing success!

Plus, the poor dude just didn't feel good. Let's give him some slack.

The suspense wasn't keep-you-up-with-nightmares tense, but definitely edge-of-your-seat tense. The fight scenes were fantastic. The plot line was so good. The characters were likable, buuuuuut somehow they seemed...shallow? Like, I understood that Ben was under a great deal of stress, and he did well, but...idk. I failed to seriously connect. I did understand his want/need to fix things and set them right. And his desperation when things didn't go according to plan. (Am I a fixer that has issues when things don't go according to plan? Yes. Yes, I am.) But as far as emotional connection goes...nah. (I did love how it wasn't your typical top-of-the-food-chain-agent story, but more of a lowest-agent-on-the-totem-pole story)

Clara was endearing and spunky. The bad guys were...your average bad guys. All in all, there was nothing really remarkable about the characters.

And the message? Well, honestly, I didn't even realize there was supposed to be a message until I read a friend's review, mentioning the author's note. (I thought I'd read the author's note, but *cough* apparently I didn't read it well enough) It was a good story, engaging plot line, and I absolutely loved the overall story, but with shallow(ish) characters and lacking a meaty message, it fell just short of five stars.

As far as romance goes, there was a liiiiitle kissing and terms of endearment, but there was such a tiny amount, I'm not even gonna complain about it!

Also—that end? LOVED IT. Like, AMAZING twist.

So. A shorter review, but I definitely recommend this one! Four solid stars!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher for promotional purposes. All thoughts are my own.

Let's talk—what do you look for in a suspense novel?

Bookish Bestie Q&A

August 11th, 2020, I met my best friend in person for the first time.

Livi (some of you veteran bloggers may remember her as Livi Jane, formerly of the blog Living for the Other Side) and I have been writing/critique partners (which somehow became friends before we realized what was happening...I guess I have that effect on people *shrugs*) for several years, and our dream of meeting in person finally became reality when she came for a visit last summer.

Well, the exciting news is, she's coming again next week! This time, we thought it would be fun to do a Q&A here on the blog!

What kind of questions should you ask? Honestly, you could ask us anything...buuuuut we prefer bookish or movie/TV show-esque questions. 'Cause, ya know, books are kinda what brought us together. And we love watching movies together. *grins*

(Plus, this is a bookish blog, sooooo)

So. Comment below with your questions for us, and we'll answer them together when she's here next week!

Book Review: The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin

Combining heart-wrenching emotion with edge-of-your-seat tension, Charles Martin explores the true power of sacrificial love.

He shows up when all hope is lost. 

Murphy Shepherd has made a career of finding those no one else could—survivors of human trafficking. His life’s mission is helping others find freedom.

But then the nightmare strikes too close to home.

When his new wife, her daughter, and two other teenage girls are stolen, Murphy is left questioning all he has thought to be true. With more dead ends than leads, he has no idea how to find those he loves.

After everything is stripped away, love is what remains. 

Hope feels lost, but Murphy is willing to expend his last breath trying to bring them home.

Series: Murphy Shepherd, #2 (could probablyyyyy be read as a standalone??) (find my review of book 1 here)

My rating:

Okay. Once upon a time, I would've said that Charles Martin is one of my favorite authors - beautiful prose, engaging plot. Blunt - just like me. *halo* Thing is...I wouldn't quite say so anymore. *Deep breath* So. Let's dive in, shall we?

Mmkay, so, let me say what I didn't like (and try not to turn this into a rant), and get that part over with.

For one...the prose. The first couple of books I read by Martin (When Crickets Cry and The Dead Don't Dance) were absolutely amazing. But then I read books that he published in recent years (Send Down the Rain and The Water Keeper)...and they've only disappointed me. I couldn't put my finger on why, though...so I picked up The Water Keeper from the library and requested The Letter Keeper from Netgalley.

I've figured it out. The 'prose,' to me, isn't really prose anymore. The meaty parts of the story, the parts where the plot really began to pick up and get going, were either short bits between the slow parts, or were broken up by rabbit trails of deep thinking.

Don't get me wrong; y'all know I love books that make me think deeply. But in the middle of a suspenseful sequence is not, in my opinion, a good time to insert "There are times in a man's life when..." *deep thinking that takes up an entire page and interrupts the plot* It seemed like there wasn't enough plot to go around, so hey, let's throw in an insane amount of internal dialogue that you have to force yourself not to skim over, but make the rest of the book interesting enough that you want to keep reading and find out how it ends!

Okay. I think my rant is over. Sorry. *cough*

What else didn't I like? Some of the scenes between Murph and Summer made me downright uncomfortable. Like, it wasn't too bad, it was just...lots of different places. Until that one scene right after the wedding (not gonna say whose wedding, to avoid potential spoilers). I understand that this is supposed to be authentic and real but like...y'all. I've got a vivid imagination. Whenever I read something in a book, I picture it in my mind. And this...this is not something I wanted to picture in my mind. (I suppose I should've learned my lesson from the first Shepherd book. But I didn't, unfortunately.)

The unfortunate thing is, even though the book ended on a cliffhanger, I'm not even sure that I want to read the next one. Which sadly brings the book down from "It was pretty good!" to "It...was good...I think?"

But. What did I like?

The plot was fantastic. Granted, the first half of the book was slow and I was trying to find out exactly where the back cover blurb fit into the whole picture. But then the second half hit and bang, we finally caught some of the action that Murphy Shepherd is known for! (did I just end a sentence with a preposition? Yes. Yes, I did. *bows* forgive me.) Like, that one scene full of InJUrY and pAIn and DEaTh!

"You came after us!" 

"I said I would, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but...you actually did." (Might not be exact wording, but super close, anyway)

These words, uttered from a heart so broken that she dared not believe they were true until she saw it put into action in the most sacrificial way possible, sum up my favorite part in the entire book. Someone who didn't see herself as worthy of love...found herself being treated as a most precious treasure (find a parallel in here somewhere?). And I adored it.

I also really loved Casey's character arc. It wasn't the straight-road-to-recovery-with-a-couple-setbacks. No, it was more like we-thought-we-were-recovering-but-then-everything-was-almost-completely-lost-but-it'll-all-turn-out-okay-in-the-end. (I guess I have a thing for hyphens. *shrug*) Like...I really, really loved the entire Casey aspect (including that last scene with her?? IT WAS SOOO GOOD.)

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher from Netgalley for promotional purposes. All thoughts are my own.

I obviously have mixed feelings about this book. But hey, if it sounds like something that you'd like, go for it! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Book Review: Playgrounds & Black Markers by Libby May

Nineteen-year-old Jake Jett always knew what he wanted as his career, but time runs short as his chances to follow his dream seem to disappear. The constant pressure to attend a prestigious college pushes out any hope of pursuing his own desires. 

Feeling unheard, Jake sinks into his hidden addiction.

Rose Johnson has the best adoptive family she could imagine. . . until they receive a new set of placements. Add that to her unexpected reunion with Jake, life is thrown completely off balance. Overcoming his repulsive attitude towards her, she’s compelled to convince him he has the power to quit his addiction and follow his dreams.

When hearts get in the way, confusion settles in. Life is more complicated than anyone could have realized. Is it possible to leave all of the steps and outcomes at the throne of God? Does everyone truly have a destiny?

My rating:

This book was so good, y'all. So good. It started out a little bit slow, but it didn't take long for me to get sucked into the story, that's for sure! One of the most notable things for me when reading Playgrounds & Black Markers was how much Libby's writing style/voice had improved. Her debut (also the prequel to P&BM), Dewdrops & Butterflies, was a good book. But I have seen how much she's grown in her writing since publishing D&B, and I am sooo behind it!

Let's start with the themes. Wow. Jake has an addiction to something we wouldn't normally consider addictive: sharpie markers. His story will pull at your heart. I don't have any experience with addiction (or anyone who has had an addiction), so I'm definitely not an expert on the subject, but the way it was handled was fantastic, in my humble opinion. Also, the cause for his addiction, as a whole other theme...yessss. I'm trying really hard not to give spoilers here, buuuut I will say, however, that the way that was resolved seemed a little...I don't know...sudden? Like, *person* had a phone call and suddenly realized the error of their ways? *shrugs* maybe it was just me.

I also loved Rose's part in the story. The way she handled Taylor and Marcus were sooo good. There were maybe one or two things that I might've disagreed with, but it was just personal preference and not anything major. 

What didn't I like? The ending seemed...rushed? Like, the character arcs were complete and all, but the plot seemed to end abruptly, definitely leaving room for a third book. But, since I haven't heard any rumors about a third book, it seemed to end pretty suddenly.

Was there anything in this book that stood out, that put it above all others? No. But though I've never personally dealt with any of the themes—neglect, substance abuse, foster care, relationships—I felt it. I was Rose, wincing in pain when a hurting child kicked her shin. I was Jake, breathing in the fumes of the sharpie as he drug the tip of the marker across his skin. I was Rose, sobbing in the dark because some things in life just hurt too much. I was Jake, desperate for the love and affection he'd so long craved.

This book is full of hurt. Life. Graduations and swing sets. Ice cream and dog tags. It tugs at your heartstrings, and yet...it feels like home.

*I received a copy of this book from the author for promotional purposes. All thoughts are my own.

Book Review: Unknown Threat by Lynn Blackburn

US Secret Service Special Agent Luke Powell is lucky to be alive. Three of his fellow agents have died in unusual circumstances in the past ten weeks. Luke is devastated by the loss of his friends and colleagues, and his inability to locate the killer feels like a personal failure. He's an expert at shielding others, but now the protectors are in need of protection.

FBI Special Agent Faith Malone is driven to succeed and confident in her ability to solve every case she's assigned. She's been put in charge of the investigation into the unprecedented attacks, and with Luke's life in danger, the stakes have never been higher. But it's hard to know how to fight back when you don't know who the enemy is.

As more agents are targeted, Luke and Faith will have to work together to bring a killer to justice and prevent any more names from joining their fallen brothers and sisters on the Secret Service Wall of Honor.

Series: Defend and Protect, book 1

My rating:

Unknown Threat started out with a bang—literally. After an explosion in scene one, I was hooked.

Romantic suspense is very much a hit-or-miss for me, so when I requested to review this book, I may or may not have been super nervous. I mean...I'd never read anything by Lynn Blackburn, so y'all, this could be a big fail. Heh.

BUT. I also couldn't help be excited about it 'cause, y'all, Blackburn...well, if you've seen SEAL Team, you'll know. *cackles*

Anyway. The characters. The CHARACTERS, y'all. This book had a fantastic cast of characters. (How many times can I say 'characters' in one line?) Faith, Luke, Zane, Tiff, Gil, Jacob, Hope (if I'm missing anyone, just slap me or something)...and what surprised me the most was how funny they were. Gil and Zane are always trying to find someone for Luke to marry, and of course they're gonna recruit Tiff to help them. Y'all. I can't tell you how long it's been since I actually laughed out loud while reading a book. Like, for real. It c r a c k e d me up.

I loved Faith's character, and I could actually relate to her a lot—her personality was a bit more driven than mine (though I suppose I can be driven...when I really want to...*cough*), but the way she relied on logic rather than emotions? Mmm, yeah, my kinda girl.

Luke was sooo fun. I loved his personality and his protectiveness. And the way he handled his meddling friends. *cackles*

And, of course, Gil needs his own line 'cause I love him. He was my favorite (though full of holes, poor dude), and he needs his own story. Which I am super hopeful about. *nods*

So. The two love interests meet. Their eyes lock across the room. Soft jazz begins to play, and they are immediately drawn to one another...okay, yeah, that's not quite how it happened. The romance was actually super sweet, in my opinion. Of course there was a bit of kissing and there was definitely attraction but Y'ALL they didn't let their attraction get in the way of their jobs, and it wasn't full of the I-feel-nothing-but-sparks-when-I-touch-this-person kind of romance and that was soooooo wonderful. Was there I-want-you-but-we-can't-be-together bits? Yes. But it...actually made sense to me in this case?? Plus, I really appreciated how they hit a couple of rocky spots, and it wasn't all flowers and rainbows, or however the saying goes. So. Yeah. There's definitely romance, but not enough to keep me from enjoying the book in its entirety.

Anyway. The plot continually kept me guessing. And wondering who was gonna get blown up next. 'Cause, ya know, sUsPEnsE. This was one of those instances where I thought I knew who the bad guy was, but I was actually wrong. (Gasp—me? Wrong?? Shocking, I know. My goodness.)

The spiritual aspect was good. There wasn't a whole lot, buuuut there was definitely more than I've read in a lot of Christian fiction lately, and I appreciated the thread of learning to trust God. So thank you, Mrs. Blackburn, for that!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

What are y'all's thoughts on romantic suspense? Have a favorite author in the genre?

5 Tips for Writing Medical Scenes: A Guest Post

Y'ALL! Today we get to try something new! (I could give you the typical 'and I'm so excited for it' line, but I won't do that to you) I've approached some authors and put together a series of guest posts that is gonna be epic.

What is this series title, you ask? I...have no idea. *shrugs* But what I do know is that every other month, I will be posting a list of five tips to help you improve your writing! I've already learned so much from today's post, and I'm sure that you will too.

Today's guest is Jesseca Wheaton, bringing you five tips for writing medical scenes!

Hey guys! For those who don’t know me, my name is Jesseca. I work full time on our local ambulance service, and in my free moments I dabble in writing. I’m also an indie author and I’ve published several books. Currently I’m studying to get my degree in Paramedicine. I’ve been an EMT since 2018 and an AEMT since last year. I worked in the ER for nearly two years before I left that and went full time on the ambulance. I’m currently loving it and wouldn't change my job for the world. And as anyone will tell you, I’m notorious for finding medical errors in books and TV shows. Working in the medical field I notice things I don’t even want to and I’ve decided I should probably stop watching Chicago Med. After all, it seems most of what I do is lecture the show for having things wrong. XD Anyway. Kate’s invited me here today to talk a little bit about writing medical scenes and characters, so let’s get started.

1) Do your research. Are you writing a character with Asthma? Research the disease. Study more than you need to know for the book. It’s easy to open a book and tell whether the author actually knows about the disease they’re writing about, or whether they did just enough research to know some facts about it. Same goes with medical procedures. And I’m not talking about surgeries, I’m talking about something as simple as placing an IV. If you have your medical character start a 16g IV in the hand of a little old lady in a nursing home, any medical professional reading that is going to roll their eyes. It doesn’t matter how small the detail — do what you can to make it as accurate as possible. Your readers will thank you. (And I’ll definitely thank you.) I don’t mean just internet and book research. If you really want to write an accurate book with a first responder character, go out into the field and do some hands-on research. Most EMS agencies will let you do a ride-along with them to see how things work, and they’re more than willing to answer questions. It’ll add a degree of realism to your book you wouldn't have otherwise. Also … don’t use TV shows as your research. Maybe that seems obvious, but the amount of people I know who have watched a medical TV show and decided to write a medical book … Let’s just say there’s more than one. 


2) You don’t need to go terribly in depth. If you decide to write a medical scene and you don’t know much about the medical field, that’s okay! You don’t have to. Hit the important parts and don’t give many details. Say the paramedics came and took the guy in an ambulance. Don’t try to talk about what they did on scene or in the back of the truck. But if you do decide to go into detail …  


3) ...Ask someone who’s knowledgeable in that area. Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, AEMTs, and even most EMTs will be able to answer basic medical questions. Find one who doesn’t mind answering some questions and ask them how things would most likely go. Obviously every situation will be different but there are some medical facts that won’t change. (If your character has lost a lot of blood, chances are he’s not gonna be able to grab a sword and just keep on fighting.) And just a fun fact for you here … any sort of trauma to the abdomen can be just as fatal as trauma to the chest.

4) Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation hasn’t been practiced for a number of years. In fact, most instructors who teach CPR classes have gone to teaching compressions-only CPR. If your character comes upon someone who’s down without a pulse, they most likely won’t have any sort of CPR pocket-mask with them. (I mean … unless they’re in the medical field and carry one just in case, or they’re paranoid and try to be prepared for any circumstance.) In such a situation, hands only or compression only CPR is what’s encouraged. It’ll keep the rescuer safe, while also improving the chances for the person found down.

5) If you decide to make a medical character your main character, keep in mind that they don’t think like everyone else. They’ll notice details most people don’t. And they have a sense of humor all their own. 

Sometimes people accuse us of being insensitive, but you need to realize that we have to have a certain degree of that to be able to do our jobs. We can’t be bothered by life and death situations. We won't freak out over a minor injury. Most of the time we don’t show emotion. Don’t get me wrong, we all have that one call that still haunts us. We still wonder if there’s anything more we could have done. But you’ll never know that unless we feel like you’re someone who will understand. It’s why we tend to stick together. We’ll share things with each other because we know that someone who’s in the same spot will understand. It isn’t often that we’ll share things with someone outside. (Unless maybe you’re our best friend and we tell you everything regardless of what it is. )

People working in the medical field can’t imagine doing anything else. It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Sure, there are days that are hard. There are days we question why we ever chose this profession. But there’s a reason we haven't left yet. This is what we were called to do. 

I hope this was somewhat helpful! And if you ever have any questions about writing medical characters, feel free to shoot me a message! You can find me on Instagram at @jessiedawn98. 

Thank you, THANK YOU, Jesseca, for writing this post! Super helpful, and the memes were fantastic. ;)

If y'all have any topics you'd like to see covered in this series, drop them in the comments!

What do you struggle with most when writing medical scenes? 

Book Review: The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

A riveting new story of heroism, heartache, and the power of love to heal all wounds.

Murphy Shepherd is a man with many secrets. He lives alone on an island, tending the grounds for a church with no parishioners, and he’s dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. But as he mourns the loss of his mentor and friend, Murph himself may be more lost than he realizes.

When he pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, Murph’s mission to lay his mentor to rest at the end of the world takes a dangerous turn. Drawn to Summer, and desperate to find her missing daughter, Murph is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark and dangerous world of modern-day slavery.

With help from some unexpected new friends, including a faithful Labrador he plucks from the ocean and an ex-convict named Clay, Murph must race against the clock to locate the girl before he is consumed by the secrets of his past—and the ghosts who tried to bury them.

With Martin's trademark lyricism and poignant prose, The Water Keeper is at once a tender love story a heartrending search for freedom, and a reminder that the needs of the one outweigh those of the ninety-nine.

Series: Murphy Shepherd, book #1

My rating:

Honestly, this one didn't hit as hard as other Martin books have in the past. Maybe I'm just used to other emotional reads and this one wasn't quite as...I don't know...evocative, maybe?

The fact remains, however, that the plot and premise were FANTASTIC. Murphy Shepherd, a priest who is way more than meets the eye, secretly working for the government to save young girls from traffickers? Sooooo good.

Anyway. I really enjoyed Murphy's character. Matter-of-fact, didn't let emotions get in the way of common sense (but often throwing common sense out the window if someone needed help), huge heart for helping people. His heartbreaking backstory and how it led him to where he is now was just...*cries* GUYS THIS POOR DUDE. Such a broken lil' cinnamon roll.

Summer was an endearing character...at first I thought she'd grate on my nerves, but nah. I actually liked her (me? Actually liking the strong female character in the story? *gasp* shocking, I know), and there was one of her quotes that I especially appreciated...something about how in a marriage, the man leads and the woman is beside him as a partner, 'cause you can't have two leaders. Or something like that.

The one thing that bothered me the most about this book was the fact that since Murphy was hunting down a trafficking ring, there was talk of a lot of half-naked (or completely naked) people. I know it's realistic, but it personally made me slightly uncomfortable. My hyperactive imagination didn't leave much room for guessing, heh.

But the fight scenes? *grins* YASSSSS. I ain't gonna lie, when good ol' Murph got injured (I'm gonna try to avoid giving away spoilers here), I'm just like "I feel sorry for ya dude but NOW PEOPLE CAN COME LOVE ON YOU" and I just wanted to go join him in laying in hammocks. 'Cause I haven't lain in a hammock in y e a r s. Random but true fact that you probably didn't wanna know.

One thing that confused me was the whole part about Fingers and Marie and all that. I know that it was supposed to be a little bit confusing, but there were a few things that just didn't make sense until the end that I would've liked to have found out before that. But it wasn't too bad so I can't really complain. *shrugs*

Also let's just have a moment of appreciation for Bones.

What was the last book you read featuring a character with a heartbreaking backstory?