"Never Fall Again" by Lynn H. Blackburn

Never Fall Again (Mar. 12, 2024) by Lynn H. Blackburn.*

<This is the first novel in a series.>

Three years have passed since Landry Hutton moved to Gossamer Falls, North Carolina, with her daughter, Eliza, now five years old. Landry’s been the artist-in-residence at The Haven, where her best friend, Bronwyn Pierce, is the CEO. Landry’s in a good place in her life and is ready to build her own home with artist’s workspace. She meets with Callum (Cal) Shaw, former Marine and youngest Shaw brother, of SPQ Construction, and, by extension, Maisy, his golden retriever. When a suspicious fire occurs at Favors on The Haven property, Landry is heartbroken. She sells her pottery there, which is a major source of her income. Without it, she won’t be able to build her home on the three acres of land she bought from Bronwyn. It’s situated across from Cal and two of his cousins: Montgomery (Mo) Quinn, a forensic accountant, and Meredith Quinn, the town’s dentist. Suddenly, the safety net that she’s been enmeshed in has been ripped apart. She doesn’t think her late husband’s family knows where to find her, but who else would target her? They’ll have to look closely at The Haven’s guests. Now that Landry and Eliza have met the Quinn/Shaw families, they’re automatically considered family. Both Cal and Landry have been hurt by past relationships, but there’s definitely more than friendship brewing between them. Now, if only they can figure out who’s set Landry as his bullseye.
        Previously, I’d only read a short story by Blackburn, and I’m glad that I finally read one of her full-length novels; this one is the first in the Gossamer Falls series. It’s easy to root for the lead characters, and it’d be spectacular fun to find oneself immersed into the Quinn/Shaw families by having “met a Quinn this morning.” I like the way in which Blackburn addresses Landry’s faith crisis. She’s a believer and knows Jesus died for her. She knows “all the Christianese” and could expound on doctrine at length. Her faith in God is great. Her faith in her fellow Christians is not: “On an intellectual level, she knew she couldn’t lump all church-going followers of Christ into one cesspool of hypocrisy and deceit.”
        “Never Fall Again” is a Christian romantic suspense novel with a focus on family (both found and by blood), faith and trusting others. While suspicious events provide drama here and there, the edge-of-your-seat climax doesn’t occur until the end chapters. And then, the race is on to save ... multiple people in two different locales (you didn’t think I’d name names, did you?). This story will have readers cheering, laughing, cringing and even gasping for breath. I look forward to upcoming installments.
        Notable lines: “Secrets bring despair. Surprises bring delight.” (p. 296)

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Targeted: Three Romantic Suspense Novellas" by Lynette Eason, Lynn H. Blackburn and Natalie Walters

Targeted: Three Romantic Suspense Novellas (Nov. 1, 2022).*

Three romantic suspense novelists are featured in this anthology from Revell. Prepare yourself for three strong women, three dynamic men, three unsuspecting targets and a bevy of bad guys. Novellas are listed in the order featured in the novel.

            1. On the Run by Lynette Eason. FBI agent Daria Nevsky is an IT Specialist and a whiz at what she can do when it comes to computers. She goes on the run when someone attempts to abduct her, saying that it’s her father’s plan. Thing is, her crooked, criminal, Russian mafia father has been dead for seven years. She’ll find out what’s going on, but Dr. Ryker Donahue refuses to let her go about it alone. Familiar faces from a previous series make an appearance to band together to save Daria and bring down the baddies who’ve lain dormant until now.

            2. Deadly Objective by Lynn H. Blackburn. Professionalism is key for Secret Service Special Agent Liam Harper and physical therapist Emily Dixon. Their duties are to the vice president’s son, Mason Lawson. He’s a 16-year-old who’s “like a Tasmanian devil in three-hundred-dollar khakis and four-hundred-dollar polo shirts.” Liam is the only agent that Mason listens to, and Emily has worked into a stable rapport with the teen, as she suspects Mason has a crush on her. When Mason enters the crosshairs of a killer, Liam’s protection is more vital than ever. Trouble finds them on a camping trip, and it includes Emily, who readily admits she’s not an outdoorsy gal. She is; however, good with a bow and arrow. Are the criminals truly after Mason? Or are they after Mason to reach the VP? Why?

            3. Caught in the Crosshairs by Natalie Walters. When CIA targeting officer Claudia Gallegos is implicated in the murder of a Saudi prince, she’s automatically on alert when the CIA’s PSYOPS officer, Ari Blackman, is sent to interview her. Ari’s reputation as a playboy (and “America’s James Bond”) due to his handsome features and fit physique precedes him, but Claudia - a.k.a. Martina a.k.a. novia de la agencia - has a reputation, too, but Claudia’s allegiance is to the U.S. After attempts are made on her life, Claudia lands somewhere she never expected: in a safe house in the U.S. She doesn’t want to be idle, so she delves into figuring out why Prince Mohamed bin Abdulaziz was murdered, which turns into preventing a coup that could cripple U.S.-Saudi relations. Claudia and Ari must find trust in each other.

            As fond as I am of novels, it is a nice change to switch it up with a collection of fast-paced novellas. I honed in on this collection as a fan of Eason’s (I’ve been reading her novels since her Elite Guardians series, publication years 2016 and 2017), but found myself drawn into the stories by Blackburn and Walters as well. It’s easy for the reader to know from the get-go who the antagonist is in Blackburn’s story, but I didn’t hold it against the short tale. These stories all represent romantic suspense well and are inspirational without being heavy-handed. I also like how novellas challenge the authors to write a full story in fewer words. Some readers might find that takes away from character development and/or world-building, but I did not find that to be the case. Each author is clearly a skilled storyteller, and it’s a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys inspirational fiction and romantic suspense.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”