I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Reads and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Published by Revell on January 7, 2020
Source: Revell Reads
Pages: 320
Honorably discharged from the Army after an explosion nearly killed her, former military psychiatrist Brooke Adams has set up shop to help others--but her days of helping military personnel are over. She's got her own battles to fight from her time overseas, and she's not equipped to take on more. Former Army Special Ops Sergeant First Class Asher James could handle anything that war sent his way--terrorists, bombs, bullets. The only thing that scares him now is sleep. As the shadows close in, the nightmares begin.
Finally convinced that he needs help, Asher makes an appointment with a counselor, and Brooke is pressed by her boss to take him on. When he arrives at her office she isn't there--but a dead body is. Brooke is devastated when she walks in, and Asher is a conveniently strong shoulder to cry on. But she can't take him on as a client after sharing such an intimate and unprofessional moment, can she? And he's not sure he can handle sharing his deepest fears with such a beautiful woman.
When it becomes clear that Brooke was the real target of the attack--and that her secrets go even deeper than his own--Asher vows to protect her no matter what.
Collateral Damage is the first book in the Danger Never Sleeps series by Lynette Eason. The book is very well written and the characters are likable. For the most part, I really enjoyed this book and it was very difficult for me to rate lower than a 5 star. However, there were a few things that stuck out to me as I was reading and while the issues are minor I felt they’re worth noting.
- Certain acronyms were not identified such as MRAP and MRE. I have family in the military and I am a big fan of military fiction so this didn’t bother me. However, some may have to put the book down to google what these acronyms mean.
- The plot twist/villain of the story was easy to spot from very early on. I missed the element of surprise.
- The romance was very light and I truly loved the couple together. However, things felt a bit rushed. This was explained away with the character’s interest beginning before the start of the story. It just didn’t feel organic to the story. This truly does pain me to say because I really love both of the characters and I definitely ship them.
- The catalyst that gets Brooke from a position of hiding to the home of her captor made sense. What didn’t make sense is why a character chose to lie and put her in danger and then tried to undo things. I’m still confused by his actions all around. It feels like inconsistent character profiling.
The strong points of this book are characters to love, gasp-out-loud suspense, and authentic realism. The author did a great job portraying the struggles that soldiers go through when reacclimating to civilian life. I also love that the author didn’t shy away from showing that there are good and bad people everywhere and in all stations or walks of life. The bad guys aren’t always the ones that you would suspect.
All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone that loves Christian suspense with light romance. The series is off to a great start and I cannot wait for the next installment, Acceptable Risk, which releases August 4, 2020.
Note: Kristin reads and reviews both Christian and secular fiction on A Simply Enchanted Life. Out of respect for my readers, I am including a content review. This content review will help you decide whether this book is suitable for you.
Christian or Secular: Christian
ASEL Content Rating: Mild. No profanity or bedroom scenes. There is mild violence, mention of blood spray, as well as trafficking (sex and black market organs).
Themes: Military Suspense, Police suspense, Healing, PTSD, Mild Romance
Suggested Age: 13+
Acceptable Risk Sneak Peek
Acceptable Risk
(Danger Never Sleeps #2)
Sarah Denning is a military journalist with the Army in the Middle East when her convoy is attacked and she’s taken hostage. When former Army Ranger Gavin Black is asked by his old unit commander–Sarah’s imposing father–to plan an extremely risky rescue, he reluctantly agrees and successfully executes it.
Back in the US, Sarah is livid when she’s discharged on a false psychiatric evaluation and vows to return to the Army. Until she learns of her brother’s suicide. Unable to believe her brother would do such a thing, she puts her plans on hold and enlists Gavin to help her discover the truth. What they uncover may be the biggest story of Sarah’s career–if she can survive long enough to write it.
Strap in for another breakneck nail-biter from bestselling romantic suspense author Lynette Eason that will have you up turning pages long into the night.
About Lynette Eason
Lynette Eason grew up in Greenville, SC. She graduated from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and then obtained her masters in education from Converse College. Author of twenty inspirational romantic suspense books, she is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). In 1996, Lynette married “the boy next door” and now she and her husband and their two children make their home in Simpsonville, South Carolina.”
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