Book Review

Fugitive by Shirlee McCoy ~ Sharing My Review

/ Dora Hiers / 3 Comments
About the Book~

“HELP ME.”

When she opens her door to a wounded, handcuffed stranger, Laney Jefferson is terrified…until she recognizes her unexpected visitor. Thirteen years ago, Logan Randal was there for her when she desperately needed a friend. Now the wrongfully convicted lawman needs the widow’s help. On the run from the law and guided only by Laney’s unswerving faith in Logan’s innocence, their mutual attraction begins to break down the barriers around Laney’s heart. But the real culprit is much closer than they imagine…a cunning enemy determined to keep the past—and the truth—buried forever.

In my humble opinion~
Sheriff Logan Randal, framed and wrongfully convicted, is on his way to prison when someone ambushes and shoots the guards. Injured and rapidly freezing in a snowstorm, Logan makes his way to a cabin, the killer on his trail. Laney Jefferson, old friend and foster sister, now a widow, intends to wipe her hands of her past, including selling her family’s old house. When Logan arrives at her cabin needing medical attention, Laney refuses his pleas for her to leave. How could she leave him to die when he’d given up so much to protect her years ago? 

Three people jeopardize their careers and risk their lives to aid Logan, a fugitive from the law, while they track down a killer. I had a little difficulty buying into the plot, but that said, the author did a fabulous job getting me past that initial hesitation. Immediately, McCoy pulls you into the danger, and from the beginning, Logan was actually protecting people, first the injured guard and then Laney, by insisting that she leave. The author did a great job setting up a framework of close friends who believed and trusted in Logan’s innocence that they were willing to help. Every time someone came on board to help, he made sure they knew the risk. Also, since Logan and Laney had a past, initially Laney felt she owed him. 

Obviously, the plot issue wasn’t serious enough to make me stop reading. Just to pause and think about what I’d do if I were in the same situation. Had Logan done for me what he did for Laney (don’t we all wish fictional characters were real-life friends??), I probably would have made the same choice. 

McCoy plops you into the action, pulls your heartstrings to connect you with her characters, and tugs you into their world of danger. I enjoyed hanging out with Logan and Laney for a few hours, hoping they could find peace for their hurting hearts and cheering them on to their happily-ever-after. Fugitive is extremely fast-paced, a book you can probably read in one sitting, but if you’re like me, you’ll want to savor it over a couple nights. Overall, a very enjoyable read.


Fugitive will release on May 7 with Love Inspired Suspense. You can pre-order it here.

Disclaimer: Sending a big thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased review.

This review begs a question. 
Would you be willing to risk your freedom to protect an old friend who deserved your loyalty if you knew they were a fugitive? 

My Review of THE DOCTOR’S DEVOTION by Cheryl Wyatt

/ Dora Hiers

The Blurb:
When he fled Eagle Point years ago, former air force trauma surgeon Mitch Wellington left only broken dreams behind. Now he’s back with a new dream—opening a trauma center in the rural area and saving lives. He hopes to hire the quick-thinking nurse who impressed him during an emergency. But Lauren Bates lost her faith and doesn’t believe she deserves to help anyone. Mitch knows firsthand what loss feels like. And it’ll take all his devotion to show Lauren that sometimes the best medicine is a combination of faith, community—and love.

My Review:
A hefty loan for a startup sewing business chains former nurse Lauren Bates to Texas, far from the grandfather who raised her. On a break before her new business officially opens, Lauren visits and finds her grandfather’s once undivided attention riveted on someone else. Dr. Mitch Wellington. Her grandfather even calls Mitch “son.” With so little time before she must head back to Texas, Lauren doesn’t intend to share her grandfather’s time or love, if she can help it. But, Mitch loves her grandfather, too, and shows his devotion by tackling a long to-do list and buying groceries. Soon, Lauren longs for faith, and Mitch, to be a permanent part of her life, too.

Jealousy is an ugly emotion, but the author crafts it into a powerful tool of conflict between Lauren and Mitch, taking us on their journey from jealousy to love in believable steps. The beautiful imagery Ms. Wyatt paints makes me long to visit Illinois again with fresh eyes. You’ll enjoy so many great aspects in The Doctor’s Devotion~from the cover to the plot and the totally sweet ending. Don’t miss it!

Disclosure: I received this book from the author for a fair and honest review.

Meet Cheryl Wyatt~
Cheryl Wyatt’s closest friends would never dream the mayhem she plots during announcements at church. An RN-turned-SAHM, joyful chaos rules her home and she delights in the stealth moments God gives her to write. She stays active in her church and in her laundry room. This award-winning author is convinced that having been born on a Naval base on Valentine’s Day destined her to write military romance. Her first two novels received Top Picks from Romantic Times, and her debut novel also received the high honor of being one of Eharlequin’s Top-Ten-Most-Blogged-About-Books. Visit her on the Web at http://www.CherylWyatt.com. Sign up for her newsletter there for news and chances to enter contests with great prizes. Hang with her in the blogoshpere at http://www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com. You can also find her skittering around Steeple Hill’s message boards as “Scrollsquirrel” at http://www.SteepleHill.com. Cheryl loves to hear from her readers. You may contact her at Cheryl@CherylWyatt.com

My Review of KICKING ETERNITY by Ann Lee Miller

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments

The Blurb:
Stuck in sleepy New Smyrna Beach one last summer, Raine socks away her camp pay checks, worries about her druggy brother, and ignores trouble: Cal Koomer. She’s a plane ticket away from teaching orphans in Africa, and not even Cal’s surfer six-pack and the chinks she spies in his rebel armor will derail her.

The artist in Cal begs to paint Raine’s ivory skin, high cheek bones, and internal sparklers behind her eyes, but falling for her would caterwaul him into his parents’ live. No thanks. The girl was self-righteous waiting to happen. Mom served sanctimony like vegetables, three servings a day, and he had a gut full.

Rec Director Drew taunts her with “Rainey” and calls her an enabler. He is so infernally there like a horsefly—till he buzzes back to his ex.

Raine’s brother tweaks. Her dream of Africa dies small deaths. Will she figure out what to fight for and what to free before it’s too late?

My Review:
I confess that Kicking Eternity started a little slow for me, but as I got to know each of the four main characters, I found myself warming to them, wanting to read on. 


One of Ms. Miller’s strong points was her sprinkling of sensory details. Details so vivid, you could practically feel the Florida beach sand sliding through your toes and the storm kicking up the waves. Kicking Eternity features relevant issues and great conflict: staunch Christian girl battles attraction to rebellious, non-conforming guy. A couple extra characters thrown in to muddy the mix is sure to be the start of a successful series for this author. Young adult readers on up will enjoy Ms. Miller’s unique and fresh writing style in Kicking Eternity. 

Disclosure: I received this book from the author for a fair and honest review.

Amazon buy link

About Ann: 

Ann Lee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland (OH) University and writes full-time in Phoenix, but left her heart in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where she grew up. She loves speaking to young adults and guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges. When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find her hiking in the Superstition Mountains with her husband or meddling in her kids’ lives.