Against All Odds
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
Synopsis:
Two years after a violent break-in left Elizabeth Seymour widowed and with blood on her hands, she’s finally starting over in the little town of Avalon, Ohio, with her daughter, Haley. She has the house of her dreams, a good church, and friends she can rely on. Everything seems to be falling into place—until she receives a threatening note from Veronica Sadowsky, the sister of the man Elizabeth shot, the same woman who tried to ruin her life once before. This time, though, Veronica won’t stop until she gets revenge.
When Elizabeth’s home goes up in flames, she turns to family friend, Doctor Gilbert Callahan, a widowed father of three. He invites her and Haley to stay with his family. As Veronica draws Elizabeth into a game of increasing stakes, she and Gilbert only grow closer, learning to trust and rely on one another. But Elizabeth’s presence in Gilbert’s home endangers his family and creates tension with his oldest son. Preserving peace in the house is hard enough, but when Veronica comes after Haley, Elizabeth will risk everything—including her life—to get her child back.
My thoughts:
The beginning hooked me right in, with high emotion and tension. I kind of wished the gap between the prologue and the story wasn’t so long as I think what happened in between was just as exciting as the story that Becca unfolded for us. I wanted more of it in between, but then there wouldn’t have been as much romance, and I love my romance so…
The Characters:
I really liked Gilbert and Elizabeth, the way their friendship developed so smoothly, seamlessly. I liked Gilbert’s quiet personality, which honestly I don’t see much of in heroes in today’s stories. Perhaps I gravitate toward reading heroes who are louder, stronger, more outgoing and outspoken. But I’m writing about a hero much like Gilbert, so his character resonated with me at this time. Also, I found the teenage characters believable and relatable.
The Story:
What I really enjoyed and appreciated was the steady tension and suspense that kept you wanting to find out what’s going to happen next. The fear that plagued Elizabeth wherever she went, the tension of not knowing how or when this crazy lady was going to come after her. It was a steady stream of tension, strategically placed throughout, not all dumped on in the beginning or at the end, which is perfect.\
Recommended?
Yes, I enjoyed this story and do recommend it. If you like suspense and tension, you’ll enjoy this read.