Jaquelyn S
Talk about twists and turns! I had absolutely no clue what would happen next, or who was trying to cause Harper harm. That didn’t stop Coble from having me guessing who could be behind all the craziness. This book was a total page turner. It was interesting watching characters who knew each other from the past get to know each other as adults. Often kids do crazy things, and it’s easy to judge people based on that, but we all have to grow up someday right? It was fun seeing a common goal draw two such seemingly different people together. Ridge grew up not knowing need, and Harper was just the opposite. When Oliver is attacked they have no choice but to join forces to find answers. The story they uncover will take your breath away. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Mystery and Suspense. It kept me turning pages until the very end. I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishing and was in no way forced to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Jeanie Dannheim
Two women die in mysterious circumstances twenty years apart. Years later, their adult daughters learn they are half-sisters. From the day they meet, attempts are made to kidnap them. This exciting new novel by Colleen Coble is everything and more than I anticipated! The characters are engaging and likable, the faith and spiritual lessons of each is displayed beautifully, the prose sings, and the plot is riveting, capturing and keeping my attention throughout. Harper’s life has been not been easy. Her mother died minutes after her birth, the results of a car accident that never could be explained. She never knew who her father was. She was cared for by her grandmother until her death of a drug overdose sent Harper through a series of foster families. She is determined to have the family she always wanted, but at 30 hasn’t seriously dated any man. She has just had an embryo transplant, having adopted an embryo from a pro-life woman recently divorced. Oliver Jackson is Harper’s business partner and has been a mentor since she was an angry fifteen-year-old. He grew up in poverty and, having worked hard, grew several lucrative businesses and a small fortune. Daughter Willow, who lived with her mother after their divorce, and son Ridge who is close to his dad, are extremely jealous of Oliver’s relationship with Harper and think she wants to steal his fortune. Oliver encourages her to be the Christian woman she became, and invests in her business, growing and harvesting pea shells to sell the meat and most of the black pearls, keeping the unique sea silk fiber and a few pearls for fiber art. His wants to discover any medicinal uses for the mollusks. Harper and best friend Sara are checking her pea shell beds with Oliver. Oddly, Oliver disappeared without a word, then they noticed his boat was gone. When Sara went topside, someone with a knife tries to take Harper. She fights to escape and gets to her boat. Many hours pass before Ridge finds Oliver adrift on his boat, in a coma. For Harper’s last birthday, Sara got her a DNA kit to help find any relatives. Sara checks the DNA site and sees a match. There is a woman whose DNA is a close enough to be a half-sister! Harper goes to meet Annabelle, almost 20 years her senior. They get along so well that even if they weren’t sisters, they would be friends. Annabelle’s mother had been murdered and the killer never found. She never knew who her father was, and was adopted by a kind, loving couple. Annabelle, however, is about to begin chemo for lymphoma. They agree to meet again soon and stay in touch in the meantime. An attempted kidnapping occurs again for Harper, as well as Annabelle. This fabulous, intriguing suspense novel includes cold cases, present-day kidnapping and possible murder attempts. Even though decades have passed, but it seems the challenges are related. Over time, I had a good idea who was involved and some of the motive, but not the details. This is a fascinating tale that includes learning about mollusks and sea silk. I enjoy Christian novels with beautiful demonstrations of faith and change, suspense, and something unique to learn. God-honoring romance is a delightful plus. The end is very satisfying despite resulting harsh realities of life in a broken world. I highly recommend this novel to women who enjoy well-written Christian fiction, suspense, and romance. From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Celebrate Lit, and this is my honest review.
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