Watch Your Back

 

About the Book

Book: Watch Your Back (Crossroads Suspense Book Three. It can be read as a standalone).

Author: Kristen Hogrefe Parnell

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: March 5, 2025

You can’t watch your own back.

Private Investigator Avery Reynolds leads the charge to expose Tampa’s supposedly “extinct” mob. The crime boss responsible for her foster brother’s death is within her grasp—until she hits a wall in the form of Ethan Bridger, a Coast Guard veteran who unknowingly derails her sting operation. When the elusive “Big Eddie” comes out of hiding, he targets their mutual friends about to tie the knot.

Avery sets aside her angst toward Ethan to focus on ending the crime boss’s reign of terror. But working together exposes her trust issues and his PTSD stemming from a comrade’s tragedy. When Avery goes solo into a prisoner exchange operation, she discovers her vulnerability too late—and must lean on Ethan and the God she thought had abandoned her. But will that help reach her in time?

 My Review: 

Avery Reynolds is out to bring down the crime boss, Big Eddie. But every time she gets close, something happens to prevent her from doing so. One of those things being Ethan Bridger. He mistakenly rescued her during one of her sting operations. This was an awkward situation and one that I bet both hoped to never see one another again. But, little did they realize how important that meeting would be in their relationships, both professionally and personally. 

I always enjoy a story where the villain is brought to justice and the crime organization is affected. With Avery and Ethan and their colleagues, Big Eddie didn’t stand a chance of succeeding. There was plenty of action and a nail-biting scene that I really enjoyed. This is a Christian book, and the faith of the characters is throughout the story. This is the third book in the Crossroads Suspense series, but it can be read as a standalone. I hadn’t read the other books and didn’t think it affected the plot in any way. 

* kidnapping, human trafficking (no details), murder

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Kristen Hogrefe Parnell writes suspenseful fiction from a faith perspective. Her books have won the Selah Award and the Grace Award, among others. She lives in the Tampa, Florida area with her husband and son.

 

 

 

 

More from Kristen

Finding God in Our Fears and Failures

Whenever I write a heroine’s character, I generally see a small piece of myself in her. Although I relate to some characters more than others, I can usually spot some shared quality that helps me empathize with her early on in my writing.

Writing private investigator Avery Reynolds in Watch Your Back was different. I liked her, despite all her sharp edges, but I didn’t see myself in her at first. As time went on, I found our shared similarity: a fear of failure.

While our situations are wildly different, this fear is not. She fears failing to take down Tampa’s elusive mob boss and letting down the few people close to her that she cares about. The stakes are so high at the end of the story that failure is worse than death to her.

While I was writing her story, I was raising a one-year-old, working online, trying to keep up with my home, and barely holding my head above water. Fears of missing my deadline—or worse, fears of letting down my family—ate away at my confidence. I couldn’t do it all. I wasn’t cut out for it.

That revelation was in fact the most freeing discovery I could make. I couldn’t do it all on my own, because I was never meant to. God provided a supportive husband, grace for each day, and the inspiration I needed to finish this story. Most importantly, He provided His never-failing presence. “For not, for I am with you,” the prophet Isaiah writes (Isaiah 41:10a NKJV). Ultimately, the reason we should not fear is Immanuel, “God with us.” (See Matthew 1:23.) He will never leave or forsake His children (Hebrews 13:5).

I don’t want to give away any spoilers in Avery’s story, but I will say she has her own moment of self-revelation as well. But will she recognize God’s hand reaching out to her in time?

When was the last time you found yourself in a situation you couldn’t handle on your own? How did God show up in your story?

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 11

A Reader’s Brain , March 12 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 12

Texas Book-aholic, March 13

Betti Mace, March 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 15

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 16

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 17

For Him and My Family, March 18

Holly’s Book Corner, March 19

Book Looks by Lisa, March 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 21

Stories By Gina, March 22 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, March 22

Books Less Travelled, March 23

Artistic Nobody, March 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kristen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54170

Traitor in the Scottish Isles by Paige Edwards

My Review:

Cairstie Henderson is given the perfect opportunity to escape a scandal that she has found herself in by living in a remote part of the Western Isles of Scotland. Little did she realize that Sheridan, the very man who exposed information that brought about the scandal, would also end up in that sparsely part of the world.

I just love Ms. Edwards’s books. She has the best mix of action, suspense, danger, and clean romance. If these are elements that you look for in books, then you’ll want to read this book. This is the first book in the Roxburgh Scions, and I can’t wait to read more!

Things to look forward to:
island setting
Scottish brogue
enemies to more
espionage
top secret plans
nine iron weapon
jujitsu
hidden tunnels
dyslexia
fiddle playing

I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.

View all my reviews

Kate Landry Has a Plan

About the Book: 

I turned to him, and he winked at me. Winked! We needed clear lines in place between us. We would not be flirty friends. We’d be friends, period. The sooner I made that distinction, the better.Forty-year-old Kate Landry’s carefully planned life has become as messy as the powdered sugar on her famous beignets. Juggling the responsibilities of running her café, raising her teenage niece, and the emotional baggage from her breakup, Kate finds her world once again turned upside down when her first-ever crush, Micah Guidry, returns to town as the hunky local librarian. As Kate struggles to implement her plans to expand her café amid the New Orleans Mardi Gras madness and the meddling of her conniving ex-fiancé, Micah becomes the unwitting hero of her misadventures, stirring up feelings she thought she’d long buried. How can falling in love in the Big Easy be this hard?

My Review: 

Kate Landry is one determined lady to keep things neatly arranged in her life. That way, she has some control and normalcy after she has suffered some devastating losses.I loved that Kate was a woman in her forties; I felt that added depth to her character. She has experienced a lot in her life, with the death of her beloved sister, a broken engagement, and running a successful restaurant. But, life is rarely kept in a neat box and events checked off on a spreadsheet, unexpected things happen. I love that Kate had to rethink those ideas and decide to take some chances on new beginnings. 

Kate was so cute when she learns that she was to be her niece’s legal guardian. She created spread sheets on parenting, vitamin percentage charts, etc. When Hayley enters teen hood, the spreadsheets aren’t working as well as they had when she was young. She’s a great character, and I I thought it was funny how she petitioned (frequently) for a dog. Kate has a very trusting nature and when things are revealed about Ryan, her ex- fiancé, I wanted give him a piece of my mind; he was really rather deplorable.

I loved Micah because he never gave up and chose to see the positive things in life. Being a librarian; helping Kate; returning home for family reasons, and planning fun library events made him such an endearing character. I was glad he looked past Kate’s reluctance to see there could be more for them.

Things to love:

New Orleans

childhood crush

funny sayings

Hawaiian shirts

humor

water guns

pro/con spreadsheet

Operation Friends Only

faith aspect of the characters

This is the second book in the Beignets for Two series, but it can be read as a standalone. I look forward to reading more of this author’s books. I highly recommend this book; it will make you smile and looking forward to reading more of the series.

death of parents

infertilty

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and AustenProse. All opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.

Rescued Duty

About the Book:

After growing up in foster care, investigative reporter Naya Michél has learned there’s usually more to a situation than meets the eye. When she’s assigned a story about the current water contamination crisis in town, Naya is ready to show her boss she has what it takes to secure a promotion—especially since the events surrounding the story have personal ties to her childhood. When her investigation makes her the target of someone who wants the truth kept quiet, how far will Naya’s determination take her before the cost becomes too much?

Rescue Squad firefighter and former foster kid Zack Stephens is ready to step up his game at work when his boss hands him a cold case for hazmat training. As Zack delves into the case, he uncovers a shocking revelation—his parents’ deaths weren’t accidental. Determined to find their murderer, Zack throws himself into the investigation. But he doesn’t expect his search to collide with Naya, the girl he promised to protect when they lived in foster care together.

As threats mount and Naya is caught in the crosshairs, can Zack reconcile the mistakes of his past and find a killer before someone deals a lethal blow? And can the two of them learn to trust—and love—each other again despite the pain of their past?

My Review: 

A terrible event brings Naya and Zach together to figure out what is happening. The more involved they become, the more they are being targeted. The interesting thing is that they had known each other as children and never had closure from past events. I liked seeing their relationship heal and move forward. Things to look forward to in the story:

 

second chances

strong female character

mystery

rivals

action

danger

found family

faith element

fire rescue team

Favorite quote: 

“The truth is beautiful because it sheds light on the darkness and exposes it.” 

This is the fifth book in the Last Chance Fire and Rescue, but can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed reading it and you will too if you like to read books by similar authors such as Susan May Warren or Elizabeth Goddard. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Written in Secret

About the Book

 

Title: Written in Secret 

Series: The Art of Love and Danger #1 

Author: Crystal Caudill 

Publisher: Kregel Publications 

Release Date: March 11, 2025 

Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance 

What happens when fiction becomes reality? In the corruption-infested Queen City, danger lurks in every shadow, but Lydia Pelton refuses to stay silent. She writes under a pseudonym, E. A. Dupin, crafting crime novels to exact justice and right the wrongs she sees in society. When a serial killer decides to be the sword to her pen, Lydia is confronted with the consequences of her words. Four men are dead, and the city blames her. 

With murders on the rise, Officer Abraham Hall's only lead is Lydia's fiction, and he is thrust into an investigation with the "Killer Queen of Romance." Despite his misgivings about the woman, he realizes that even with his reputation for catching elusive criminals, he needs her help. But his unexpected attraction to Lydia proves as difficult to manage as the woman herself. 

As the mystery unfolds, Abraham and Lydia race to rewrite the ending, not only for Cincinnati's citizens, but for their own hearts too.

My Review: 

When a plan to rescue a circus animal goes awry, Lydia Pelton finds herself caught up in the mayhem and the wrong side of the law. Officer Abraham Hall is immediately attracted to this bold and daring young lady who he must take in for questioning. I loved the friendship and camaraderie of Lydia and her two friends who are known as The Guardians who stand with each other through thick and thin, including a trip to the police station.

Lydia learns a valuable lesson and experiences firsthand the saying that “the pen is mightier than the sword” as a vigilante brings to life her novels of punishing criminals. She must face hard questions about her motives behind her writing. Do her books really bring about the justice that she set out to achieve? With several suspects and plot twists, I was surprised to discover who was the perpetrator of the murders that were inspired by her books. 

This is the first book in the new Love of Art and Danger series. I love the setting of the Gilded Age in Cincinnati with streets named that are actually real locations. I look forward to reading more of these books that have strong faith elements.  

I received a complimentary copy of this book from JustRead Tours. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Kregel Publications | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop

Also Available

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About the Author

Crystal Caudill is the Christy Award–winning author of “dangerously good romance,” including the Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age series. She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn’t writing, Caudill can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio.

Connect with Crystal by visiting crystalcaudill.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Written in Secrets and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight March 12, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on March 19, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Driving Maisie Crazy

 My Review: 

Have you ever taken a bus tour trip? It takes a special person to be the guide/host, and Finn O’Meara does a terrific job in telling jokes and making people feel welcome. When Maisie King captures his attention, it’s hard for Finn not to want to be her personal guide for the sites. Balancing his obligations and trying to find a way to get to know Maisie better provides its own set of challenges.

You can’t but love Finn with his Irish sayings and his deep caring nature for his family. He has a generous heart and puts aside his wants in order to meet the needs of others. He is quite the selfless person and when something happens on the tour, I couldn’t help but root for Finn and thinking that he should come out on top of things.

Maisie was cute with her dresses and her white tennis shoes. I especially loved when she found a solution to riding a bike while being clothed as she was. Finn’s response was great and had me laughing as he described her.

There are so many things to love about this book. Here are just a few of them:

Bob the bus
witty banter
karaoke singing
local band
food journal
goose bump rating
Irish landscape and sayings
Fifteens and heaven
friend group
family

This is the second book in the Men of the Isles series. It was fun to see Winnie and Matthew from Winning Winnie’s Hand, the first book in the series, be a part of the story. I highly recommend this romantic comedy. While this is a standalone, you’re sure to want to read the first book too. I am looking forward to book three and hope it comes out sooner than later!

I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.

The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall

About the Book: 

She vowed to solve a murder.
Now she’s in danger of losing her heart … and her very life.

Diana Taylor, a bright and spirited governess who has sworn off love, is sent to Pendowar Hall in Cornwall to honor a pledge. She vows to teach her godmother’s niece and to find out who was behind the suspicious death of the former baronet. But her new charge is also a mystery, as is the man who inherited the ancient coastal estate—the charismatic but brooding Royal Navy Captain William Fallbrook, who is home on leave to recover from an injury.

As Diana investigates, her feelings for the enigmatic Captain Fallbrook blossom, and her guard goes up. Pendowar Hall is brimming with secrets as well as a frightening legend about a Mermaid’s Curse. What is behind the mysterious footsteps in the night? Is there more to the story of the tragic deaths of the former baronet’s wife and son? What secrets is Captain Fallbrook hiding? Can she trust the man who has stolen her heart?

He looks to be entranced by Diana, even though her determination to dig up the past seems to get on his last nerve. Soon, Diana’s bold quest to unmask his uncle’s killer leads her into terrifying danger, for someone is determined to end her life before she can discover the truth.

My Review

Diana Taylor is the perfect person to investigate on behalf of her godmother, Mrs. Phillps, the circumstances of her brother’s death. Courageous in the face of danger and eager to get the answers needed to get justice, Diana is just the young lady to investigate what happened at Pendowar Hall. She also was such a caring young lady who brought hope and help to her student, Emma.

I love the Gothic atmosphere of this story with dark stormy nights, the brooding and pensive Captain William Fallbrook, and mysterious footsteps late at night. It has several twists and clues to keep you intrigued throughout the story. If you enjoy a romance story that has the elements of suspense and foreboding castles, this is the book for you.

Things to love:
governess
Jane Eyre feeling
mermaid legends
a curse
rugged setting
Sisterhood of Smoke and Fire
dyslexic character
forgiveness

Favorite Quotes:

“Guilt and regret are like cancer, Captain. They can eat one away from the inside out if we let them.”

“Nothing is impossible, Miss Taylor. The word itself says, “I’m possible.”

“Forgive them, “ he said again. “Not for their sakes, but for your own. For your peace of mind. It’s the only way forward.”

I highly recommend this first book in the Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke and Fire series. I can’t wait to read more of the stories of these ladies. I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley and AustenProse. All opinions are my own with no obligation to write a positive review.