North of Nowhere: two teens running for their lives in a snowstorm, who do they trust?

North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan is a cat-and-mouse suspense. Kristin and Ryan McIntyre have been in hiding for the last five years and the day they were dreading has arrived. Their murderous father, Boyd McIntyre, the head of a Los Angeles crime family, has found them! Along with a man who has kept them safe, they attempt to escape in a small plane, when gunfire hits the fuel line and they crash in the middle of the Montana wilderness with a storm moving in. Kristin and Ryan have been taught survival skills and they make their way to their safe house. Ruby McIntyre, Boyd’s sister and the children’s aunt, walked away from the family business to join the army. She vowed never to return; however when the call comes that her niece and nephew need her help, she doesn't hesitate to help them. Ruby soon discovers she and Boyd aren’t the only ones looking for Kristin and Ryan and whoever finds them first will determine if they live or die. 

I hadn’t heard of Allison Brennan or her books before; however, the synopsis intrigued me. From the opening paragraph, readers are promised an edge-of-your-seat suspense. And it delivered for the first two thirds of the story. The story started to falter a bit during the last third and there seemed a rush to finish as the action piled on for a spectacular finish. The ending was satisfying and overall, I enjoyed North of Nowhere. I cheered for Kristin as she fought to protect herself and her brother and was unsure who to trust. I enjoyed Ruby’s character as a hardened veteran who fears her family. Boyd was an interesting villain but the true villain is revealed near the end and he was terrifying. I may have gasped as he was revealed. As this book was my first by Ms Brennan, I am curious about her other books and will be checking out her backlist. If you enjoy suspense with a survival aspect, you will enjoy North of Nowhere. 

North of Nowhere will be available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook on August 8, 2023

Did Not Finish: a enemies-to-lovers romance

Did Not Finish by Nicola Marsh is an enemies-to-lovers romance in the cutthroat world of publishing. Mia is a reviewer for a well-known newspaper. Her book reviews have skyrocketed sales. They even tank sales with her dreaded DNF (did not finish). She has been secretly writing her own books she wishes to publish. When she wins a spot at a writer’s retreat with the bestselling thriller writer, Axel Low, Mia thinks her dreams have come true. Except what she doesn’t know is that he hates her. Axel plans to eviscerate her writing to give her a taste of her own medicine. But fate intervenes and a rare blizzard blows in and the two are stranded together. It doesn’t take long for Axel and Mia to engage in every romantic trope there is but with secrets they need to protect, when the snow melts, who will be left standing? 

I am familiar with Nicola Marsh’s psychological thrillers and always enjoy them. I haven’t had a chance to read her romance books. When I got the chance to read Did Not Finish, I did not hesitate. I always enjoy a good romance. Did Not Finish is a unique romance with dual points of views (POVs). I don’t think I’ve read a romance with dual POVs but it worked. I enjoyed the insights into the motives with Mia as well as Axel. I even enjoyed Mr Darcy, the silent but very present cat who is a character in his own right. As a book reviewer and an aspiring author, I enjoyed the behind the scenes look of the writing and publishing world. I laughed. I grinned. I sighed the way only romance stories make one sigh. I could not put this book down! I highly, highly recommend Did Not Finish! 

Did Not Finish is now available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook