Troubled Waters | Eli's Novel Reviews

Genre: Romance
Publisher: Revell
Publication Date: January 2018

Billionaire Ian Shaw’s life is crumbling fast. He’s had to liquidate his fortune, his niece Esme remains missing, and the woman he loves wants nothing to do with him.

Sierra Rose has loved Ian for years, but as long as Esme’s disappearance continues to consume him, there is no future for them as a couple. Of course, if he knew the truth, there probably wouldn’t be a hapily-ever-after anyway. Sierra knows where Esme hides and why, but a promise to the girl prevents her from revealing that fact to the uncle.

After the PEAK chopper is damaged and the rescue team lacks the funds to repair it, Ian and Sierra combine forces to host a fundraising event on his yacht. But what should have been three, fun-filled days turns into a nightmare when a rogue wave destroys the yacht, tossing the passengers overboard. Ian and Sierra find themselves stranded on a deserted island with nothing but each other, the land, and the hope of rescue to help them survive.

Susan May Warren’s Troubled Waters plunges readers into a non-stop, action-soaked tale. I have been chomping at the bit for Ian and Sierra’s story ever since the prequel. Their turn finally arrived leaving me with mixed feelings. Apparently, it is possible to have an intense, adrenaline-laden tale that drags. After all, what doesn’t happen to the characters? Fire, a rogue wave, lost at sea, hurricane, and more. It reached the point where it felt like a never-ending string of bad events that happened with little story and character development.

Despite my early fascination with Ian and Sierra’s romance, as the Montana Rescue series has progressed, I’ve found myself increasingly disappointed in Sierra. She toyed with another man’s feelings (Book 2), removed herself from Ian’s life blaming his obsession with finding his niece even though Sierra was more part of the problem than the solution. Not to mention that withholding the truth from Ian, especially considering the threat to Esme’s life, was not only unwise and dangerous, but no way to build a foundation for any sort of relationship. All in all, even though she had me firmly planted on her side early on in the series, it became increasingly hard to sympathize with her.

Though it was an okay read, it doesn’t rank amongst Warren’s best works. Having read the prequel and three books prior to Troubled Waters, I had no trouble keeping the characters straight or following the story. However, if you’re new to Montana Rescue, I recommend starting at the beginning. Otherwise, a lot will be missed and potentially lead to a confusing read.

Review copy provided by publisher via NetGalley. Thanks.

A new year means new books. I’ve compiled a list of some upcoming releases I can’t wait to get my hands on this 2018.

The Saturday Night Supper Club (Supper Club #1) by Carla Laureano

Denver chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she’s dreamed and some things she never dared hope, like winning a James Beard award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when a targeted smear campaign causes her to be pushed out of the business by her partners, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back … even if that means joining forces with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion.

Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism has the opposite effect: it revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer’s block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn’t expect his interest in the beautiful chef to turn personal.

Alex agrees to help rebuild Rachel’s tarnished image by offering his connections and his home to host an exclusive pop-up dinner party targeted to Denver’s most influential citizens: the Saturday Night Supper Club. As they work together to make the project a success, Rachel begins to realize Alex is not the unfeeling opportunist she once thought he was, and that perhaps there’s life–and love–outside the pressure-cooker of her chosen career. But can she give up her lifelong goals without losing her identity as well?

Look for Me (D.D. Warren #9) by Lisa Gardner*

The home of a family of five is now a crime scene: four of them savagely murdered, one—a sixteen-year-old girl—missing. Was she lucky to have escaped? Or is her absence evidence of something sinister? Detective D. D. Warren is on the case—but so is survivor-turned-avenger Flora Dane. Seeking different types of justice, they must make sense of the clues left behind by a young woman who, whether as victim or suspect, is silently pleading, Look for me.

If I Live (If I Run #3) by Terri Blackstock

Casey is hiding again—in Memphis this time—but it’s different now. She knows without a doubt that Dylan believes her and is doing all he can to help bring Brent’s killer to justice. He’s become an unexpected friend . . . and even, maybe, something more. Hope makes everything more bearable.

Casey makes a deal with the DA to turn over all the evidence she and Dylan have gathered against Keegan and Rollins—only to discover that the DA is in league with them too. After a desperate escape, who can they possibly turn to now?

Time is running out for Casey, but master suspense writer Terri Blackstock will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the last, utterly satisfying page.

The House at Saltwater Point (Lavender Tides #2) by Colleen Coble

Ellie Blackmore is making a name for herself as a young house flipper. But when her sister disappears, she can’t focus on anything but finding out what really happened. Blood on the floor might indicate that MacKenzie was killed and her body was removed.

Ellie is at odds with Grayson Bradshaw, the handsome Coast Guard intelligence officer who thinks MacKenzie faked her own death and is off enjoying her ill-gotten gains: billions of dollars in cocaine.

They both want the truth, but truth—and family—is often more complex than it may first appear.

Dead Drift (Chesapeake Valor #4) by Dani Pettrey

Private Investigator Kate Maxwell never stopped loving Luke Gallagher after he disappeared. Now he’s back, and together they must unravel a twisting thread of secrets, lies, and betrayal while on the brink of a biological disaster that will shake America to its core. Will they and their love survive, or will Luke and Kate become the terrorist’s next target?

The Sea Before Us (Sunrise at Normandy #1) by Sarah Sundin

In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a “Wren” in the Women’s Royal Naval Service. Dorothy pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France–including those of her own family’s summer home–in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt will turn into naval bombardment plans.

As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn to love. Dorothy must resist its pull. Her bereaved father depends on her, and her heart already belongs to another man. Wyatt too has much to lose. The closer he gets to Dorothy, the more he fears his efforts to win the war will destroy everything she has ever loved.

Thirst of Steel (The Tox Files #3) by Ronie Kendig

Dismantled centuries ago, the sword of Goliath is still rumored to thirst for its enemies’ blood. Cole “Tox” Russell only wants to begin his life with Haven Cortes, but he must first complete a final mission: retrieve that sword and destroy the deadly Arrow & Flame Order.

The AFO, however, is determined to claim the sword. Wielding their father’s life over Tzivia and Ram Khalon, they threaten to expose Ram’s long-held and dangerous secret while demanding Tzivia locate the sword. With the Wraith team slowly being torn apart, things only worsen when Mercy Maddux, a new operative, emerges with the stunning news that the sword is tied to both Ram’s secret and a string of unsolved serial murders.

Tox, Ram, and the others are forced to set aside fear and anger to focus only on the enemy. No matter the cost, Wraith must stop or take the enemy down with them.

Troubled Waters (Montana Rescue #4) by Susan May Warren

Billionaire Ian Shaw can have everything he wants–except a happy ending. Or at least that’s what it feels like with his fortune recently liquidated, his niece, Esme, still missing, and the woman he loves refusing to speak to him. In fact, he doubts she would date him even if they were stranded on a deserted island.

Despite her love for Ian, Sierra Rose knows he has no room in his life for her as long as the mystery of his missing niece goes unsolved. The only problem is, Sierra has solved it, but a promise to Esme to keep her whereabouts secret has made it impossible to be around Ian.

When the PEAK chopper is damaged and Sierra lacks the funds to repair it, Ian offers a fundraising junket for large donors on his yacht in the Caribbean. But the three-day excursion turns into a nightmare when a rogue wave cripples the yacht and sends the passengers overboard. Shaken up and soaked to the bone, Ian finally has a chance to test his theory when he and Sierra do indeed find themselves washed up on a strange, empty shore.

It will take guts and gumption for the PEAK team to rescue the duo. But it will take a miracle to rescue Ian and Sierra’s relationship.

What books are you looking forward to the most this 2018?

*All the books except the one marked with an (*) are Christian Fiction novels.