🌳 🏺 “Amish Wilderness Survival” (2023) 🏺 🌳 – Book Review

 

MY REVIEW

 

 

Paperback: 224 Pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense (March 28, 2023)
Language: English
ISBN 10: 1335587632
ISBN-13: 978-1335587633
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information

 

“To stay alive,

 

she must escape a killer’s clutches

 

When her brother goes missing, Leora Mast will do anything to find him…even if it means putting her life in danger. Upon arriving in Montana, she finds an ally in Fletcher Shetler, but almost as soon as they meet, they’re running for their lives. With Fletcher’s help, Leora must unravel the truth about her brother’s disappearance…before the man who wants them dead tracks them down.”

 

Thank you in advance to the author, Mary Alford, for providing a complimentary review copy. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.

 

First of all – my apologies to the author for the late review. I got this book a few months ago, and being a single person caregiver (24/7) to my mother has not been easy. On top of that, I got sick for about three weeks and was on bed rest (except for caring for my mother) – so the late review is in NO way a reflection on the author or the story.

 

That said …

 

It’s no secret I enjoy the romantic-suspense genre. I also enjoy Amish romantic-suspense, though I do blame the Harrison Ford movie Witness for that, and I blame a few others for getting me into READING the genre – but, it’s definitely a good thing.

 

Moving on …

 

This is the third Love Inspired Suspense book I’ve read by the author, and have four of her Amish LIS books on my TBR list. I was also on the launch team for her Revell release of Among the Innocent (which I absolutely LOVED). So, naturally, Alford is on the “watch list” for new releases (and backlist titles when I can find them).

 

Most of her LIS books are standalone, meaning the stories are usually wrapped up by the end of the book. Readers won’t have to worry about reading a book before or after to get the entire story or to see what other characters are up to, as well as origin stories. That’s not to say I don’t like series, but often my check account doesn’t like them.

 

Getting back to this book …

 

Readers SHOULDN’T judge a book by the cover, but it draws us in and gets our attention. A good cover draws the reader to the book to check it out. Naturally, one showing a frightened person running will definitely get someone’s attention right off, I know it did mine.

 

Alford introduces readers to:

 

👒 Leora

🐕‍🦺 Fletcher (works with Ethan)

🐕‍🦺 Ethan (working to train K-9s for Search and Rescue [SAR])

🚛 Tanner (Leora’s twin brother)

🐕‍🦺 Molly (K-9 served with Ethan in Afghanistan)

✳️ Jade

✳️ Sam

 

There are a few potential triggers for readers – Leora is a 2x breast cancer survivor, one of her relatives (an Aunt Marie) suffers from dementia. Ironically, my grandmother (Eva Marie) suffered from Alzheimer’s prior to her death 23 years ago. There is also mention of an arson fire that killed Leora and Tanner’s parents.  

 

To say a book hits the ground running and keeps going is often a phrase, in this case – it’s the actual story.

 

“I have to help a friend”

 

After a week of silence, Fletcher is worried about his friend. After hearing shots near Ethan’s place, he decides to ride over and check on his friend. He finds Leora there.

 

Leora is there to look for her brother Tanner who’d served in the Marine Corps with Ethan. She’s just completed her last rounds of chemo and is a bit tired from it, still, she wants to find her brother. Finding blood in Ethan’s home isn’t a good sign.

 

It isn’t long until the two figure out something is wrong, especially with both men missing. Fletcher and Leora are kidnapped by some men and a woman by the name of Jade. It’s clear that Tanner has run afoul of the people. Some of the men had broken into Leora’s home in Colorado demanded something back.  

 

Fletcher and Leora escape the group and, along with Molly, set out to find Ethan and Tanner. They also want to contact the Sheriff.

 

They run into Sam, who at first seems like he wants to help, yet something doesn’t feel right to Fletcher. And, Fletcher is right – Sam is working with the group.

 

The two escape and then start finding clues that lead either to Ethan or Tanner, but where either of the men are, is a mystery – but Molly is on the scent. Fletcher and Leora also wonder what the two men were into. Leora only knows something about a delivery date along with men asking for Tanner to return what he took.

 

Fletcher and Leora remain only a step ahead of Jade, Sam, and the others. Along the way, they try to figure out what Tanner and Ethan got into or uncovered, which turns out to be a smuggling ring.

 

Another thing Fletcher and Leora discover is that as much as they want a future for themselves, neither one feels good enough. For Fletcher, it was the betrayal of a woman he cared for, and Leora is worried that her two bouts of breast cancer might keep someone from loving her.

 

But, that doesn’t stop their growing feelings for each other either as they try to stay a step ahead of the people chasing them; especially between being kidnapped, trying to locate Ethan and Tanner, and trying to contact the sheriff – along with trying to figure out what Tanner is in the middle of.

 

Amish Wilderness Survival was an intense, fast-paced, edge-of-seat read. It tends more towards suspense than romance; but is a great read from the first page to the VERY last; especially with the surprise reveal of who a character really turned out to be. It was so shocking I almost dropped the book in my lap, and was definitely a “shut the front door” kind of reveal. What Tanner has taken, isn’t exactly clear, only it is evidence against the bad guy. And, it isn’t clear (or I might’ve missed it), where it really was hidden after all.

 

I was overall satisfied with the story and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

There was a typo of sorts between pages 46 and 47 in which a character said he’d lived in a house since he was a child, yet Fletcher recalls MORE of what was said despite it not being stated by the character. That didn’t ruin the enjoyment of the book, but a keen-eyed reader might double back to that. Other than that, once I got into the book, it was definitely hard to put down.

 

As this is a “Love Inspired” book, especially with Amish characters, there will be references to the Christian faith. Despite the genre and the Amish characters, the story focuses more on the plot than the faith aspect so it comes from coming across as preachy or proselytizing.

 

Fans of the author and genre are sure to enjoy this newest release.

 

I am definitely awaiting her next book release.

 

 

 

RATING: 

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads 

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub 

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html; update: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html)

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary Alford was inspired to become a writer after reading romantic suspense greats Victoria Holt and Phyllis A. Whitney. Soon, creating characters and throwing them into dangerous situations that tested their faith came naturally for Mary. In 2012 Mary entered the speed-dating contest hosted by Love Inspired Suspense and later received “the call”. Writing for Love Inspired Suspense has been a dream come true for Mary.

 

She can be found on the following social media accounts:

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryAlfordAuthor/

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryjalfordauthor/

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maryalford13

 

 

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