Welcome to my Fan Girling with Narelle podcast and YouTube show.
In this episode, I’m talking about why I recommend ALASKAN SURVIVAL THREAT by MEGAN SHORT to romantic suspense readers who like Christian romance novels.
Here are the links to my recommendation for Megan Short’s books.
Park Ranger Helena Nikolaou’s assignment takes a deadly turn when she sees a body drop from a helicopter—and she suddenly comes under fire. Ambushed on a remote Alaskan island, she’s saved by US Coast Guard rescue swimmer Cody Hannigan. Only, the assailants won’t give up easily. With danger trailing their every move, Helena and Cody are forced through unforgiving terrain to retrieve evidence linked to a sinister conspiracy. But as they fight to stay one step ahead of killers determined to silence them, one wrong move could cost them their lives.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Alaskan Survival Threat, a high octane romantic suspense short novel set in Alaska. Helena is a park ranger and wilderness biologist who witnesses a helicopter drop a dead body into a swamp on a remote island.
Cody is a US Coast Guard who’s new to the area and kayaking near the beach where Helena left her boat. Helena is in danger and he helps her escape a life threatening situation.
Danger follows Helena and she believes it’s connected to the helicopter and the corpse in the swamp. Cody is worried about Helena’s safety and a wild ride ensues as they fight to stay alive.
I read the book quickly because I couldn’t put it down. I loved journeying with Helena and Cody as they’re forced to trust and rely on each other to survive. Their romance is cute and sweet and they both have emotional baggage to unpack during the story.
I was intrigued by the mystery and loved how the suspense plot kept me guessing. Helena is on a faith journey and she’s challenged to trust God despite their difficult circumstances.
I recommend Alaskan Survival Threat to romantic suspense readers who like short time frame romances in a wilderness setting with forced proximity, unknown danger, an intriguing mystery and strong faith elements in the story.
Many thanks to the author for the advanced reader copy.
Happy Friday! I’m sharing a selection of books that are on preorder in a weekly post.
Please check the price before preordering. Amazon will always give you the lowest preorder price and bill your payment method on release day.
Click on the book cover to preorder the ebook at Amazon USA. Direct Sales Links (if listed under the book category) will take you to the author or publisher’s website or a universal link to multiple book retailers.
Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment if there’s a book in my post that’s on your TBR (to be read) list. Or, if you’ve already had the pleasure of reading an advanced reader copy. I’m always looking for book recommendations.
Shannon’s Book Bargains Roundup – Visit my friend Shannon Taylor Vannatter’s blog, check out her FRIDAY weekly book bargains posts, and discover book giveaways, sales, and more.
Disclaimer: Book information is provided by third parties. Book prices are subject to change. The inclusion of a book in this post is not necessarily an endorsement.
Authors and Publishers: If you’d like to submit a book for consideration for a future post, please fill out the Google form here.
He built the show to launch stars—not fall for one.
Kezia Blair believes true talent shouldn’t need shortcuts. But after years of singing backup and recording anonymous jingles, her shot at a real music career is slipping away. When a last-ditch audition lands her on Starbound, TV’s biggest reality show, Kezia faces a painful choice: chase stardom on someone else’s terms—or walk away for good.
Zach Falconer created Starbound to launch fresh talent—not get tangled up with it. Burned by a fame-hungry ex, he’s determined to protect his show from scandal and his heart from pain.
But Kezia’s passion, honesty, and refusal to play the game shake his carefully controlled world. And the deeper their connection grows, the harder it becomes to protect the lines between love, loyalty, and career.
In an industry where image is everything, can they hold onto what matters most… or will success cost them the truth—and each other?
A soulful, slow-burn Christian romance about integrity, ambition, and the price of staying true.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Old Town Symphony, the third book in Milla Holt’s Rhapsody of Grace series set in England. Kezia is a session vocalist from London who’s invited to audition for Starbound, a new reality tv singing contest being filmed on a Surrey country estate. Zach is the creator of Starbound who achieved fame and industry success in a Christian band with his brothers.
Sparks fly when Zach and Kezia meet at her Starbound audition. Zach’s a mentor on the show and he has established strict rules that forbid romantic relationships between mentors and contestants.
I loved journeying with Kezia and Zach as they navigated a slow burn romance while managing the demands of reality tv and complicated family relationships. They’re both on a healing journey and are struggling with trust issues.
I appreciated the fascinating side characters who exhibited the best and worst of human nature. Professional jealousy and rivalry, and a few plot twists, created drama and mayhem. Multiple characters are dealing with grief and loss, including the loss of career opportunities when they’re eliminated from the show. The power of music, singing, and song writing to create connections is an important story theme.
I recommend Old Town Symphony to contemporary romance readers who like slow burn romances with musician characters, reality tv, singing contests, family drama, grief and loss, found family, and strong faith elements including forgiveness themes.
Justice can be elusive. Family secrets can be deadly. The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking in a volatile criminal case filled with unanswered questions. And Carrington Reed is running short on time to piece together clues that will solve the puzzle.
Hostage negotiator Carrington Reed is called to the scene when reports come in that fifteen hostages are being held by the Kendrix brothers in an abandoned house in south Texas. When she arrives on site, Carrington quickly learns that the brothers are armed and refuse to release their victims, a group of undocumented immigrants, until the local police identify their father’s murderer.
Working closely with Levi Ehrlich, a handsome investigative reporter who has covered some of Carrington’s negotiations in the past, she finds herself being undeniably drawn to him. Carrington digs deeper into the death of the Kendrixes’ father and begins to notice that some details surrounding his death aren’t adding up.
As Carrington investigates the brothers’ claims and tries to piece together their motive for taking innocent people captive, it soon becomes clear that they are trying to hide something and that revenge for their father’s death may not be what they’re really bargaining for after all. To protect the hostages and ensure the brothers don’t carry out the rest of their sinister plot, Carrington must get to the bottom of one family’s secret and the truth they’re trying so hard to hide before time runs out.
Award winning author DiAnn Mills delivers pulse-pounding romantic suspense about secrets, betrayal, and finding a path to forgiveness.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Lethal Standoff, a fast paced romantic suspense novel set in Texas. Carrington is a private negotiator who works with law enforcement in hostage negotiations. She has experienced grief and loss in her own life, seen evil in action in her job, and questions if God exists.
Levi is a journalist who left behind his wild lifestyle when he converted to Messianic Judaism. His job is on the line, his family have shunned him, and he longs to reconnect with his parents and sister.
Carrington and Levi have worked together in many stressful and tense hostage negotiations. Levi wants to get to know Carrington outside of work but Carrington continues to friend zone him.
I loved journeying with Carrington and Levi as their sweet romance is tested by unknown danger, high stress circumstances, and ongoing family drama. The suspense plot kept me guessing and turning the page because I was worried about the characters. A murder mystery connected to a hostage negotiation situation, undocumented migrants, and long held secrets threatens to tear apart a grieving family.
Carrington is slow to trust and she’s on a faith journey. Justice and forgiveness themes are explored. Mental health issues aren’t sugarcoated and traumatic situations are sensitively handled.
I recommend Lethal Standoff to romantic suspense readers who like friends-to-more romances in a Texas border setting with danger, secrets, family drama and strong faith elements in the story.
Charlotte Carruthers must find her brother. Joshua Robertson needs the funds to free his. On the road into the Canadian wilderness, they become reluctant allies in a race to save their siblings before brewing rebellion tears the colony apart.
Canada, 1837. Charlotte is determined to hold onto her family’s crumbling estate―the last vestige of their former place in Toronto society before her mother’s death and her father’s financial ruin. But when her missing brother Simon is suspected of aiding a political rebellion, Charlotte heads north to find him before his impulsive decisions ruin what’s left of their family’s standing and break her ailing father’s heart.
Joshua has worked tirelessly to carve a home from the wilderness for the younger brother he was forced to leave behind, only to learn his first harvest is nearly worthless and his brother has been sold into an indenture Joshua can’t afford to redeem. When a stranger offers him work tracking down a settler in the bush, he’s desperate enough to agree.
Nothing has prepared Charlotte for the challenges of surviving the wilderness. When Joshua comes to her aid, she offers to pay him for guidance through the bush. Though he knows a spoiled city girl will slow him down, he can’t refuse the money. As Charlotte and Joshua face the dangers of travel through rough terrain, admiration and friendship grow, even as class divides and hidden truths complicate their bond. But when they are caught in the crossfire of rebellion, they must decide if the futures they’ve fought for are truly their hearts’ desire―or if something unexpected awaits.
Clean and wholesome historical romance with reluctant allies and secret identities tropes. Filled with love, faith, and adventure. Perfect for fans of Julie Klassen, Laura Frantz, and Tamera Alexander.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading The Heiress and the Woodsman, a delightful historical romance novel set in 1837 Toronto, Canada. Charlotte’s brother is missing and her father needs him to return to their Toronto family estate. She embarks on a challenging journey in the bush to find her brother and bring him home.
Joshua is a farmer who’s frustrated when he discovers he doesn’t have enough money to pay for his eleven-year-old brother’s release from an indentured work situation in Toronto. When Joshua saves Charlotte from a perilous situation, he agrees to be her paid guide in the bush.
Charlotte and Joshua’s friends-to-more romance is fun and sweet. Difficult circumstances challenge them to deal with their emotional baggage, including trust and abandonment issues. Danger is lurking and the volatile political situation with the brewing rebellion creates additional problems.
I loved the plot twists that deepened the intriguing mysteries and led to a satisfying story ending. I recommend The Heiress and the Woodsman to historical romance readers who like friends-to-more romances with forced proximity, family secrets, political intrigue, and relevant faith elements including forgiveness themes.
Many thanks to Tyndale and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
Happy Friday! I’m sharing a selection of books that are on preorder in a weekly post.
Please check the price before preordering. Amazon will always give you the lowest preorder price and bill your payment method on release day.
Click on the book cover to preorder the ebook at Amazon USA. Direct Sales Links (if listed under the book category) will take you to the author or publisher’s website or a universal link to multiple book retailers.
Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment if there’s a book in my post that’s on your TBR (to be read) list. Or, if you’ve already had the pleasure of reading an advanced reader copy. I’m always looking for book recommendations.
Shannon’s Book Bargains Roundup – Visit my friend Shannon Taylor Vannatter’s blog, check out her FRIDAY weekly book bargains posts, and discover book giveaways, sales, and more.
Disclaimer: Book information is provided by third parties. Book prices are subject to change. The inclusion of a book in this post is not necessarily an endorsement.
Authors and Publishers: If you’d like to submit a book for consideration for a future post, please fill out the Google form here.
