A Heartbeat Away by Harry Kraus Rating: 5/5

Victoria “Tori” Anne Taylor, MD desperately needs a new heart and as a successful oncology surgeon, she knows what needs to be done but she’s never had the surgery performed on her before. As a doctor, she is adored by her residents and hated by her nurses as she demands perfection in every aspect of critical care. When her job security is threatened and she is forced to stop working and go to therapy, she begins a rocky relationship with Phin MacGrath, the transplant team’s social worker. Tori begins having memories that are not her own that she believes belonged to her heart donor. She begins her own investigation into the death of the woman who gave her heart and her new lease on life. Tori not only has horrific memories but she also has become more compassionate. She can sense what others are feeling and what they need. She is curious to find out more about whose heart she received.

Woven throughout the story is another story of Christian and his love for Emily. Christian’s family is on furlough from the African mission field and is falling in love for the first time.

As Tori and Phin investigate what happened, someone begins to stir up trouble for her and threaten her as she tries to investigate further into the fire that she dreams about but never personally experienced. She senses that her memories are evidence of foul play and has no idea what she is delving into.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Dr. Harry Kraus. The medical details greatly enhanced the story and brought an authenticity to the story that I enjoyed. The characters were so believable and their development was natural. My only critique would be that the story starts out a little slow but it was an exciting mystery that I ended up solving along with the heroine. I loved how the message of Christ’s grace and redemption was naturally woven into the story.

I would definitely recommend this book and will be looking into more books by this author. I received this book for free from NetGalley in return for an impartial review.

Review: Protection for Hire by Camy Tang Rating: 5/5

After being released from prison for a crime she didn’t commit, Tessa Lancaster becomes the protector for a young mother and her son who are being pursued by a dangerous and abusive father. After becoming a Christian in prison, Tessa cannot ignore this mother and she decides she will do what she can to protect them. Her Uncle Teruo, leader of the Japanese Mafia (Yakuza), wants her to come back to work for him but she will not go back to a life of crime. She is committed to living her life for Christ and being an example for her family despite the fact that they still see her as she was before. She must work with a young lawyer, Charles Britton, who unbeknownst to her is the reason she served the maximum sentence of 7 years in prison. Tessa is a born protector who is highly skilled in martial arts – can she protect this mother and her son? Can she work with Charles and find restitution for this mother and son? Will Tessa’s old life and crimes come back to haunt her? Can God truly change her and give her a new life on the right path?

So wow. I love Camy Tang. Her writing just keeps getting better and better. I love that this book is only the beginning of the series. I look forward to more books with this much character depth and development mixed with action-packed suspense and intrigue. Everything about the story kept me reading until the end and still had me wanting to know more about the characters.

I highly recommend this book! If I could give more than 5 stars I would! It’s that good. Enjoy this fantastic read with action, adventure, suspense, mystery, and ‘romance with a kick of wasabi’!

I received this book for free from NetGalley but I did not have to give a positive review.

Review: Stalker in the Shadows by Camy Tang Rating: 5/5

Monica Grant is dead-set on starting a free children’s clinic in Sonoma, California. She has worked as an Emergency Room nurse but wants to make an even greater impact. She prides herself on her ability to read people. When she starts feeling like someone is watching her, she can’t hide the sense that something is wrong. When she starts getting threatening gifts, photos, and letters, she knows that someone is willing to kill her to stop her from opening a free clinic. When the first gift arrives, Shawn O’Neill, a former border patrolman, recognizes the quote from the gift; his sister’s stalker must be the same stalker. His sister had planned to open up a free clinic in the LA area but after receiving numerous threats, she had committed suicide. Shawn suspected his sister had been killed by a colleague of his sister’s who just happened to be a would-be investor for Monica’s free clinic. Who would do this? One of her investors? Can Shawn keep Monica safe from danger without losing his heart? Can Monica keep her dreams alive without risking her friends, family and investors’ lives? Can Monica bear to give her heart to Shawn, whose job requires him to dash into the line of fire? Can Monica and Shawn trust the Lord to protect them and trust Him to heal their broken hearts?

Stalker in the Shadows is a great little mystery suspense in itself. I might be biased since I’ve read all of Camy Tang’s books, but I really enjoy them! Since this is a Love Inspired – Suspense book, it’s shorter in length but it’s perfectly paced. I didn’t want to put the book down, and I really didn’t have to. I have read the previous books in the series and was happy to see where the other characters were at. I love how Tang’s characters have real-life issues and have to deal with them in an authentic way. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s a Love Inspired book; it’s worth the read!

I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy a good suspense mystery with a love story that incorporates the love of God. (Also, I might be biased because I grew up near all the places she was talking about in her book – gotta love Sonoma and San Francisco!)