I can always count on Lynette Eason for a thrilling ride, "Active Defense" was no different and kept me guessing the whole time!

I wasn't sure how I would like the book since it says it deals with a stalker, but I found the twists and turns of the plot to keep the story from being creepy and balanced with a good bit of action.

The romance and healing between Travis and Heather were darling and I love, love, love the family, brotherly/sisterly, and romantic bonds were woven throughout the whole of the novel.

I did NOT see the ending coming, it completely surprised me, I am always happy to come across a book that keeps me guessing, I had no idea who was behind the stalking as it was, and the way this was ended not what I expected.

I highly recommend this novel to suspense lovers!

And, Ryker, dear sweet boy, he needs his own story!

I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e/copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
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Books written by Lynette Eason are a guaranteed reading marathon! As with the previous two books, once you start you can't put it down. Active Defense is the third book in the Danger Never Sleeps series. The suspense and action will keep you on your toes from the opening scenes to the ending chapter. From kidnapping to murder, you don't know what is around the next corner (page). It has romance sprinkled in but not overwhelming. This series of books focuses on a group of independent, courageous, strong women. They don't need to be read in order, but I highly recommend it so you will be familiar with the characters. If you like Dee Henderson, Irene Hannon or Susan May Warren, then you will enjoy the Danger Never Sleeps series. ( )

Actual rating is between 3.5 and 4 stars--it was closer to a 4 than a 3 for me so I went with 4 stars, especially on sites that don't offer the half star rating option.

I've read other books in this series and many books by this author.

Heather: I related to her wanting to have control (even though in reality, we have very little control even when we think we do) and to her dislike of traditional exercising. I felt sad that some people called her out for trying to save a teenager's life (apparently because they thought someone who attempted to bomb others wasn't worth the effort). I was a little surprised that no one voiced the idea that God loves us all--and if we're honest, God should view all of us the way those people viewed Abdul.

Travis: I'd put him in the wish-fulfillment category--handsome, talented, polite, mannered, loyal, etc. with few apparent faults.

I liked the friendship group that makes up this series. The plot had quite a few twists and turns. I didn't guess who was behind things until the author revealed it--that's pretty much a norm for me so your experience with that may vary.

Ryker: I hope he persists with his plans for medicine. He's a teenager with a good heart who's survived a bad situation. I'm really glad he has Dr. Colson for a mentor--and perhaps Heather as well.

I think there was a good point made that you can only help people who want to be helped. You can't force someone else to change if they don't want to change.

I will most likely continue to read this series (Book 4 is already being teased.)

Warning: Spoilers may lie ahead. Read on at your own discretion:

*****

Gina: Was it her own bitterness and guilt that caused her to take the actions she did or was it the blame her former mother-in-law kept heaping on her that pushed her over the edge or was it a combination of the two?

I can't imagine the pain of losing a spouse. Complicate that with the fact that Gina's spouse apparently wanted to leave the military while Gina didn't and Gina either apparently talked him into staying in or he chose to stay in to be near her--well, that's got to generate some guilt in Gina. The fact that he was killed by someone in his unit in a "friendly fire" incident probably didn't help matters for Gina's state-of-mind.

I was still unclear if it was Gina's mother-in-law really doing the postings on social media or if Gina made it look like it was her mother-in-law spewing the venom--or perhaps it was a bit of both. I do think the mother-in-law put some blame on Gina for keeping her son in the military when he wanted to get out and I'm sure she let Gina know that. Which is why I think some of the posts might have truly been from the mother-in-law. I'm just not sure why the mother-in-law thought posting the video of Heather operating on Abdul had anything to do with Gina's husband's death--that months after and the mother-in-law shouldn't have known that Abdul's bombing attempt had anything to do with her son's death. Which is why I wonder if Gina managed to spoof her mother-in-law's account and do some posting of her own. ( )

Lynette Eason never disappoints with her edge-of-the-seat romantic suspense. Active Defense, book 3 in her Danger Never Sleeps series is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. I really liked the military connection. The women in the ensemble cast, as well as some of the men, have served in Afghanistan in some capacity. In this novel, main character Heather Fontaine was a field surgeon who is haunted by some of harrowing experiences, namely the forced suicide bombing by a young Afghani boy. Now back in the United States, Heather senses danger from a watcher. She flees to an undisclosed location, but danger finds her. There are car chases, explosions, kidnappings, and multiple shootings — those who like a fast-paced, adrenaline-filled plot will love this book. Danger is around every corner, but so is romance as Heather and Travis unite to discover who is threatening Heather. I also liked the inclusion of a secondary plot line that fleshed out the backgrounds of the two main characters. One theme is the necessity to find someone to trust and depend upon. While Heather trusts God, she discovers that doing life alone is not ideal.

Active Defense can be read as a standalone novel, but I recommend starting at the beginning. All 4 books in the series are available. Binge-reading, anyone?

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thank to LibraryThing for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )