Book Review: Don't Look Back by Lynette Eason

Don't Look Back by Lynette Eason

Publisher: Revell

Publish Date: October 1, 2010

Paperback, 327 pages
Romantic Suspense, Women of Justice Series, #2

My Review:
Why I read this:  I read Too Close to Home a several months ago (review here) and loved it so I jumped at the chance to read the second book in the series.

How is the novel driven:  Plot, the characters are important, but the suspense drives this.

My thoughts:  Wow, this was a suspenseful ride right from the start.  Jamie, the main character of Don't Look Back was introduced as Samantha's sister in the first book, Too Close to Home.  It is not necessary to read Too Close to Home before Don't Look Back, the backstory is handled well enough in Don't Look back.  If you haven't read Too Close to Home, I encourage you to read it though because it's a good book.

Don't look back is Jamie and Dakota's story, but a lot of the focus is on Jamie and the ordeal she went through and the one she is currently going through.  Dakota's past is hinted at through the book and both he and Jamie have well-developed characters.  I loved watching Jamie, grow, strengthen and learn to love through this book.  And Dakota is definitely swoon-worthy, he's strong and loving with a hint of a mysterious past.  Dakota is the local FBI guy that helps out the police force when they need him in Spartanburg.

The suspense is great.  I will confess I figured out pretty early on who the evil guy was, but it did not take anything away from the book.  I still wanted to know how the characters would figure it out and what the bad guy's motivations were.  That said, I was still dealt a surprise at the end, so Ms. Eason does a masterful job with the suspense element.

This is a Christian romantic suspense and Jamie is a strong Christian.   She often quotes scripture, but it's to get her through things not to make her seem high and mighty.  One is a scripture she quotes when she is thinking about revenge, so Jamie is not a goody-goody by far, she's just trying to improve herself.  She's very realistic and life-like and I really enjoyed her character.  The Christianity is not in your face, it's there and it's an element of the story, but it blends and makes the story even richer.

If you are looking for top-notch suspense with some romance blended in, then Don't Look Back is the book for you - it is a major thrill ride from start to finish.  Add in characters who feel like your friends and this book is just amazing.

My Rating: 4.75/5.0

About the Book:

One man lives to see her dead--the other is fighting to keep her alive. Twelve years ago, forensic anthropologist Jamie Cash survived a brutal kidnapping. After years of therapy, she has made a life for herself--though one that is haunted by memories of her terrifying past. She finally lets herself believe that she can have a close relationship with a man, when signs start appearing that point to one frightening fact--her attacker is back and ready to finish the job he started all those years ago.

Can she escape his grasp a second time? And will she ever be able to let down her guard enough to find true love?

Filled with heart-stopping suspense, gritty realism, and a touch of romance, Don't Look Back pulls you into its twists and turns to hold you there until the very last page.

Available October 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

About the Author:

Lynette Eason is the author of Too Close to Home and three other romantic suspense novels. She is a member of American Fiction Christian Writers and Romance Writers of America. A homeschooling mother of two, she has a master's degree in education from Converse College. She lives in South Carolina.

Her website
Her Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life.  They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet.

For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.