The View from Rainshadow Bay

Author: Colleen Coble

Series: Lavender Tides #1

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: January 23, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The start to this new series is a page-turner from start to finish that left me aching for more.

Being a single mom and raising her five-year-old son alone is not something Shauna ever expected to happen to her. After her husband Jack dies in a climbing accident, she is left to provide for herself and her son while always fearing she will lose the little she has left.  When another loved one close to her dies mysteriously, Shauna is convinced her life is in danger.  She thinks she has no one to turn to when her late husband’s best friend, Zach Bannister, comes to help. She hasn’t forgiven him for always pushing Jack to the next big risk, which she blames for his death.  Zach wants to do anything he can to prove to Shauna that he feels horrible about what happened to Jack and wants to be in her and her son’s lives. The more they uncover the more someone wants things to stay hidden and the more danger they all end up in.

Colleen Coble is one of the best Christian romantic suspense writers out there. The start of this new series is a perfect set up for what I expect to be a great series. Shauna and Zach have an obvious connection that both try to avoid and fight for as much of the novel as possible. It’s not something they take lightly after what happened to Jack; the appropriate emotion is displayed by both and at the right times. The protagonist’s identity is reveled at the end but enough clues are given throughout that it doesn’t come as a surprise or seem out of place. One of the best aspects of the novel was the emotional connection with the characters. When any of the characters ended up in a dangerous situation, the emotional connection drove the story more than any other tension would have. I can’t wait to see how this series continues. I recommend this to readers that like a strong emotional connection to their characters that will drive the story to the last page and leave them aching for more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.