The Escape

Author: Lisa Harris

Series: US Marshals #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: November 3, 2020

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

By far one of the best romantic suspense books I have read this year! Action packed with tension at all the right moments that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page.

A prisoner transfer seems like a routine assignment for US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn, until the plane crashes and they are lost in the wilderness somewhere between the Pacific Northwest and Colorado. One prisoner is dead and the other escapes in the chaos of the crash. This is the first assignment Madison and Jonas have had together; they met once before at a training but this is their first time working together and it is going to take all of their combined skills to stay alive and accomplish their mission. Their escaped prisoner is smart, cunning, dangerous and determined to not get caught. They follow his trail across the country in a game of cat and mouse as they learn more about each other and fear the danger of losing one another.

I have read a lot of Lisa Harris books and enjoyed some and felt let down by others. This story though gripped me from the very beginning and didn’t let go. The action was right there and pulled me into the story and stayed straight until the very end. There was just the right amount of romance at the right times to keep the story moving and not slow down the pace with the suspense and action. A lot of romantic suspense books lean more to the romance side than suspense and for me that just slows the story down. I enjoy a very slow build on the romance, much more realistic for me. Madison and Jonas had the past meeting to start their relationship but nothing is rushed. They stay focused on the task at hand of finding the escaped prisoner and not making lovey eyes at each other. One of the most recent books I read started that way and it threw me out of the story quickly and kept me from really enjoying what turned out to be a decent book, could have been great if it didn’t start that way.

The plot of this book is great and fast moving. By starting it with the plane crash our main characters are in peril and danger right away and my heart was pumping just as fast as I could turn the page. Madison is a tough female protagonist that also has a lot of pain from her past keeping her from moving on in relationships, it makes her real and relatable. She has a great relationship with her sister which is also used to show the danger she faces in her job, and those she cares about end up in danger as well. Of all the Lisa Harris books I have read I would easily say this is my favorite and one I recommend to readers that like a high thrill ride with characters they can relate to and a story that will keep them on the edge of their seat late into the night.

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