Always Time To Die by Elizabeth Lowell

From Barnes and Noble:

"The powerful Quintrell family of New Mexico has spent decades in the public eye. Now the recent death of the clan's patriarch, a former U.S. senator, has placed his son, Governor Josh Quintrell, squarely in the spotlight as he prepares his run for the highest political office in the land. It is not a good time to be rattling skeletons in the family's closets.

Researching personal histories isn't just Carolina "Carly" May's profession, it's her passion. When the governor's eccentric Aunt Winifred invites Carly into the Quintrells' private Taos compound to compile a genealogical record of the illustrious residents, she can hardly believe her good luck. But digging into the past is raising troubling questions about the would-be president's private life, his late father and catatonic mother, and the grisly street crime that left his notorious drug-addicted sister dead. And it soon becomes frighteningly apparent that the motivation of the dotty old woman who hired Carly might be something more akin to revenge -- and that someone is determined to remove the inquisitive genealogist from the picture by any means necessary.
As a dark world of twisted passions and depraved crimes slowly opens up before Carly, she realizes that there is no one whom she dares to trust -- perhaps least of all Dan Duran, a dangerous and haunted mystery man who's somehow tied to the Quintrells' past. But she will need an ally to survive the terrible secrets a father carried to the grave and an even more devastating evil that lurks among the living -- because following the bloodlines of the wealthy and power-hungry can be a bloody business ... and some dead secrets can kill. "

I like Elizabeth Lowell. I usually can't wait for her to come out with another book. Most of them are connected in some way but you don't have to really read them in any order. I feel like I can generally see an author progressing with each new book. Sometimes it's a good progression, sometimes not. This is an older book by Lowell and it was good, but not nearly as good as her newer ones.
I like it when things progress that way. I see it oddly as a child that has grown when I see an author getting better with each passing book.
I like how Lowell lets you meet the characters. All their good and bad. Their impatience and grumpiness. Every little thing.
This was a fast paced book that gave me plenty of suspense and romance. I liked it. Not my favorite ever, but it was good.



The Rescuer by Dee Henderson

From Barnes and Noble:

"Stephen O'Malley is a paramedic who has been rescuing people all his life. His friend Meghan is in trouble: Stolen jewels are turning up in interesting places, and she's in the middle of it. Stephen is about to run into a night he will never forget—a kidnapping, a tornado, and a race to rescue the woman he loves.
Introducing the O'Malleys, an inspirational group of seven, all abandoned or orphaned as teens, who have made the choice to become a loyal and committed family. They have chosen their own surname, O'Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit.  "

What a great conclusion to a good, feel good series.
Henderson did a great job rounding out the series and finishing it all off. I would like to see Tom later, but overall this ending was great.
I loved that Meghan had a few moments of pity and tiredness (like we all would) but she bucked up and moved on.
I love that Stephan got settled and found what he was looking for.
I loved that it was Kate that had a baby.
I had a great time reading this series, Henderson did a great job with it.

The Healer by Dee Henderson

From Barnes and Noble:

"Rachel O'Malley works disasters for a living. Her specialty? Helping children through trauma. When a school shooting rips through her community, she finds herself dealing with more than just grief among the children she is trying to help. One of them saw the shooting, and the gun is still missing.

Introducing the O'Malleys, an inspirational group of seven, all abandoned or orphaned as teens, who have made the choice to become a loyal and committed family. They have chosen their own surname, O'Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit.  "


What a great book. It did justice to the folks we've met so far.
I was very impressed with alot of things that Henderson tackled in this one. She tackled school violence and children's trauma. She also handled someone being overwhelmed by their job even though they are good at it.
I can't spout off statistics but I know that burnout's in fire fighters and ems are fairly short. I can't say I know alot about Red Cross psychologist, but I could imagine they are much the same.
I loved watching Cole and Rachel come together. It was such a sweet and easy development.
It was sad that Jennifer died, but the way she handled it was beautiful.
This book was a very bittersweet thing. 

The Protector by Dee Henderson

From Barnes and Noble:

"Jack O'Malley is a fireman who is fearless when it comes to facing an inferno. But when an arsonist begins targeting his district, his shift, his friends, Jack faces the ultimate challenge: protecting the lady who saw the arsonist before she pays an even higher price.

Introducing the O'Malleys, an inspirational group of seven, all abandoned or orphaned as teens, who have made the choice to become a loyal and committed family. They have chosen their own surname, O'Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit.  "


I like books with firefighters. They are a group of people like none other. Henderson has done a great job of grasping how the fire industry works. She did a great job of getting the general feel that you feel around the fire family.
I had been looking forward to meeting Jack. I totally get the person that most people don't take very seriously. He uses his humor to defuse situations that would normally be painful or stressful.
I liked Cassie alot. She is just getting over the physical part of a fire accident. She's been struggling with the emotional part too. But whereas Jack struggles with faith, Cassie does not.
As she has been doing this series, Henderson has tackled with different reasons why the character's don't believe. Instead of just going with a generic "I don't believe," she has had these characters struggle with specific reasons behind their lack of belief. I really like that.
Yes, it's fiction. But I learn alot from fiction. I take some small piece with me from every book I read. These books have been full of scripture and real like instances that I feel like I've learned from.
I feel like after reading them I am a better witness. I can better answer questions because of them.

Truth Seeker by Dee Henderson

From Barnes and Noble:

"Women are turning up dead, and Lisa O'Malley has a habit of walking into crime scenes, curious. She's a forensic pathologist, and mysteries are her domain. U.S. marshall Quinn Diamond has found loving her is easier than keeping her safe. Lisa's found the killer, and now she's missing too.

Introducing the O'Malleys, an inspirational group of seven, all abandoned or orphaned as teens, who have made the choice to become a loyal and committed family. They have chosen their own surname, O'Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit."

Oh good! We got back to getting to know the nitty gritty of a person. I feel like Lisa's story meant more somehow, because we caught a glimpse into her past to see just how far she had come.
We also got to know what makes Quinn tick. Seeing his patience and steadiness was great. I liked getting to know him a bit better.
These two were perfect for each other. It's always awesome to see two people that get each other so well.
It was good to see the O'Malley's coming together so much for Lisa. She had a hang up about people leaving her, so the O'Malley's work extra hard to make her see that they love her. That had the ability to be annoying, but it wasn't.



The Guardian by Dee Henderson

From Barnes and Noble:

"A federal judge has been murdered. There is only one witness, and an assassin wants her dead. U.S. Marshall Marcus O'Malley thought he knew the risks of the assignment . . . but he was wrong.

Introducing the O'Malleys, an inspirational group of seven, all abandoned or orphaned as teens, who have made the choice to become a loyal and committed family. They have chosen their own surname, O'Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit. "

I walk away from this book wishing that I had gotten to know both Marcus and Shari better.
Shari had some insecurities that I thought she would completely overcome in this book that really weren't touched on. We saw her moving in the right direction, but no definative change.
I expected alot more from Marcus. I expected to know him much better. I thought that I would see into his past a bit. He's the dark and mysterious one of the O'Malley's so I thought that we would find him to be a super strong guy with this incredible past. That could be, but we just don't know.
I liked that Dave had a pretty strong presence and Quinn as well.
I really feel like that in order to really appreciate all that's going on in the character's lives now, we need to know alot more about the past.
I can't say that I'm totally disgusted or anything, but I am a wee bit disappointed that I didn't really get to know these people.

The Negotiator by Dee Henderson

From Barnes and Noble:

"FBI agent Dave Richman from Danger in the Shadows is back. He's about to meet Kate O'Malley, and his life will never be the same. She's a hostage negotiator. He protects people. He's about to find out that falling in love with a hostage negotiator is one thing, but keeping her safe is another!

Introducing the O'Malleys, an inspirational group of seven, all abandoned or orphaned as teens, who have made the choice to become a loyal and committed family. They have chosen their own surname, O'Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit.  "

So this is the official start of the O'Malley series. I'm really glad that she tackled a non-believing main character so early in the series. I really liked Dave from Danger in the Shadows and am really glad to see him so soon. I wished we had seen Sara and Adam a little more, but they did at least show up.
I loved getting to know the O'Malley's and how they made their family.
Most of the time in christian fiction they non-believer is not a nice person. They are the bad guy or at the very least a snotty person. I'm really glad that Henderson choose this whole clan of people that are overcoming their dark past, but are good people, to be non-believers.
I like Dave alot. I like Kate and Marcus (as they were the most visible in this book). I'm excited that I'll be meeting the rest of the family and hopefully will hear a bit more from Dave and Kate.

Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson

From Barnes and Noble:

"Sara is terrified. She's doing the one thing she cannot afford to do: fall in love with former pro-football player Adam Black, a man everyone knows. Sara's been hidden away in the witness protection program, her safety dependent on staying invisible—and loving Adam could get her killed!
Introducing the O'Malleys, an inspirational group of seven, all abandoned or orphaned as teens, who have made the choice to become a loyal and committed family. They have chosen their own surname, O'Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit.  "


I LOVED this book. It started out fast and never slowed down. I loved all the characters.
I loved how Henderson tackled alot of big things in this book. She was pretty brave with this one. There's suspense that involves sicko's and children and then there is christian fiction. Somehow she portrays this guy's insane mind while staying true to the christian ficiton plot. It was amazing.
She tackles some pretty large issues too. Not handing over your fear to God if you were kidnapped as a child and still hunted seems pretty logical. I would think I would fear everything, forever.
This was a touch issue that she had to address in this book.
She didn't pull a hokey way of doing it either. She make the whole situation very believable.
I love Dave (I hope to see him later) and Adam.
This is my favorite Dee Henderson book so far and I can wait to get started on the rest of them that I have waiting for me!

True Courage by Dee Henderson

From Barnes and Noble:

"Someone snatched his cousin's wife and son. FBI agent Luke Falcon is searching for a kidnapper and sorting out the crime. He's afraid it's the work of a stalker. He's afraid they're already dead, and he'll do anything required to get them back alive--he just didn't plan on falling in love with the only witness.

Uncommon Heroes: Welcome to a world where friendships go deep, loyalties stand strong, and uncommon heroes perform the toughest jobs in the world. Dee Henderson's military romance series provides a detailed passage into the world of the military and homeland heroes, and those they love.  "


This book felt a little slow to me. It had alot of things going on and it was sort of fast paced, but for some strange reason.
I liked  Caroline and Sharon and Benjamin.
Luke had alot of struggles going on with his profession, but he knew what he needed to do to get the job done.
I wish I could have seen a little bit more of Caroline, but since she was missing, I get it.
I also wish that I felt that Luke got a little bit more satisfaction or a kind of light bulb moment, especially after he found Caroline.
Mark was a good side character, but he could have been a bit more involved I think.
This wasn't my favorite one, and really it didn't connect at all to the other three books and that was kind of strange.
I wish I had gotten another book from the SEALS team, but this was pretty good.

True Honor by Dee Henderson

From Barnes and Noble:

"CIA officer Darcy St. James is after a man who knew September 11 would happen—a man who chose to profit from the knowledge. Navy SEAL Sam "Cougar" Houston is busy: The intelligence Darcy is generating has his team deploying around the world. Under the pressure of war, their romance flourishes. But it may be a short relationship: for the terrorists have chosen their next targets, and Darcy's name is high on the list.
Uncommon Heroes: Welcome to a world where friendships go deep, loyalties stand strong, and uncommon heroes perform the toughest jobs in the world. Dee Henderson's military romance series provides a detailed passage into the world of the military and homeland heroes, and those they love."

I am still on the liking Dee Henderson kick. This book added in alot of suspense. I liked meeting Darcy and Gabe. I liked seeing a little more of Wolf and getting to know Cougar.
I loved how Henderson worked in Darcy feeling guilty about what she does. She is ultimately responsible for the information that will either kill the bad guy or save the bad guy and innocent people die. She struggles with how God will feel about her being a part of people (good or bad) being killed. She also struggles with the whole good and evil thing.
I loved how Cougar always has such a profound statement when they are needed. I loved how he stuck with her even when she was less than blissful.
There were alot of struggles in this book. I loved the struggle themselves, because they are so real. And I loved how the struggles worked themselves out. I also love to learn a little bit about myself when I'm reading a book. Henderson works scripture into her books that shed light on everyday things.  



True Valor by Dee Henderson

From Barnes and Noble:

"Heroes get a new meaning when you see inside their lives. Gracie is a Navy Pilot; Bruce works Air Force Pararescue. With dangerous jobs—often away from home—they write love letters. When Gracie is shot down behind enemy lines, Bruce has one mission: get her out alive.
Uncommon Heroes: Welcome to a world where friendships go deep, loyalties stand strong, and uncommon heroes perform the toughest jobs in the world. Dee Henderson's military romance series provides a detailed passage into the world of the military and homeland heroes, and those they love. "

I was looking forward to this book and I wasn't disappointed. I love the concept of writing a book through letters. I love letters, especially love letters! You can see so much of a person based on a letter. It's truly a lost art. The most important thing in my house are my letters from my husband.
I just really loved Grace and Bruce. I loved getting to meet them. I loved that Henderson tackled the toughness that is dual military. I love that she shows the good side of the military life. Often we hear the bad side. I love how she was able to truly display what it is that people around the military feel. It's a pride to be able to do something for their country.
I will leave you with this fantastic quote.

""Not taking relationships for granted is part of what life teaches you. When you're in the military, you just learn that lesson sooner. I think of it as the life squeeze, the pressure deployments put on decisions about priorities. Most people in the civilian world can become workaholics and ignore fmaily because they come home every night and think it's enough. Only when you're gone for months at a time do you learn how strong the relationships you have really are.
Civilians lose out on so much: doing something that benefits a nation, being in a job that requires excellence every day, getting reminded regularly why you should pay attention to the real priorities in life. The military teaches you not to get attached to the place or the thing but the people."