Inescapable By Nancy Mehl

About Inescapable:

Page-Turning Romantic Suspense Set Against the Backdrop of a Small Mennonite Town
Lizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, her family, and her faith with plans never to return. Five years later, Lizzie finds she'll have to run again. False accusations at her job, a stalker, and a string of anonymous threatening letters have left her with no other options. This time, however, her escape is back to Kingdom, her hometown. 

As Lizzie becomes reacquainted with Kingdom, she realizes she may not have left her Mennonite roots and her faith as firmly in the past as she thought. She draws on the support of Noah Housler, an old friend, as she hides out and attempts to plan her next steps. 

When it becomes painfully clear that the danger has followed Lizzie to Kingdom, suspicions and tensions run high, and she no longer knows who to trust. With her life and the lives of those she loves at risk, Lizzie will have to run one last time--to a Father whose love is inescapable.
 
My Review:
4 STARS

When circumstances force Lizzie to return to her hometown that had once turned their backs on her with the birth of her daughter Charity, emotion that she thought was buried bubbles to the surface. She is running to her hometown to escape many issues that led her to fear the safety of her job and her life. Yet she doesn't exactly get a warm hug when she gets back home. Her dad is still refusing to talk to her and her mom seems unhappy. However, Lizzie and her daughter Charity find that not all the people in Kingdom are bad but there are some things in her life that are truly inescapable!

Right from the beginning you are sucked in to the story trying to figure out what is happening to Lizzie, and why she is running. It's all a bit confusing and your desire to uncover the truth of why she left Kingdom in the first place makes this book hard to put down. I found Lizzie and Charity to be delightful characters that I fell in love with right along with the other characters in the book.

Inescapable is full of great moments that keep you on your toes. There is danger, mystery, romance and heartbreak, lies and forgiveness. The ending in unpredictable and very satisfying! I love the message in this book about forgiveness and limiting God. It seems like the older people of Kingdom wanted to limit God or those that can worship God or how you can worship God and this book was a great reminder that you can put limits on God. He is the almighty and all he wants is your worship, prayers and relationship with him, no matter what you've done or how you choose to worship!

Overall I was very pleased with this book. There were many moments I loved and only a few I got slightly bored with and skimmed but I would definitely read it again and recommend it to those that love Christian fiction, mystery and romance!

I received this book free from Bethany House in exchange for my personal and honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

About Nancy Mehl:

Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband, Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. First published in 2001, she has now authored nine books, including an omnibus mystery collection, Cozy in Kansas, which contains three of her previously published Ivy Towers mysteries. Book three in the series, For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls, won the American Christian Fiction Writers Mystery Book of the Year award. Nancys main writing interests lie in mystery although her new Harmony Series leans more toward the romantic suspense genre. Nancy runs a HUD program for the city of Wichita and is president of a volunteer organization, Wichita Homebound Outreach. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Kansas Authors Club. You can find out more about Nancy by visiting her Web site at: www.nancymehl.com  

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

 About Short-Straw Bride:

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.

Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride?

My Review:
5 STARS +++

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book!!! I have already been a huge fan of Karen Witemeyer but this one has got to be my favorite of hers!!  This book is jammed with yummy chemistry and tension that had me devouring the book in a day!! I thought it would take me a few days to read but I HAD to read it in one setting!!

Meredith has always held a place in her heart for Travis Archer, the young man that saved her when she was younger from an injury on his property.  She will never forget how handsome he was and the tender way he cared for her.  Now when she hears someone is set out to hurt him she can't let it go.  She has to go warn Travis and seeing him one more time will be the bonus!! Things don't go according to plan and the next thing you know Meredith is caught in a compromising position and forced in to a marriage with one of the Archer men, which brother drew the short straw to loose or win that debate?

I loved the characters in this book.   Karen always writes characters that I love but man oh man I can't get enough of those Archer boys! They are great, I loved them all.  They put on this big show of how tough they are but they have a soft side.  And Meredith is a hoot! She is feisty, passionate and romantic.  There is mention of God and faith but it is not overbearing and it adds just the right touch to the story.  I strongly recommend Short-Straw Bride to all fans of Witemeyer or Historical romance fans!!

I received this book free from Bethany House and was not required to give a positive review, all opinions are my own!

About Karen Witemeyer:

CBA bestselling author, Karen Witemeyer, writes historical romance fiction for Bethany House, believing that the world needs more happily-ever-afters. In 2011, her debut novel, A Tailor-Made Bride, was a finalist in the Best First Book categories for both the prestigious RITA® award and the National Reader's Choice Award. Karen holds a master's degree in Psychology from Abilene Christian University and is a member of ACFW, RWA, and her local writers' guild. She is an avid cross-stitcher, shower singer, and bakes a mean apple cobbler. Karen makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children.