Trinity: Military War Dog (A Breed Apart) by Ronie Kendig [4 stars]

Trinity: Military War Dog by Ronie Kendig
From back cover:
An ex-Green Beret and his war dog on the greatest mission of their lives.
And probably their last.

A year ago in Afghanistan, Green Beret Heath Daniels's career was destroyed.
Along with his faith.
Now, he and his military war dog, Trinity, have a chance to redeem their skills through the A Breed Apart organization. The job works. But his passion is to be back in the field. The medical discharge says it can't happen due to the traumatic brain injury the forced Heath to the sidelines.

Until...
Military intelligence officer Darci Kintz is captured and the geological survey team she's covertly imbedded is killed while secretly tracking the Taliban in the beautiful but brutal Hindu Kush. It's clear only one dog can handle the extreme conditions to save her. And only one man can handle Trinity.

Time is running out on the greatest-and most dangerous-mission of their lives.
 
The author did a really good job of making Trinity seem realistic. She almost seemed human and she had a great personality.
There were some good character twists-not everyone was who they seemed to be. The characters in Ronie's books are always very interesting. Very real, which I really enjoy.

The first third or so of the book was a little slow, just trying to get everyone/everything straight until we get to the meat of the story.

I didn't like this book quite as much as the Discarded Heroes series (which I LOVED) but this is a great book full of military suspense, romance (a tad cheesy but not bad), and lots of action! I will be looking forward to the next book, Talon: Combat Tracking Team!

Hide and Seek by Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky [4.5 stars]

Hide and Seek by Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky
From back cover:
She traded her gun for the power of words, but now she needs both.

Amelia Lennon no longer wears a uniform or carries a weapon. An Army trained Foreign Affairs Officer; she's negotiating a dispute with the Kyrgyzstan government that threatens to leave the United States without an airbase in that region. While following a government contact - the lawyer daughter of Kyrgyzstan's president - Amelia witnesses an attempt to abduct her. She thwarts the kidnapping, but now the two women are on the run in a city that's erupting into chaos.

Master Sergeant J.J. Bartley is the Special Operations team leader tasked to rescue them. With a new member in his unit whose secret could endanger everyone's life, J.J. must solider the team through crazed mobs intent on overthrowing the government. Back home, his pregnant wife is misinformed that her husband and his men have been killed. Before this is over, Bartley will find out that's the least of his problems.

I love a good military suspense/thriller and this was a very good read. I really enjoyed all the characters, even the secondary ones.  I really like J.J. and his team, especially their humor and the way they interact with each other. Everyone comes across as very real and relatable.
I especially liked Amelia. She was smart and tough! I like a strong, kick-butt female character. I think this is my favorite of Jeff Struecker's books.

Faith is an integral part of the story, and I like how it isn't shoved down anyone’s throat. It's there, but it's not pushy.

The only thing I don't like about this book (and all the books in the series.) is there's too many points of view. It's always a little confusing at the beginning trying to figure out who is who. I found myself skipping over parts of a characters POV's a couple of times and not missing anything in the plot.

I hope there's more books in this series! I highly recommend this book; there's plenty of suspense and action. And there's a character in here to satisfy every reader.

Whole Pieces (7 Hours Series) By Ronie Kendig [4.5 Stars]

Whole Pieces by Ronie Kendig
(info of book from Tyndale)
After a brutal attack left him without a limb and his team dead, former Green Beret Haytham "Hawk" Wilson is angry at life and God. Bitter, he pushes everyone out of his life. Every day he relives his decision to send teh Afgan boy home rather than following orders to kill any who came upon his hidden team. So when on his deathbed at age 36, eaten alive by grief and regret, he's offered the chance to relive any seven hours. Hawk is determined to go back, kill the boy, and save his team. The decision is simple...until he gets there.

The clock is ticking. What will he do with the time left?

There are 7 books in the 7 hours series. (I've only read this book.) The whole concept of choosing 7 hours to relive is kind of a neat. I'm not really a fan of supernatural/fantasy type stuff; but this was good. It adds a whole new level of emotional turmoil to the character since he knows the outcome of his decision. He has to weigh every decision he makes, agonizing over what could happen.
I love Ronie Kendig's writing, and I think she could write just about anything. She has a way of writing and making you feel like you're right there (which is kind of scary in some situations!) But I really enjoyed this story, it's short, won't take too long to read, and definitely worth the $2.99!

On another note, isn't the cover awesome?!?!

This book is $2.99 and available for Kindle only. Or PDF version HERE

Firethorn by Ronie Kendig [5 Stars]

I had seen on this authors facebook page that she was looking for book influencers, so I thought I would offer and was thrilled when she decided to send me a book in exchange for an (honest) review!

Firethorn by Ronie Kendig is the fourth (and sadly, final) book in the Discarded Heroes series.
Firethorn follows former Marine Griffin "Legend" Riddel, who finds himself sitting in a maximum security prison facing charges for a murder he didn't commit.

Covert operative Kazi Faron is hired to break Griffen out of prison and reassemble the newly dismantled Nightshade team.

As Kazi and Griffen race around the world to rescue the Nightshade team, Griffen learns that Kazi has secrets. Secrets that could get them killed.
Will they find the traitor in time? And can they learn to trust each other long enough to save the team?

I knew going into this book it was going to be bittersweet, considering it's the last Discarded Heroes book. The Nightshade team is a group of characters I have grown to love and respect and am sad to see go. But then again, if I have to say goodbye to some of my favorite characters, might as well see them go out with a bang. Literally.
If I had to sum this book up in one word...it would be intense. I don't know how Ms. Kendig continues to write such amazing books. The action is fast paced and exciting; it draws you in and won't let go! I am not really an emotional person, but I was getting teary toward the end of the book (anyone who reads it will know exactly why!) so for me, an author who is able to get me emotionally invested into a book has to be good.
Each and every character is true to life and they bring so much to the story as they deal with the underlying themes of hope, faith, redemption, rejection, and family. It was interesting to see how each of the complex plot lines came together toward the end, there was one I hadn't figured out and was surprised with how it ended up. This is a book that is hard to put down, as you are always left wondering what's going to happen next.
I am so glad I was given the chance to review this book. This series is one I will definitely be picking up and reading again.
Firethorn is the perfect conclusion to the Nightshade series.

If you love suspense/thrillers, or are a fan of shows like 24 or The Bourne movies, this is a series for you! I cannot praise/recommend this series enough.

Note-I would recommend reading this series in order, starting with Nightshade.

Race Against Time by Kimberly and Kayla Woodhouse [4 Stars]

Race Against Time by Kimberly and Kayla Woodhouse

Thirteen year old Zoya Naltsiine is out with her sprint racing dogs when she witnesses a murder. While trying to get away, she gets shot. She's left feeling angry at God for all the bad things that have happend to her, her friends and family.

Zoya's mom, Anesia, is a single mom who runs a kennel with champion sprint racing dogs. Anesia is tired of being alone, especially seeing Jenna and Cole's new marriage. She's trying to hold everything together, so she hires Sean Connelly to help out around the kennel.

Sean Connelly has (literally) walked away from his high profile job at CROM to get away from his tyrannical father. He sells everything and walks more than 6,000 miles to North Pole, Alaska, looking to start over. He applies at Anesia's kennel, and gets the job.

Zoya is angry at everyone, (especially God) and killers are after her.
Anesia is trying to do what's best for her, Zoya, and the dogs, as well as trying to figure out Sean, his secrets, and the feelings she has for him. 
And Sean is determined to keep the girls safe and figure out why macrochips are being implanted in the dogs.

Are the macrochips related to the murder? Why are the killers still after Zoya? Will Zoya ever put her anger aside and trust God again? And Anesia, will she ever find love again?

Race Against Time is the sequel to No Safe Haven (Which you will want to read before Race Against Time) Written by the mother-daughter team Kimberly and Kayla Woodhouse, Race Against Time alternates points of view between multiple characters. (Mainly Zoya, Anesia, and Sean. As well as Andie, Cole, Jenna, and a couple other characters.)
I liked that the book alternated between characters, but I wish it hadn't been as many as there were; it got to be too many.
The book is set in North Pole, Alaska, (Somewhere I’ve been before. So that made it a little more interesting for me!)
The descriptions of Alaska, the terrain, and sled dog racing were fun, accurate, and interesting to read about.

A fun, light read with a great mix of action, adventure, romance, sled dog racing, faith and Alaska. A great book anyone of any age would enjoy.

Trailer for the book:

Wolfsbane by Ronie Kendig [5 Stars]

For my first book review, I'm going to do the last book I finished, which was Wolfsbane by Ronie Kendig. Ronie Kendig is easily one of my favorite authors. I downloaded Digitalis (which is the second book in the Discarded Heros series) as a free Kindle download and I loved it! (The first book in the series is Nightshade)So I was excited to see there was going to be FOUR books in the series! Wolfsbane, the third book, did not disappoint.

Wolfsbane is about Dani Roark, a demolitions expert who travels to Venezuela with the Army Corps of Engineers. Her team is captured and she's held captive for six months. She escapes, only to return to the U.S. and be tried with espionage. To clear her name, she returns to Venezuela with Canyon "Midas" Metcalfe, a former Green Beret and medic and the rest of the Nightshade team. Canyon is battling his own demons and new nightmares are added once they reach Venezuela.  

There are many twists and turns I never saw coming! Which is saying a lot coming from me! I really, really enjoyed this book. One thing I really like about Ronie Kendig's writing is that she gets into the heads of BOTH characters, it's interesting to read from the mans point-of-view instead of always the girls'. The characters are believable and real, you can feel Dani's pain as she recounts the horror of her captivity, and the things Canyon is dealing with.

This is a christian book, and themes such as forgiveness and God's grace are discussed.

This book has a perfect mix of suspense, adventure and romance. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone!