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Hearts of Avarin #4
All of a Sudden
He’s seeking answers. She’s seeking refuge.
When Detective Jefferson O'Grenn is sent to uncover answers to a mystery no one else can solve, he never thought he would find himself searching for his best friend, who is not only missing, but being hunted. Nor did he realize finding his best friend would send his life down a path he never anticipated.
Kizzie Farber is on the run. Hiding from her painful past and desperate to shield her daughter from those who seek to harm them, she never imagines her desperate escape would lead her face-to-face with her childhood best friend, who is one of the few willing to protect her and her daughter.
As more secrets emerge, Jefferson's case and Kizzie's past become intertwined. Safety lurks just beyond their reach, and their number of allies dwindle as unexpected enemies join forces to stop the truth from coming to light. In order to survive, they must face those who want to destroy everything or watch everything they love be destroyed.
This is a sweet and swoony nonmagical Christian fantasy Snow White & Rose Red retelling with the tropes friends-to-more, marriage of convenience, protective hero, and mute heroine. Content notes include mentioned domestic abu$e, kidnapping, and general fantasy violence.
Other Books by Madisyn
Crowns of Corrend
The Everkeep Chronicles
A Noble Protector
Lilac
A Silent Hope
A Crown's Worth
The Redwyn Chronicles
When Detective Jefferson O'Grenn is sent to uncover answers to a mystery no one else can solve, he never thought he would find himself searching for his best friend, who is not only missing, but being hunted. Nor did he realize finding his best friend would send his life down a path he never anticipated.
Kizzie Farber is on the run. Hiding from her painful past and desperate to shield her daughter from those who seek to harm them, she never imagines her desperate escape would lead her face-to-face with her childhood best friend, who is one of the few willing to protect her and her daughter.
As more secrets emerge, Jefferson's case and Kizzie's past become intertwined. Safety lurks just beyond their reach, and their number of allies dwindle as unexpected enemies join forces to stop the truth from coming to light. In order to survive, they must face those who want to destroy everything or watch everything they love be destroyed.
This is a sweet and swoony nonmagical Christian fantasy Snow White & Rose Red retelling with the tropes friends-to-more, marriage of convenience, protective hero, and mute heroine. Content notes include mentioned domestic abu$e, kidnapping, and general fantasy violence.
Other Books by Madisyn
Crowns of Corrend
The Everkeep Chronicles
A Noble Protector
Lilac
A Silent Hope
A Crown's Worth
The Redwyn Chronicles
- GenresFantasy
179 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 21, 2026
About the author
Madisyn Carlin
34 books382 followersIf you dislike "preachiness" and a lot of faith content, my books are not for you.
***
Madisyn Carlin is a Christian, homeschool graduate, blogger, voracious bookdragon, and author. When not spending time with her family or trekking through the mountains, she weaves tales where faith and fantasy unite.
Editorial, graphic design, cover design, and website design services offered at Mountain Peak Edits & Design.
Want to connect? https://linktr.ee/madisyncarlin
***
Madisyn Carlin is a Christian, homeschool graduate, blogger, voracious bookdragon, and author. When not spending time with her family or trekking through the mountains, she weaves tales where faith and fantasy unite.
Editorial, graphic design, cover design, and website design services offered at Mountain Peak Edits & Design.
Want to connect? https://linktr.ee/madisyncarlin
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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July 4, 2025Releasing April 2026. The ARC form will open in January and ARCs will be sent out late March/early April. More updates will arrive later this year.
To find the tropes and preorder the book, go here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGK6DPH6
To find the tropes and preorder the book, go here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGK6DPH6
May 26, 2026
5 stars. Oh, I loved this! I'm so fond of this series and all the characters, so I really enjoy getting to see each of the detectives finding their own happily ever after. But I also really just liked this specific story—Kezzie was so strong, Missy was so cute, Jefferson was so lovely, and Silly was so hilarious. I'm not very familiar with the Rose Red & Snow White fairytale, so I didn't pick up on any elements; but I liked the setting and the plot kept me intrigued. Also, I appreciated the focus on domestic violence and ASL, as well as the message!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*
May 31, 2026
Another lovely retelling from Carlin! I enjoyed seeing Jefferson's story so much and Silly was soooo cute and...well, Silly!🤣
Characters:
Jefferson was a great MC who was willing to whatever it took to protect Kizzie and I loved him for it!
Kizzie was sweet and I felt so bad for her and all that she had been through.
Cellie and Missy were both so cute! It took me a while to realize they were the Snow White and Rose Red stand in, mainly because I'm not as familiar with that retelling and forgot which one this was supposed to be until I looked it up.🤣 My bad not the author's.
All the side characters were great too and I loved the final chapter and epilogue!
Themes:
That healing takes time, but gou don't have to do it alone.🩵
Language:
N/A
Romance:
A friends to more that is sweet as Jefferson waits for Kizzie to be ready...the sweetest guy!
Violence/Gore:
Some injuries and mentions of abuse, nothing is overly descriptive. Read with caution if abuse is triggering for you.
Overall:
This is a wonderful book, which I enjoyed! Thank you to the author for the ARC, all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Recommend reading age 15+
Characters:
Jefferson was a great MC who was willing to whatever it took to protect Kizzie and I loved him for it!
Kizzie was sweet and I felt so bad for her and all that she had been through.
Cellie and Missy were both so cute! It took me a while to realize they were the Snow White and Rose Red stand in, mainly because I'm not as familiar with that retelling and forgot which one this was supposed to be until I looked it up.🤣 My bad not the author's.
All the side characters were great too and I loved the final chapter and epilogue!
Themes:
That healing takes time, but gou don't have to do it alone.🩵
Language:
N/A
Romance:
A friends to more that is sweet as Jefferson waits for Kizzie to be ready...the sweetest guy!
Violence/Gore:
Some injuries and mentions of abuse, nothing is overly descriptive. Read with caution if abuse is triggering for you.
Overall:
This is a wonderful book, which I enjoyed! Thank you to the author for the ARC, all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Recommend reading age 15+
May 24, 2026
Oh yikes! This book was sad but so beautiful! She went through so much! It was absolutely terrible and the guy was positively evil!!! But Jefferson! Oh my giddy aunt!!!! He is such a good dude! There were so many parts that were so precious and amazing! The faith content was amazing! I love this characters so much and the ending!!!!!!! 😱🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 absolutely love!!!
June 2, 2026
The novel had many good elements,
some were super sad tho!!!
It's hard to believe some people are so evil....but there are.
We are all sinners,
but some sadly are so hurtful, uncaring, prideful, and really really evil.
There were a lot of funny moments also
and tender ones.
I guess if I had an issue, it would be I wish the author
would have added a LOT of scriptures.
There were prayers etc.
However, I sometimes fear that Christian authors
are unfortunately cowed by readers who gush
and praise Christian authors who don't write a lot of Christian content, verses etc.
Those who gleeful say that it was not
"preachy'
and did not shove Christianity down their throats.
But when Christian authors tone down and limit the number of verses etc.
It makes me sad.
I read 'Christian' fiction
I know there are clean wholesome secular novels
but I do NOT want to read them
I want to read 'Christian'fiction
not somewhat watered down tippy toes that have characters that are godly
but
so as not to be preachy....not a plethora of verses etc.
I want preachy....that is why I read
Christian fiction.
I don't know,
it seems to me like many many Christian authors
in order to build a fan base,
have to be........
not preachy?
Maybe there are not enough Christian readers who want scriptures.....
a LOT of them .....written AND lived out
lots and lots of Christian content, doctrine, prayers, sermons
woven throughout.
Nevertheless this was a sweet, compassionate, sad and funny
mostly Christian novel
but not enough scriptures, prayers etc.
Still, I keep reading this author because she is a very very good writer.
some were super sad tho!!!
It's hard to believe some people are so evil....but there are.
We are all sinners,
but some sadly are so hurtful, uncaring, prideful, and really really evil.
There were a lot of funny moments also
and tender ones.
I guess if I had an issue, it would be I wish the author
would have added a LOT of scriptures.
There were prayers etc.
However, I sometimes fear that Christian authors
are unfortunately cowed by readers who gush
and praise Christian authors who don't write a lot of Christian content, verses etc.
Those who gleeful say that it was not
"preachy'
and did not shove Christianity down their throats.
But when Christian authors tone down and limit the number of verses etc.
It makes me sad.
I read 'Christian' fiction
I know there are clean wholesome secular novels
but I do NOT want to read them
I want to read 'Christian'fiction
not somewhat watered down tippy toes that have characters that are godly
but
so as not to be preachy....not a plethora of verses etc.
I want preachy....that is why I read
Christian fiction.
I don't know,
it seems to me like many many Christian authors
in order to build a fan base,
have to be........
not preachy?
Maybe there are not enough Christian readers who want scriptures.....
a LOT of them .....written AND lived out
lots and lots of Christian content, doctrine, prayers, sermons
woven throughout.
Nevertheless this was a sweet, compassionate, sad and funny
mostly Christian novel
but not enough scriptures, prayers etc.
Still, I keep reading this author because she is a very very good writer.
May 25, 2026
All of A Sudden was a delightful, heartfelt retelling of Snow White and Rose Red. In it, Madisyn wove a tale of love, and of healing from past hurts (including familial abuse and violence). All of Madisyn's books overflow with the Truth of God's love for His children, as well as the peace and healing that we may find in Him and His refuge. One of my favorite parts about AoAS was the relationship between Kizzie and Jefferson. He never pushed her to give more than she was comfortable with and he constantly put her well-being and healing over his own wants and needs.
I devoured this in an evening and, though it may be unfair to Books 1-3, AoAS was perhaps my favorite in this series thus far!
As with each Avarin book, characters reappeared from previous titles, leading to somewhat minor spoilers (though it should be expected for a series following the lives of a small group of characters).
A Content Note:
Madisyn's books are always sweet and wholesome in terms of romance and language, though her books tend to depict more fantasy violence. As stated in the blurb, there are repeated references to domestic abu$e by Kizzie's late husband and parents, as well as the PTSD/Trauma of living in such conditions for years. Nevertheless, Madisyn handles it with grace and respect and I never felt that it was dismissed or belittled in any way (other than by characters responsible for said abu$e).
I would comfortably recommend this to a 16-year-old (perhaps even a mature 15 year old), along with the rest of this series.
I devoured this in an evening and, though it may be unfair to Books 1-3, AoAS was perhaps my favorite in this series thus far!
As with each Avarin book, characters reappeared from previous titles, leading to somewhat minor spoilers (though it should be expected for a series following the lives of a small group of characters).
A Content Note:
Madisyn's books are always sweet and wholesome in terms of romance and language, though her books tend to depict more fantasy violence. As stated in the blurb, there are repeated references to domestic abu$e by Kizzie's late husband and parents, as well as the PTSD/Trauma of living in such conditions for years. Nevertheless, Madisyn handles it with grace and respect and I never felt that it was dismissed or belittled in any way (other than by characters responsible for said abu$e).
I would comfortably recommend this to a 16-year-old (perhaps even a mature 15 year old), along with the rest of this series.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews