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Family Reunions #3
Her Stolen Past
A STOLEN BABY
When Sonya Daniels finds a kidnapped baby’s birth certificate hidden in her late mother’s home, she’s shocked. What was her family’s connection to the child, still missing for over two decades? And what happened to the little girl? Sonya hires detective Brandon Hayes to help her get to the truth. But someone doesn’t want the truth to come out and will stop at nothing to keep them from investigating. Sonya knows the guarded cop won’t rest until he unravels the mystery—but the answers could be more than she can bear alone.
Family Reunions Book 3: Bringing loved ones back together. Originally published in 2014.
When Sonya Daniels finds a kidnapped baby’s birth certificate hidden in her late mother’s home, she’s shocked. What was her family’s connection to the child, still missing for over two decades? And what happened to the little girl? Sonya hires detective Brandon Hayes to help her get to the truth. But someone doesn’t want the truth to come out and will stop at nothing to keep them from investigating. Sonya knows the guarded cop won’t rest until he unravels the mystery—but the answers could be more than she can bear alone.
Family Reunions Book 3: Bringing loved ones back together. Originally published in 2014.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
178 people are currently reading
637 people want to read
About the author
Lynette Eason
183 books3,829 followersLynette Eason grew up in Greenville, SC. She graduated from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and then obtained her masters in education from Converse College. Author of twenty inspirational romantic suspense books, she is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). In 1996, Lynette married "the boy next door" and now she and her husband and their two children make their home in Simpsonville, South Carolina."
Series:
. Amazon Adventure
. High Stakes
. Women of Justice
Series:
. Amazon Adventure
. High Stakes
. Women of Justice
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
May 2, 2019
Interesting, but not one of Eason's best.
December 22, 2016
This was my favourite of the series. The suspense/action started right from the first page of the book. The mystery also kept me guessing right till the end. I thought at one point I knew who the killer was but was wrong - Lynette made me jump between two suspects but caught me off guard at the end.
The relationship development was also more graduate even though the attraction/love was there very fast.
Forgiveness and reconciliation was again a strong theme in this book.
Recommended for fans of romantic suspense.
The relationship development was also more graduate even though the attraction/love was there very fast.
Forgiveness and reconciliation was again a strong theme in this book.
Recommended for fans of romantic suspense.
December 19, 2019
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this conclusion to the Family Reunions series. It’s more action than mystery, though that does have a good twist near the end that I only barely anticipated. One thing that dropped the rating a little for me was that the romance was really touchy-feely/insta-love, and that’s a hard sell for me, but especially in a short form mystery where the mystery ends up losing out on detail. It’s still a great read from a favorite author, though!
I really enjoyed this conclusion to the Family Reunions series. It’s more action than mystery, though that does have a good twist near the end that I only barely anticipated. One thing that dropped the rating a little for me was that the romance was really touchy-feely/insta-love, and that’s a hard sell for me, but especially in a short form mystery where the mystery ends up losing out on detail. It’s still a great read from a favorite author, though!
January 22, 2024
The ending was so cute🥹 wish I had realized this was part of a series before I started reading it. Whoops.
July 21, 2014
Eason is an expert at drawing out suspense. I've read nearly every book she has written and have loved each one. She has the incredible ability to balance suspense and romance which always makes for a rich, satisfying read.
And, oh my goodness, the tension! The mystery! The 'Ack! Run! Duck!' moments!!! I got all smug about half way through thinking I'd figured it all out. "Ha!" I scoffed at the imaginary author in my head, "I've got this baby all wrapped up. Pretty soon you'll have to hire me on at the Finding the Lost Agency." Ahem. Egg on my face. I was wrong...but I was close! Sigh, Maybe next time.
Needless to say, I devoured this book in one sitting and then went into a sulk because the adrenaline-pumping interlude was over way too fast! And yes, there are a lot of ! in this review, but I stand by them all. It was that kind of a read.
And, oh my goodness, the tension! The mystery! The 'Ack! Run! Duck!' moments!!! I got all smug about half way through thinking I'd figured it all out. "Ha!" I scoffed at the imaginary author in my head, "I've got this baby all wrapped up. Pretty soon you'll have to hire me on at the Finding the Lost Agency." Ahem. Egg on my face. I was wrong...but I was close! Sigh, Maybe next time.
Needless to say, I devoured this book in one sitting and then went into a sulk because the adrenaline-pumping interlude was over way too fast! And yes, there are a lot of ! in this review, but I stand by them all. It was that kind of a read.
October 26, 2014
Sonya finds a diaper bag and birth certificate in her mothers closet when she's cleaning after both of her parents died. Only it's not her name on it. She has to wonder who Heather Bradley is. She goes to Finding the Lost to see if they can figure out the mystery. Within a week, all heck has broken lose. Sonya is being shot at, someone's leaving notes and attacking her to warn her off looking for Heather.
Brandon takes the case of trying to figure out who Heather is. It doesn't hurt that he'd like to find out who Sonya is either. He's immediately attracted to her. But she's a client. He shouldn't be kissing his clients. Or so he tells her each time it happens.
An action packed story about betrayal, love, and forgiveness with second chances.
Brandon takes the case of trying to figure out who Heather is. It doesn't hurt that he'd like to find out who Sonya is either. He's immediately attracted to her. But she's a client. He shouldn't be kissing his clients. Or so he tells her each time it happens.
An action packed story about betrayal, love, and forgiveness with second chances.
June 30, 2014
No one can write such exciting mysteries! I love the "Family Reunions" series, both as a series and also as stand alones. You will not be disappointed as this is another riveting, nail-biting inspirational suspense from Lynette and I highly recommend it! What a great writer and lovely Christian lady.
February 14, 2019
Reading Challenge Categories:
-#Ampersand2019 Reading Challenge: A book published before 2015
-#Ampersand2019 Reading Challenge: A book published before 2015
June 5, 2015
Her Stolen Past is a Love Inspired Suspense novel written by Lynette Eason. The novel is about Sonya Daniels, a hospice nurse who has a mystery to solve. While going through the personal effects of her late mother's home, she finds a birth certificate for a baby who had been kidnapped but never found. Brandon Hayes is a police detective who also works as an investigator for Finding the Lost, a private agency. He is hired by Sonya to find Heather Bradley. As Sonya and Brandon attempt to uncover the mystery of the missing child, their lives are endangered, and it becomes obvious that someone doesn't want Heather Bradley to be found.
Sonya, the daughter of a pastor and his wife, has her reasons for wanting to find out what happened to the Heather. Without finding out the truth, there will be a cloud of uncertainty over her family's past.
Having his life threatened has made Brandon more determined to discover why someone wants to keep Heather Bradley hidden. However, the more time he spends with Sonya, the more he falls in love with her, even though he knows that it is unprofessional to get into a relationship with a client. He's also gun shy about getting into a relationship with a woman since he was previously burned by his ex-fiancée. There's something about Sonya that makes him reconsider his thoughts about women, though, and he becomes interested in the idea of developing something with her, if only they can keep themselves safe from the deadly danger that results from their search for Heather.
In the past, I've found Lynette Eason's books enjoyable to read. This one was definitely filled with suspense and mystery. This novel also tossed in the issue of forgiveness; Brandon's character needed to come to a place where he could forgive the people who had hurt him in the past. The discussion of forgiveness by the characters and the resolution seemed a bit stilted and sudden, but I think that it may be due to the constraints of the smaller size of this kind of novel as compared to ones that are longer. Brandon's forgiveness of the people who hurt him took place over two months, but only over five pages in the book. I think that a longer novel would have given the forgiveness storyline a bit more developmental room to feel more natural. As it is, I'm pleased to read about a spiritual issue in addition to the suspenseful storyline.
Besides the tackling of a spiritual topic in this novel, I felt that there was something else different about Her Stolen Past as compared to other Love Inspired novels that the author had written. The first few chapters really drew me in with the mystery and plot development of the story because it starts off with a bang; Sonya is in danger of getting shot by a sniper. The danger continues in the book, but after a few chapters in, something changed in the writing style, although the pacing continued to move quickly. I'm still trying to decide if it was just a reflection of the character of Brandon with his aloof, no-nonsense, keep-to-the-point speech that gave a simpler and plainer feel to the story telling, or if the cause was due to something else.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the rest of novel; it kept my interest right to the very end. I loved the character of Sonya; she was a strong woman who stayed true to her faith in the Lord in spite of the tumult that was brought into her life because of her search for answers. I also liked that she stuck to her principles, even though it meant sacrificing the possibility of a relationship with Brandon.
Her Stolen Past is the final installment of Lynette Eason's "Family Reunion" Series.
This review is also posted on my blog:
http://whatiscbreading.blogspot.ca
Sonya, the daughter of a pastor and his wife, has her reasons for wanting to find out what happened to the Heather. Without finding out the truth, there will be a cloud of uncertainty over her family's past.
Having his life threatened has made Brandon more determined to discover why someone wants to keep Heather Bradley hidden. However, the more time he spends with Sonya, the more he falls in love with her, even though he knows that it is unprofessional to get into a relationship with a client. He's also gun shy about getting into a relationship with a woman since he was previously burned by his ex-fiancée. There's something about Sonya that makes him reconsider his thoughts about women, though, and he becomes interested in the idea of developing something with her, if only they can keep themselves safe from the deadly danger that results from their search for Heather.
In the past, I've found Lynette Eason's books enjoyable to read. This one was definitely filled with suspense and mystery. This novel also tossed in the issue of forgiveness; Brandon's character needed to come to a place where he could forgive the people who had hurt him in the past. The discussion of forgiveness by the characters and the resolution seemed a bit stilted and sudden, but I think that it may be due to the constraints of the smaller size of this kind of novel as compared to ones that are longer. Brandon's forgiveness of the people who hurt him took place over two months, but only over five pages in the book. I think that a longer novel would have given the forgiveness storyline a bit more developmental room to feel more natural. As it is, I'm pleased to read about a spiritual issue in addition to the suspenseful storyline.
Besides the tackling of a spiritual topic in this novel, I felt that there was something else different about Her Stolen Past as compared to other Love Inspired novels that the author had written. The first few chapters really drew me in with the mystery and plot development of the story because it starts off with a bang; Sonya is in danger of getting shot by a sniper. The danger continues in the book, but after a few chapters in, something changed in the writing style, although the pacing continued to move quickly. I'm still trying to decide if it was just a reflection of the character of Brandon with his aloof, no-nonsense, keep-to-the-point speech that gave a simpler and plainer feel to the story telling, or if the cause was due to something else.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the rest of novel; it kept my interest right to the very end. I loved the character of Sonya; she was a strong woman who stayed true to her faith in the Lord in spite of the tumult that was brought into her life because of her search for answers. I also liked that she stuck to her principles, even though it meant sacrificing the possibility of a relationship with Brandon.
Her Stolen Past is the final installment of Lynette Eason's "Family Reunion" Series.
This review is also posted on my blog:
http://whatiscbreading.blogspot.ca
June 16, 2016
Lynette Eason always writes a good mystery. This book is the last in the Family Reunions series, so I would suggest reading the others first to get a handle on those characters and not to miss out on their adventures. However, the book stands alone. Sonya Daniels finds a baby's birth certificate in a diaper bag hidden in her recently deceased mother's closet. She discovers that the baby was kidnapped 28 years ago and hires a detective, Brandon Hayes (who works on his off days at Finding The Lost) to help find the truth. Brandon and Sonya soon realize that somebody doesn't want the truth to come out and find themselves in constant danger.
August 15, 2014
I generally like Eason's books and I like this one: the topic of forgiveness is good. However, I did feel as though I was dropped into an ongoing story. I realize it is part of a series but good series should be able to stand along.
January 22, 2015
I enjoyed this story from beginning to end. The action started on the first page. Lynette Eason takes you through the story wondering who was behind the kidnapping and killings.
You won't be disappointed if you read this book. Romance, suspense, and forgiveness all wrapped into a great story.
You won't be disappointed if you read this book. Romance, suspense, and forgiveness all wrapped into a great story.
September 10, 2015
This was a good ending to this series. I enjoyed seeing how the family came together and continued to grow. This particular story was very interesting and had lots of twists and turns. It took me a while to figure out the killer and the reason why was a good mystery. I enjoyed the book a lot.
September 16, 2016
Another great romantic suspense from Lynette Eason! I loved Sonya and Brandon. From the beginning chapter the danger begins and the action never let up. If you've never read anything from this author, you really should start.
May 29, 2016
Another great romantic suspense from Lynette Eason! There was a lot of suspense and even though I figured out some of the mystery, there were still quite a few surprises. I hadn't read the first two books in this series, but I was not lost at all.
February 2, 2017
Great book
Kept you guessing right up to the end. Couldn't put it down. Good ending to the series Family Reunion. Great
Kept you guessing right up to the end. Couldn't put it down. Good ending to the series Family Reunion. Great
August 6, 2017
Wonderful
Hold on to your seat this one is a ,really good read.Thrills,mystery and suspense.With a whole lot of action.Get this one you will enjoy it.
Hold on to your seat this one is a ,really good read.Thrills,mystery and suspense.With a whole lot of action.Get this one you will enjoy it.
September 27, 2017
Another well-written suspense from Lynette Eason. Be ready for several twists, turns and dangerous adventures.
December 18, 2018
Very personal rating based on the fact that the solution to the mystery involved elements that I really don't like and rarely read. It wasn't glorified or excused in any way, but still left me personally feeling uncomfortable.
The tension was definitely kept up through the entire story, and I appreciated both Brandon's protectiveness of Sonya and his family's protectiveness of him. I also liked the way his attitude toward his parents was portrayed as understandable but not justified and needing to be worked through. His relationship with his brother was especially complex and layered. The romantic relationship, while sweet, moved a little fast for my taste. Brandon goes from barely registering his attraction to her to kissing her without warning? Granted, the confusing-ness of the relationship was discussed, but it still felt very fast.
There were a few pieces of the investigation left hanging that I didn't understand. And some of the wrap-up felt a little forced. Aside from those small issues, the plot was gripping; I just didn't like the resolution.
Content--a few kisses; several shootings, including deaths; several references to murders and attempted murder; mention of blood, wounds, and dead bodies; mentions of suspected suicide; mentions of drug use and drinking;
The tension was definitely kept up through the entire story, and I appreciated both Brandon's protectiveness of Sonya and his family's protectiveness of him. I also liked the way his attitude toward his parents was portrayed as understandable but not justified and needing to be worked through. His relationship with his brother was especially complex and layered. The romantic relationship, while sweet, moved a little fast for my taste. Brandon goes from barely registering his attraction to her to kissing her without warning? Granted, the confusing-ness of the relationship was discussed, but it still felt very fast.
There were a few pieces of the investigation left hanging that I didn't understand. And some of the wrap-up felt a little forced. Aside from those small issues, the plot was gripping; I just didn't like the resolution.
Content--a few kisses; several shootings, including deaths; several references to murders and attempted murder; mention of blood, wounds, and dead bodies; mentions of suspected suicide; mentions of drug use and drinking;
August 14, 2018
Twisted Mess
Sonjia is s single girl with a puzzle to solve about a baby whose Birth Certificate she found among her mom's things after her death. She hired a detective to help her. There in lies the crux of the matter until someone begins shooting at her. The detective is attracted to her, but he has a rule to never date a client. Then it becomes clear that someone is very determined to take them both out of this world. It is a great mystery with numerous surprises. Plus a great story of trust in God as well.
If you like suspense and romance together, you should read this wonderful book.
Sonjia is s single girl with a puzzle to solve about a baby whose Birth Certificate she found among her mom's things after her death. She hired a detective to help her. There in lies the crux of the matter until someone begins shooting at her. The detective is attracted to her, but he has a rule to never date a client. Then it becomes clear that someone is very determined to take them both out of this world. It is a great mystery with numerous surprises. Plus a great story of trust in God as well.
If you like suspense and romance together, you should read this wonderful book.
March 8, 2018
Great suspense
This story had all the elements I love: romance, suspense, and faith. And a surprise ending on who the real villain was. It opens with a bang, a real bang - women joggers being shot at. Sonya, who has discovered a mysterious diaper bag with a birth certificate of a kidnapped baby named Heather 28 years earlier in her deceased mother's possession, is one of those shot. She hires the handsome Brandon to help unravel the mystery. Falling in love has its troubles all while someone wants her dead.
This story had all the elements I love: romance, suspense, and faith. And a surprise ending on who the real villain was. It opens with a bang, a real bang - women joggers being shot at. Sonya, who has discovered a mysterious diaper bag with a birth certificate of a kidnapped baby named Heather 28 years earlier in her deceased mother's possession, is one of those shot. She hires the handsome Brandon to help unravel the mystery. Falling in love has its troubles all while someone wants her dead.
April 21, 2025
This was my first exposure to this author and it was quite a ride.
While cleaning out her mother's closet after both her parents died, she finds a baby's birth certificate and she is determined to find out who this little girl is and where she is now and why her mom has this baby certificate. She requests the help of detective, Brandon Hayes. As they spend time together trying to solve this mystery, they become closer and the suspense increases.
I can't wait to read more by this wonderful author. The book was clean and whole and full of suspense and drama.
While cleaning out her mother's closet after both her parents died, she finds a baby's birth certificate and she is determined to find out who this little girl is and where she is now and why her mom has this baby certificate. She requests the help of detective, Brandon Hayes. As they spend time together trying to solve this mystery, they become closer and the suspense increases.
I can't wait to read more by this wonderful author. The book was clean and whole and full of suspense and drama.
Read
June 7, 2022The pacing on this one kept me awake until I finished it. The plot ideas were good, but the style of writing wasn't my cup of tea. Some name dropping throughout, advertised that this was book three in a series or I would have assumed it was a first book by a new author. The LI category and author bio drew me in. While I probably won't go back and read earlier books in the series, I will be looking for more by this author.
July 10, 2022
The final book in her Family Reunions series. I found this on the Cathlamet Library Friends sale shelf and decided to give it a try. Most of Eason's books are a little too grim for me, but this was published by Harlequin, so it's a bit tamer. The twist at the end was unexpected and I'm still wondering how her parents had the money to buy the parsonage, but other than that, the loose ends were neatly tied up.
January 7, 2018
Another Great Adventure from Lynette Eason
This book grabs you from the start and doesn't let up till the very last page. As Sonya and Brandon work to solve the mystery of a kidnapped baby 28 years earlier, the clues lead them down an unexpected path...and straight into each other's arms.
This book grabs you from the start and doesn't let up till the very last page. As Sonya and Brandon work to solve the mystery of a kidnapped baby 28 years earlier, the clues lead them down an unexpected path...and straight into each other's arms.
January 17, 2018
Couldn't put this story down! I love how this talented writer captured my attention from the first page. I can see why this book was chosen for a Lifetime movie; I can't wait to watch it! I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great suspense with a romantic twist and an inspiring element of faith. I look forward to discovering more books by this amazing storyteller.
March 6, 2018
Forgivness
I love Lynette Eason's books. She has such a beautiful way of telling of what such a wonderful Heavenly Father we have. He forgives, He loves, He died for our sins. I could go on and on but if you know Him you already know and if you don't know Him it would be a wonderful blessing to get acquainted with Him now.
I love Lynette Eason's books. She has such a beautiful way of telling of what such a wonderful Heavenly Father we have. He forgives, He loves, He died for our sins. I could go on and on but if you know Him you already know and if you don't know Him it would be a wonderful blessing to get acquainted with Him now.
March 8, 2018
HER STOLEN PAST by Lynette Eason
Secrets that turned deadly, when she finds, a birth certificate in her Mother’s home. You wonder why they hadn’t told her, as she searches,
murder, and threats on her life begin. Plot and the tension around her, carries to the end of book. A twisted mind, intent to keep it a secret, at all cost. Readers will be captivated once again by a good read from Lynette.
Secrets that turned deadly, when she finds, a birth certificate in her Mother’s home. You wonder why they hadn’t told her, as she searches,
murder, and threats on her life begin. Plot and the tension around her, carries to the end of book. A twisted mind, intent to keep it a secret, at all cost. Readers will be captivated once again by a good read from Lynette.
March 30, 2018
Twists and turns
Her Stolen Past is a showcase for Lynette Eason's talent as a suspence writer. Many twists and turns along the way keep the reader guessing as to whodunit. Like her other books, this one will keep you reading even when you're tired and ready for sleep. But you just gotta keep reading. I like that in a book.
Her Stolen Past is a showcase for Lynette Eason's talent as a suspence writer. Many twists and turns along the way keep the reader guessing as to whodunit. Like her other books, this one will keep you reading even when you're tired and ready for sleep. But you just gotta keep reading. I like that in a book.
July 30, 2018
This book was very well written with characters that seemed just like real people not just cartoon paper dolls. The plot line was one that grabbed me from the start and didn't let me go until the last page . I appreciate characters that I can connect with, otherwise the effort spent to read the pages are a waste of my time and effort. 👏BRAVO 👏BRAVO 👏👏
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews