The Hostage

by Melinda Di Lorenzo

'Thrilling! The Hostage is an intense, white-knuckle ride from start to finish' LAURA GRIFFIN

'An action-packed, don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-something kind of novel, which makes it impossible to put down once you've started reading' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review

'This was my first book by Melinda Di Lorenzo and I definitely will be looking out for her books in future, it was outstanding' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review

' A captivating, action packed thriller that didn't let up from the beginning to the end and kept me riveted long into the night' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review

'Riveting read - could not put it down!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review

'I read a ton of romantic suspense but this book was fantastic! This story had so many twists and turns! I didn't figure out any of them. Definitely worth the time to read!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review

'High energy, exciting and edge of your seat suspense' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review

'An amazing story that sucks you in on the first page' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review

He was the last person she expected to save her life . . . Air Force One meets The Fugitive with a thrillingly romantic spin in Melinda Di Lorenzo's gripping suspense novel. Perfect for fans of Nora Roberts, Melinda Leigh and Debra Webb.
.................................

Surviving the plane crash was the easy part.

After losing someone close to her, nurse Joelle Diedrich needs a change of scene. But stepping in as a last-minute medical escort on a prisoner transfer flight results in a bigger one than she bargained for.

Waking in the wreckage of a crash, Joelle swiftly gathers that no one else on the plane was what they seemed. And if she wants to make it out of this alive, she must place her trust in the only survivor who's not trying to kill Beck, the convicted murderer who was being transported.

Fleeing with Beck presents more than one danger - not only that of simple survival across treacherous terrain, but by making Joelle a target in a ruthless plot. As the threats multiply and Beck and Joelle grow closer, Joelle has to ask herself just how much she's willing to risk for a man she's just met, and figure out whether Beck will risk the same for her . . .
.................................
Readers are gripped by The Hostage !
'The anticipation is taut, the surprises are many, and the twists come to skew what one might think one has figured out. It is an exciting, romantic, suspenseful read with a very satisfying ending

'A captivating, action-packed thriller that didn't let up from the beginning to the end and kept me riveted long into the night . . . Highly recommend!'

'A good mystery romance with a twist I couldn't have predicted'

'All this book was missing was Nicolas Cage - it definitely gave me some serious Con Air vibes - but with way more romance . . . I highly recommend this as a action suspense romance'

'Fast-paced and entertaining'

'I enjoyed this book, particularly the relationship between Beck and Joelle and their amusing dialogue! It reminded me of a mix between Con Air and Romancing The Stone'

Genres: Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

Published July 19, 2022

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

*thank you to Netgalley, Headline Eternal and Melinda Di Lorenzo for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


2 stars.

This wasn't what I was expecting. It started off quite well and definitely grabbed my attention. I knew going into it that this book has also been classed as a Romance but I didn't realise that it would have such a strong storyline. Unfortunately for me personally, I found it was too much and I wasn't interested in it. It felt like it over took the Mystery-Thriller aspect.

Though saying that, this was well written and if you are wanting a Romance-Thriller novel then I reckon you would be pleased with this one.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nurse Joelle Diedrich needs a change; her mother died recently, & her own life seems to be going nowhere. When an opportunity to step in as a medical escort to a prisoner transfer, Joelle volunteers. From the start, things seem slightly off, & the others in the group are distinctly unfriendly, except for Beck, the prisoner. When the small plane crashes in a remote region, there are seemingly few survivors, & Joelle sets off with Beck to try & get back to civilization. It soon becomes apparent that there is a mutual attraction between Joelle & Beck, but can she trust him with her life?

I don't usually read a lot of romantic fiction, & I must have missed it on the synopsis, but actually it turned out to be an entertaining read. It definitely gave me Romancing the Stone kind of vibes; gutsy leading lady, easy on the eye leading man, & several bad guys chasing them. It was easy to guess most of what was going to happen, although the author put in one or two surprises towards the end. 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 on sites which don't allow half star ratings).

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Headline, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hostage by Melinda Di Lorenzo

Riveting Read – Could Not put it down!

What I liked:
* Joelle Diedrich: RN, prison nurse, substitute medical escort for prisoner transfer, intelligent, giving, caring, capable, grieving, willing to do what it takes…someone I would like to have as a friend
* Beck Samson: prisoner, convicted of murder, being transported, keeping secrets, has a plan, intelligent, protective, intriguing, perfect with and for Joelle
* The writing, pace, and plot
* The way I was swept into the story and felt I was there with Joelle and Beck as they ran for their lives
* The twists, turns, and surprises
* Not knowing who to trust
* That there were surprises even though I read the end out of sequence
* The mountainous terrain
* Beck’s survival background and how he learned what he knew
* Watching the relationship develop between Beck and Joelle
* Wondering how it would all play out
* Thinking about what I would be willing to or not willing to do if I found myself in the shoes of Beck or Joelle
* Reading a new-to-me author that I enjoyed
* All of it except…

What I didn’t like:
* Exactly what I and who I was meant not to like
* Thinking about all that the main characters endured…

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitiely

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Eternal for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced thriller starts off with a plane crash and then two unlikely survivors on the run through rough terrain and weather. Your not quite sure what's totally going on until the very end but its a heck of a ride getting there.

[Kelly (aka jsybookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by Melinda Di Lorenzo and I definitely will be looking out for her books in future, it was outstanding.

Joelle recently had a bereavement and therefore has been throwing herself into work. When an opportunity to comes up to be a prison medical escort she sees the job as a way to escape her grief for a short while. However, the prisoner Beck Samson, is not what she expected and once on board the plane she has a gut feeling that something is very very wrong. She realises she should have trusted her gut when the plane suddenly nose dives and crashes into the forest but worse than that, the men who she thought were on the right side of the law and who have survived the plane crash are trying to kill Beck and her. Joelle now has to decide who to trust and if she wants to stay alive, she has little choice but to trust Beck, a convicted murder, but who may be the only one who can keep her alive.

Wow this was brilliant! I have seen one reviewer compare this story to a mix up of Con Air and Romancing The Stone (I loved both films) and I wholeheartedly agree. At only 12% into the book, I was hooked and by then I have to admit I already had a little bit of a crush on Beck. I also really liked Joelle’s character, she was tough and strong but also vulnerable at times and I loved the chemistry between Beck and her.

All in all, a really excellent story and I would honestly recommend this to any readers who love a thriller, the action came thick and fast, and you won’t want to put this down.

Thank you to Netgalley, Melinda Di Lorenzo and Headline Eternal Publishing for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

[Grace Convertino · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Hostage,” by Melinda DiLorenzo, is an action-packed, don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-something kind of novel, which makes it impossible to put down once you’ve started reading. The anticipation is taut, the surprises are many, and the twists come to skew what one might think one has figured out. It is an exciting, romantic, suspenseful read with a very satisfying ending.

Joelle Diedrich, fresh from the loss of her mother and still grieving, believed her life to now be merely “gray.” She had been on leave from her prison nursing position, looking for something “different.” Joelle received a last-minute phone call to substitute for a no-show medical escort on a Prisoner Transport Unit detail, and she decided to accept. After meeting the team, she walked across the tarmac toward the very small plane to be told she could not board until seating arrangements had been decided. An SUV pulled up, its window slid down, she met a very handsome man whom she assumed was another member of the team, and they chatted, flirting. After Joelle entered the plane and was being told where she must sit, she turned to see him board. The man, Beck Samson, cuffed and shackled, was sandwiched in between two security guards. Her mood immediately soured, feeling deceived by the man and their immediate connection on the tarmac.

After their plane crashed, however, and it appeared that Joelle and Beck were the only survivors, she must rely on him—the last man on earth she ever thought she could trust, with her life.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Melinda DiLorenzo, and Headline Eternal for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Marla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating, action packed thriller that didn’t let up from the beginning to the end and kept me riveted long into the night. Joelle filled in for a prison transport as a medical support person. She was a last minute replacement and didn’t know many details about the job. As she joined everyone on the plane and she met the prisoner and the guards she felt a bit on edge because she had never done this before and didn’t know what to expect. As the plane took off and reached cruising altitude there was a sudden and jarring turbulence in the cabin. Then the unexpected turned horrifying. Joelle could never have imagined what happened next. I won’t say any more because that would give away too many details.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nurse and the prisoner

This is a fast-paced romantic suspense thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Joelle Diedrich is a prison nurse who is having a difficult time recovering from the loss of someone close to her. She ends up taking a last minute job as an escort in a Prisoner Transfer Unit flying a convicted murderer to another facility across the Canadian Rockies. She starts questioning procedures from the beginning of the trip and then the plane crashes, leaving few survivors and many questions.

I liked the main characters in this story, and even though the storyline was a bit convoluted, it was still a fun read - heavy on romance, lighter on suspense.

I received this book from Headline Publishing Group through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

[Sarah White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from the beginning. There were twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I am always a fan of the author’s dialogues and for that reason will one-click every book she writes. If you want a book that is suspenseful and intelligently written, this is a great choice. Can’t wait for the next one.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book very quickly. From the initial signs of what was coming in the plot, I was completely invested. I wasn't expecting to get so caught up in the characters, but I did. Action sprinkled with bits and pieces that added depth to the characters - so well done! I don't want to give anything away, so will just say it's a fun ride.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book for an honest review. I read a ton of romantic suspence but this book was fantastic! Definitely a must read! Well written characters and story! I normally can figure out the end of most books but this story had so many twists and turns! I didn't figure out any of them. Definitely worth the time to read!

[Tracie R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping romantic suspense, The Hostage is my first read by author Melinda Di Lorenzo. I enjoyed the premise, the plot twists and mystery. Beck and Joelle were interesting characters and the story kept me engaged throughout

[MammaDi3Gatti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good romantic suspense novel, and this one almost cut it... But not entirely. Nurse Joelle, who conveniently has no living family members or any apparent close friends, has taken a last-minute assignment on a flight transporting a prisoner somewhere. What she doesn't realize is that not everyone on the plane--including said convict--is who they seem. She hits it off with convict Beck almost instantly and not with anyone else on the flight but has little time to ponder why; the plane hits turbulence and then plummets into the Canadian wilderness.

A surprising number of the small plane's passengers survive the crash, but Beck convinces Joelle to run from the authorities with him for her safety. They spend a few days trudging, running, and falling through the wilderness, occasionally encountering the bad good guys (or the good bad guys...we are kept guessing to the end and maybe a little beyond). There's also kissing and stuff.

The story eventually wraps up as running-through-the-wilderness-with-someone-I-maybe-shouldn't-trust suspense novels do, but I didn't fully love the resolution, or more accurately, I didn't love the penultimate scene and its revelations. It threw too many new plot curves in too late in the game, and threads were tied a little too conveniently. There are other elements in the story that require a certain amount of suspended disbelief. (Like why aren't they colder, or why is it a good idea to don a brightly colored ski jacket?)

Aside from these gripes, I will say that I didn't not like the story. I liked Joelle and Beck very much and was rooting for them to find a way forward together. The story itself was easy to read if not particularly brainy (brainy is a good but not required element in romantic suspense after all), and I polished it off in a few hours.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

[Praise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

Plot:

Joelle, a nurse, was posted as a medical nurse for a prisoner getting transferred. But she didn't foresee several things
1) The prisoner could be charming.
2) There could be a plane crash.
3) People were ready to kill her as collateral damage.

So for survival in a forest, which she knows nothing about, she needs to rely on Beck, the prisoner, who also for some reason seemed innocent to her (or perhaps it was his handsomeness that convinced her of the innocence)
So with a hot target on her head and possible murderer, she wishes to somehow survive in an unknown surrounding.


Review:

Apparently this was my first plane crash survival novel which i didn't even know was a trope before I got this book as an ARC.

It was a good mystery romance with a twist i couldn't have predicted.

As for the characters, I like the vulnerability and strength in Joelle. I didn't find her doing stupid stuff, thankfully, because I absolutely hate the need to portray woman as headstrong to the point of insanity. Joelle also have her own backstory, and it works well with the romance track.

Beck was intriguing. He had way too many secrets, but in his defense, he didn't know whom to trust. I liked how he cared for Joelle throughout the book.

To be fair, it did feel like the mystery is stretched over a while but the last part made ho for it. So in all, it was a good read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers to provide me the ARC in exchange of honest opinion

[Emma’s Book Nook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beck has served two years in prison for murder and is now being transferred. As he approaches the plane, Beck sees a red-headed young woman – Joelle is a nurse and has agreed to step in as a last-minute medical escort for the prisoner transfer flight. Both Beck and Joelle start to get an uneasy feeling from the other transfer personnel, and then suddenly the lights go out and the plane begins to descend …

After being knocked unconscious, Joelle awakens to the realisation that no one on the plane was who they seemed to be – and if she is to survive, she is going to have to put her ‘trust’ in a convicted murderer!

I did enjoyed this book, particularly the relationship between Beck and Joelle and their amusing dialogue! It reminded me of a mix between Con Air and Romancing The Stone. I started to feel the need to skim read at just over the halfway point as it began to feel like a lot of the same, but I resisted – and i’m glad that i did, otherwise i might have missed out on the killer tree branch and the friendly fire that ensured a happy ending. I think the issue i had was that i went into reading this one blind and thought it was a thriller, when it’s more of a thrilling romance story! It’s also one of the rare occasions that I think it would have been better as a movie – one of the made for tv movies – and that’s no criticism. I love them!! #GuiltyPleasure

My thanks to the author and Headline for an advance copy via Netgalley to review. Due to be released 15th March 2022!!

[Stephanie Panach · Rating 4 out of 5]

All this book was missing was Nicholas Cage - it definitely gave me some serious ConAir vibes - but with way more romance. Beck is in prison for murdering his partner. He's being transferred, via plane, for reasons that aren't really clear. Joelle is a prison nurse who takes the flight transfer on short notice as a way to get out of the rut she's in after the death of her mother. Almost as soon as they get on the plane things clearly aren't going as planned and are not what they seem.

Overall - this one is definitely non-stop excitement and has several moments that may challenge your ability to suspend disbelief. But I loved Beck and Joelle and their insta-love connection works in this book really well. My only real quibble comes from the way things worked out towards the end. There are a lot of surprising reveals that I won't talk about - but not all of it made 100% sense to me. I felt like I was missing something about the connections - like maybe there had been a prior book I should have read or something.

That being said - overall I highly recommend this as a action suspense romance.

I received it as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

When your life is in danger; who do you trust to survive?
Joelle Diedrich doesn’t like the new last minute assignment, escorting a prisoner… She doesn’t know who she is escorting or why she was picked, but from the first moment she arrives at the airport, something doesn’t feel right. So, when the plane crashes, who should she trust, the prisoner or the ones that have the guns?
I’ll admit that this is a read to disconnect and let the story to carry you; with adrenaline flowing in your veins and high chemistry between the two main characters, it’s not difficult to get abducted with the book.
Even if this is not a very long book, it has a detailed story of the two main characters; how they both arrive at the situation they are living in and how they should trust each other if they want to survive. As you can imagine it will not be an easy adventure, with a few surprises and twists between the pages it’s quite easy to not want to arrive at the end of the story.
If you are looking for a read to disconnect and fall in love, “The Hostage” is the one you are looking for, believe me! Ready for it?

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was is an amazing story that sucks you in on the first page. Joelle is a nurse who works at a jail. She has taken the job to be a nurse to an inmate who is being transported by plane. It is her job to make sure that he is safe and doesn’t have any medical issues. Beck was wrongfully charged and convicted of murdering his ex and his business partner. He is terrified of getting on the plane but feels a little better after having met and talked to Joelle. The plane starts to hit some turbulence and before long it crashes into the mountains. Joelle is up and moving to check to see if there were any other survivors. In doing so, she discovers that maybe the plane crash wasn’t and accident because some of the cops that were on board the plane, to help with the transfer of the inmate, are there to make sure he is taken and she is killed. Beck convinced Joelle to trust him to keep her alive and to escape the people that are after them. They spend some quality time running in the woods to escape and they run into some people who survived the plane crash who are there to kill them. Will they make it out alive and will the feelings they have for each other grow or crash and burn like the plane? I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Sophie Sheppard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book there was lots of action, twists and turns however at other times I did find it dragged on a bit.

The plot was really easy to follow Joelle was on a flight as a nurse to help transfer Beck to a different prison however the plane was hijacked and crash landed. Beck and Joelle escape and are faced with all sorts of challenges which they manage to over come.

During this time Beck and Joelle fall in love with one another however they both try and deny their feeling knowing this shouldn’t and wouldn’t be possible in any other circumstances. Every time I thought Beck and Joelle had escaped danger something else was thrown at the pair of them and together they manage to over come these dilemmas.

I did also enjoy the ending of this book however I as mentioned at times it did drag on but I think for this book in particular it had a perfectly fitting ending.

Thank you to NetGalley the publishers and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

[Aria Harlow · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a hard reviw to write because I feel two kinds fo ways towards the book.
Firstly the postivies, this was a fast paced and thus, somewhat gripping storyline with some characters that were relatable and likeable and some that were not so much, as is the case in most books. I have read a few books this year that are set on aeroplanes with hostage situations, crashes or just in flight and I have really enjoyed them and so I was drawen to this book for that reason and it had the making of a good storyline. However, and now for the negative, it felt like so much had been thrown into this plot. As a reader, when reading this book it felt like the author had been writing about something and then thought of something else that may work well and so just thrown it into the mix which left me confused and skim reading at parts.
The writing style was also really hard to get into for the reason stated above which is a shame because i think this book had potential.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Hostage.

Joelle needs a change and finds herself as a medical escort to a prisoner. They have an instant bond and are enjoying the flight when it crashes in the mountains. Then the race for survival begins. But is Beck all he seems, or is something else going on?

I don’t quite know what to say about this book. It was okay. Found it easy enough to read and get through, but it didn’t keep me gripped. I like thrillers and disasters, but the romance was just totally unbelievable as they had only known each other for hours! This is a 2.5 stars rounded up.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hostage started interesting and really good, but it took forever to get to the end. It seemed to go on and on to where I lost interest and skimmed the last several chapters, especially the scene with the detective at the end. After a while, I lost interest in the characters, the story, or the outcome. Also, the story got a bit convoluted with what occurred and why things happened the way they did.

#TheHostage #NetGalley

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started similar to the old Con Air movie. It was fast paced and provided a lot of action and suspense, but it seemed to drag on in some parts and not all of it made sense to me. I felt like I was missing something. The romance between Beck and Joelle was a nice added bonus. Wasn't a bad read though overall. I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

[Denice Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery/thriller with a shot of romance mixed in made this a great read for a long weekend. She's a nurse, medical escort on a prisoner transport. He's the prisoner being transported, but someone doesn't want him to get out of the crash alive. The two join forces to get back to civilization and safety.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fast paced book and it feels like it all is rushing at you at one time. I don’t often say this, but I think this would be a better movie or tv series so you could actually see all of the action taking place. The book was well written, there was just a lot to take in!

[Jamie Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was good but a little hard to follow along with at times. The plot was good but again a little hard to follow. I did like the romance between Beck and Joelle.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.