I
wasn't
given a copy of this by the author, so the likelihood of this being WAY the heck more honest just increased exponentially. How 'bout that?
This. S.U.C.K.E.D.. I mean, some 'Love, Inspired' authors just cannot write, but this author takes that as a challenge and RUNS with it. It's just ridiculous how awful the writing is, here. So bad, in fact, that this book has convinced me to stop looking for LI Suspense novels at thrift stores - because OBVIOUSLY there's a reason it was given away without looking like it's been cracked open more than a few pages. And I *GET* it, now. Really.
The book opens with Talia on horseback, hearing three gunshots. Her aunt always told her that three gunshots meant 'git yerself to the Polechenski brother's ranch - RUN!!'. So naturally Talia knows that this is Plan #23 (←I kid you not, author's words, not mine) of the various scenarios Aunt Sally gave her as a small child to execute, should three shots be fired.
Wait, WHAT?!?!?!
Oh, yeah. That's where we start. And it only goes downhill from there.
She IGNORES the three-shots-n-run rule and rides back to a ridge where obviously nobody would see her or hear her prancing, out-of-breath horse, and watched six men attack her aunt (SIX. It required SIX men. Really??!?!) and load her into one of two SUVs, and drive away. Because Aunt Sally hasn't lived there all her life, and hasn't had the SAME information the entire time about Talia's whereabouts... but NOW -
NOW
- they have to kidnap her. For no good gol'darn reason other than the author has decided it should happen.
Talia has binoculars and watches the whole thing go down up-close, but doesn't bother with license plate numbers, because the author just isn't s-m-r-t enough to think of something like that. Sees them haul Aunt Sally away. Gadzooks!!!!!
So instead of going to the ranch to see if Aunt Sally left a message or anything of use to her (I mean, hey - we've already ignored the 3-shot rule, why not keep that going?), *NOW* she turns tail and races across the vast Idaho unknown to the Polechenski ranch... which is strangely empty, because first thing in the near pre-dawn morning, EVERY. SINGLE. RANCH. HAND has gone to auction. ????? Seriously?!!!!! GAH, the writing!!
But wait, there *IS* a guy there. It's Noah, who has been looking for her for SEVEN MONTHS. He'd just talked to her Aunt last night, though - it took him SEVEN MONTHS to bother with that, apparently. When you're looking for someone, never go directly to her only surviving relative... save that for half a YEAR later. Because grrrrrrrrreat writing!!
"Who're you?!"
"I'm Noah Landers."
Crickets... no recognition, because the author says Talia's so stupid she doesn't remember 'begging for horsey rides' from him when they were children. ?!?!?!
"And if he wasn't mistaken, she was on the verge of panic." ON. THE VERGE?!?!?!?
GAHHHHHH!! I can't stand the stupidity in this woman's writing!!!!
He couldn't tell her anything, because Aunt Sally told him not to, and after all "she'd been with Sally all this time". IF SHE WAS WITH SALLY ALL THIS TIME, WHY DID IT TAKE HIM SEVEN MONTHS TO FIND HER??????? ARRRRGGGGHHHH>>>!!!!
Oh, and by the way, she's not Talia Knowles, she Anna Coleson, or so we're told in an aside. And her family was exploded when she was little. Because *TOTALLY* believable in every way, and we're batting a hundred, here.
((((Sigh.))))
The writing is even worse. For example: "Talia nudged the mare's ribs. The saddle creaked as she braced her legs, and they were off. A hard gallop until they reached the crest of the hill." ← Sentence fragment, anyone? And that's on pg 8... the FIRST numbered page in the dang book!!!
Pg 10: "Help. She needed to get help for Sally. Wonder if this had anything to do with weird phone call..." ← Annnnnd that would be not only a sentence fragment, but in THE WRONG BLOODY TENSE, for the love of all that's holy.
I can't. No, I REFUSE to waste time on something so poorly written, badly plotted, ridiculously laid out... I'm DONE.
And I only made it to PAGE TWELVE.
This may be a new record.
Please. Please, please, save yourself time and money and frustration and just read something else.