Shielding the Tiny Target

by Deena Alexander

A little girl in peril…

And a killer in pursuit

Accepting help from Jack Moretta is widow Ava Colburn’s last chance after her late husband’s killers track her down and target her little girl. But after years on the run, it’s hard to trust anyone else with their lives—and even harder to trust Jack with her secrets. Could he be just what this little family needs to put the deadly past behind them?

From Love Inspired Courage. Danger. Faith.

Genres: Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Romance, Love Inspired, Contemporary, Love Inspired Suspense

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 11, 2025

About the author

Deena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, where she met and married her high school sweetheart. She recently relocated to Florida with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Now she enjoys long walks in nature all year long, despite the occasional alligator or snake she sometimes encounters. Deena's love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn't sleep through the night, and she now works full time as a writer and a freelance editor.

To learn more about Deena and her latest writing endeavors, visit her at www.deenaalexander.com and on facebook and twitter and don't forget to sign up for her newsletter.

Reviews

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Ava Colburn thought she was safe but somehow her husband’s killers have found her and threatened to hurt her little girl, Missy. After all these years it is hard to trust anyone with their true story. Like her husband Liam, Jack Moretta is a firefighter. Jack not only came to her rescue but also saved a fellow firefighter. Is he a man she can trust with her secrets? Or is it time to disappear again?

The story kicks off with a hair-raising event followed by a heart-stopping event so that I as a reader was all in before I even reached the end of the first chapter.

Ava does her best to be a strong independent woman and the best mom she can be to Missy. She has made several friends since she came to town but none of them know her whole story. Jack knows there is a lot more to tell but he doesn’t push until things get more dire. He is in town himself for a family matter but will return to the NYFD as soon as some arrangements are made. He is a man who leans heavily on his faith in God for the correct path to follow while Ava has lost her faith after all she has been through. This story is filled with good people except for a couple who are in from out of town. I loved how many layers the characters had and the genuine outpouring of wanting to help.

The mystery gets pretty intense and sets a fast pace as Ava tries to find something with bad guys nipping at her heels. There are some definite clues to follow and some dangerous situations all of which kept me on the edge of my seat.

You know if you are reading a book from this publisher there is going to be love and romance along with the suspense and Ms. Alexander blends everything together with an expert hand. Readers get involved in the characters’ lives and hope there will be a happy ending.

Shielding the Tiny Target is a stand-alone book that was impossible to put down. Courage. Danger. Faith. This book has it all. It is a Perfect Escape that I think fans of romance entangled with suspense will love.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a great read. The characters are awesome.

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Ava Colburn has her hands full raising her precocious three-year-old little girl alone while always looking over her shoulder for the people who killed her husband. She’s been on the run for so long, since the night her husband was murdered, and she desperately wishes they could put down roots in this sweet little town on Long Island, where she has friends and a career she enjoys. But in the first moments of Shielding the Tiny Target, that hope is abruptly snuffed out. He’s found them.

That nightmare-inducing tension stays high from those first few pages until nearly the end of this riveting story. However, the author skillfully inserts moments of adorableness (thanks to Missy) and sweet romance (courtesy of ‘Fireman Jack’) to give readers a bit of time to catch our breath as we move from danger to danger. Speaking of Missy, she has earned the nickname ‘Mischief’ with good reason, but that reckless streak also shows up as bravery when it counts. You’ll want to hug her just as much as I did. And Jack – oh, he’s swoony. He’s got a heart of gold, but a cautious one, and he falls in love with Ava & Missy even though that same heart tells him he shouldn’t. There’s not a lot of kissing to be had (after all, they are running for their lives) but it’s the super sweet moments where he treats her with such gentleness and affection that had me totally crushing on him.

Bottom Line: I absolutely LOVED Deena Alexander’s debut novel, and wow!! Her sophomore offering, Shielding the Tiny Target is just as fabulous! You will stay on the edge of your seat all the way through this intense ride, and don’t forget to remind yourself to breathe. Between the romance and the ever-present danger, it’s easy to neglect basic functions such as respiration…. or sleep. You won’t want to put this novel down, thanks to the multi-layered characters, intriguing plot, high-stakes suspense, and of course the swoony romance. Ava, Jack and mischievous little Missy will take over your heart for sure. A must-read for fans of romantic suspense!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a fast-paced, exciting book, you need to read Shielding the Tiny Target by Deena Alexander.

This book from the Love Inspired Suspense line will keep you turning the pages and avoiding housework all day! If you’re like I am, you will finish it in one day since you won’t be able to stop reading.

I loved the plot of Shielding the Tiny Target. Right from the start, I was hooked. Ava has been on the run for 4 years trying to avoid her husband’s killer. She’s moved every couple of months to avoid them, but this time, she made the mistake of staying too long. She’s been living in a small Long Island town for six months. She’s felt safe. Safe enough to get involved in her community. And that’s how the killer(s?!) finds her.

I adored the characters in Shielding the Tiny Target. Though the book is a quick read, I connected with the characters enough to care about what happened to them. Both Jack and Ava have been hurt and had their faith in God shaken. But they come to realize that God is faithful and has their lives in his hands. Ava’s little girl is a fun, mischievous ball of energy that you’ll love as well.

Shielding the Tiny Target has everything I expect in a Love Inspired Suspense book: edge of your seat excitement, great characters, a fast paced plot, and an inspiring message of God’s faithfulness. I definitely recommend it!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Shielding the Tiny Target by Deena Alexander is a fast-moving inspirational mystery filled with suspense, romance, and finding a family.
Will Ava allow Jack to help her save her daughter?
Ava/Angelina
Our heroine is Ava (her assumed name); she has a little girl Missy, who is filled with curiosity and finds trouble. Ava has been running from the people that murdered her husband. However, she doesn't know who or why they are after her other than her husband's proof of an arsonist before he was murdered. Life has not been kind to Ava, but she copes by keeping her faith and caring for her daughter.

I like that she is trying to give her daughter a good life with friends and a good home. She is a good mom with lots of patience as Missy is quite a troublemaker. Ava is working to buy a business and has made her rental a home. However, she hasn't dealt with her past. So, when the past comes calling, she doesn't know how to stop it. Ava has great compassion and respect for others.
Fireman Jack
Jack is our hero. He has his own trust issues but seems to be working through them. Jack is back in Seaport to take care of his mother after she fell down the stairs. It's funny that he calls it home but thinks he doesn't belong there anymore. Jack is a fireman, and Seaport's fire department is a volunteer-only firehouse, so that it wouldn't be his profession. Since Jack was a kid, he has always wanted to be a fireman like his dad. He has worked hard to be one in New York City.

I like Jack. He is a nice guy. His faith has been tested this past few years, but he seems to be dealing with it, for the most part. He is a perfect small town character with good values. He, Ava, and Missy are all cute together.
Four Stars
The story is good and enjoyable. A couple of things didn't make sense, but it wasn't enough to take me out of the story. My rating for Shielding the Tiny Target by Deena Alexander is four stars. If you enjoy inspirational romance with some suspense, I recommend this one.


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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Shielding the Tiny Target by Deena Alexander. Check out the other stops and giveaway if you have time.

Until the next time,



 

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Glenda Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review today is on the Love Inspired Suspense, Shielding the Tiny Target. Deena is a fairly new author at LIS but I know you will appreciate her work. This story is well-written, action-packed, and full of intrigue.

Widow Ava Colburn and her three-year-old daughter are in her bed. Her daughter is finally asleep when she hears a noise from downstairs. She calls nine-one-one but the man attacks her, threatens her daughter, and a fireman if she doesn't give him the information her husband left. This is somehow connected with the death of her husband down in Florida four years ago. He didn't give her any information. How did they find her?

Firefighter Jack Moretta is in the small town for six months, then he will return to New York. An EMT, he answers a call for a woman being attacked. He manages to keep the one firefighter in uniform from being killed but can he protect this woman and her child?

A terrifying journey to find the evidence and keep the girls safe. God has a plan for these three, a good plan for hope and a future. God has a plan for you too, a plan for peace and not for destruction even in these last days of trials and tribulation. Give Him your heart, he's coming soon.

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend (MH) sent me this book in a box of books.

I always think it is difficult to do both a romance story and a suspense story well in the length that Love Inspired Suspense allows. The suspense part of this one is interesting. The characters and situation drew me in quickly. Missy (nicknamed Mischief) is cute. I liked how the "puppy" saved them and that she knew to call 911.

However, given Ava's history, I don't see her trusting Jack Moretta as quickly or as easily as she does. I also don't find them falling in love within the time frame of this novel believable. (Infatuation yes, agreeing to date, yes, love enough to get engaged, no.) In real life, I'd worry that once the infatuation aspect of the relationship wore off or the adrenaline from the suspense part wore off that they would find they didn't feel the same way or didn't know each other the way they thought they did.

[Elaine Applebury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deena Alexander is a new author to me, but I will sure be looking for more books by her! This story was full of action and suspense from the very beginning! It is well written and has good, well developed characters. I was turning page after page to see what would happen next.
Ava Colburn and her three yr old daughter, Missy, have been on the run since before Missy was born. Just as
Ava is thinking it is safe to stay and put down roots in Seaport, her past catches up with her! Firefighter Jack Moretta has temporarily returned to Seaport to help his ailing mother. While in Seaport, Jack joins the town’s volunteer fire department, where the story’s first 9-1-1 call from Ava changes their lives forever. Missy is not only adorable, but smart! This was such a good read!

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot because I could see the development of the different characters. There were a couple of times when I didn't want to find out what would happen next because I was afraid for the characters. When that happens I sometimes set the book aside for a few days...or months before I'm ready to find out what happens.

From the back:

Accepting help from Jack Moretta is widow Ava Colburn's last chance after her late husband's killers track her down and target her little girl. But after years on the run, it's hard to trust anyone else with their lives--and even harder to trust Jack with her secrets. Could he be just what this little family needs to put the deadly past behind them?

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doesn't that cover just pull you in? That's an auto-buy right there. And little Missy, aka Mischief, steals every scene she's in! And the contrast between her sweet innocence and the danger stalking them really amps up the edginess in the suspense.

Alexander knows how to fill a scene with palpable tension and my heart was in my throat...especially in that opening scene. Wowzers! Great pacing throughout the story, where the danger is always a threat but doesn't overwhelm other elements like the romance and 'down times'. Love how it all pulls together to make for a riveting, unputdownable read.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this could be considered a short story, it is jam packed with action, suspense, and full of unknowns. It is well written and will have you turning pages until you have finished the book. I highly recommend it.

[Ethelann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Loved the story line. Kept me turning pages. Can't wait to read more by this author.

[Penny Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting!

Deena Alexander is a new author for me. She’s definitely worth another book. There is lots of angst, tears, scary action, faith and love in this book.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My complete review can be read at https://novelsalive.com/2022/08/10/4-...

[Sheri Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good read.