Haven of Swans by Colleen Coble (Book Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

A beautiful woman stands by the side of the road, barefoot and bleeding, a child in her arms. Someone just tried to kill her, but she wouldn't recognize him if she saw his face. She doesn't even remember her own name.
A suburban cop surveys a kitchen in disarray—a woman and child missing, a chilling note. This crime scene is unlike any he has ever seen.
The man who calls himself Gideon waits and plans. He sees himself as a destroyer of evil, one who rids the world of abominations. He has already killed five. He will kill again.
And somewhere in the wilderness, in a secret geocache near where the wild swans gather, lies the unspeakable clue that links them all together.
Michigan's rugged and beautiful Upper Peninsula is the setting for this absorbing tale of love and loss, beauty and terror, grievous sins and second chances. A deftly woven thriller from the bestselling author of the Rock Harbor novels.
Previously published as Abomination.

My thoughts-

It's been a while since I got to read a book by Colleen Coble so when I saw this one, I grabbed it! I always enjoy her work. I didn't realize it was several books into a series, but it stood alone on it's own absolutely fine. The book kept my wheels turning trying to figure out what was going on, who might be the bad guy, and wondering if the main character would get her memories back. I was quite interested in these characters and the outcome of their story, so I will probably go back and read the other books in the series as well. I love that the book is edgy but not completely out of whack due to the fact that it is written in the genre of Christian suspense. That doesn't mean it isn't suspenseful or interesting. I think Mrs. Coble does a fantastic job of pushing the envelope without it getting to an uncomfortable level. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense novels.

Friend Me by John Faubion Blog Tour & Book Review + Enter to win a Kindle Fire HDX!

About the book:

 When a lonely wife and her frustrated husband each secretly pursue companionship online, neither dreams that a real woman is behind their virtual creations, threatening their marriage---and their lives.

Scott and Rachel's marriage is on the brink of disaster. Scott, a businessman with a high-pressure job, just wants Rachel to understand him and accept his flaws. Rachel is a lonely housewife, desperate for attention and friendship. So she decides to create a virtual friend online, unaware that Scott is doing the exact same thing. As Rachel desperately tries to re-create a friendship with a friend who has passed, Scott becomes unfaithful and is torn between the love for his wife and the perfection of his cyber-girlfriend. But neither realizes that there's a much larger problem looming . . .

Behind both of their online creations is Melissa, a woman who is brilliant---and totally insane. Masquerading as both friend and lover, Melissa programmed a search parameter into the virtual friend software to find her perfect man, but along the way she forgot to specify his marriage status. And Scott is her ideal match. Now Melissa is determined to have it all---Scott, his family, and Rachel's life.

As Melissa grows bolder and her online manipulations transition into the real world, Scott and Rachel figure out they are being played. Now it's a race against time as Scott and Rachel fight to save their marriage, and their lives, before it's too late.

In today's digital age, the Internet presents all kinds of opportunities to test our personal boundaries, and this exciting and suspenseful story raises important questions about the ethics of virtual relationships. Friend Me will open your eyes to a new-and terrifying-moral dimensions and how they play out in the real world.

My thoughts:

I have always been a huge fan of suspense novels, but for some reason in the last few years I have mostly set them aside in favor of historical romance or other love stories. I am glad that the plot to Friend Me sounded so intriguing, it definitely reminded me why I have always loved suspense novels to begin with.  The plot to this novel is a nod to modern technology, the age of Facebook and Twitter, Instagram and everything else that keeps us connected online. A company creates a service called VirtualFriendMe where you can create your own customized friend. It can be a person completely from your imagination, or someone that actually does (or did) exist if that is what you prefer. Rachel chooses to create a friend that she has been missing. Her husband also creates friend of his own, one he doesn't want to tell anyone about. What Rachel and Scott don't know, is there is a real person behind both of their friends and she will stop at nothing to get what she wants...

I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely a page turner for me. I read it in just a few short days. I felt that I could really relate to Rachel, as a stay at home mom to 3 children, most of the things she goes through or feels are things that I have gone through or felt myself. It was nice also to peek into the husband/male prospective as well, to be reminded that they have their own problems and worries. I thought the prologue at the beginning of the book was the perfect way to get the reader enticed and ready to get on with the story and find out what is going to happen. The build up to the end of the story is gradual, but gets intense at the end. I really enjoyed Friend Me and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys page turning suspense novels.

About the author:

About the author: John Faubion has spent many years in Asia as a missionary with his family. Since returning to the United States, John has worked as a senior software developer for a large appliance chain. He teaches an adult Sunday school class and enjoys writing and driving his 1949 Packard automobile. John lives near Indianapolis with his wife, Beth, and their daughter.

Learn more about John at: http://christiansuspense.com

Read an excerpt and purchase a copy at ChristianSuspense.com.


John Faubion is celebrating his debut novel, Friend Me, with a Kindle HDX giveaway!

One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire HDX
• Friend Me by John Faubion

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 22nd. Winner will be announced February 24th on John Faubion's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by John's blog on the 24th to see if you won.