This story had more romance and less suspense than I anticipated from the description. I wasn't disappointed, just surprised. Although the romance takes place in a short period of time, the author manages to create a lot of heat and sweetness between Abby and Luc. I was surprised by the twist at the end.

I don’t even know how to begin writing a review for this book. It was amazing and unusual and emotional and surprising and downright beautiful. This is the third book I’ve read (and reviewed) by Adriana Anders and she can’t write fast enough for me. In His Hands is book three in the Blank Canvas series, and while some of the characters from the other books make appearances, this can definitely be read as a standalone. In fact, for the first third of the book I was wondering if it was even part of that same series.
In His Hands is the story of Abby Merkley. Yes, it is a romance, and yes there is a lovely hero (Luc)…. but this is really Abby’s story. Down on her luck with nowhere to go, Abby’s mother eventually found a home with the Church of the Apocalyptic Faith. The simple life, religious routines and members they call family are all Abby has known since she was seven years old. As she has grown older and matured, Abby begins to wonder if their way of life isn’t the only way. The pieces of the outside world she has experienced – working at the market, or watching her grape-growing neighbor – have fueled a curiosity she can no longer ignore. When Sammy, a teenage Church member she is close to, is denied medical assistance (modern medicine is against their beliefs) and Abby is punished for pushing the issue, she knows the only answer for both of them is to get away.
Luc Stanek lives a quiet live. Estranged from his wealthy vintner family in France, all he wants to do is grow his grapes and tinker with making his own wine. He keeps to himself on his mountain, venturing into town only when necessary. His day to day routine is disturbed when a woman from the neighboring church shows up asking for work. He doesn’t want help, or company, and he doesn’t want anything to do with the freaky cult church people next door. There is something about the young woman that draws him in, though, and Luc is unable to turn her away.
Over time, Luc learns that there is more to Abby than the innocent, naïve girl he expected her to be. She is strong and resilient, inexperienced but mature, and soon he forgets that he wanted to be left alone.
The night Abby shows up, beaten and bloody at the hands of her church “family”, Luc knows his peaceful existence has been shattered forever. This woman has worked her way into his heart and he will do whatever he can to help her. Abby has watched Luc from her side of the fence for years. For her, he represents freedom and a new life. In her mind, he has been her savior – the strong, capable, silent man who will offer her an opportunity for a new life. She has pinned all of her hopes on him as a way out, but she never counted on losing her heart in the process.
I don’t know how Adriana Anders did it, but she captured the essence of these two characters so perfectly. I could almost believe that she herself had grown up in a cult-like church and then broke free, her depiction of Abby was that amazing. She was remarkable in her innocence, with a thirst for knowledge and experience, and she was not afraid to stand up for what was right. Luc was an amazing hero. Not perfect, but none of this author’s heroes are. He was lonely and alone, brooding and scarred, but to Abby he was everything she could ever want. This romance was unlike anything I’d ever read before and I did not want it to end.
I give In His Hands 5 stars!

This read was different than the usual New Adult romance I tend to find myself picking up. I am drawn to characters with baggage and difficult pasts they have to overcome and I hadn’t read a religious cult one yet. It definitley had a different feel to the whole story, almost an innocence so huge it was hard to wrap my brain around since the members of the cult were so isolated. I don’t know if I have a feeling either way towards this “genre” but it was interesting for sure!

Abby was a very strong heroine, and she knew the cult was wrong even if she couldn’t exactly figure out why. She wanted to leave to get medical help for her friend, which is how she met Luc. She was looking for work, but it turned into oh, so much more. Luc was very rugged and a total manly man. He was a stand up guy, but also really stand-offish. However, Abby did something to him and he just softened. He was so closed off and the last thing he was looking for was a relationship, but when it’s right, it’s right.

The romance and chemistry were there from the beginning. It was as if opposites attracted and these two had a connection. I enjoyed it, but I can’t say I felt it 100%. I think I found their connection and friendship more believable than their physical relationship. I also struggled because they seemed to be doing of lot of “things”, yet to me Abby had some serious injuries and should not have even been able to move, much less get frisky with Luc.

The plot was good, but where I struggled was the detail of the torture Abby went through. I prefer the fade to black over explicit. I spent nearly the entire book waiting for another shoe to drop biting my nails. I had to put the book down a few nights in a row because I wasn’t sure when she would be captured and what they would do to her and I wasn’t up for reading about it. However, I did love the dynamic and the story, I was just a baby with the stress of it all!

The ending nearly killed me. I was so stressed out, and I can honestly say I wasn’t sure how they would get to the HEA. It was good and I wish I had been more relaxed while reading, but I didn’t know what I had to anticipate. However, it worked out even better than I could have imagined and I loved it

Rec it? Yes. If you want a New Adult romance that is a little different, yet still a romance through and through, this is a great addition for your TBR.

Happy reading!

This was a miss for me. I found it to be less impressive than the others I've read by Ms Anders and was disappointed. The writing was ok, but the story seemed to both drag and skip. Abby's life with the cult was detailed and honestly, kinda boring - it was too lengthy and simplistic. Luc had issues that were made to be deep and dramatic but as far as I could tell he felt underappreciated by his fam, betrayed by a woman, and suffered a missing finger. With all due respect, BFD.
Then they suddenly and without any real intent fell in love, apparently so deep and meaningful that he was prepared to die for her in a hail of crazy bullets? (I didn't get the butterflies. One minute they were stilted conversationalists and the next they were "in love"?) There was a disconnect in the flow.
So, maybe adding detail to the characters and subtracting it from the cult storyline would even things out and make it a more engaging read? I don't know. But this was my least fave in the series. I am a big fan of Ms Anders and look forward to the next in the series to see what different turns she can take.

I love fantastical reads, but I have a greater appreciation for stories that feel real and not only make me love the characters but respect them. This was a lovely with two wonderful characters, both Luc and Abby were honest, strong, logical, and practical. They included the police, they waited as long as they could, and made smart choices (which is rare in books where he could have been a secret French assassin, posing as a wine maker). This was the best of the series.

In His Hands by Adriana Anders is the 3rd book in her Blank Canvas series and the second book I've read by this author. I keep looking at this author's bio in Goodreads thinking I must be missing something because it only shows three books. How in the world is it possible that Adriana Anders has only written 3 books?? An author this good is supposed to have at least twenty books under their belt with many on the bestselling lists and blogs and conferences tolling on and on about her work and how amazingly talented she is and she is all of that and so much more. I can't think of an author who has gripped me so completely with only two out of three books read. And although each part of a series, they stand on their own and don't particularly need to be read in order, which I'm grateful for because I'm going to go buy the 2nd book after I finish writing my review, don't know how I missed it. I can only hope she's been writing in secret these past several years and will publish a plethora of books to fulfill my needs for more amazing stories.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This is one of my favorite series, so I was really excited to read this one. This book tells the story between Abby, a cult member, and Luc, a nearby grape farmer, and how Abby finds a way to get herself out of the cult with Luc's help. As with the other books in the series, the relationship between the two main characters was intense and believable, and it was an overall satisfying and original story. Highly recommended!

Right off the bat, I need to say that I loved this book!! This series is fantastic and with each new installment I am amazed at the heart and depth that Adriana Anders puts into her novels. If you haven't read the book description for In His Hands, definitely check it out. From the synopsis, I was intrigued, but from the very first page I was completely hooked! The storyline was original and the character development was phenomenal!!! Ms. Anders does an amazing job of making Abby and Luc realistic, so much so that this novel played out like a movie in my mind. I adore books that make me "feel" and this book is the perfect example of why! Adriana Anders did a beautiful job with taking two characters from very different worlds and despite the odds, creating something amazing and real. In His Hands is a 5 star novel that I didn't want to ever end. The Blank Canvas series is one of my favorites, and I am keeping my fingers crossed there will be (a lot) more novels in the future!!

OMG, I love this series. Abby's desire to be more than what the Church forced her to be got to me. The way she flowered under Luc's rough regard and slowly experienced the things she'd been denied made me giddy. While the frame of time they knew one another was relatively short, it felt right. Both Abby and Luc were ripe for change and they pushed one another toward that change with ease.

Also, I adore gruff, grumpy heroes who have a hard time connecting with people. Heck, I also adored women who are far stronger than they think they are and are willing to push forward despite the odds.

Basically, Abby and Luc pushed all my literary buttons. She's determined. He's closed off. She doesn't give up. He reluctantly lets her in. And, MAN, Luc was lonely. The fact he didn't realize it until Abby forced her way into his life made it even sadder.

With plenty of danger (Hello, crazy Church people), a few familiar faces popping in, and a sweet, complicated romance, this book gave me everything I needed. I'm seriously smitten with this series as a whole. Seriously.

really liked this book

This was an emotional read but Luc was so sweet, “you missed me, Abby? Did you? Because I could not stop thinking of you. Every day. Every effing minute.” I liked this book.