As a Coast Guard Investigative Services special agent, Finn Walker knows crime. But when one officer turns up dead and another vanishes, the case becomes personal. Further complicating matters, investigative reporter Gabby Rowley — his boss’ sister and the woman who broke his heart — returns to town, asking questions that someone doesn’t want answered.

Uncovering the truth of what happened to his coworkers and friends while keeping Gabby safe might be Finn’s most challenging task to date, especially with Gabby continually charging headlong into the investigation without weighing the risks.

The action-packed beginning to Dani Pettrey’s new series Coastal Guardians introduces readers to the elite group of men and women who watch over the maritime border. Though I highly anticipated a story centered on the Coast Guard, The Killing Tide wasn’t my favorite Pettrey novel. It offered an entertaining enough read and the elements one expects from romantic suspense — a love story, danger, adventure — but it lacked freshness, feeling like something I had read many times before.

It didn’t help that I couldn’t empathize with the heroine, to the point of finding her irritating. While I relate to the pull of a story or following one’s dreams, Gabby’s actions felt more selfish than anything else. Her choices continually hurt others (abandoning Finn without an explanation) or put them in harm’s way (I won’t give examples to avoid spoilers, but this happened multiple times). Honestly, she felt more like a spoiled brat than heroine material and I never understood why Finn was so enamored with her.

The end did provide several twists, which at first made me excited, but none of them were developed to their full potential. The final chapters felt like a trick candle, surprising and amusing the first couple of times, annoying the rest.

Nonetheless, The Killing Tide wasn’t altogether bad. Even if a bit stale and predictable, it did offer a few hours of fun. So while it won’t go on my re-read list, I can still recommend it to romantic suspense fans or readers who simply want to escape for a while and don’t necessarily expect a ground-breaking read.

Wow.

I’ve been waiting to read this new series from Dani Pettrey for a long time now, and let me tell you it was well worth the wait. Pettrey is so good at keeping readers on the edge of their seats, all while bringing these romantic scenes at just the right moments. And with swoony Finn as the hero in this installment, it’s pretty much impossible not to have a couple of **sighing** moments. In addition, readers will enjoy the suspense, the action, and the hunt for the truth.

There were several times I thought I knew for sure how the bad guys were going to pan out. Of course, the more I read the more I changed my mind, but then towards the end Pettrey delivers such a twist in who the ultimate bad guy was, I really didn’t see it coming. And I loved it! In fact, I had to skin back through previous chapters to see if I could see the bad guy in that person while I originally read about them. Pettrey brilliantly brings all the pieces together in the end, and had this reader catching her breath and unable to put the book down until I reached the end.

Let’s talk about the romance a bit. There’s just something about two people who know they should be together but try to fight it. All this tension builds up as the story goes on, until it explodes with a toe curling kiss that you’re just waiting for. But I love what Pettrey does after that. It’s not all roses, and glorious and them finally being a couple. Nope, instead she builds up more tension, and has the readers just begging for more. **sigh** Finn and Gabby just might be my favorite Pettrey couple.

I will say that in the beginning of the book, Gabby kind of annoyed me. She acted before she thought, and found herself in some pretty silly situations. And I get it – she was all about uncovering the truth for her story. But at some point I wanted her to step back and understand all the risks she was taking in doing so. And while it was slowly, almost painstakingly slow, I think she started to get that. Yes, she still put herself in danger, but she thought about it first. It was a step in the right direction and actually once this shift sort of happened, I found myself enjoying her character even more.

To say that I cannot wait for the next installment in this series is a huge understatement. But until it comes out, I’ll just enjoy Finn and Gabby’s story a bit longer! If you haven’t had the chance to read this one yet, I highly recommend that you do 🙂

I very quickly became invested in this story. The opening scene had my heart pounding. Gabby is being hunted by a would-be killer and returns to town where she can be surrounded by family and CGIS agents who will be able to protect her from her hunter. However this is not her choice and resists protection.

So many people are killed in separate incidents in just the first couple chapters alone. These incidents raised a lot of questions that had me trying to figure out how everything connected. Slowly over the course of time answers are provided.

In addition to the mysteries that going on I quickly became invested in the characters themselves. While this story really focuses on Gabby and Finn’s relationship, I found myself enjoying getting to know Rissi the little insights into her background have left me really wanting to know her more.

The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey is a romantic fiction. Finn Walker a special agent with the Coastal Guard Investigative Services who is investigating the death of a Coastal Guard officer. Investigative reporter Gabby is hiding from a mafia leader whom she put behind the bars. Finn and Gabby who are stuck together investigate the serial deaths of the coastal guards.

Finn and Gabby love each other but remain calm in the fear of losing each other. Finn tries his best to keep Gabby safe while Gabby is a strong and brave journalist who won't give up a story for any reason.
During the investigation, Finn and Gabby fall in danger's way many times but their determination finally helps them unravel the suspense and the killer and also catch a big smuggling racket.

A sweet story of love, family, suspense and second chance. I loved it.

THE KILLING TIDE is a roller-coaster ride of emotion and danger with friendship, family, faith and romance woven throughout. Fans of inspirational romantic suspense and this author will find much to love in this story!

I loved the beginning of this story! It just hooked me from the start with the action, danger, and romantic tension. I also loved the family dynamics and getting a little bit of an inside look into the coast guard. Gabby was so stubborn, but that also was one of the things that made her a good journalist. Finn... he's just one of the good guys. Tough, but tender and he definitely had the feels for Gabby (she did too, but she tried to pretend she didn't). The romance was already there in this story and so you don't get as much of the slow beginning, but there's still plenty of chemistry and sparks. The suspense aspect was pretty intense and violent in parts, so be ready for it. The inspirational element was woven through well.

In the end, was it what I wished for? I really enjoyed reading this! I think the first half of the book was my favorite, but I enjoyed the second half as well. Definitely a book to grab if you enjoy this genre. I'm looking forward to the next installment!

Content: Some violence and innuendo, but clean.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through JustRead Tours, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.

This was an exciting, romantic, suspenseful, explosive read!

Dani Pettrey starts her brand new series off with an absolute bang in this fabulous book.

Quinn was THE BEST, and following his and Gabi’s perilous journey was both heartbreaking and wonderfully thrilling.

Ms. Pettrey’s signature writing style takes the reader on a fascinating adventure—with of tons of emotion and faith to go along with the nail-biting suspense.

I liked that there was “history” between the main characters, plus I got a taste of some awesome family dynamics as Gabi is forced to return to her family (and the guy she left behind) when her job as a reporter puts her on a dangerous criminal’s kill list.

I also very much appreciated the huge faith aspects woven through this beautiful story—the characters’ faith through hardship and pain was amazing to read.

At the end of the book, Ms. Pettrey gives a tease into Book 2 in the Coastal Guardians series, The Crushing Depths and I am too excited about it!! 😆

Also, can I mention for a moment THE COVER!? 😍

NOTE: I received a copy of this book for free, and a positive review was not required.

Dani Pettrey ramps up the danger and thrills in the first book of her Coast Guardians series. I was drawn in from page one and couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

I immensely enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book in the series. Gabby was a frustrating character who grew as the story progressed.

As a Navy brat I enjoyed the team aspect of the book.

I highly recommend this book!

I'm a huge fan of Dani Pettrey's previous two series, so it's no surprise that I was eager to pick up The Killing Tide as soon as possible.

I found the book easy to read. It started off great and I found the story to be enjoyable. The book was written very well and I liked the characters...although Gabby could be a little frustrating at times withe her carelessness.

All in all, The Killing Tide was very good and I'm looking forward to the next book; I have a feeling I know who the main characters will be and I can't wait for their story.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Review

Dani Pettrey has written some of my favorite contemporary mysteries so of course I had to pick up her new one. My thoughts:

What I liked

The use of the Coastguard. Pettrey does her research. I’ve never given much thought to the U.S. Coastguard so it was fascinating to me, as a reader, to learn what all their job entails. I realize this is a novel, but it was very much high action, lots of water, and plenty of nefarious criminals.

Mysteries. There is more than one mystery in this novel and all of them are very layered and complex. They are quite the balls of thread to unravel and you can tell that the author takes her time to craft them. Things also happen very quick. Reading one of Pettrey’s novels is often like watching an episode of NCIS.

Spiritually, the characters pray, realize the importance of accepting God’s grace, and learn to rely on him.

What I didn’t like

Gabby. I’ve never met a female journalist in person. I have, however, met several of them within the confines of fiction. Based off of novels, here is what I have learned about female journalists, they are: abrasive, self-centered, deceptive, they will put themselves and others in danger if it means getting the story, and they don’t care what relationships they have to sacrifice to make things happen. If you can’t tell, I don’t like female main characters who are journalists. I had high hopes Gabby would be different. She wasn’t. I understand that her main goal in the novel was to recognize her own faults. But I was completely turned off by her behavior almost immediately and was therefore unable to connect.

Too much going on. Dani Pettrey almost always starts her novels in medias res. The reader is just dropped there right in the middle of things and relationships. But this one was too much too fast. I read the first three chapters and wondered if I was reading the first book in a series. I had to stop and check Amazon to see if I had missed something. There was so much action and so little character development. This may have worked if the story stayed purely from Gabby and Finn’s point of view. But it didn’t. There were so many characters and I didn’t know who they were (like I knew their names, but not their personalities). I like to see friendships form and relationships develop. Without any kind of background, I found myself largely not caring whose point of view I was reading cause it all felt the same and I was definitely skimming towards the end.

Romantic scale: 7

Overall, not my favorite book by the author. This may be a personal thing, however. I’m a much more character-driven reader than plot-driven and the little character I got was unfortunately, largely unappealing.

**I received a copy from Bethany House via Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in any way.**

Reporter Gabby Rowley's life is in danger after she helps put away a drug lord. Taking refuge with her brother and his buddies in the Coast Guard, Gabby's physical safety is more certain, but her heart is in more danger than ever.

When Gabby walked away from their relationship, it took Finn Walker a long time to get over her. Now that his ex-girlfriend is in need of protection, he's ready to help in any way possible, even if it means letting his own feelings get tangled up again.

A rash of mysterious deaths of Coast Guard officers and local divers have Finn's team on alert. What's going on in the deep blue sea? Gabby can't help getting involved, her reporter's intuition on high alert with the suspicious circumstances.

I freely admit that I don't read much suspense, so that could color my enjoyment of this book, but I had a hard time following all the various threads. There were a lot of characters, both point of view and secondary, and it hard to keep people straight or grow to care about them. As an avid reader, though, I also had an issue with the nonsensical progression of the main characters' emotions. They were not relatable or understandable. The backstory was also presented in such a way that I never grasped the reason certain things were they way they were. All of these made for a rather disappointing reading experience on my part.

However, there are some good action sequences, and the identity of the bad guy will definitely keep a reader guessing. If you enjoy romantic suspense this might be a book you would enjoy. The setting was certainly unique, and it does a good job setting up interest in the characters who will feature more prominently in future books in this series.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Oh boy...I've got such conflicting emotions. Before I dive in, I'd just like to put a disclaimer here and say that HELLO I DO NOT LIKE STORIES WITH JOURNALISTS AS THE PROTAGONIST. I'm not quite sure why, I just don't. It really gets on my nerves.

So, let's start with the setting.
I loved the beachy setting, with all the surfing and the small-town-coffehouse feels. That was amazing. I loved the CGIS setup, though other than their title, I honestly couldn't tell that they were a branch of the military.

The characters...
Finn was fantastic. For the most part. I loved his character, his struggles with self-confidence and his path to redemption. But his seemingly uncontrollable emotions around Gabby? I understand that it's pretty much impossible to control your emotions. But he could've used a bit more self-restraint.

Gabby. Oh boy. I'm not gonna lie, she drove me absolutely insane. Wasn't going to let anything—and I mean NOTHING—get in the way of a story that wasn't hers until she appointed herself to it. And when there'd been more than one attempt on her life, she didn't seem to get the memo that SHE NEEDED PROTECTION. Good grief, lady, give your overprotective brother a little slack and make him worry a little less!

Noah? He was amazing. 'Nuff said.

Rissi...I loved her character, but I was a little confused as to why she got her own POV in the book? I'm assuming it's to set the stage for the next book, which I'm assuming is her story? 'Cause if it's not, I'm so confused. (The ending, though—I COMPLETELY saw that coming.)

The plot.
So, the plot was good and engaging. I really enjoyed the suspense aspect of it. It kept me guessing, and the mystery was fantastic. But...the romance. Let's talk about the romance, shall we?

So, Gabby and Finn were getting really serious—in love, even—and then she got a job opportunity and just dumped him?! This girl has seriously messed-up priorities. It's pointed out several times in the book that Gabby will do anything for a story, even if it means putting others below her job. And she refuses to believe it! In Gabby's mind, she's practically never wrong, and I'm sorry but it's messed. up. I get that being an investigative reporter is her job and everything, but seriously, she's not trained for combat, y'all!

*coughs* Okay, back to the romance. She dumps him with hardly a goodbye, and then six months later is practically forced to stay in his guesthouse by her brother. Which I understand. But then, when she's fully planning to leave things the way they are with Finn (no marriage, basically) they take walks, sit on the beach in the moonlight, and do some serious making out. Then she's like, "Rats, shouldn't have done that," and plans to avoid that more in the future...but of course it doesn't happen.

*deep breath* can you tell I didn't like the romance? XD I honestly would've rated this book 1 or 2 stars except that the mystery/suspense part was really good. (And that bit with the Collector's 'babies'? I totally called it as soon as I read it.) Plus, I loved Rissi's POV. I promise, I didn't mean to make this a rant review. But, uh, yeah...not thrilled. XD

*I received a free e-copy from Netgalley for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Be prepared to be WOW-ed by edge of your seat suspense!! Dani Pettrey has the awesome ability to suck you into the story and make you forget everything else going on around you! I love how she weave faith into the story without comprimising the story itself. It actually makes you love the characters more beacause you "get" their hearts!! This new series is deffinitely a MUST-READ!!

I am a big fan of suspense novels but I am an even bigger fan of Christian fiction and this novel by Dani Pettrey satisfies my love for both of these genres. The Killing Tide is book one of Pettrey's new Coastal Guardians series and it centers around a team of Coast Guard Investigative agents working the coastal regions of North Carolina and based out of the Wilmington, NC office. This book features several of these agents but the main focus is on Finn Walker and the reporter who captured his heart but then walked away six months ago. Gabby Rowley lives and breathes investigative reporting and she can't see herself doing anything else, even though she is now sidelined because of her involvement in a drug investigation. Through a series of events, she and Finn find themselves thrown together and once again, their hearts and their lives face dangerous risks!
The action in this book begins immediately and it never let up. Just when I thought there couldn't be anything else happen, BOOM, it did! There was a scene that had me wondering just how much more Gabby could endure and I didn't come close to guessing the conclusion. As Finn and Gabby work together to find the killer (or killers), they once again experience their incredible chemistry and Gabby begins to question if her work is really all that she wants. But, along with the intense intrigue and suspense, there is an underlying message of faith. I appreciate the many prayers that Pettrey is able to incorporate into her plot; she subtly shares her Christian beliefs without cramming religon down her reader's throats.
Since it is the beginning of a new series there is apparently lots more adventure to come with these Coastal Guardians. The Killing Tide is also romantic, suspenseful, and thought-provoking. What more could a lover of romantic suspense and Christian fiction ask for?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House and I am voluntarily offering this review. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.

I was excited for a new series by Dani Pettrey. Lots going on in this book which is good! I loved the interaction between Finn and Gabbi. It wasn't obvious who was behind everything but it was believable when it became clear. I hate when I guess right too early in the book! 
I will be patiently waiting for there next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

I loved this story so much. This book has you on the edge of your seat for sure. The author has a few main characters not just 2 or three, but they all play a huge part in the story and without them the story would not be what it was, also that being said it was not that hard to follow either. This book is a murder mystery and you won’t want to put it down. This is a good clean read and well worth it. I can’t wait to read Rissa story, oh man I can only imagine what’s going on there.

This is book one in the Coastal Guardians series, what a great place to start. I fell in love with the entire Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) group and can't wait to read more about them. This book is full of mystery, suspense, drama, friendship, romance and so much more.

Agent Finn Walker (sigh) is a handsome intelligent member of the GCIS. He must protect not only his heart but Gabby Rowley, his bosses sister and the woman who has broken his heart before.

Gabby Rowley is a great investigative reporter who just can't leave a story alone, even at the expense of her safety. I can't wait for book two.

My thoughts: My crew are huge NCIS fans, and even purchased the seasons on DVD so they can watch them at anytime. And having lived in Michigan, near Lake Michigan, we went to the annual Coast Guard Festival every summer. I still remember my young son tugging on my hand and pointing to a Coastie way up on a mast and saying, "I want to do that someday, Mommy." Oh my heart.


Said son lived and breathed the Coast Guard and my heart ripped in two the day he got on the airplane to head to boot camp. And while he is not yet CGIS that is his ultimate goal and if he stays the course, Lord willing, he'll get there.


You might be interested to know that some of the Coasties he worked with were walk-on actors on NCIS as Coasties.


All that to say is that THE KILLING TIDE is Dani Pettrey at her finest. CGIS fiction in the style of NCIS (for other fans), nonstop suspense, romance, and of course, our country's finest, the Coast Guard.


And while I had suspicions who-dun-it, the getting there was so pleasant I didn't stress over it and oh, by the way, I was half-right and half-wrong. It took me a long time to read this book because I have a busy life, but I kept picking it up night after night.

Okay, the ending felt a bit forced and convenient and the scene changes during the story were jarring.

If you like NCIS you will love THE KILLING TIDE.


I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.

Excellent start to a new series! The characters were interesting, and I can’t wait to read more about them. This particular books plot was suspenseful and interesting. The ending was unexpected and a nail-biter!

From page one, the action begins and doesn’t stop until the end! This is an excellent suspense! As I’ve reflected on this book and as I read it, it almost played out in my mind like an episode of a tv crime show, but so much better! One of the things I loved was the knowledge about the Coast Guard in this book. The characters were members of the Coast Guard, so it was so nice and encouraging to see more of what they do. Such a well written, non- stop action book! Definitely a must read for suspense/thriller fans! And bonus! There was romance! I'm looking forward to reading more about these characters and the Coast Guard from Author Dani Pettrey. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All views stated here are my own.

From the first book that I ever read form this author she has always provided suspense with every page. Her first book of a new series held my attention and can’t wait for the next one.