My respect goes out to authors and the level of research that goes into their works of fiction! In Strands of Truth, Colleen Coble seems to do a masterful job of this as her latest book involves embryo adoption, pin shells, malacology, and sea silk. I don't know that I've ever heard the term malacology before!

This novel is a heart-pounding, romantic murder mystery involving not one, but two cold cases. The writing is superb, the characters interesting, and the plot moves along well. I recommend this latest work of Colleen's and am thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for this my honest review.

Strands of Truth is another amazing book by author Colleen Coble. I'm a huge fan of this authors work and her newest release did not disappoint. True to Coble fashion, I did not figure out the villain until he/she was revealed, even when I thought I knew. I loved the unique plot elements regarding the DNA testing, embryo adoption, and the mermaid shows. This book is exciting and edge of your seat thrilling. I loved it and highly recommend this book for mature readers.

I love Colleen Coble's books so when I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to read it.

Harper Taylor takes a DNA test and discovers that she has a possible half-sister name Annabelle. A sister with an eerily similar history to hers. Both tragically lost their mothers and never found out who their fathers were. Is this simply a coincidence or is there more to the story?
Despite her tragic backstory, Harper is doing well for herself. With a degree in marine biology and a pen shell business, she's doing what makes her happy. Even so, she's lonely and longs for a family of her own.
When Oliver - Harpers mentor who took her in as a teenager - is attacked, he asks his son Ridge to step in and help with her business. Ridge does so grudgingly with the intent to prove once and for all that Harper is just after his dads money. It's not long before he realizes he misjudged her and feelings begin to develop between the two.

I liked the use of DNA research in the storyline. Harper had no more family but with the use of a single DNA test she finds a possible familial connection which is certainly nerve-wracking but exciting for her. Until of course, bad things begin to happen. Shortly after meeting, both Harper and Annabelle are victims of attempted kidnappings. Realistically, I would have liked for the police to have been a bit more involved but...it's a book so naturally the main characters are the ones doing a majority of the crime solving.
I enjoyed the mystery aspect but not the romance. It just didn't feel believable to me. I usually adore enemies-to-lovers but in this case Ridge and Harper didn't seem right for each other.

Not my favorite read. This story had great characters, which was my favorite part about the book. The storyline was a little much for me. The mystery was interesting and definitely unusual. The ending was pretty good. Overall I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either.

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Harper learns of her half-sister through a DNA testing website and, suddenly, both their lives are in jeopardy. This book, a blend of shallow romance and mystery, is fairly predictable and surface. The storyline feels familiar and character development is about an inch deep. A fast read and mostly enjoyable on a cold, rainy weekend.

Harper Taylor is used to being alone—after all, she grew up in one foster home after another. Oliver Jackson finally took her under his wing when she was a runaway teenager, and now Harper pours her marine biology knowledge into Oliver’s pen shell research. But she’s never stopped wishing for a family of her own.
So when a DNA test reveals a half-sister living just two hours away, Harper is both hopeful and nervous. Over warm cinnamon rolls, Harper and Annabelle find striking similarities in their stories. Is it just a coincidence that both their mothers died tragically, without revealing Harper and Annabelle’s father’s name?
Oliver’s son Ridge still sees Harper as a troubled teen even all these years later. But when Oliver is attacked, Ridge and Harper find themselves working together to uncover dangerous secrets that threaten to destroy them all. They must unravel her past before they can have any hope for the future. ~from the publisher
Strands of Truth is a page turner. From the first dive Harper takes to the conclusion the tale has a lot of twist and turns. The reader is taken on the ride of Harper trying to find who her parents were and stay ahead of a killer. For those who like a little romance, this story has a little of that between Ridge and Harper. Although this reader wanted to find how the story would end and if Harper finds information about her real family, it was sad to see the story come to the end. Coble fans will not be disappointed and any Terri Blackstock fan’s who are looking for another author to entertain them will be satisfied with Strands of Truth.
I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson, in exchange for an honest review.

Colleen Coble is a master at Christian romantic thrillers and Strands of Truth did not disappoint. I love how she focuses more on the thriller part. The romance is there, but it's not the main focus of the story. This story focused on the results of DNA testing done. Harper discovers that she has a half sister, but immediately attacks on their lives begin. The main characters are just so wonderfully written that I became emotionally invested in their stories. Also a bonus for me not suspecting who was behind all this until close to the end. If you love thrillers, I highly recommend! Absolutely unputdownable. Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Harper has felt rejection most of her life, beginning with the death of her mother during her birth to her unknown father it goes downhill. She finally thinks things are looking up when she finds a half sister through DNA search
Things rapidly spiral out of control as her special undersea project is vandalized and her “mentor” is attacked and left on support at the hospital.
Ridge, her antagonist “foster” brother begrudgingly steps in to help Harper with her safety. He finds himself realizing she might not be as conniving as he has painted her in the past. Dive in you won’t be sorry you just might have an I can’t put this book down moment.

I loved this suspense filled book from the first page. Colleen Coble is one of my favorite novelists and since I have fallen behind on her books was glad to get a new one pre-publication. The only downside was I felt as if I had read this before, guess when you are older and have been an avid reader for as long as I have it happens.

I received an advance e-copy from NetGalley. This did not effect my review, which is my true opinion of this novel.

Strands of Truth is a Christian mystery novel by bestselling author, Colleen Coble.

Harper Taylor and Annabelle Rice both submit DNA in a search for potential family members and find that they are half sisters. Strangely enough their mothers both died under suspicious circumstances when they were babies, without revealing the name of their shared father.

Oliver Jackson is Harper’s mentor and business partner. He is attacked while on a dive with Harper. Oliver’s son, Ridge, isn’t especially fond of Harper but joins forces with her to figure out who attacked his father and why. What is it about Harper’s past that’s bringing danger now? Are the emotions developing between Ridge and Harper real or just a result of the constant contact they’re in because of their investigation?

Strands of Truth is an interesting read. Part of the backstory is revealed through flashbacks from the viewpoint of Lisa Taylor and Judy Russo, Harper’s and Annabelle’s mothers, respectively. The flashbacks are handled with dated headers, so there is no confusion. Scenery is also used effectively. The plot is engaging and holds the reader’s attention. Christian themes are melded seamlessly into the characters’ thoughts, actions and dialogue. They’re presented naturally and unobtrusively. Giving and receiving grace, especially God’s grace is a special theme.

Overall I enjoyed this novel and rate it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to readers who enjoy a good mystery, especially with Christian themes.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson — FICTION and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

Colleen Coble authored another good book! I enjoyed it, but I wish the plot had been resolved a bit more smoothly. It felt a bit forced at times.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. As someone who is slightly fascinated by DNA and genealogy, I found this book intriguing in how it combined a DNA test to find unknown family members with the heinous plot that ended up killing two women and almost a third. I found it enthralling trying to figure out how all the strands of the plot wove together. The author gave just enough foreshadowing to have me wonder how it was going to play into the story but didn’t give too much away that I figured it out too early. I liked that the author had several scenes in the past leading up to the first woman’s murder. There were also little things Coble included that gave depth to the story like the female protagonist getting an embryo donation, manatees, and pen shells. This was an enjoyable book and I look forward to her next book.

Colleen Coble never disappoints me. This book was awesome. It was a bit complex but I think that's what pulled me in and made me keep reading. This is one of those books that really makes you stop and think that things like this are quite possible! I am already looking forward to her next book!

" Strands of Truth " by Colleen Coble is a suspence, romance book and will leave you hanging on your seat on what is coming around the corner. Harper Taylor was a foster child and went from one home to the next . She is looking for her mother's past and her sister as well. She has to dig to find her answers. There is suspense with the cliffhangers in front of Harper stopping her from moving forward. Crime activity abounds in this book over and over. What are the generational secrets that will come forward? I enjoyed the ups and the downs of each phase of the book. I liked Harper's tenacity to find what she was looking for in her past even though obstacles kept coming her way. The scenes are well described and easy to follow. I would highly recommend this book. I am thankful to the publisher, netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. I am not obligated to write a positive review. I will post this review on facebook, goodreads, my blog, netgalley, Amazon. our church staff.

Strands of Truth was a fascinating read. I found the storyline to be intriguing and thought-provoking. I liked the characters right away and I enjoyed how romance wasn't the main focus of the book.



The writing style was A+ and it was very easy to stay interested in the story, even though I wasn't able to read it uninterrupted and had to take lots of breaks.



All in all, Strands of Truth was very good and I recommend it. Colleen Coble knows how to write good suspense!



*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.*

I loved this story!

The suspense was just the perfect tension to keep me needing to see what was going to happen next.

I loved the characters and was pulling for them to find the answers they were searching for.

Colleen Coble is a masterful story teller. Her stories are full of beautiful settings, interesting characters, and wonderful plots.

I think if you like a suspenseful romance, you'll like this book.

This was a story that kept my interest, surprised me at some points, and yet was difficult to take seriously. The characters were decently developed and somewhat relatable and the plot had plenty of twists and turns, but one of the main story lines just didn’t ring true. I did love the whole DNA and finding new family members angle. That’s fascinating to me. All in all, it was a pretty good read, but not great.

Strands of Truth#NetGalley
Colleen Coble ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my first book of Colleen Coble’s that I have read. I have heard about her books from other readers and am sorry I took so long to read one of them. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and character development and her dedication to detail. Each character was very likable almost to the point of being too perfect. The storyline was very detailed in fleshing out each character. There is a murder mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. I love that this author is a Christian writer and makes her book enjoyable without bad language, cursing, sexual scenes and the macabre that some writers tend to think they need in order for the book to be marketable. I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future as well as recommending them to my friends and family.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Colleen Coble has really written a fantastic book this time that hit all of the right notes with me. First of all, because she is a Christian author, this is a clean read. It is romantic suspense that is is wrapped up in a very clever title and an extremely well-researched plot. The romance and the suspense in this novel come together seamlessly and the author captured my attention from the very first page. Harper Taylor is a sympathetic character, orphaned at a young age when her mom was killed in a car accident. Left with her drug-addled grandmother, she learned at an early age to make her own way in life. She got a degree in marine biology and is studying pen shells. I had no idea what this was or bivalves or sea silk. Ms. Coble explains all of this to her readers in the context of an intriguing plot. When Harper has a DNA test done, she finds a half sister with the same strange background as hers. Annabelle also lost her mother to an accident when she was young. Neither woman knows who their father is and this is part of the mystery. The drama builds when there is a plot to kidnap both of them and harm comes to someone with whom Harper is very close. The puzzle likes in the sea silk and the truth is slowly revealed, just the way I like a mystery to be. This book is fast-paced with an awesome, blow-you-away ending! Fans of romantic suspense will not want to miss this book! It entertains and educates at the same time! Loved it!

I was captivated from the start as it begins in 1990, St. Petersburg, Florida, “Lisa ran to her Datsun Bluebird and jerked open the yellow door. Her pulse strummed in her neck, and she glanced behind her to make sure she wasn’t being followed.”

I was fascinated by how this author got the idea for this page-turning thriller, she says, “Everywhere we look there are ads for DNA kits to trace your ancestry and family. While this kind of information is fascinating, the possible abuses are daunting as well. What will people do with new family information? It has the power for great connections but also for great hurt… I heard all kinds of dramatic stories. My mind always runs to murder mysteries, so that’s where the germ of this story idea was born”

Harper Taylor is in search of family. Her mother died in a car accident in which Harper was born soon after. She was raised in foster homes and was on the run until she met mentor Oliver Jackson, who took her under his wing, helped her to navigate life and provided a way for her to graduate college. His two other children think Harper’s a gold digger. This is reinforced in Oliver’s son, Ridge mind when his father reveals his plan for him and Harper to work together at the new pen shell research lab his father owns. Ridge is shocked. His father never consulted him about this working arrangement.

Harper’s DNA match comes back, she is thrilled to meet Annabelle, her half-sister. They share the same father neither one of them have met and know nothing about. Soon after their meeting crazy things start to happen. Why does someone want to abduct these women and attack Oliver?

This story took surprising twists and turns I didn’t see coming. There is danger, suspense and intrigue as the plot thickens for Annabelle and Harper. My mind was blown with some of the plot twists. I couldn’t stop reading and wondering why people were trying to kidnap Harper, Ridge’s father and did any of this have to do with her connection to Annabel.

The references to the cities I visited when I lived in Florida were enjoyable to read. I was fascinated by the fun facts about the tourist attraction in Florida, Weeki Wachee. It’s an amusement park where people could see the enchanted springs where mermaids live, you can take a trip on a river boat cruise, learn about Florida wildlife, and swim in the pristine waters at Buccaneer Bay. I liked the behind the scenes tour the author took readers on in the past and then fast forward to the present.

This story is an adventure I won’t soon forget. It’s an engaging romantic, suspense mystery tour that will stay in your heart and mind long after you close this book. This would work well for your next book club pick. The author includes eight questions to help generate lively discussions for your group. There is so much to talk about.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Catalogue front page www.bookfun.org

Wow! This book will keep you completely hooked until the end. Mermaids, Sea Silk, Murder and Mystery that will weave through this story and have your heart beating as you try to figure it all out. Who would have thought a DNA test could start this whirlwind... if you've never read a book by Colleen Coble you will never regret picking this one up.

 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.