'She wouldn't lose hope. God saw her in this place. She had to hold on to faith.'
Strands of Truth has so many different plot twists. Two half-sisters, almost twenty years apart, who find out through a DNA kit that they both had the same father. Two half-sisters who both lost their mothers and murder may have been the cause of those deaths. The same half-sisters being the targets of kidnappers and the suggestion of organ harvesting as a possible motive!
Ridge Jackson has never trusted the close relationship that his dad Oliver developed with Harper Taylor as she was moved from one foster home to another as a child and teenager. Harper considers Oliver as her mentor and she deeply loves him but Ridge believes she is after his father's money. It is only through many unexplained occurences that he begins to see the true Harper. I really liked Harper and I wanted her to realize that not all people wanted to hurt her. I believe that there are still good, kind people willing to help their fellow man and I was hoping that Ridge would become that person for Harper!
This is an exciting story and there are so many questions needing to be answered but through it all, even as Harper struggles with trusting people, she has faith and trust in God. In fact, there are several characters who believe and trust in God and I liked that author Colleen Coble shows them engaging in prayer and believing in its power. I also enjoyed Coble's description of pen shell farming and the process of making sea silk.
I enjoyed Strands of Truth and I recommend it to anyone who likes romantic suspense and Christian fiction.
I received a complimentary digital copy through Celebrate Lit and NetGalley and I was not required to leave a positive review. These are my honest thoughts.

Colleen Coble is a well-known name in Christian suspense, but I’ve never really connected with her books – until this one! Genealogy has always been fascinating to me, so I decided to give the book a try. I’m so glad I did, and I ended up really enjoying it! The story has a good blend of action, suspense, and character development. Ridge and Harper were believeable, relatable characters – they started off not liking each other, but their friendship grew in a natural way as difficult circumstances threw them together. The mystery of Harper and Annabelle’s father was fascinating, and I was really surprised by the way it was resolved!

There are several interesting elements that make the story unique, including Harper’s research and work with pen shells. I also loved how genealogy was incorporated both to solve crimes reaching from the past to the present, and to bring a family together. If you’re a fan of Christian suspense, this would be a great book to add to your fall TBR list!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Riveting suspense novel.
I liked it because DNA and tracing one's heritage has always been intriguing to me.
Harper looks into finding matching DNA, and gets to know a half sister. No more has this happened than she is being targeted for...?? and by whom??!! Could this be a coincidence? Well, because it's a suspense novel, the easy answer is No, of course not!
I liked the twists and turns this story took.
I liked the way the past and the present were brought together.
I was, however, suspicious early on, of who the bad guy might turn out to be. The clues that were given made it a bit obvious.
I enjoyed it because I wanted to see how it all tied together.
The whole idea of silk strands from mollusks was also quite intriguing to me.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Colleen Coble’s latest book, Strands of Truth, is a well-written suspense story with a bit of romance thrown into the mix.

Harper, the main character, was definitely my favorite. After going through a difficult childhood, mostly lived in the foster care system, she grows into a strong female who is finding her way in the world; however, it isn’t all smooth sailing. The man who has been like a father to her since her mid teen, has children who want to out for her for being the greedy, conniver they are sure she is. And there is someone who wants to hurt her or possibly even kill her. You’ll have to read this to find out!

The book is filled with believable characters who come to life on the pages with many scenes that show what they are made of. The suspense keeps building as the book goes on, and even though there are a few clues along the way, it’s difficult to tell who is really up to no good. I finished it within a few days because I didn’t want to put the book down!

This is a clean book—no sex scenes or foul language. Definitely my kind of book and worthy of a five star rating.

I am sorry to say I did not care at all for this book. It simply put was a mess. I didn't find anything thrilling or suspenseful. I would liken it to a Lifetime movie. I won't give up on the author however and hope that my next book from her is more what I would expect from a thriller

Who knew something as simple as a DNA test could lead to a whole lot of mischief!

     I have always thought about doing one, but now I would be even more cautious or nervous to take one. Who knows what could happen or where it would lead? Personally, I loved how Colleen Coble used something like a DNA test and made a spectacular mystery surrounding it. The idea got my brain thinking and very involved/engaged with the characters and their thought processes. It was like living out a dream, you never quite knew where you (or the characters) would end up.

     This book kept me guessing the whole time, although I had my theories, as to what was happening and why it was happening to some seemingly random people. I truly enjoyed the roller coaster that Colleen Coble took me on. There were many happy moments, some very serious life-altering moments that personally would have been very hard to write. However, Colleen Coble gave depth to the personal decisions her characters made and by the end of the book I really felt that I had gotten to know the characters quite well and really didn’t want for their story to end. Colleen Coble did leave the opening for another book in the series and I am so excited to see what comes next 😊

     I read a lot of mystery/suspense books, and this one was great. It kept my mind involved and stuck with me even after I read it. I truly think that this is a well-written book. I encourage you to read it and let me know your thoughts on it. I loved to hear them. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars for the unique plot theme, the likeable characters and the feeling that I won’t be forgetting this book anytime soon.

Harper's mother died just before Harper was born, and she never knew her father. At the age of 15, a man named Oliver took her under his wing and became like a father to her in many ways. His own children detested Harper, though, because of how much attention their father paid to her, and assuming that Harper was only after their father's money. As an adult, Harper looks up to Oliver as a mentor, and now works with him as a business partner. At the start of the story, a DNA registry site has found a likely half-sister for Harper, and upon meeting, Harper realizes that both sisters have a similar story, with their mothers dying when they were infants, and neither knowing their father. At the same time, both women become the target of attempted kidnappings. Oliver is also attacked, and his son Ridge is determined to find out why, while also attempting to expose Harper for the fraud he believes her to be.

This book was a jumbled mess, and my mind feels a bit jumbled when trying to organize a review. I will start with what I did like. The premise was intriguing, and the mystery did hold my attention for the first half of the book. The descriptions of the Florida setting were good, and it was easy to imagine a warm, humid environment. The book brought some subjects to my attention that I otherwise might never have known about (for example, sea silk and other things related to pen shells).

However, this also leads me to my first issue. Many things came up in the book that were completely foreign to me, and I was left to figure out on my own what on earth it even was. Or the explanation would come so late that I was confused for a while. At one point early in the book, it says a character was in the "Weeki Wachee parking lot," but really never actually says what Weeki Wachee is. My first guess was that it was a common supermarket chain in the region. Or maybe restaurant. But after Googling it, it's apparently a state park and spring in Florida. It would have been really easy to explain this in the book, along with many other things, but instead, I had to Google more than I would prefer while reading a book.

Speaking of Google, there was a lot of mention of food and restaurants in the book that weirdly came across like name-dropping. As if, to make the book feel more authentic to the location, the author had done an internet search for popular restaurants in the real-life town in which the book is set, and even went to the online menus so that the characters could mention specific dishes that really do exist in those restaurants (I looked on up; it's real!). Maybe this shouldn't seem like a big deal, but it got to a point where it was just a bit too much, and took me out of the narrative enough to bother me.

And then there was the really weird part where the narration compared the main male character (Ridge) to "Chris McNally from Supernatural a bit, right down to the thick black hair." I had to stop right there and look him up. I've seen Supernatural quite a bit, but I didn't recognize the name, so I looked him up. He was in two episodes, 6 years apart, as basically bit roles! I have my theory about why Coble included this bit of obscure trivia, but no matter the reason, it was completely out of left field and made no sense. This reference is not going to help anyone envision the character, and to top it off, this still of McNally in Supernatural does not show him with "thick black hair." This is indicative of what I felt was a greater issue in this book--it really could have done with another round of intensive editing.

This book was half-mystery, half-romance. The mystery half was the only thing that kept me going, because the romance was half-baked at best. For one thing, I really didn't care about either of the two main characters. I did not connect with them at all. Also, the main characters strongly disliked each other for a while, then started to warm to each other. Then Ridge tells Harper that he misjudged her and wants to start fresh, making it clear that he has some sort of feelings for her. But two days later, she's panicking over an idea that maybe he just thinks of her as a sister. And since the turn in their relationship came halfway through the story, it was very predictable what the bump in the romance was going to be, and even that turned out to be weakly done.

As for the mystery half of the story, it really fell apart in the 2nd half as well. For one thing, there are flashbacks throughout the book showing the life of a woman who was murdered around 1970 in the year leading up to that event, but by the end of the book, I realized that the flashbacks added basically nothing to the story. And there are spots within the story that are completely contradictory to other parts of the narrative.

This review is getting very long, so I'll try to be more brief in the rest of my notes. Clues to the mystery were given in an order that did not maximize suspense for the reader. The main characters investigated more than the authorities (who didn't really seem all that concerned about the abductions), and yet the main characters are constantly questioning if these obviously related events are even related. Most of the mystery was fairly obvious (to me) early enough in the book to make any twists near the end fall flat. Several things happen that make no sense and are never explained.


All in all, this half-mystery, half-romance didn't deliver in either department. And this time, I don't think I can chalk my biggest issues up to personal preference. The book has many flaws that clearly others were able to overlook, but I couldn't. I would not be able to recommend this book to anyone, and again I'd state that with further revision, it could have been a much more enjoyable read.

Harper is working with mollusks when someone tries to abduct her. Her mentor is also attacked, and his life is hanging by a thread. She’s got other things on her mind, but Ridge seems to be around a lot, and she’s not sure she can ignore the attraction she feels for him.

Ridge resents Harper’s relationship with his father, but now that she’s in danger, he wonders if he’s misjudged her. Finding out the truth of the abductions/attacks will take them down a road of DNA tests, half siblings, mermaids and flashbacks. But will they learn the truth before it’s too late?

I liked the characters in this book. Mostly Ridge, but Harper was interesting as well. The one issue I had was the flashbacks. They annoyed me. Unnecessary flashbacks are a pet peeve of mine, and I truly believe this book would’ve been better without them. They interrupt the flow of an engaging story and are jarring. They also didn’t really add anything to the plot.

Overall, I still enjoyed this book and give it four stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

I've been more interested, lately, in reading Christian Fiction. But guys, even though I am not afraid to say I love Jesus, I have a hard time finding books that don't read super preachy. The entire reason we need Jesus is because we are sinners, so it reasons that the characters should be flawed and not perfect prayer warriors - but I digress.

Reading Strands of Truth was a pleasant surprise. Though I wouldn't classify it as Christian Fiction, the characters do pray and talk about God. (Maybe that's the requirement that publishers are looking for?) Coble doesn't make God a character in this novel. He doesn't answer with words or miraculous events. To me, this is a Fiction novel with Christian characters.

Even though Harper and Ridge prayed, they also failed a lot. They judged each other, jumped to conclusions, made bad decisions, and fumbled their way through a giant mystery that I couldn't for the life of me figure out before they did. The book is messy and weird. I like how unpredictable it is. Set in Florida, Coble does a wonderful job describing the landscape of Central Florida. She introduces mermaids, torrential downpours, and humidity that hangs like a wet blanket. I felt home in those pages.

I do think that Coble needed to juggle a lot of characters. Some points of view felt added on, used to explain a situation rather than being a necessity to the story. And the prose itself was sometimes confusing. I didn't understand Ridge's motives most of the time. There wasn't a clear line from hating Harper to loving her. He flipped back and forth most of the time, but his character development didn't show why. I think Coble was going for more of a slow-burning romance, but he gave into her too quickly for that to be achieved.

Though the relationships were lacking, the mystery was amazing. Coble gave just enough details each chapter to make me want more without giving away too much or making me lose interest. The attempt on Oliver's life is just the first of many attempted crimes in the book. These crimes affect Harper as well as Annabelle and answer questions that I didn't need to know I was asked by the end of the novel.

All in all, Strands of Truth is a fun summer mystery novel. Bring the paperback to the beach before the weather gets too cold.

I enjoyed this novel. I liked the information included about farming pen shells and making sea silk. I liked the issue of DNA ancestry research and how it can reveal possible family relationships yet also open the door for pain and suffering, even tragedy. I liked how Coble presented dysfunctional family relationships and how right action because of Christian faith can be healing.

There is much suspense in the novel. Some of it was due to poor decisions by characters and I didn't like that. Knowing that an attack by bad guys is planned but wandering around without having arranged police protection (when the police were involved), is one example. Another is a law enforcement officer driving to a suspense filled location and calling for back-up as he arrives (not while driving to the location).

Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable novel. It has lots of suspense, interesting information, and good lessons on family dynamics and how Christian faith influences action.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Another wonderful story by Colleen that captured me with the mystery and romance from the first page to last sentence.

Stands of Truth is the latest novel by Colleen Coble. Harper Taylor’s mother died as the result of an auto accident moments after Harper was delivered. Spending her early years with an addicted grandmother and her middle childhood in awful foster situations, when wealthy Oliver Jackson catches her stealing from his garage Harper is given a new lease on life. Oliver becomes her mentor, finding a good foster home for her, fostering her interest in sea life, and providing her with a college education. Oliver has now become a partner in her business to farm mollusks. The biggest hole in her life still exists however; it is her lack of family connection.

Oliver’s kids, Ridge and Willow, have always scorned Harper. Ridge is certain that Harper is somehow playing his dad, manipulating him for her financial gain. When Oliver offers Ridge his own marine lab with the stipulation that they will be using some of Harper’s project as a focus and that she is to be working with him, Ridge doesn’t readily say yes. But when Oliver and his boat disappear while helping Harper in her field and someone tries to kidnap Harper, Ridge finds there is so much more to Harper than he had expected.

Harper’s best friend, Sara, in trying to help Harper find a family connection, submits Harper’s DNA to a company that does such matching. A half-sister is found just a short distance away. When the two sisters meet, they find an instant connection despite their double decade age difference. Both have no information pointing them to the identity of their father. Both girls’ mothers died under questionable circumstances. Then the next connection is when someone also attempts to kidnap Annabelle.

In a tale that weaves DNA, greed, and the extents someone might go to for a loved one, Ms. Coble has again spun a thriller that will keep you up late at night to determine the outcome of this fast paced mystery. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Right off the bat in this one several mysterious events occur to three different characters in the book - including break-ins and attempted abductions and eventually one character even ends up dead. All the while, it's not clear who is after these people and why. Throughout the book there are snippets of dialogue from the person causing harm that indicate he is doing these things to get money to save his sick child. During these snippets his identity and the master mind behind the plan is hidden. Added to that you have family drama and a hate to love relationship between two characters, making this an enjoyable page turner of a mystery.

Thank you NetGally for an ARC of this wonderful suspense romance book.

4.5 stars! I haven't picked up a Colleen Coble book in a while and I am very glad I picked this one up. The amount of suspense kept me completely interested in this book that I finished it in a day. Usually I am not a huge fan of books that go back into the past, but this one those parts were vital to the story. I love that this story was multi layered and everything was tied up at the end with a little bow. The only thing i wish it had more of was Ridge and Harpers relationship once they fell in love. I felt that was a little rushed at the end.

I felt the subjects of this story were very interesting and all very different, but vital to the story. The the subjects of the family (the members), the family business, Harpers past, Annabells past, and the political elements were all different from each other, however Colleen intertwined and made them all work together. The amount of suspense was perfect to completely keep your attention and wonder what would happen next.

This book is coming out Septemer 10th and it is a must pick up!

Colleen Coble is the queen of Christian romantic suspense and "Strands of Truth" is one of her best. Harper is a marine biologist who came of age after living in a series of foster homes. She researches pen shell mollusks and also makes jewelry from them. For years she's been mentored by wealthy Oliver Jackson which has resulted in jealousy and mistrust from his son Ridge and daughter towards Harper. When Oliver is found unconscious in the water after a "shell check" with Harper this accident quickly raises suspicions. The action quickly picks up and adversaries realize that working together to solve this mystery will bring faster results. What they don't realize is that it can also grow forgiveness and more. The action is fast paced with a plot line that that has some surprises, not to mention the expected romantic entanglements. I couldn't put this book down and can't wait for the next one.

A mysterious stranger is trying to kidnap Harper! Then her sister is kidnapped. What is going on? Does it have anything to do with their mothers' deaths? Suspense abounds in this story by Colleen Coble! Of course there's a little romance too. An enjoyable read.
I received advance advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So, of course, all opinions are my own.
Thank you!

‘Past sins have a way of affecting the present!’

Have you ever considered what testing your DNA might bring into your life? Growing up in the foster system, Harper Taylor thought she had no blood family. Was it possible she might find some family that way? Oliver Jackson, a wealthy businessman, had become her benefactor when she was just 15, setting her up to become a well-educated woman. Perhaps now was the time to see if her ancestry held any clues.

The author has given us a page-turner that practically flies through a 30 year span. The twists and turns keep you wondering how murder, abduction, sea silk and pen shells will bring conclusions to the many questions being asked. The wonderful detail found me almost smelling the water and feeling the sand between my toes. I enjoyed learning a little about bivalve mollusks and their harvest.

Perhaps the best part was observing Harper as she learns to believe that she is deserving of God’s grace as well as the realization that she could create her own family among friends! You don't want to miss this incredible story.

I received an ARC through NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and CelebrateLit. My 5 star rating was not solicited. All impressions and opinions are my own.

When Harper Taylor was a child, she was tossed around from one bad foster home to another, until she finally ran away. At that time, Oliver Jackson found her a good home and became her mentor. Oliver’s children never liked Harper and were always jealous of her. Even though Oliver was always good to Harper, she still longed for a real family.

Now about fifteen years later, she decides to do a DNA test, in hopes of finding some of her relatives and discovers a half-sister. Is it just a coincidence that each of their mothers died a tragic death? But ever since receiving the results of the DNA test, Harper and her half-sister, Annabelle, have been involved in several dangerous attacks.

Ridge Jackson, Oliver’s son, still holds a grudge against Harper. But when his father gets caught in the crossfire of an attack on Harper and winds up in the hospital, Ridge and Harper work together to get to the bottom of all the sudden strange events. Can they finally call a truce after all these years? And can they figure out who has been after Harper and her sister, before it’s too late?

This book kept me on the edge of my seat! There was one twist after another and I never wanted to put it down. Colleen Coble wrote an outstanding story that kept me guessing and intrigued throughout the whole book. I especially loved how the author weaved in Biblical truth about trusting God and forgiving others. This story was truly a gem. My only regret was that it had to come to an end!

(I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Colleen Coble has a way of writing Suspense that leaves you craving more. This has to be one of my favorites of hers to date.

Murders, kidnappings, a touch of romance make this a page-turner that is difficult to put down. Mysterious deaths that tie back to a bunch of ten-year-old unsolved murders were woven together in a suspenseful tale.

While I did have a pretty good idea on who the “bad guy” was early on in the story, it did was still interesting to see how it was all going to turn out.

Strands of Truth
by Colleen Coble
Rating: 4.5/5
Release date: Sep 10, 2019

Colleen Coble NEVER disappoints! Here’s another fast-paced, action-packed, mystery with inspirational romance that will keep you guessing and reading till the end!

This is a story that spans generations and it was a bit confusing at first but the reader gets used it. They are clear when changing the date for the setting, so they do their best not to confuse you. I appreciated all the different characters’ POVs and was encouraged to see true character development and not just with the main characters of Harper and Ridge. The romance is not as well-developed as the rest of the story (hence not a perfect 5/5), but the rest of the book elements make for a delightful read that I highly recommend.

As someone who’s tried out Ancestry DNA and 23andMe, I loved how Coble’s mind just ran with a story – not just any story but a mystery. As a total geek, I kept trying to guess the why and was not disappointed with the ending. The story is more than just boy falls in the love with girl and there’s some mystery in the background. The book stands out because it allows its characters to be human and adapt and find some sort of peace in a chaotic world.

My thanks to the author, CelebrateLit, and Netgalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.