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Her Every Move

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AUDIO BOOK REVIEW. We all know that librarians are superheroes, but what a delight it is reading Her Every Move by Kelly Irvin and meeting Jackie Santoro, San Antonio public librarian. Admittedly, a story that revolves around a bookish person and her bookish world is going to pique my interest. This story has the added elements of the San Antonio setting, an explosive (literally) plot, gripping suspense, and an undercurrent of budding romance – everything needed for a thoroughly satisfying reading experience.

“Make no assumptions without all the facts. Librarians knew how to research.”

But back to the stacks. It’s clear that author Kelly Irvin respects the jobs librarians are tasked with doing, and she regularly and realistically interjects the challenges and realities of the modern librarian. Jackie’s job is adult collections coordinator and event coordinator, but as is the case with most librarians, what her job entails goes well beyond that scope. Irvin also underscores the education and intellect required for a librarian to get the jobs done, and her writing shakes off the outdated perceptions of the stuffy library and librarian. Respect!

Irvin clearly respects the institution of the library itself, and the San Antonio Central Library plays as much a part of the story as the rest of the city and its landmarks do. The city, its traditions and vibe, breathes life into HER EVERY MOVE. The book is a beautiful ode to San Antonio, whether you know the town or not, yet it is disturbing in that such a light and festive place could be the stuff of nightmares. It’s a grim reminder of the world we are in, where among us are ticking time bombs, motivated to commit mass murder for reasons we can’t grasp.

The category of romantic suspense is perfect for HER EVERY MOVE because it is not a romance – and I love that! Jackie and Avery have a developing interest in each other, and it’s almost as afterthoughts that they each realize they are thinking about the other. Even then, each is able to write-off the thoughts because they are in turns infuriated and infatuated with each other. This seemed a natural way to handle their feelings given the horrors that keep bringing them together. It would have been odd to me that amid death and destruction, a romance would have taken center stage, and Irvin handled the development perfectly for me and wrapped-up the romance exactly how one with a librarian should be.

“He changed personalities like a chameleon changed colors.”

Readers will enjoy the contrasts between and commonalities shared by main characters Jackie Santoro and Detective Avery Wick. He likes dogs; she likes cats. She’s a librarian; he doesn’t read. He struggles with faith; she leans heavily on the Lord. Both are able to push aside the horrific sights, sounds, and smells that bombard through crisis, but they also succumb to them and to loss and feel overwhelmed. Irvin does an excellent job of showing each character’s humanity and making believable, relatable characters. She also writes in quirky aspects to Jackie’s and Avery’s personalities that make readers invested and rooting for them to find their way to each other.

Given all that’s happened and how heavily Jackie and the city have been affected by the time we get to the climax of HER EVERY MOVE, Irvin does ask readers to suspend their disbelief and put aside pragmatism a bit. On the other hand, in looking at our current world, the behaviors of many of its occupants, and the decisions being made by city leaders, perhaps Irvin is spot-on. In any case, listening to HER EVERY MOVE was time well-spent, and I am thrilled to have a new go-to author, Kelly Irvin, when I’m looking for a well-crafted and engaging suspense fix.

ABOUT THE NARRATOR: Tiffany Williams does an excellent job voicing the huge cast of characters, male and female, sober and drunk. Her Texas twang is a little over the top, but then again, I’ve encountered more than a few southerners who sound that way. Williams infuses just the right amount of emotion into scenes but also puts the perfect chill in the voice of the killer. Other than a few mispronunciations that caught my ear, she gives a great performance with perfect, even pacing; I listened to all twelve hours at regular speed.

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This book starts off with a bang--literally. Jackie Santoro finds herself in the middle of an investigation after a deadly bomb goes off at an environmental event that she planned for the library.

I will tell you right off that suspense/mysteries aren't my thing. But I liked the idea of a librarian heroine and I had enjoyed the author's Amish books. I thought that the story started well, but got really bogged down in debating motives and diving into divisive politics, taking sides and painting with broad strokes. While I liked Jackie, Avery seemed somewhat unreasonable in his being set on connecting Jackie to the bombing while also balancing being oddly attracted to her at the same time. This book wasn't for me.

I received an ebook from netgalley to read and review. Opinions are my own.

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Who blew up the library, and why? This book has plenty of suspense, and some twists. Jackie was amazing as a strong, faith filled MC. She was easy to connect to and the pages flew past. The romance with Avery was just right, and I can't tell you the twists and turns that helped to create the suspense in this story! It's a very addictive read, and my first by this author, that I remember. I hope there will soon be more!

My copy came from NetGalley and First Edition. This review is my own, and contains what I thought about this book. A positive review is never required.

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Some of the politics in this book rubbed me the wrong way. One thing I really couldn’t stand behind was the many mentions of building altars to honor human beings. It’s very clear in the Bible that altars are only to be built in honor of God. Another thing I struggled to understand was the reason for the leading man’s having been divorced. It wasn’t for adultery on either party’s part, so I’m not sure how there were biblical grounds for their divorce. Considering this is a Christian fiction book, I feel that the guidance in the Bible about divorce is applicable. Something else that bothered me was that the leading man cursed a lot (usually under the guise of “he cursed” and similar phrases). Ephesians 4:29 tells us “no foul language is to come from [our] mouth[s].” The use of alcohol in the book seemed overly frequent.

On the positive side, I did find it intriguing that a librarian was the prime suspect for an act of terrorism. That was new and fascinating. I would have liked to see more scenes take place in the library, though. I also enjoyed the fact that there was a Saudi American who was trying to break through stereotypes against people from Saudi Arabia. This was a fun aspect to the story.

The thriller aspect was well written with plenty of good plot twists, so I’m sure other readers will love this book. I wish I could have enjoyed it better, as the premise sounded amazing.

Content: profanity, alcohol, expletives, sexual terms, tobacco, suicide mentioned

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I thought Her Every Move by Kelly Irvin was a pretty good read but I would not expect anything different from her books. I am giving it four and a half stars.

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Classic Kelly Irvin. Dramatic. Mysterious. Explosive. A captivating read. Suspenseful. Romantic. Five stars.

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Any book that Kelly Irvin writes is going to be excellent and that certainly describes this book. This one has some riveting action, and the suspense and tension continually builds throughout the story. I love it when it’s difficult to guess who committed the crime, and this one has a very intriguing storyline. Jackie Santorum is a strong and interesting main character, and her character will draw the reader more deep.y into the book. This book is a great example of the faith-based Christian suspense genre.

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

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I read 3-4 Christian romantic suspense books a week. Usually, I cannot put a book down and stay up late reading. However, I had to make myself finish this one. Although I was surprised by the culprit, the story line for a suspense book, in my opinion, should move at a faster pace. This book gave too much detail on organizing events, i.e. the final big library event. I couldn’t relate to the characters because they were not fleshed out.

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Her Every Move
by Kelly Irvin
Thomas Nelson--FICTION
Thomas Nelson
Christian | Mystery & Thrillers | Romance
Pub Date 09 Feb 2021


I am reviewing a copy of Her Every Move through Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley:



After a deadly bomb goes off at a climate change event that librarian Jackie Santoro was the event coordinator and she quickly becomes the prime suspect. Her motive, according to Detective Avery Wick: to avenge the suicide of her prominent father, who was accused of crimes by a city councilman attending the event.




Despite the fact that Avery has doubts about Jackie’s guilt, he can’t exonerate her even after an extremist group takes responsibility for the bombing and continues to attack San Antonio’s treasured public spaces.




Jackie is doing her best to try to hold her shattered family together.


she has no choice but to proceed with plans for the Caterina Ball, the library system’s biggest annual fundraiser. But she also fears the event provides the perfect opportunity for the bomber to strike again. Despite their mistrust, Jackie and Avery join forces to unmask the truth—before the death toll mounts even higher.



Will Jackie be able to clear her name before more bombs are set off?


I give Her Every Move five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

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Her Every Move by Kelly Irvin is a work of romantic suspense centered around a librarian. Could a librarian be a bomber? Well, she does not have time to dwell on that thought as she continues to plan a library fundraiser. This unlikely mystery is so successful because the author includes a lot of detail that makes the police character sound so realistic. With suspense throughout, you won't be able to put this book down. A must read! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

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"Why do we think life should be fair?"

Set in San Antonio, Texas, Her Every Move by Kelly Irvin skyrockets off the page with an explosion set off by a totally unexpected killer who will not hesitate to strike again and again if demands aren’t met. Assigned to the case, Detective Avery Wick tries desperately to catch the elusive bomber and still remain immune to the charms of Jackie Santoro, librarian and person of interest amidst all the mayhem.

When a bomb explodes at an event at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, Jackie, who helped coordinate the event, barely makes it out alive. Her best friend and four others were not so lucky. The killer calls the media with demands, but that doesn’t stop Jackie from initially making the suspect list. The action detonates in chapter one, propelling the reader into the dark world of murder, horror, and suspicion, relieved only by the physical attraction between Avery and Jackie that reignites and crackles every time their paths cross, which is often. But there is no time for romance when the body count keeps rising, so these two spend most of this electrifying story dancing around their all-too-obvious attraction for each other.

Her Every Move never misses a beat, delivering a sizzling story that rings all too true in today’s world of people toppling over the edge and killing with abandon to retaliate and exact revenge. To balance the hatred and violence, Kelly Irvin weaves in the overarching themes of friendship, family, and forgiveness, with a little romance rounding out the good vibes amidst the grief, anger, and fear. When disaster strikes, family and friends flock together to console and comfort each other; however, some friends and family members are struggling with secrets and hostility, providing even more drama to this already provocative story. The author does an excellent job portraying so many emotions running rampant across each chapter, with strong Christian faith and prayer throughout.

Kelly Irvin knows how to capture the reader’s attention and hold onto it until the very last page. While the writing and plot of Her Every Move are not intricate or complicated, the story is realistic and harrowing because ordinary citizens are scrambling for safety and fearing for their lives as a killer targets large crowds without any remorse for the inevitable collateral damage. How many will be hurt or worse before Avery Wick and other detectives can identify and catch the culprit and keep more bombs from going off in other popular San Antonio locations? Dive into Her Every Move to find out and to discover if dog-lover Avery and cat-lover Jackie will ever see eye to eye and finally do something about their budding infatuation.

"We're all guilty of believing we have plenty of time."

I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.

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Her Every Move started off strong, making sure the reader knew this was a Christian novel from the beginning. I can appreciate the strong foundation and enjoyed the lack of hesitation bringing up both God and prayer in the first two chapters. Faith was blended so well into these characters, being consistently intertwined in everything they did, that it didn't seem awkward or forced. It didn't feel like an afterthought or a hidden agenda, but walked side by side with these characters and felt very natural. So thank you for normalizing religion in a novel and creating such a clean read!

The romance side was filled with a whole bunch of romantic angst that had me rooting for the characters to finally get their acts together and let their walls down. I got all that and a bag of chips. I loved the incorporation of animal lovers and getting to know each pet's personality and the love for books represented throughout. This story was filled with so many little gems!

As for the action and suspense portion of Her Every Move, I thought the plot was explosive (pun intended)! Getting to hear from both a cop and a journalist as the story unfolded was such a fun mix of characters and such a unique perspective. The reader is getting almost opposite thought patterns between the two while there is nonstop suspense with either another phone call coming in or tragedy unfolding.

I would recommend Her Every Move to those that can appreciate a clean read, the romance lovers of the world, and the suspense junkies. This had such a great balance of each that if you don't like one of those elements don't be deterred. There is plenty enough of each individual element that you will have your needs met.

Thank you LoneStar Literary Life for the free review copy!

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Her Every Move by Kelly Irvin proves that, yet again, Irvin knows what she is doing. As always, I enjoyed the story and the characters. I had no idea until the last moment who the bad guy was and I was shocked. The story is about Jackie Santoro, a librarian event planner, and the shocking events that rock San Antonio. When a bomb goes off in an event that Jackie helped plan, the detectives have to look at her. Even though the lead detective, Avery Wick, doesn't really think she could have done it, she does have the means and motive. The event had several people in attendance who were known to be involved in a scandal that her father committed suicide over. As more bombs go off around San Antonio and the town gears up for the large formal fundraiser the library puts on every year, Wick and Santoro must work together to discover what is happening and who is behind it all. Add in some confusing romantic feelings and things just get more interesting. As I said, I had no idea who it would be. All of my guesses were wrong! Love books like that! Thanks to #NetGalley for the chance to enjoy another great book and to #KellyIrivin for doing such a great job. #Bookstagram #all_the_pages

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The title is very well chosen as it clearly represents the story, a dramatic feeling of being watched and followed that captured my attention. It was interesting to follow the dramatic experience of living in a time of many bombs and fear of what is next.

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It feels like the entire city is in upheaval. With a bomber on the loose, Detective Avery Wick is busy but he is also dealing with a dear friend spiraling downward whose child was killed. The friendship between Avery and Theo is being pushed to its limits. Jackie has her own worries as she is trying to keep moving forward after her family was dealt with the devastating blow of her father’s suicide and surrounding rumors of under the table deals. She has the steel thread of her faith trying to tether her as she controls the chaos that has become her life.

This is very much a suspense book with a peek of ‘will they/won’t they’ romance to keep the reader on their toes. The details and descriptions of the carnage that occurs due to the bombs were easy to visualize yet hard to imagine in such a beautiful city. The author did a wonderful job of presenting current day issues and weaving them seamlessly into her story.

As an added bonus, the author has some great discussion questions at the end to enhance your reading experience or to share with your book club.

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Things get personal when Jackie Santoro’s friend is killed in an event, she coordinated at the San Antonio Central Library. What was supposed to be an incredible fun and interesting day turned into a deadly nightmare. Things get crazy when she becomes a personal of interest. They think she might be seeking revenge for the death of her father years ago.

I like how this author weaves a natural spiritual thread through this fast-paced, page turner with honest, flawed characters you can’t help feeling for and with twists and turns This will keep you reading into the wee hours. I enjoyed the fact that the author includes themes of reading fun and that of the libraries. The main character states, “Reading is a gift….it gives me joy, takes me places I’ve never been, and I learn things.”

The author says, “I love libraries and I love books. Growing up I thought I might become a librarian…it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’ve written a novel in which the main character is a strong, capable, and brave librarian.”

I agree. I work at a library too. I am thrilled when I have the chance to introduce patrons to a new author or book that just released and/or help them gather information for a school project.

This book would work well for your book club meeting as there is so much in this novel to discuss.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through 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!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

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From its explosive opening scene to its dramatic climax, Kelly Irvin's Her Every Move is one high-octane read. A ripped-from-the-headlines plot, a well-described familiar setting, a broad array of hot-button issues, and a large diverse cast made this book remarkably current and incredibly realistic.

"Reading is a gift ... Reading gives me joy, takes me places I've never been, and I learn things. What person wouldn't want that gift?"

The San Antonio setting, my former residence and the last city I visited before the world shut down, first attracted me to this book. The heroine Jackie's job as librarian and event planner further solidified my interest. But it was the fast-paced, action-packed, emotional storyline that kept me reading until the end.

The themes of familial love, lifelong friendships, social responsibility, faith amidst adversity, and complicated romance always appeal to me and they're thoroughly explored in this book. Jackie's strength while faced with unjust accusations of doing unspeakable crimes made her a sympathetic heroine. Avery's steadfast performance of his duties despite developing conflicting personal feelings about the prime suspect Jackie and dealing with an unstable possible suspect in his best friend had me rooting for him.

My favorite character, however, is San Antonio itself. The culture, architecture, beauty, and history of this multiethnic city really came alive in the book.

"We're all guilty of believing we have plenty of time."

For the most part, the book engaged my attention except in a couple of aspects. First is the excess of political issues. There's climate change, domestic terrorism, racial profiling, gun control, budgetary constraints, etcetera. It could have been more focused on fewer causes for more impact.

Next is the weakness of the emotional ramifications after the reveal of the villain. There should have been long-term consequences for the people left behind and changes in policies, especially concerning public safety.

Lastly, the romance part needed more attention than it got. Jackie and Avery's initial meeting was especially lacking in establishing their attraction. The ending was good but I wish there was more of the same sweetness in their journey to get their happy-ever-after.

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This was an absorbing Christian romantic suspense. The plot was cleverly crafted and captured me at the very beginning. I am happy to have discovered this author.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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The Santoro family has had scandal and deep grief when Jackie's father got caught in some illegal activities, which ended with him taking his own life. Jackie's brother, Chris, was the one to find him. While these events led to Jackie drawing closer to God, they led Chris and their grandfather away from God.
The grandfather, Daniel, blamed city officials for the death of his son and harbors a lot of anger. Chris, also harbors much anger and now lives with his grandparents and works for his grandfather.
Their grandparents never forgave their their mother for drawing their son away from the family business.
Then, a bomber is targeting San Antonio and it seems the city officials. This puts Jackie and her family as suspects. Jackie lost a close friend in the first bombing, and her mother's best friend in another. Who is behind these threats and bombings? Can they be stopped?
Detective Avery Wick is working the case, and becoming close to Jackie.
Kelly Irvin did a fantastic job describing the events and the emotions of those involved. It was very realistic, and made me feel as though I was there.
The ending came as a surprise to me.
One of my favorite parts was when Jackie was explaining to Avery what books meant to her. “Reading is a gift. I read when I can’t sleep. I read when I’m sad. I read when I’m happy. Reading gives me joy, takes me places I’ve never been, and I learn things. What person wouldn’t want that gift?”
I, also love books, and that sums up perfectly how I feel about reading.
I received a free copy from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts and comments are my own.

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If you’ve never thought a book about a librarian and a library could be told with edge-of-your seat suspense, then you must read Her Every Move! Yeah - I know. If I didn’t read the book, I probably wouldn’t believe it either. But I’m not lying.

The story is set in the city of San Antonio. It even includes scenes at the most historic, sacred and visited location in Texas: the Alamo. The protagonist (or is she the antagonist?) is really a librarian and event planner. There’s an explosion at one of her events. People die, including the police chief. She is immediately identified as a “person of interest” by an alphabet of authorities - SAPD, FBI, ATF, etc. What ensues can only be described as exciting and original.

I’ll get the “bad” out of the way first. The pacing in the first half of the book reminded me of the hurry-up-and-wait routine I experienced in the military. At times it was quick, but then it slowed down. It didn’t seem to have a natural pace.

That all changed around the middle of the book. The pacing became very steady, building to some type of climax, and I literally could not put the book down before finishing the story. That’s the kind of pacing I love to see in a story.

The characters all seem very real. You probably know people very much like them. They have their little quirks, but they are mostly decent folks who have jobs to do. They also have some skeletons in their closets. It’s a funny thing about those skeletons; they can ultimately make a person do unspeakable things that they normally wouldn’t do.

Although the story is written in the third person, I thought the author did a great job of showing and not telling. Much of the story is conveyed through dialogue. That’s a good thing.

Another good thing is the author’s use of description. All the senses are involved, from the acrid smoke following a bomb blast, to the taste of yesterday’s coffee, to the emotion created when being gently touched by someone during a time of crises.

The Christian aspect of this story is nicely entwined in the action. It does not overwhelm the story, but it does help to define some of the characters. I thought it was very genuine and appropriate.

I very much enjoyed this story - especially the second half of it - and I considered the plot very original. (However, what the author did to Alamo Plaza made me grimace!)

If you want to know more, you’ll have to read the story. I highly recommend it!

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