Hello,

This review was posted on Goodreads in a timely manner, but for some reason (sorry) not sent via NetGalley in a timely manner. I was going through my open titles and found this one...apologies!

Laura

Hate to love, military man, forced proximity? Love it! There is danger, mystery, and good banter to keep the story moving. Honestly, this was an enjoyable read! It was a little slow for my taste. Perhaps it would have been even better if it was more to the point. It felt like there was some unnecessary information that took up pages at a time. It threw the pacing off for me. However, this was a good story! I always enjoy Julie Garwood-her stories seem to strike a good balance of action and romance.

Hi, thank you for the opportunity to read and review. Unfortunately after trying quite a few times, over the last year, this will be a DNF for me.

I'm a huge Garwood fan and this is one of my favorite series by her, or at least was. However, Grace Under Fire has left me bored and shaking my head. Due to it being ridiculous and poorly written.

I don't know if it's the third person POV or her writing has just changed. Either way, this is definitely not the Julie Garwood I grew up devouring.

I'm not sure I'll continue with anything new. Think I'll stick to her oldies but goodies.

I have read Julie Garwood books in the past but haven’t read anything from her for quite a while, so when PJ asked me if I’d like to reacquaint myself with this author and to write a review, I readily agreed.

Grace Under Fire is a contemporary romance between Isabel Mackenna and Michael Buchanan that is summed up in one word- fun. It was fun to watch these two characters connect despite their best efforts to keep away from each other. It was also fun to vicariously enjoy the sometimes bigger-than-life scenarios that these two experience.

The characters in this light-hearted romance (with a dash of mystery) are engaging, as are their plentiful cast of supporting characters-whose backstories suggest that there are previously released books that tell their stories.

If you enjoy a light, entertaining story that may leave you wanting more, then Grace Under Fire should be part of your summer reading list- Enjoy!

~Review by Kitty for The Romance Dish Blog

ARC received for fair and unbiased review

I love Julie Garwood and I truly wish she’d write more historicals. HOWEVER—her contemp is fun and this one had me laughing out loud. The heroine was so whimsical and hilarious and it was easy to root for her!

This was my first Julie Garwood. This wasn't my favorite HR of the year, but it certainly got the job done.

I absolutely loved all the history and the slices of life we see with all the couples that have come before. I really enjoyed it. I had trouble connecting with Isabel because she seemed conflicted and emotional one minute, and non-emotional the next. The plot was also very complex.

Julie Garwood is one of those authors that you can pick up and you just know this is her book. Grace Under Fire still has the tone and writing quality that I've expected from Mrs. Garwood since I started reading her over 20 years ago.

Grace Under Fire opens with one of my favorite lines...Isabel MacKenna had a hundred things to do today. Killing someone wasn't one of them. I loved this story and I loved that we got to see the Buchanan's again. The story was fantastic and I can't wait of the next book to come out.

Julie Garwood is a queen of romance and this series has been a favourite for YEARS. It was a bit long, but it wasn't too hard to get over. Not my favourite of the series but this one was still good.

"Isabel MacKenna had a hundred things to do today. Killing someone wasn't one of them." One of the best openers I've ever read, this book pulled me in and kept me reading. Lots of suspense, mystery, and romance made this a great read. Highly recommended.

Julie Garwood is one of my favorite romance authors. I was excited to see she had a new book out. Unfortunately, this book was just meh.

Grace under Fire is the latest romantic suspense release by the talented Julie Garwood. I really enjoyed reading Isabel and Michael’s story. Their story is the latest in the Buchanan/FBI series. I have been waiting years for this book and I wasn’t disappointed. Isabel had me laughing a lot throughout the course of the book, especially in regards to her terrifying driving ability, that struck fear into all the tough Buchanan men. I did find it a little bit interesting that a man like Michael having been a Navy Seal and getting ready to be an FBI agent would sometimes jump to conclusions in his personal life, but it did make the story more entertaining. This story is about Isabel stumbling across a seriously wounded man and ends up killing a man in order to protect herself and the injured man. Long story short someone wants her dead and why do you ask, because of some land that her uncle willed to her. Will Michael and Isabel find out who wants her dead before it is too late? I recommend that you read Grace Under Fire to find out.

What could have been better?
The characters felt pretty simple, not deep and just stereotype predictable personalities.

It was also a lot of telling instead of showing

What I liked?
The writing was fast paced and to the point.

The story kept me interested with the premise and some of the mystery/action going on. I kept turning the page and couldn’t stop, honestly!

There was a damsel in distress with a knight in shining armor vibe which I can get behind, I love an alphahole.

This book was one that I got through quickly, definitely a palate cleanser kind of read.

If you like hallmark and lifetime movies? This is both of those melded into one!

I would classify this as a guilty pleasure read. I couldn’t put it down mostly for the drama and would definitely read another by this author.

Grace Under Fire is a good mix of romance, mystery, and suspense. It's the fourteenth book in the series. I plan to go back and read the others.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in return for this honest review.

Grace under fire is the 14th novel in the Buchanan-Renard series. I had not read any books by Julie Garwood before reading this one and I am going to have to go back to the beginning and read the rest of the series.

When Isabel’s mother died she made Isabel promise to get a degree in a profession that she could count on and not rely on the singing and songwriting career she longed to pursue. As promised, Isabel does not sing until college is over and she is having a last night out with her friends. Everyone is awed when she sings at the end of the night and a video of her song ends up online.

The next day she leaves for Boston to attend an anniversary party for her sister’s in-laws and then on to Scotland to look at the land she has inherited to decide if she wants to sell. Isabel’s simple plans are derailed when on a walk she hears a shot and a man stumbles around the corner knocking her down. Isabel ends up killing the shooter that follows him around the corner and then the real story begins.

Grace under Fire is part romance, part mystery/suspense. It keeps up a nice pace for the reader and I like that Isabel does not think she has to do everything herself, even when things get tough, but relies on others if she needs assistance.

Reading this book (Number 14 in the series) made me want to go back to the first book and re-read them all again. Julie Garwood has been a favorite of mine since I was a teenager. Her books are always well developed, and a delight to read and this was no different.

Julie Garwood has been one of my favorite authors ever since I was about sixteen years old and picked up Rebellious Desire. The Lions Lady and Ransom rank as two of my all time favorite stories that I love to read over and over again. My copies are tattered and worn with the covers falling off they are so well loved. Which is why it hurts me so much that I simply could not finish Grace Under Fire. I never imagined that a book written by an author that I’ve adored for so long could be one that wouldn’t hold my attention, but that was the case with this book. And it didn’t take me much contemplation to figure out why.

Back when I was a fresh-faced, innocent young reader quickly devouring historical romance novels, I loved to read about the fresh-faced, innocent young heroines who captured the attention of a strong, dominant man who would could protect them and keep them safe. The heroine’s attempts at self sufficiency always were well meaning, but they would fall short and the hero needed to swoop in and rescue them from ridiculous situations of their own making.

As I got older, I still loved the strong hero but I guess that a part of me wanted to read about women that were strong too. I wanted to see women that weren’t cluelessly bumbling along in their own attempts at independence and were just endearingly cute things to protect. I wanted romance that seemed grounded in reality, not a campy farce. My expectations changed. The author’s writing did not. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Julie Garwood has a wildly successful career that has spanned decades and has created stories and characters that readers, including myself, love and cherish. But for me, the older I get, I’m finding that the characters who have not evolved are getting harder to read.

In Grace Under Fire, Michael is an overachiever. As an attorney and Navy SEAL and not yet in his 30s, he’s a strong, intelligent man, and I have to wonder what would attract and keep his interest in a woman who is portrayed like Isabel. She is an innocent college graduate returning to her brother-in-law’s family estate, and she’s an odd duck. She composes songs in her head and becomes so distracted that she is able to walk for miles to a strange part of town without realizing where she is. She’s a menace on the road, oblivious to her surroundings, and yet somehow a crack shot with a gun. Her internal monologue is stilted and naïve and it made me truly wonder how she survived as long as she did.

At one point in my journey as a reader, I think I would have devoured this story, happy to see friends and characters I haven’t seen in a while. But as I’ve matured and grown my tastes as a reader have changed as well. When I read historical romances, I loved the formal conversations and details of every dress and waistcoat worn. Now, I found the dialogue didn’t reflect how people truly spoke, and I cared less about the intricacies of the torn jacket Isabel was wearing and more about the intellectual challenge she presented to Michael. I so wish I would have been more gripped by this book enough to want to complete it. But just like Isabel, my mind wandered too much while I was reading to force myself to complete the story.

Let Me start by saying I have loved this series since the first one came out what, 10 years ago? I've followed along with each book since then, compelled to keep reading about the large, ever-growing Buchanan family.

This book was just...meh.

Maybe it was our heroine. I wanted to love Isabel McKenna. I wanted to want her to be happy and fall in love etc etc.
I wanted to read the chemistry between her and Michael.
I wanted to solve the mystery.

But I found that I just didn't care and that made me sad.

Don't get me wrong, the writing was great, everything we expect from Julie Garwood. But in the end, this was just ok.

What can I say, I have loved this series from the very beginning and we are finally at book #14 with the Buchanan clan. This story is fast paced and an easy read for those who have followed the series. If this is the first book you’ve picked up, it would be a little difficult for you to follow at the beginning.

Julie Garwood has always been one of my favorite authors. The Buchanan series has had me gripped since the very beginning. Garwood’ s writing flows with such seemingly ease that you never want the stories to end.

Thank you to #netgalley and #berkleypublishing for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

#graceunderfire #buchananseries, #juliegarwood

I have enjoyed Julia Garwood's books before, but this one did not work for me - primarily because the main character Isabel McKenna. By the end of the book, she seemed ridiculous to me, but in the beginning she alternated between being childish, irresponsible, but also endowed with freakishly amazing musical talents and people skills, Of course the people skills involved her keeping her mouth shut and nodding. Naturally, she looks like a Greek Goddess. But disturbingly her family lets her drive, despite the fact that she is a danger to herself and others. One of the central tensions of this book was whether or not she was going to commit vehicular manslaughter before the end. Of course, given her esconscement amongst the rich and powerful, I am sure she would get off with a slap on the wrist.

Michael was a character that I didn't feel like I got to know very well, aside from his career trajectory and his attraction to Isabel. The third person voice in this novel is omniscient, flipping between Isabel and Michael sometimes in the same paragraph. But despite this, I never got a good sense of who he was.