Colleen Coble creates an intriguing story with strong characters and a touch of romance in her standalone book Dark of Night, part of her Annie Pedersen series. The author masterfully weaves enough details from the previous books throughout the plot to allow readers new to the series to become familiar with important details.

Annie Pederson, the female protagonist, deals with the shocking possibility that her sister--kidnapped as a young child--may be alive. At the same time, she juggles the challenge of single parenting while Jon, her dead husband's best friend and the man she loves, attempts to find his place in her life. But Annie's personal and family struggles cannot distract her because a woman's life depends on her.

If you enjoy romantic suspense and clean reading with twists, turns, and surprises, Colleen Coble will not disappoint.

I received a complimentary copy of Dark of Night through the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one was much slower paced than the first one. I still enjoyed it. I love the progression in Annie's story, especially with Jon. Kylie bothered me a bit in this one but she is a kid. The case was crazy and twisty. It was very suspensful. I recommend this!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Thomas Nelson for the gifted e-book ❤️

There’s a reason I read all of Colleen Coble’s books—she is an amazing author! And she continues to be at the top of her game with this one.

Not the best to read at night, both due to subject matter and the simple fact that it’s so gripping, I had to find out what was going to happen next!

A moving read, as well; I particularly appreciated Kylie and Jon’s story arc by the end. Kylie aggravated me for a while, but about halfway through the story something (happily) changed, and I ended up being quite touched by it all.

This is part of a series, and I recommend reading them in order for continuity, avoidance of spoilers, and pure enjoyment. Familiar characters from the Rock Harbor series also make an appearance, yay!

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

“In this second novel of bestselling author Colleen Coble’s latest romantic-suspense series, Annie and Jon must fight for the future—and the family—that could once more be theirs.”

Did y’all know that Christian Romantic Mystery existed?

Me, neither.

I likely won’t be dipping back into the genre anytime soon.

While I liked that multiple mysteries were woven together, and I liked the characters picking through the briars of family dynamics, I found most of the conversations awkward and didactic.

The one at the beginning, where Jon confronts “Sarah” and tells her she has to forget her trauma and pull herself up by her bootstraps?

I also found the faith-based portions abrupt. It’s like the author wrote a secular book, but then went back and added “God gave us perfect weather.” every so often, just to check a few boxes.

There was nothing horribly wrong with this book, it just wasn’t a great introduction to Colleen Coble or her heroine, Annie.

I’ve heard her other books are much better, so I might try another series.

6/10

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC.

This is the second book in the series. But...don't let that stop you if you haven't yet read the first one.
Annie's sister, Sarah was taken twenty plus years ago when she was only five years old. The family eventually came to the realization that they would never see her again this side of Heaven.
Surprisingly, the woman Annie hired to help care for her young daughter, Kylie, confesses that she is Annie. Why, then, did she come disguised to take no chance of being recognized and going by the name, Taylor? Why has she lied and done some not-so-good things? What is Annie supposed to do?
Another twist to the story is that Annie and Jon realize that Jon is Kylie's biological father. Not the deceased man whom Kylie called, 'Daddy,' and loved so very much. Will Kylie ever accept Jon? Even a little?
Annie is helping search for a missing woman, Michelle. Michelle has been in hiding from her abusive husband for a year now. Has he found her?
Very intriguing story with many twists and turns.
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Thomas Nelson through Netgalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

Part of a series:
This is the second book in the series and I think it would be best to have read the prior book and preferably without too much time between them. Even though I'd read the first book, I still had some difficulty recalling what had previously transpired and some of the suspense and intrigue was lost as it was expected that you could remembered all of the facts about the side characters. It really would have been best if this was just one long book rather than breaking it up. Most of the mystery is solved in this book but the final book in the trilogy is yet to come.
Despite the above mentioned shortcomings, it was still an enjoyable and interesting read. I liked Annie and Jon and the way they approached their relationship. There was a light Christian message that I personally would have liked to have seen developed further.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

In Dark Of Night, the second book in the Annie Pederson Novel Series, author Colleen Coble transports the reader back to Rock Harbor, a village on Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, for the latest Park Ranger Annie Pederson investigative adventure.

Annie Pederson is a National Law Enforcement Park Ranger, and also runs her family owned Tremolo Marina and Cabin Resort in Rock Harbor, Michigan. Annie has been dealing with the guilt from the kidnapping of her younger sister Sarah twenty-four years ago, but it gets even more difficult when a woman named Taylor Moore comes to work at the marina and claims that she is really Annie's long lost sister Sarah. And if that isn't enough on Annie's plate, she's also dealing with the possibility that her ex-fiance, Dr. Jon Dustan, an orthopedic doctor, may be her eight year old daughter Kylie's birth father instead of Nate, her deceased husband. Then there is the case of a missing woman, Michelle Fraser, who looks to have been abducted while conducting wilderness studies in the forest, and the danger is around every corner. Can Annie deal with all the personal issues while investigating the missing woman's case, especially when it puts her in dangers way?

Author Colleen Coble weaves a fast-paced and suspenseful tale written in the third person narrative that follows Annie's investigative journey when she teams up with Jon in search of the abducted woman, while also dealing with the personal issues of Annie's missing sister and Kylie's paternity. Annie and Jon's investigation into the abducted woman gets complicated, and it will take a lot of digging and dangerous situations to put the pieces of the puzzle together to get to the truth. The reader will be easily drawn into this multi-layered and complicated romantic suspense tale.

Dark Of Night has enough drama, tension, action, flashbacks and clues from the past, romance, and unexpected twists and turns that kept me thoroughly engaged and guessing what would happen next, it will definitely take the reader on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.

I can't wait to read Annie's next investigative adventure in Break Of Day, the third book in the Annie Pederson Novel Series.


Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book via Net Galley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual boom tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Tours.

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2023/01/dark-of-night-by-colleen-coble-vbt-book.html

I have long been a fan of Ms. Coble's mysteries. She is an expert at drawing in her readers from the very first page with the pace continuing throughout the story. Dark of Night is the second installment in the Annie Pederson series at Rock Harbor. I highly recommend starting with book 1. While there is an individual mystery in each book, there are a couple of others that arc throughout the series.

This book picks up right where book 1 left off. While Annie's life is going through significant changes with an old love interest back in her life, Annie has mysteries to solve both on the home front as well as professionally as a law enforcement officer. Her search for missing hikers, Michelle Fraser's abduction, as well as the return of a woman who claims to be her missing sister all seem unrelated keep her bouncing from one intense scenario to another. Told from several POV, I definitely felt my heart racing when reading Michelle Fraser's story. Coble is a master at building the suspense.

While a couple of mysteries are resolved in this book, there is one that still remains unsolved. I can't wait to see how it resolves in the book 3.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Of course this is a winner of a book - just see who the author is! Colleen Coble's writings guarantee to produce thrills and chills! Annie is a single mother whose husband has died, leaving her to raise her precious daughter. However, she is shocked to learn that actually her former boyfriend is the father, who happened to have run out on her before she even knew she was pregnant. He returns, and this time is determined not to run away. Meanwhile, there are people being hunted and killed, and Annie's job is to stop the killers. The excitement when Annie's own daughter goes missing entices readers stay up into the dark of night themselves to see how this all turns out!
I appreciate being able to read this book, compliments of NetGalley and the publishers. My thoughts are my own.

The story continues…

I enjoyed Edge of Dusk the first book in the Annie Pederson series so I was looking forward to this book. This continues the storyline left hanging in the first book. It brought new information to the table and more trouble. It was enjoyable and a good read. The next book in the series will be out in July.

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

This is a Second Chance Romantic Suspense, and this is the second book in the Annie Pederson series. This book has a ton of different mysteries/dramas going on, and I think that all the side plots/drama/things going on took away from the main storyline. I found myself trying to figure out what was going on several times in this book. I loved the ending, but I did not love the way we got there. This book really needed to have some of the side storylines taken out. I just do not think some of them brought anything to the story. Maybe, I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read the first book in this series before picking up this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Thomas Nelson) or author (Colleen Coble) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Dark of Night
By Colleen Coble
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Series: Annie Pederson Series
Back of the Book: “The law is about justice—not grace. But perhaps ranger Annie Pederson can find a way to have both. As if the last few months haven’t been hard enough—complete with threats on her life and the return of her first love, Jon—Annie has to figure out whether or not to believe a woman who claims to be her sister, Sarah, who was abducted twenty-four years ago at age five. Annie’s eight-year-old daughter, Kylie, has plenty of questions about what’s going on in her mother’s life—but there are some stories Annie doesn’t want uncovered.
As Annie grapples with how to heal the gulf between her and her would-be sister and make room in her daughter’s life for Jon, she’s professionally distracted by the case of yet another missing hiker in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A woman named Michelle Fraser has now been abducted, and though the woman’s estranged husband is at the top of their suspect list, Annie and her colleagues will need to dig deeper to determine whether these recent mysteries are truly as unrelated as they seem.
In this second novel of bestselling author Colleen Coble’s latest romantic-suspense series, Annie and Jon must fight for the future—and the family—that could once more be theirs.”

Impressions: My review is based on the fact that I wanted to read this book without reading the detail that it was part of a series. As I began reading it was clear that this was not a stand alone novel but a story entwined in not only its previous book but in previous series of the author as well. I have not read said books for this to even begin to make sense so it was more headache than anything. This book is the second installment to the Annie Pederson series; the previous book being ‘Edge of Dusk.’ The author shares unsolved cases from previous books of hers in this series which is exciting for faithful readers of Coble. A third book will be coming out in July so I have time to catch up and be read for its release.

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here. For more book reviews go to: https://thebluestockingbooknook.wordpress.com

Dark of Night, by Colleen Cable, is a somewhat
pleasant book.
My major complaint is that there are too many conflicts happening at the same time. The plot shifts, until it comes together, clumsily, at the end.
The plot centers around Annie, a widowed mother, her daughter Kylie, her long lost sister, Sarah and her returning boyfriend Jon.
All the stories and mysteries are interwoven, confusing at times.
Too many characters, too many story lines.
I will give this book 3 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson publishing for this ARC, in return for my honest review.

Picking up right after the events of the previous book, Annie finds herself tested by the revelations of Sarah's identity, and challenged by her daughter Kylie's Celiac's disease, while maneuvering the rekindling of her romance with Jon. Meanwhile a photographer with a troubled past goes missing, with foul pay suspected.

A thrilling, fast paced read, that brings readers back into the thick of it with Jon, Annie, and Kylie. I liked how this book built on the foundation of the previous book, exploring and growing relationships, in this high stakes adventure. I liked seeing Jon and Annie grow in their trust for one another, and how they try to be fair to Taylor despite the unknown. I admired Job's patience with Kylie as he get's to know her.

Overall, a riveting read that was hard to put down. A terrific addition to this amazing series. I'm excited to see how it will end in the final installment!

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

This second suspenseful book in the Annie Pederson series continues Annie and Jon’s second chance romance story started in Edge of Dusk. This book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the books in order. There is a lot going on in this book with multiple storylines; but with her excellent storytelling skills, Ms. Coble has created a cleverly plotted read that kept me captivated from beginning to end. I love the way she ties the storylines together—resolving some issues but leaving some open to hopefully be resolved in the third book. An action-packed plot, compelling characters, a beautiful setting, touching romance, and an encouraging faith thread combine to make an entertaining, satisfying read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

this is another good suspense story in the series. annie and jon are stilll trying to work things out and sarah is still saying that it was annie who let her be taken years ago. they are still looking for the missing woman. this will keep you guessing to the end . this is well written i was given a copy of the book by netgalley but this is an honest review

Wow! This is the second book in the Annie Pearson series and I have to say I'm loving it so much that it's one of my favorite series. I love that there are several sub storylines going and they are easy to follow without becoming confused. In this one we continue the story of Taylor who claims she is Annie's sister Sarah and a missing hiker Michelle has been abducted and her abusive husband is number one on the suspect list. I adore Annie as she has had so much happen in her life and fought some tough demons but she is still courageous, kind and a hell of a Detective. Her daughter Kylie is cute and I feel for her but I wish she would go easier on Jon. This book has it all and there is never a quiet moment, it is a police procedural with a lot of action and heart pounding moments. It is intense with suspense, romance, community and family dynamics. I have come to love the characters and think of them as friends. A binge worthy series that I can't get enough of. Make sure you clear your schedule before starting because you won't be able to put this blockbuster down.

4.5 stars

Whew! Dark of Night by Colleen Coble is an intense ride from beginning to end! Missing hikers, kidnappings, mountain lions, crumbling rock ledges, concussions, broken legs, more kidnappings, surprising DNA results, tense family dynamics… you won’t be able to put it down until you’ve turned the last page. There are also two or three emotion-tugging subplots that I imagine will play a continuing role in the next book.

Dark of Night picks up where Edge of Dusk left off so I highly recommend that you start at the beginning. (You won’t regret it because book one is extremely engrossing as well!) Young widow – and law enforcement ranger – Annie Pederson is still juggling several high-stress family situations, namely the search for answers involving her long-lost sister Sarah’s abduction as a child (which took a dramatic turn at the end of book one) and the animosity that Annie’s 8-year-old daughter Kylie still exhibits toward Annie’s first love, Jon. Coble does a stellar job of continuing to move these two threads toward some resolution by the end of this second book, while also keeping readers on the edge of their seats with the mysteries surrounding a recent spate of missing female hikers.

The story shifts back and forth between Annie’s perspective and that of Michelle Fraser, one of those missing hikers I just mentioned. I really enjoyed getting into Michelle’s head as well and feeling as though we were partners in her battle to survive. It’s not long before Michelle isn’t the only one trying to live to see another day – in fact, that count gets higher as the story progresses … which is why you may need to remind yourself to breathe more than once as you read this one!

Bottom Line: Make sure you’ve cleared your schedule of trivial things such as eating, working or sleeping when you pick up the latest high-stakes novel in the Annie Pederson series. Dark of Night takes readers through a range of emotions – and, likely, blood pressure readings – as Coble skillfully keeps us breathlessly waiting for the next shoe to drop. Annie, Kylie, and Jon are engaging characters you’ll easily cheer for, plus fans of Coble’s previous books will enjoy visiting with familiar faces from Rock Harbor too (though at least one of those familiar faces may break your heart a little in this book). Is it July yet?? I can’t wait for book three!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

I only read 38% of this book and did not finish it. The author has a great style of writing, however the story line wasn’t my favorite and I struggled to stay hooked on the book.
I do hope to read other books by this author, but this one just wasn’t for me.
Opinions expressed in this review are completely my
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson fiction for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Make a Wish is the third book in Helena Hunting’s Spark House Sisters series. This book highlights the youngest sister, Harley Spark. Raised by their grandmother Spark when their parents were lost to an auto accident, the three girls took over the event venue and inn when their grandmother retired a few years back. In that time, they had grown the business, her older sisters, Avery and London, had not only led them forward but they had also married bringing forth all sorts of opportunities and changes, including the franchising of the business under the careful ministrations of London’s husband.

Harley had been feeling a bit lost in the business. She had put her own education on hold to play a role at Spark House, but now there was a whole IT team to lean on. Then her kids birthday parties were phased out since it barely broke even, and she is now floundering. But at the last birthday party held, Harley reconnects with her charge from 8 years ago when she was working as a nanny. Peyton Rhodes is nearly 10 now. She and her widowed father Gavin have recently moved back to Colorado Springs from Boulder. When they made the move to Boulder, Harley lost her position as live in nanny, a position she had held since Peyton’s birth as Peyton’s mother was lost in childbirth.

Reconnecting with Gavin, and Peyton, opens up a lovely story albeit fraught with hurdles. However, learning how to cope with these hurdles leads a quiet Harley to advocate for what she really wants, in business and in life. This is another very good story in this sweet series. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!