Rhonda Starnes does a fantastic job in writing this thriller novel, it had that element that I was hoping for and was engaged with what was happening in this world. The characters had that element that I was looking for and worked in this setting. The concept worked and I thought it was suspenseful and had a great premise.

I've never read a romantic suspense with a travel nurse before so that was new. And I think for possibly the first ever I loved both the romance and suspense part of the story equally.

What a wild ride! Heather and Kayle encountered every worst case scenario you could imagine! It kept me on the edge of my seat, just like a good suspense book should. I didnt want to stop reading to go to sleep!
2 killers on the loose, then 1. A pregnant woman in labor being held hostage? So many twists & turns throughout the entire story. It was great!

Sheriff Heath Dalton stumbles upon two gunmen burying body, and the tables quickly turn leaving Heath without a weapon and killers on his tail. He tries to get help, but ends up stranded in the mountains with nurse, Kayla Eldridge, as they fight the odds together against man and the elements.

Heath and Kayla have plenty of time to get to know each other while fighting for their lives in the wilderness. They bond over their shared situation and faith. They both have to use their wits and think on their feet.

Intense and action packed, with killers always a step behind. It seemed like everything that could go wrong did for a while.

Overall, a fast paced read with a lot going on and plenty of tension throughout. Great ending, and engaging romance!

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

I thought I was just picking up a quick read. I should’ve known better. And y’all, when I say I couldn’t stop? I mean I was dodging imaginary bullets and praying like I was the one running through the woods.

This book felt like survival. Not just physically—but spiritually, too.

There’s nothing peaceful about two killers in the woods and nowhere safe to run. But that’s what pulled me in. The chaos. The urgency. The quiet moments where the characters leaned hard into their faith instead of fear. That’s what stayed with me.

Heath and Kayla felt like people I’d pray for. People I’d root for. People who reminded me that courage sometimes shows up as steady steps through the dark when you're absolutely terrified.

And the lines I highlighted? “Heath was in awe of God’s beauty. Even with evil lurking in the dark, the Light of the world would always be close.” And “Life is a series of mountains and valleys. When we’re traveling in the valley, we must support each other and rely on God to see us through it. And when we’re on the mountaintop, we must remember to be grateful for all of life’s blessings and appreciate those who helped lift us up when we were down.”

Even when the plan unravels, His purpose doesn’t!

The story moved fast, but the truth in it stuck. If you're looking for a story that keeps you flipping pages and pointing your heart back to the One who never loses track of us, this one belongs on your list.

I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher, Harlequin – Love Inspired Suspense, and Net Galley. I am not required to write a positive review nor paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on the writing and story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.

This book will keep on the edge of your seat and turning the pages to see what happens next. It's full of action, suspense and drama.
I loved it and highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy from Harlequin - Romance | Love Inspired Suspense via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

While I have enjoyed other books by this author, this one had enough instances in which one of the characters acted in an illogical manner that it spoiled the story for me a bit. The premise was good: a young woman previously targeted by a serial killer, now running from two killers after she encountered a sheriff who had stumbled upon them while hiking in the Smoky Mountains. The main characters are people that are easy to like. The setting is perfect for the events. This book has a lot going for it. It is true that I read an advanced reader copy provided by Love Inspired Suspense via NetGalley without obligation. Some of the concerns I had were likely reconciled prior to the final draft being published. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Action-Packed

This awesome, action-packed story will keep you guessing and turning pages to find out how it all turns out. Kayla and Heath's story is loaded with what seems to be one roadblock after another. As they try to stay ahead of their pursuers, they have to continually ramp up their game. In the process, their relationship begins to shift. Their story will keep you on your toes and holding your breath to see how it will all turn out.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

Part of an interconnected series with overlapping characters. Can be read as a standalone but probably better if read in order. This is my first book by this author but hopefully not my last.
She's taken a new assignment as a traveling nurse near her brother and his family. Unfortunately it's also near the place that the most traumatic time in her life occurred as well. He's the local sheriff. When he stumbles upon a crime being committed while on vacation things get out of control causing her to be ensnared also. Now they are both running for their lives and praying they can get help in time. How does her brother react when he learns what is happening? Will they be able to stop the suspects before anyone else is hurt? What will this do to her progress towards recovering from the first incident?

(3.5) Love Inspired Suspense always entertain, they provide suspense, mystery along with people and their faith, their lack of faith or their struggling faith. Starting out Smoky Mountain Escape seemed to be a comedy of errors, or if it wasn't for bad luck there would be no luck. Then things started to change bit by bit. This one was a different read for me but had the same premise which I love and as I live close to the Blueridge Parkway and have been to the Smokey Mtns this was a joy. Thank you for the advanced copy. I freely share my honest thoughts and opinions. #SmokyMountainEscape #RhondaStarnes #LoveInspiredSuspense #NetGalley

Smoky Mountain Escape by Rhonda Starnes
Two killers on the loose
and threats around every corner…
Sheriff Heath Dalton accidentally stumbles upon two gunmen trying to hide a body in the Smoky Mountains and barely escapes with his life. And when traveling nurse Kayla Eldridge finds herself stranded in the stormy wilderness with Heath, she now has a target on her back. They must work together to navigate the treacherous terrain and evade the criminals who are tracking their every move. Can they outrun their merciless hunters before they both lose their lives?
This is Sheriff Heath Dalton's story.
This is traveling nurse Kayla Eldridge's story.
Sheriff Heath Dalton wiped the rain out of his eyes, tilted his head and pulled his poncho hood lower, attempting to encourage the rain to run off his hood instead of into his eyes. “You better appreciate what I’m going through for you, little brother,” he muttered under his breath.
His only vacation since he’d taken the office of sheriff two and a half years ago, and Heath had allowed Parker to convince him to go on a solo camping trip and test gear for the adventure camping supply store Parker had opened in Barton Creek.
Kayla Eldridge increased her wiper speed and leaned over the steering wheel to peer at the ominous sky. It seemed the weather wasn’t any happier about her return to the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee than she was. Why had she let Leslie talk her into accepting a one-month traveling nurse position here, of all places? Because you wanted to spend time with your brother and sister-in-law. And your sweet baby nephew. If Sawyer, Bridget and Vincent didn’t live in Barton Creek, Kayla would never return to this part of Tennessee.
I recommend this book.
Smoky Mountain Escape by Rhonda Starnes is a 4 star book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared here in this review are my own.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Rhonda Starnes.
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

What should be an enjoyable day hiking turns into the things of nightmares. Sheriff Heath Dalton encounters two men bent on causing death and destruction, and in doing so, he has put a target on his back, which puts him on the run for his life.

Kayla Eldridge is coming into town for her new job as a traveling nurse when she encounters Heath. Unfortunately their chance meeting has now put a target on Kayla's back as well.

The action was literally non-stop as the two main characters are running through the mountains to evade these two men who want to kill them. Cell service is spotty which presents another dilemma. Adding to all of this drama is the fact that Kayla is deathly afraid of being in the woods due to a traumatic experience in her past. Heath was so incredibly kind to Kayla as he realized she was having to face her fears, whether she wanted to or not.

Heath is a protector and has so much empathy. He treats Kayla with care while not pitying her. Kayla was a survivor, literally. She was much stronger than she gave herself credit for. Her past experience and her strong faith had made her into the woman she is today. The ending showed just exactly the kind of woman Kayla was. I loved it. The action and suspense kept me thoroughly invested in this story. This was romantic suspense at its best.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Smoky Mountain Escape by Rhonda Starnes is an engaging suspense novel. I like that the action started at the beginning. I was drawn into the story, and, for the most part, my attention was held. There were some slow parts here and there. I liked the main characters, especially Heath Dalton. He is a strong, caring, and thoughtful man. I could tell that there was more to Kayla Eldridge’s story. After checking out the author’s other books, I discovered that Kayla was in another book along with a couple of the other characters. I wish the books were listed as a series (it would make them easier to find plus it would allow me to read the books in order which is my preference). I felt for Kayla who fell for the wrong man and suffered for it. I could understand why being in the forest would be difficult for her. The author’s picturesque descriptions allowed me to envision the settings. I like how faith was integrated into the story. Smoky Mountain Escape is a suspenseful story with a hiking holiday, a deceased chap, kinsmen with guns, an accidental car accident, a waterfall shelter, and fighting fear.

An action-packed romantic suspense. Great characters. Love a capable woman. Heartbreaking back story. I am eager to read more by this author. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy. My review is voluntary.

This is one wild ride through the Smoky Mountains. Sheriff Dalton is on his first vacation in years when he encounters dangerous men along the trail. In escaping them he drags Kayla into danger.
Heath and Kayla both have reasons to refrain from losing their hearts, but the dangers they face on the trail changes things for them both.
The suspense and the romance are well balanced. I enjoyed this story.
Thanks to Netgalley and Love Inspired Suspense for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you Rhonda Starnes ( @rhonda_starnes ), Harlequin Books ( @harlequinbooks ),and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read Smoky Mountain Escape early (out April 29, 2025).

Blount County Sheriff Heath Dalton stumbles upon two gunmen burying a body while he’s camping in the Smoky Mountains. As he is escaping, he accidentally causes a car to run into a ditch. Kayla Eldridge is now on the run in the wilderness with Sheriff Dalton, while the gunmen pursue them.

I was originally drawn to this book because of the title. I live near the Smoky Mountains and am a sucker for any book set there. But I was not expecting to be hanging on every word in this book. The suspense was intense and just when I thought the main characters were safe, something else would happen.

As part of the Love Inspired Suspense, you will find this to be a sweet romance, full of mutual respect with a faith centered core.

#SmokyMountainEscape #NetGalley #RhondaStarnes #HarlequinBooks

My heart hurt for Kayla. Before she was trapped on Smoky mountain she did what she could to survive after being the victim of a notorious serial killer. The poor girl had to transition from a television and then a nightlight for protection, while I probably would’ve never left home again The second she stops to help sheriff Heath, she’s plunged into her worse nightmare—well, second only to being Lovelorn’s last victim. Without revealing any twisty turns, I’ll turn my attention to Heath. What a hero! He rock climbed without equipment (obviously he had worse perils, but I just love how he’d do anything to protect Kayla. Great ending.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All words are my own.

4.5 stars

Smoky Mountain Escape drops you right into the action, meeting Sheriff Heath Dalton, who is hiking in a National Park, as he discovers two men burying a body. Things go wrong, and Heath tries flagging down a car on one of the park roads, causing a minor car accident for Kayla Eldridge. His pursuers are nearby, so Heath and Kayla end up fleeing together.
One thing I loved about this book is that while you start with the chasing and the running in the forest, the story transitions into town and a longer game of pursuit.
This was a clean suspense story, with strong characters and a sweet romance.

I found the first 1/3 or more of the book to be a bit of a slog fest to get through. Why? Well, this may just be a cultural thing, but I found a lot of the actions of the sheriff to be highly questionable. If you can suspend your disbelief of the amount of poor choices the Sheriff makes in the first third of the book, you’ll probably get along fine on this one. Because I found that once Heath and Kayla are out of the woods, things became a lot more reasonable and I really started to enjoy reading about them.

Heath, the sheriff, does confess to Kayla that he IS sorry for a few of those moves, such as jumping in front of her vehicle, but it’s only maybe half of them. As a person with a friend in law enforcement who agreed some of those things were reckless and against better judgement for someone in law enforcement and then tacked on a “but things are different down south." I still don’t understand some of his logic, but for the sake of figuring out the rest of the story I did my best to ignore these poor choices. I dunno, I just couldn’t get over the decisions these people were making. When the civilian is asking you if you’re sure it’s a good idea, it’s probably time to take a second and reevaluate your plan, because Kayla did ask him that exact question.

That aside, once the two of them are out of the bush, the story completely changes and I was riveted. I may have finished the last half in an afternoon! I actually wish the second half was longer and the first half was shorter.

For the Christian part of this romance, I thought the religious aspect of the book was very well done. It doesn't feel forced or preachy at all. It just feels like two Christian people living their lives by their moral and religious values. They pray and plead to God in a way that I full heartedly believe would be natural to some people. The author does a great job showing Christian values to the reader through the actions and thoughts of her characters without any of it coming off a preachy monologue smacking you over the head, which I have unfortunately experienced through other authors.

As usual there is a whirlwind romance experience, but I 100% respect the author for deciding to keep to reality and have her two characters date, despite their love confession to each other after a week of knowing each other. Thank you Rhonda Starnes for not falling into the rushed marriage trap that seems to plague a lot of Christian suspense romances!

All in all I thought this book was decent enough. It might not be for everyone and people from other countries may struggle to follow Heath's thought process and actions while in the bush.

It's been awhile since I've read a Love Inspired Suspense book, but I enjoyed this book immensely & it reminded me how much I enjoy this line of books!

The book was well written, believable, fast paced & kept me engaged & reading until the end! I enjoyed the characters, the plot, setting, how it ended, etc. I definitely look forward to reading more books by this author.

I received this book as an ARC read. All opinions are my own.