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.

This suspenseful novel drew me in, and the fast pace kept my attention from the start! While on a backpacking trip, Sheriff Health Dalton stumbles upon two men burying a body. When he tries to intervene, things go wrong, and he barely escapes. Flagging down the next available vehicle for help results in an accident and the driver, nurse Kayle Enbridge, suddenly finds herself caught in the crosshairs along with Heath. As the two work to get out of the woods and get help, tension and harrowing circumstances ensue. Although they reach safety, one criminal is still on the run and returns to wreak havoc. Can Heath and his officers apprehend the suspect before it's too late?

I chose to read this book because of the beautiful animal on the cover, never having read romantic suspense before. It looks so dramatic! And I enjoyed the story. Very different from the contemporary romance books I normally read. This story is a sweet, slow romance that takes place amid kidnapping and pursuit of escaped murderers. There is a lot at stake for Heath and Kayla, and there is a lot of suspense. I can see why people enjoy reading books like this. Through this story, Kayla overcomes trauma from her past and realizes that she is brave and worthy of love.

I liked these characters a lot. Heath is the Sheriff of this small community in the TN mountains, just across from the NC border. Kayla, a travel nurse, arrives to the area for a short, temporary assignment at a local medical clinic. Just as she is driving thru the mountains into town, she finds herself a part of Heath’s pursuit of two murderers, making her a target and putting her life at risk. As the story progresses, Heath and Kayla grow to know one another and fall in love in the most stressful of circumstances. Kayla’s family and Heath’s friends-all already living in this community-are very supportive and I loved them all instantly.

The setting is wonderful. I love this area of the NC/TN mountains, and I love hiking. It was fun for me to visualize the terrain and feel the atmosphere of the Great Smoky Mountains as Heath and Kayla trekked thru the mountain forest to safety.

My quibble with this book is that it became clear early on that there was more to Kayla’s story. As I researched, I found that she has a major role in a previous suspense story by this author, and her experiences in that story directly affect her in this story. As more characters were introduced, it also seemed like there was more to their stories, and further research proved that many of them are featured in at least three previous books. Only, I don’t see where these connected books are labeled as such or numbered in a series. I most enjoy reading when I’m able to collect the stories from the beginning, in the order they were written. In choosing this one on NetGalley and checking Goodreads and peeking at the details on Amazon, I really thought this was a standalone story. If I had known there were so many connections to previous books, I would have started with the earlier books and progressed in order. Readers that don’t care as much about this won’t care about it here. But series/standalone status is something I always research before choosing what I read, so I wanted to mention it.

Either way, I feel invested in the lives of all of these characters now, so I may go back and try to read the prior books in order.

Smoky Mountain Escape by Rhonda Starnes. Sheriff Heath Dalton runs into two killers who are burying a body while hiking in the woods. Being shot at, he runs into the road flagging down a vehicle driving by traveling nurse Kayla Eldridge, causing her to crash. Now they are in the run. I really enjoyed this story full of suspense and Faith. Kayla is so resilient even after already almost being killed by her serial killer finance and now chased by 2 killers. Thank you to #NetGalley and #Harlequin-Romance god this Arc. This is my honest review.

Sheriff Heath Dalton is hiking back to his truck when he runs into two killers burying a body. When he confronts them, he is shot and loses his weapon. When running from the killers he jumps in front of traveling nurse Kayla Eldridge car. She wreaks her car and now the two are on foot in the Smokey Mountains trying to evade the killers. Kayla knows who Heath is and he knows she is the sister of a friend who is former FBI. Kayla is having a really hard time since a few years ago her fiancé took her into the mountains and tied her up with a bomb attached. This is a faith-based story and the author has done a great job with the suspense theme in the book.

At first I thought this book would be completely about hiking to safety while evading the bad guys. But it changed directions about 1/3 of the way through.
We were introduced to new characters and the plot became deeper. Heath and Kayla's interactions continued all the way through the danger.
So many of the characters had well thought out back stories that added to my interest--that was being held by the suspense. Kayla has the most involved character arc, since we meet her and she's suffering greatly from PTSD, doubting herself, and having been inclined to isolate herself.
I liked this book.

I received an e-copy of this book from its publisher and NetGalley. These are my honest opinions in this review.