Quite a wild ride, right from the beginning! Not really something I would have imagined, either. Some of the adventures are a bit unbelievable, but overall, it's a good story with real characters.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book! All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Fire Mountain is book one in the Elements of Danger series by Dana Mentink. This book is explosive (sorry for the pun) right from the very first page. Our main character, Kit Garrido, is a truck driver who crashed her truck on a volcano that is about to explode. Kit awakens to a mystery man, Cullen, trying to help her. Oh, and she has a baby in her truck, but has no idea whose baby this is. If the volcano about to erupt and a mysterious baby isn’t enough of a mess for Cullen and Kit, they are being chased down by a band of bad guys that will stop at nothing to track them down.

This is a very edge of your seat kind of book! Archie was my favorite character, but I’m biased. Archie is a Marine, and I’m married to a Marine. He’s very likable! This was a great book that will keep you guessing at every turn. However, it’s very insta-love with our main characters. Nothing more than kissing as far as intimacy goes. This is a Christian book, so we see faith elements woven throughout the novel. We really see Cullen lean into his faith as he tries to lead Kit and the mastery baby, lovingly nicknamed ‘Tot’, out of danger and off the mountain. We see both characters grow and change, and their hearts turn as the book progresses.

There is talk of trafficking and murder in this book. This may not be suitable for teen readers, so use discretion.

Thank you to @bethanyhousefiction for sending me this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own, and a positive review is not required.

So good. What a unique plot line. I loved every minute of this story. The characters were well developed and very relatable. I quickly fell into the story and couldn’t drag myself out. I didn’t want to stop reading. The characters depended on God throughout each literal roadblock thrown at them as they tried to escape both an erupting volcano and men that would murder them if they got to them first. I highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait to read more of this series.

**I received a copy of this book as part of the CelebrateLit blog team. I was not required to write a positive review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! This is one action-packed adventure from the get go. As Mount Ember is about to blow, two strangers are brought together to protect a baby and get themselves to safety, stay alive, and avoid some bad guys. Cullen sees Kit's semi rig go off the road from his house and goes to help her but a bump on her head keeps her from remembering what happened, including how a baby got in her rig. This has great characters, whose banter is fun to hear, as they work through lots of danger and perils. Romance and faith round this out for a great read.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.

Dana Mentink is a new to me author and I like the writing. This story was intense from the very first page! If you like action, edge of your seat trouble, this story is for you.
I will say, the start of the romance between Cullen Landry and Kit Garrido seemed a bit contrived to me - like it needed to be thrown in - so here it is. But I didn't feel that way the more the story developed. Beyond the first indication of interest things seemed to progress more naturally. Of course life-is-on-the-line drama often sends characters down faster emotional paths.
I really enjoyed the one liners and quirky descriptions this author threw in throughout the story. I often chuckled at the way things were described because her words were so aptly chosen. Here are two: "... this slender woman with a truck-sized helping of grit and grace." and "The moment popped like a soap bubble against an unforgiving thorn."
Well done, Dana Mentink!
Thank you to NetGalley and Revell for the opportunity to explore this story. All opinions are my own.

Fire Mountain by Dana Mentink will give readers quite the intense ride as they race with Kit and Cullen to outrun an erupting volcano as well as murderous men. I found it very interesting that one of the main characters was a very independent woman truck driver--new-to-me profession for a heroine. I enjoyed how Kit and Cullen responded back and forth with each other and with an abandoned baby they named Tater Tot. This edge-of-the-seat read needs to be on readers who love suspense stories with a bit of romance reading list! What a page-turner. I read a complimentary copy of the book through NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are my own.

Another amazing story by Dana Mentink. She is such a gifted writer that I always enjoy her books. She writes with such intensity and depth that it holds your interest from start to finish. You will definitely want to read this one and I look forward to the next book in her series.

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

Fast paced, nonstop action is a trademark of this authors writing.

Packed full of danger, racing against the clock of Mother Mature, killers and the unexplained presence of an infant. Lives are on the line and every second counts.


Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy of this book.

Riveting, run-for-your-life romantic suspense!

FIRE MOUNTAIN is the first book in veteran author Dana Mentink’s new "Elements of Danger" Christian suspense series, and boy, does it deliver on the suspense! I think my heart was in my throat from its chaotic opening to the last page.

Commercial trucker Kit Garrido comes to in the crumpled cab of her eighteen-wheeler with a stranger trying to rouse her and get her moving with no memory of how she’s ended up in such a muddled state. She’s even more confused when they find two bullet holes in the windshield, a small bloody handprint on the passenger side window, and hear the cry of a baby coming from the truck’s sleeper compartment. Her truck has obviously plunged off the side of a road, a road she has no reason to be on, especially since it runs through the evacuation zone of nearby Mount Ember, which is in the throes of a massive eruption, and she doesn’t have a baby. Now, an SUV is approaching her crash site with its lights off, not acting anything like rescuers, and more likely to be the source of the bullet holes.

Kit and Cullen Landry, a former cop and actual rescuer, prove to be a formidable pair: smart, resilient, and determined to save the infant they’ve named Tot while getting themselves out alive. Fundamentally, they are a good match, and as they struggle to survive, they get to know one another on entirely different levels. As their trust develops, they begin to break down the walls in their lives that keep them from fully living. Cullen gets closer and closer to letting go of the guilt he harbors over his past, and Mount Ember gets closer to its big eruption. As Kit and Cullen fight to overcome a myriad of obstacles in their path, I couldn’t help but become completely immersed in the story.

The story moves so quickly that I got a good idea of the confusion and chaos the characters were experiencing. The suspense was heart-pounding, and I had a hard time putting the book down as challenge after challenge and plot twists pummeled the couple. It was definitely a thrilling story.

She finds herself in a mountain of trouble and no memory of how she got there. If the race against the natural disaster boiling to the surface isn't enough they have to avoid the flying bullets.
A missing mom,
Two men desperately trying to get back what was taken from them.
A mystery man on a bike
A retired marine grandfather
A former cop struggling with forgiveness
A trucker with trust issues
A baby named Tot.
A mountain getting ready to blow
Who will survive? How did they find themselves in this mess?
What will be left in the end?

I received a free copy of Fire Mountain, by Dana Mentink, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I DNFed this one pretty quick. It's not for me, but it may be for other people who like this sort of thing. What I didn't care for was the 1950's old west TV show tone and the frequent cliches and colloquialisms. The main male character also prayed to God a LOT. While this story wasn't for me, the writing was otherwise clean, and the story was fast paced. If you're someone who still loves watching old episodes of Bonanza, then you'll probably enjoy this one.

Smoke. Silence. A crying child. And a woman who can’t remember why her rig crashed or why someone wants her dead. But whatever happened … it wasn’t over … yet.

Fire Mountain erupts with danger, with questions, with faith that’s gritty and bruised. Kit doesn’t know how she ended up in a mangled truck cab holding a stranger’s baby, but she knows she needs help. Cullen doesn’t want to get involved, but God stepped in right as everything was ready to erupt.

The tension pulled me in. Yet it was the quiet persistence of faith, unanswered, unshaken, that stays with me.

“Even if Cullen couldn’t see a way out, God could. And that really was the only reason Cullen could face each day …” There’s something powerful about a character who keeps moving forward with nothing but trust in the One true God.

“This moment, these days, his life, would be over when God said so. Not a moment before.” Every detail matters … the bloodied windshield, the missing memory, the strangers with guns. But the stillness between the chaos? That’s where the truth sits. That’s where we feel it most.

“There’s your plan, and God’s plan, and yours doesn’t count.” Wow! Let that sink in!

This story held tension and tenderness. Fear and flickers of hope. A baby nicknamed “Tot,” and a cast of unforgettable characters including Archie, the gruff, filter-free force of comic relief and unexpected Godly wisdom!

And through it all, one line pulsed over and over with divine truth: “I’ve seen God do plenty of miracles, so why not another one here and now?”

That’s what Fire Mountain is really about. Faith in the middle of smoke. Hope in the middle of heat.

Fire falls. Smoke blinds. Fear hunts. But God? He’s still right there in the middle of it all.

I received a digital version of this book from the publisher, NetGalley, and Celebrate Lit Publicity Group. 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 writing and story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.

Wow! This book was an absolute page turner! This is my first book by Dana Mentink & definitely won’t be my last. It was a thrilling adventure as two strangers & a baby try to survive being hunted by killers on a volcanic mountain getting ready to erupt. Filled with nonstop action, adventure, romance, & tender moments of faith, this story kept me quickly turning the pages.

Spunky, determined Kit Garrido wakes up to a splitting headache, loss of memory, & crashed rig. When she’s found by former cop Cullen Landry, he discovers she’s not alone. Inside her cab is a baby whom Kit can’t remember, or how she came to be in her rig. Cullen also notices a bullet hole in the window with a bloody handprint, & $10,000 in cash inside the baby’s bag. Though Kit refuses to leave her wrecked rig, a volcanic eruption is imminent & when two men with guns come after them, they’re forced to flee. But, can they survive an erupting volcano & the men out to get them?

This story was intense! I’ve been to Mount St. Helens near where this story supposedly takes place & there’s still such an eerie feeling there. I could easily picture the suspenseful scenes as Kit & Cullen with the sweet baby they nickname “Tot” are running for their lives.

Kit’s understandably grumpy at first & doesn’t trust easily after her painful past. But, little by little, she realizes she desperately needs Cullen, crusty yet endearing former marine Archie, & the sweet little girl who captures her heart.

Cullen’s suspicious of Kit at first, but refuses to leave her & is willing to protect her & Tot at all costs. He has his own past sorrows he’s trying to overcome & both he & Kit need to find forgiveness for themselves & others. As they’re put through one suspenseful situation after another, they learn to rely on each other & God. I loved their forced proximity, slow burn romance.

Highly recommend this fast-paced, edge of your seat romantic suspense! Looking forward to the next book in the series. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are my own & provided voluntarily.

Wow, this book is action packed from beginning to end. There is constant suspense since the story takes place in the shadow of a very active volcano. The drama is mostly humans against exploding nature but Mentink added a few human villains from time to time. Just when it seems like Kit and Cullen are in the clear, there is a twist and near disaster strikes again. It was interesting to see how the duo managed to escape one potential threat only to be faced with another. In that sense the novel might have been a bit repetitive but it sure made for exciting reading.

We Washingtonians will never forget that Sunday morning when St. Helens blew. I was far enough away to not be in danger and could not imagine what it must have been like for those near the blast. Mentink brings it all to reality. Her description of the moving mud, rocks, trees and then lava was chilling.

Mentink has added a slow moving possible romance and an element of faith. The references to human trafficking were heartbreaking. There are also themes of forgiveness and reconciliation. I recommend this inspirational romantic suspense with a unique setting.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Fire Mountain by Dana Mentink is the first book in the Elements of Danger series. This is a fast paced, high energy, Christian suspenseful story that is filled with danger, action and mystery. It is very well written and grabbed my attention right from the beginning and held it to the very end and left me hoping for another in the series. Cullen, a former cop, witnesses a semi crash and finds the owner, Kit, with no recent memory and a baby she doesn’t know. Together the two try to outrun the pending volcano and find themselves also running from dangerous men.

This such a good story. The characters are caring people that are easy to like. The action is filled with many twists and turns. I enjoyed how quickly the different characters made caring for the infant a top priority. I also enjoyed how caring Cullen is toward Kit and the baby. He is quick to put himself in danger to help others. I appreciate how helpful he is to Kit in her struggles with her faith and forgiveness.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I loved it. It won't be my last. It's exciting, scary and dangerous. It was interesting reading about an event that took place in my lifetime but from an insider's perspective. If running from volcanic explosions isn't enough, Kit also has to deal with waking up in her crashed rig with bullet holes, bloody handprints and a baby in the back.

I loved Kit's grit and her determination to do the next best thing. I also liked Cullen and Archie. As I watched them figure out what they needed to do to survive, it made me wonder what I would do in those situations.

There's also wisdom like this, "There's your plan, and God's plan, and yours doesn't count" (location 1021). Good reminder to hold things loosely and trust God's plan even and especially in times of trials.

Thank you to Revell for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The title of this book caught my attention and the cover too. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but who could go wrong with a title that would indicate a mountain on fire? I really enjoyed this read.
Kit Garrido owns her own trucking business and was minding her own business when she picks up a hitchhiker, unbeknownst to her she picked up more than just a hitchhiker. There’s a crash. There’s a stronger knocking on her window. There’s an unexpected surprise in the back of her cab, and there is Mount Ember erupting all around them.
Little did she know what was in store for her.
The handsome stranger Cullen. She surely wasn’t expecting him. I liked the character of Cullen. He comes across as a strong fellow, one who is determined to help others which is the main reason he returned to the town Mount Ember was set on destroying.
Wait until you read about the surprise in the back of the truck’s cab.
There are also a couple of bad guys in this tale, not caring about Mount Ember and her temper.
What I really liked about this story is that it took me back to my own recollections of when Mt. St. Helens erupted during my childhood. At the time, I didn’t think much of the destruction that took place around that area. I was too young to give it much thought. So, to read this tale of Mount Ember and the author’s descriptions of the utter destruction, the telling of the trees, rocks, dirt, and whatever other debris cascading down a mountain to take out anything in its path really painted a picture in my own mind of what things were like. To read about Kit and Cullen’s escape maneuvers was also quite interesting, what they did to survive, how they clung to each other and their faith. I liked that this was a true story showing and not telling what was happening all around Mount Ember and her temper.

If you like run-for-your-life suspense stories, you will want to read Fire Mountain by Dana Mentink. This is one of the fastest-paced suspense novels I’ve ever read. There is danger and action from page one. Kit Garrido wakes up from a truck crash to find a mystery man, a baby, a volcano ready to explode, and oh yeah, let’s just throw in a gunman hunting them all. To top it off, Kit has no idea what happened or where the baby came from. Cullen Landry saw the wreck and steps in to help, but they have to get off the mountain. Danger is everywhere.

I loved this story! Despite the fast-paced, I was able to relate to the characters and thought the author did a great job of throwing two strangers together to fight for their lives, while keeping them real and vulnerable. It’s a great mystery, disaster story, and suspense story all rolled up into one action-packed novel. Definitely move this book up on your TBR list this summer.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

A suspense with an eruption pushing the main characters into danger. It was intense and there were a lot of questions but it had a nice Happy ending.

Definitely will read more by this author.

An action packed suspense with a volcano explosion, an FMC trucker who was in an accident and sustains a head injury causing amnesia, a former cop and a baby they are trying to keep safe the danger seems never ending.

Makes you want to hold your breathe at the edge of your seat during certain parts.

I have read the odd book by Dana before but will have to start reading more by her now.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author and NetGalley. The review expressed here is my honest opinion.