Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock {A Book Review}

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thought are 100% my own. 

A gripping new novel from New York Times bestselling suspense author Terri Blackstock.

One father was murdered. Another was convicted of his death. All because their children fell in love.

Nate Beckett has spent his life fighting wildfires instead of the lies and rumors that drove him from his Colorado hometown. His mother begs him to come back now that his father has been released from prison, but it isn’t until he’s sidelined by an injury that he’s forced to return and face his past. But that means facing Brenna too.

Fourteen years ago, Nate was in love with the preacher’s daughter. When Pastor Strickland discovered Brenna defied him to sneak out with Nate, the fight between Strickland and Nate’s drunken dad was loud—and very public. Strickland was found murdered later that night, and everyone accused Roy Beckett. When the church burned down not long after, people assumed Nate set the fire to get even for his father’s conviction. He let the rumors fly and left town without looking back.

Brenna is stunned to learn that the man convicted of murdering her father has been pardoned. The events of that night set her life on a bad course, and now she’s fighting a brutal custody battle with her ex and his new wife where he’s using lies and his family’s money to sway the judge. Brenna is barely hanging on, and she’s turned to alcohol to cope. Shame and fear consume her.

As Nate and Brenna deal with the present—including new information about that fateful night and a wildfire that’s threatening their town—the past keeps igniting. Nate is the steady force Brenna has so desperately needed. But she’ll have to learn to trust him again first.

Terri Blackstock has sold over seven million books worldwide and is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author. She is the award-winning author of Intervention, Vicious Cycle, and Downfall, as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, and the Restoration Series. Visit her website at www.terriblackstock.com; Facebook: tblackstock; Twitter: @terriblackstock.

Terri Blackstock is a staple in Christian suspense, so as someone who absolutely loves this genre it's actually quite shocking that I had only ever read ONE of her suspense novels--- and that had been YEARS ago (back before the genre was a preferred one for me even). For whatever reason, they just never had made it onto my TBR pile... after reading Smoke Screen however, that is certainly going to change! I absolutely, positively LOVED it!

Do you ever have those books that you quite literally could not put down? This was one of those for me. I had my Kindle propped up by the sink as I did dishes, read as I cooked and stayed up late despite my exhaustion just to see how it would all end. To me, that is certainly the sign of a great book... one that keeps you that connected in such a way. And it wasn't due to the nonstop action... in fact, for a suspense novel, there really were not a ton of super intense action moments at all, but I can'y say that I really missed it in this story.

The lead characters Brenna and Nate were imperfect to say the least. Nate was a fire jumper who had run from his past, and Brenna was in a dark place and was oftentimes not even the most likable in that you just wanted to shake some sense into her. But it is through their imperfections that we really root for them to turn things around. The book covers a lot of heavy topics like divorce, custody and alcohol abuse. No sugar coating, just real life issues addressed genuinely. Were some of the bigger twists and turns throughout the story fairly easy to predict? Perhaps, but I still enjoyed the journey to how it would all unfold anyway!

Overall, this was a fantastic read that fans of Christian romantic suspense will surely enjoy. I know I will certainly be looking forward to finally adding more from Terri Blackstock into my TBR after this one!