Honor's Refuge by Hallee Bridgeman: Book Review

 *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

When she was just five years old, Melissa Braxton watched her father take her mother's life. Separated from her sister, Lola, at that time, Melissa grew up with a strong desire to help those stuck in abusive relationships. It's why she became a therapist and opened a domestic abuse shelter.

After losing a leg to a gunshot wound in the line of duty, Phil Osbourne has felt like a man without a purpose--until he hears Melissa's story and decides to use his Special Forces contacts to track down her missing sister. He knows what he discovers will break Melissa's heart. What he doesn't realize is that helping the women reunite will bring the cartel down on them like the category 5 hurricane striking Miami.

Bruised yet not quite broken, Melissa and Phil battle the storm and the cartel, calling on strength they didn't know they had to escape death, save the innocent, and--just maybe--find healing in each other's arms.

Hallee Bridgeman is the USA Today bestselling author of several action-packed romantic suspense books and series. An Army brat turned Floridian, Hallee and her husband finally settled in central Kentucky, where they have raised their three children. When she's not writing, Hallee pursues her passion for cooking, coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. An accomplished speaker and active member of several writing organizations, Hallee can be found online at www.halleebridgeman.com.

Honor's Refuge is the third book in the Love and Honor series. While I think this probably could be read as a standalone, I do think it would be better read in order to best understand Phil's character and all that he had gone through before this book.

When I first started reading the first book in this series, I must admit I wasn't immediately a fan and thought the military content might just be a bit too much in the way of mission details and such for me personally. I decided to push on and finish the first book, which I really enjoyed... so much so I had to continue to read the rest of the series too. I am so glad that I did, because truly this one might be my favorite of the three! It's filled with action and adventure just as the previous books did, this time sharing Phil's story. 

This book takes on the rather difficult topic of domestic violence, as well as addiction. While it's still not an easy read by any means, I do feel like he author did a good job of balancing the reality of the situation without going into too graphic of details. It was a story filled with faith with both characters really relying on God throughout the book in a very clear way. 

Overall, I thought this was a great book and a fantastic addition to the series. Fans of romantic suspense are sure to enjoy.