REVIEW: Protecting Tanner Hollow by Lynette Eason!

Hey everyone!

Today's post is a review of Protecting Tanner Hollow by Lynette Eason, as part of the Revell Reads review program.  This book is actually four romantic suspense novellas in one.  Each story builds off of one another and even pulls some characters from her other series, such as Derek St. John from the Blue Justice series.  The descriptions for each novella are listed below:


Lethal Homecoming
Nolan Tanner never got over Kallie Ainsworth's sudden, unexplained departure.  Now when he comes to her rescue after an attempt on her life, all the old feelings come rushing back.

Lethal Conspiracy 
When a professional fundraiser Lillian Maloney sees her father's campaign manager commit murder, she goes on the run from the men he hires to kill her.  A close call brings firefighter Jason Tanner to the rescue, but the killer is closing in...

Lethal Secrets
Someone wants Honor McBride dead.  When Eli Murphy helps her change a flat tire and discovers the danger Honor is in, he longs to help - but Eli has secrets of his own that could get them all killed.

Lethal Agenda
When Detective Derek St. John rescues a woman he's met only once before - and has never been able to forget - he finds himself falling for her.  But he'll have to keep Claire Montgomery alive if they're to have a future together.

Purchase Protecting Tanner Hollow on Amazon HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LYNETTE EASON is the bestselling author of Oath of Honor, Called To Protect, Code of Valor, and Vow of Justice, as well as the Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series.  She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others.  She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master's degree in education from Converse College.  Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.  Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.  Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

MY REVIEW

This book is fantastic for anyone who likes clean romantic suspense stories, and it's also a great pick for the busy holiday season.  The novellas can be read in any order, but the earlier stories introduce the Tanner brothers, Nolan and Jason, and their love interests; a good reference point for the later two books.  I was especially excited to read Derek St. John's story, having obsessed over the Blue Justice series this year.  This novella in particular (Lethal Agenda) picks up about two/three years after the ending of Vow of Justice from the Blue Justice series, but can still be read as a standalone with no background from the series.  

It was exciting to read about two new characters, Nolan and Jason Tanner, and I honestly finished the novella collection hoping that Eason weaves them into other books of hers later on.  I loved each character and how they developed through the novellas.  Each story had a great premise and were filled with fast-paced action.

Novellas can be a little tricky to write well, especially when larger plots/back-stories are necessary to include.  While some portions of each story felt a little rushed, and sometimes it difficult to connect with a main character when you hardly know them yet (especially in Kallie's case from Lethal Homecoming, in my opinion), I thought that these stories were very well written.  By the end of each story, I was able to appreciate each character individually and how their stories were woven into the plot at hand.  I did enjoy the third and fourth novellas the most, and found them to be easier to become invested in than the first two.  

Overall, I absolutely loved this set of novellas, and I would not hesitate to buy another novella collection if Eason ever published more.  They were intense - typical Eason fashion - and still heartfelt and powerful from the "family and faith" perspective.  I read the last two novellas in one day, although they were a smidge longer than the first two.  Anyone who is a fan of Eason will find Protecting Tanner Hollow to be an enjoyable and fast-paced read.  

Have you read any of Eason's books before?  What are your thoughts on novellas - yay or nay?  And are you planning on picking up a copy of Protecting Tanner Hollow?