AUTHOR: Susan May Warren
DATE: 2022
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: ***1/2
From the back cover:
Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he's headed home to the destiny that awaits him.
That's not all that's waiting for Dodge. His childhood best friend and former flame, Echo Yazzie, is a true Alaskan--a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. Most of all, she's living a life Dodge knows could get her killed. One of these days she's going to get lost in the woods again, and his worst fear is that he won't be there to find her.
When one of Echo's fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold. Plus, there's more than just the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her . . .
Will Dodge be able to find her in time? And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart?
My review:
Sunrise is a book I’d looked forward to reading. Alaska has always intrigued me, and romantic suspense novels draw me in. And for the most part, I did enjoy this story. After struggling to get into the scenes, the pace picked up, the plot thickened, and I was hooked.
The abundant angst shown by Dodge and Echo as they tip-toed around their past relationship became irritating to me after a while. The unanswered questions did intrigue me, especially when a new point of view was introduced more than halfway through the book.
Action abounded, fast and dangerous, as befits a suspense novel. As the end neared, I looked forward to the reward expected from investing several hours: a satisfying ending that answered any unanswered questions. But no. Not one but two cliff-hangers closed the book, and I felt cheated (and more than a little miffed).
That tactic damages my trust in the author, so instead of the four stars I’d intended to give Sunrise, I can only award it three and a half. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are mine alone.