Book Review: Emergency Response by Susan Sleeman

On her way to visit a little girl she recently helped save, paramedic Darcie Stephens is attacked by a stranger dead-set on killing her.

She escapes unscathed when detective Noah Lockhart comes to her rescue, but an officer finds a hit list dropped by the assailant—and Darcie’s name is next.

Now with an assassin constantly on their heels, Darcie and Noah must uncover why somebody wants her dead.

Noah fights hard to protect Darcie, but she’s determined to keep the cop at arm’s length. After all she’s lost, she’s afraid to love again, especially a handsome lawman with a guarded heart.

And a murderer doesn’t plan to let Darcie live long enough for any second chances.

SERIES: First Responders #4
GENRE: Romantic Suspense
PUBLISHER: Love Inspired Suspense
RELEASE DATE: May 10, 2016
PAGES: 224

“Don’t you know by now that I’d do anything to keep you safe? Anything.”

Emergency Response by Susan Sleeman starts out running and the tension barely pauses until you’ve finished the last word. I feel like I start out every review for a Susan Sleeman book this way but that’s because she’s a master at high-stakes, fast-paced suspense.

She’s also fantastic at incorporating romantic tension and compelling characters. Noah and Darcie are attracted to each other but both have very valid reasons for hesitating to get too close emotionally. However, being forced into close proximity physically – in high-intensity situations – begins to chip away at those walls they’ve been maintaining between them.

Which leads to a mighty fine kiss. On pages 119-120, in case you want to read it for yourself. And you should. But bring a fan. (Not that I have those pages bookmarked or anything… but hypothetically, if I did, it would be solely mostly for review-accuracy purposes.)

The faith elements to Emergency Response are an organic part of the characters’ lives and a natural response to the situation in which they find themselves. It’s never preachy but instead reminds us that God never wants us to live shackled to the past. Grief and regret can remain for a season, but there is a time to move forward and embrace the present as well as the future.

Bottom Line: When it comes to high intensity, fast-paced suspense, Susan Sleeman is at the top of the list! Engaging characters, a mystery that keeps you on your toes, and a sweet romance all combine to make Emergency Response a fantastic read. You can certainly read it as a stand alone, but I love seeing all the characters again from the previous books and, besides, they are all excellent quick reads that you really just need to read anyway 😉 If you are a fan of Dee Henderson’s O’Malley Family series, then you absolutely must add Susan Sleeman’s First Responders series – and Emergency Response – to your TBR list!

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)

My Rating: 4 stars / Excellent!

KissingBook Level: 3 / May forget to breathe on occasion from more than just the suspense!

SUSAN SLEEMAN writes the kinds of books she likes to read – clean read and inspirational/Christian romantic suspense and mystery books. She provides edge of the seat suspense combined with an equally important romantic suspense thread. Her love of romantic suspense has made her a best seller in the romantic suspense category.
Her awards include Thread of Suspicion – Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Best Book, Web of Deceit – Swoony Award and EPIC finalist. No Way Out and The Christmas Witness – Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence finalists. In addition to writing, Susan also hosts the popular website.In addition to writing, Susan also hosts the popular website TheSuspenseZone.com. She currently lives in Oregon with her husband, but has lived in nine states. They have two daughters, a son-in-law, and an adorable grandson.

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Other Books by Susan Sleeman

What about you? How would you react if you found out your name was on a hit list?