Road Trip Reads Giveaway (North Carolina): Countdown by Lynette Eason

today’s book: Countdown by Lynette Eason

We are moving right along on our summer-long Road Trip Reads Giveaway where we will be visiting all 50 states on the pages of recently released books. Because road trips are always better with friends – and books – right? So grab your fave snacks, a cold soda or bottled water, an upbeat playlist and let’s head back to the southern US!

today’s stop: North Carolina

COUNTDOWN by Lynette Eason
SERIES: Extreme Measures #4
GENRE: Romantic Suspense (Christian)
PUBLISHER: Revell
RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2023
PAGES: 302

A stalker who wants to finish what he started. A US Marshal who’s vowed to protect his charge. And one woman who is determined to put the past in the past.

Flight paramedic Raina Price has been running so long it’s hard to stop. To escape a dangerous stalker, she changed her name and disappeared, building a new life with the help of a friend from her time in juvie. It feels good to put her energies into saving people’s lives, but because her stalker was never found, she’s never stopped looking over her shoulder. And one can only run so far before the past finally catches up.

US Marshal Vincent Corelli’s job is to hunt down fugitives and protect those who are assigned to him. When Raina is almost killed right in front of him, he vows to protect her at all costs–whether it’s his job or not. Together they work to solve the mystery of Raina’s past. But someone is out to make sure Raina doesn’t live long enough to do it.

Countdown is the breathless conclusion to USA Today bestselling author Lynette Eason’s thrilling Extreme Measures series.

I have so enjoyed Lynette Eason’s Extreme Measures series, and while I hate to see it end I can’t think of a better send-off than Raina’s story at long last! Raina has intrigued me from the beginning. She’s tended to remain in the background even while supporting her close friends, and we don’t learn too much about her in the previous books. But what we DO know about her had me so eager to finally find out more in Countdown.

And I was definitely not disappointed. It turns out that Raina’s backstory has several emotionally-complex layers that Eason skillfully reveals a bit at a time – some layers that even her closest friends didn’t know until readers did, too. While a news story and several subsequent attacks force Raina’s hand when it comes to telling her story, her friendship with US Marshal Vince Corelli is also part of the equation. His gentle presence in her life – both professionally and personally – gives her another safe haven to run to when the one she’s spent years building begins to fall apart. Yes, he’s strong and tough, living up quite swoonily to his job as a federal agent, but what I loved most about Vince is that he doesn’t come barging in to take over. He lets Raina be strong too, but he’s there when she needs him to be the strong one.

The suspense is – no surprise – top notch but there are a few surprising twists that continue to get more complicated as the book builds toward an intense finale. There’s more at stake than just Raina’s life, and that weight kept me on edge all the way through. Eason also incorporates a unique perspective that gives us insight that Raina & Vince aren’t privy to, a clever plot device which adds to the overall depth of the narrative and makes it even more riveting.

Bottom Line: Countdown by Lynette Eason is an ideal finale for the Extreme Measures series. After all, if we must say goodbye to these characters, Raina’s story is the one to end on. Readers who have been drawn to Raina from the beginning will develop an even deeper appreciation for her as the author peels back the intricate layers of where Raina came from and why her life is now in danger – along with the lives of others she cares about. The romance between Vince & Raina is delightful and swoony, and I thought he was the perfect hero for her story. Amid the high-stakes suspense and sweet romance, Eason beautifully weaves a theme of trusting God into the story’s framework without being too preachy or inauthentic. Another fabulous, hold-onto-your-hat ride from this author!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4.5 stars / loved it!

KissingBook Level: 3+ / may forget to breathe on occasion

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Other Books in This Series

Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of Life Flight, Crossfire, and Critical Threat, as well as the Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, 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. They have two adult children. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.

Revell is offering a print copy of Countdown by Lynette Eason to TWO of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What makes you want to read Countdown by Lynette Eason? Have you ever visited North Carolina?