Rose's Food & Book Blog: Blog Tour: Between Faith and Fear by J.A. Dennam

Title: Between Faith and Fear

Author: J.A. Dennam Richland

Genre: Action/ Romance

Book 2 of J. A. Dennam's Captive series:

Melanie Parker's life takes a gut-wrenching turn when she wakes up in a crumbling, unfamiliar environment. Even worse, her small child is in the arms of a certifiable killer, but Rena Hellberg isn't the only immediate threat. Melanie's abductor lurks in the shadows, a quiet, hooded stranger who's calling the shots. When she refuses to play the meek hostage, he reveals his darkest secrets in order to gain her cooperation.

Though he can barely trust himself, he can't deny his feelings for a woman he should have left alone. It wasn't his intention to bring her into a world he's trying to break free of, but he refuses to let it destroy her. The formidable legion of enforcers who took him and made him one of their own won't tolerate rebellion of any kind. But they've never dealt with such a stubborn recruit...or one with so much to live for.

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Melanie’s cooperation was too important. Her child presented a problem he hadn’t counted on.

Something had to change, as this was no longer a simple plan.

Sensing her eyes on him, he turned, regarded her with doubt. Should he? It was never supposed to happen. He shouldn’t put her through that kind of turmoil; it wasn’t fair to her.

But life had handed him a shit-ton of unfair.

Since he’d sent the dog downstairs to keep an eye on Rena, they were alone. Expelling a heavy breath, he moved barefoot over the debris, knowing if she were to close her eyes, she’d never know he approached.

She sat up, her slender shoulders stiff with expectation. He lowered himself before her, mirroring her position with his knees to the floor. They were close. She didn’t budge. The questions must have been compiling in her beautiful head since he’d ordered her to sit down because she whispered…

“You kissed me.”

She remembered. “Yes,” he answered truthfully.

After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded. “It was… familiar.”

Aw, hell. “Just familiar?”

He could hear her frantic heartbeat. It pounded beneath the light cotton of her t-shirt as she hesitantly raised her hands. If he let her do this, there would be no turning back. His dark, possibly limited existence would put a stain on the comfortable life she'd found without him. But, much to his dismay, the decision had been made the moment he took her.

He bowed his head… and waited.

***WARNING*** While this book can be read as a standalone, there are major spoilers from Truth and Humility at the beginning of this book and in this review.

If you are still reading this remember, I warned you. In Truth and Humility we met Austin and Danny in Between Faith and Fear, the story revolves around Melanie and Derek. Two years ago, Mel and Derek shared a moment on the hood of his car, that was days before he was shot and killed by Rena. Left with his family to grieve their lost, little does she know that their romp on the hood of the car resulted in a child.

DJ (Derek Junior) has become her entire world. After losing the only man she’s ever loved, the only memories she has of him are his photos and his son. She keeps his memory alive everyday by showing her son the picture of his dad and telling him how much he would have loved him. Little does she know her entire world is about to be rocked to it’s core.

Lurking in the shadows is someone from her past, someone that is going to take her away. When she leaves Mac behind for the day to go home and pack, she stops in the middle of the road when she sees a black dog emerge from the shadows holding the pink blanket of one of the children from the daycare they run. Distracted by the dog, she doesn’t see the person that opens the passenger door and enters her car drugging her and preparing to take her away. This person doesn’t notice until the dog is in the car and distracted that there is a blue eyed identical version of Melanie strapped into the back seat.

Melanie awakens later in a moldy damp room that was a former classroom face to face with the one woman she never wanted to see again. None other than Rena who escaped from prison. There is a man with her, but the man stays in the shadows of the dark room wearing a hood and disguising his voice. The man finally decides it’s time to tell her who he is. The man is none other than Derek who has returned from the dead. Turns out he wasn’t dead at all. But there are others among them that want to take not only Derek and Rena back with them, but Melanie and DJ as well. Someone that will do anything to get to them and harm them.

Derek is not the same man he was when he left. He appears larger, more on edge, and stay mostly in the shadows wearing a dark hoodie. He has obtained a series of skills, things he doesn’t want to have and a dependency on a drug that his captors addicted him to. One he cannot live without.

Their reunion is short lived and more lives put in danger when Ty, Danny, and Austin enter the picture. Those around him are in danger, and there’s little he can do to stop the ghosts that are coming for them. Friends are reunited, enemies are discovered, demons are dealt with. But in the end who will be friend and who will turn out to be foe? Can Melanie help to save Rena and Derek before it’s too late?

This series is like watching a movie. I seriously could see the film playing out in my mind, this series would make a wonderful film. It’s heartfelt and action packed. It has all the makings of some day becoming a great film. Just like J.A. Dennam says, this book has it all. Sex, action, love, pain, hurt, oh and did I mention sex with a hot alpha male??? I cannot wait for the next book in this series, this book didn’t leave you with a heavy withdrawal waiting for the next book like some cliffhangers do, it does however leave you dying to read the next book. This series is quickly becoming one of my all time favorites and does not disappoint. I highly recommend reading this book as well as Truth and Humility. Like I said, while it can be read alone, it does help to read book one or you will be lost at the beginning. I give this book an easy 5 stars because it really was one of the best action packed romance novels I have read so far this year.

***ARC provided by author in exchange for a honest review***

J. A. Dennam, an award winning author and member of Romance Writers of America, resides in a small Kansas town with her husband and four children. Besides her great love for literary arts, her passions include fine art, culinary art and music.

Storytelling has been a part of her life since childhood, when insomnia forced a young girl of six into counting popcorn on the ceiling in the dead of night. Confessing her problem to her older sister, the two girls decided to tell each other stories to entice sleep; however, the inevitable snore always tore through her sister’s nose before she could utter the words ‘Once Upon A Time.’ So, the stories began to flow in silence, her imagination taking her to quiet, private places so enthralling, the trick was suddenly to stay awake. Each night, she went to bed anticipating the continuation of the adventure that had been interrupted by sleep the previous night. Soon, insomnia was no longer a problem and the stories would sometimes take months to complete.

Those habits carried on to adulthood until the need to purge her stories demanded she put them in print. Her fascination with romance, fast cars and adventure films is what structures her stories today, making Romantic Suspense the genre she was simply born to write.

For over twenty years, Ms. Dennam has been ensconced in her career as a painter of Western art. In the meantime, however, she managed to complete three novels: FLESH OF ANGELS, FLESH OF THE FATHER, and TRUTH AND HUMILITY. The recent decision to forgo her fine art career in lieu of her writing career was a simple one. Her passion for writing far outshines all other passions and she has only just begun to build her list of achievements by entering writing contests, joining local writer’s groups and stocking local bookstores with her titles.

Ms Dennam is proud to announce that she is now represented by Marisa A. Corvisiero, Esq. with the Corvisiero Literary Agency.