A cowboy to her rescue… but she’s not who he thinks she is. Posing as her sister for Christmas is the only way to save her, but Maggie Lofton needs help–even if it means working with her twin’s cowboy ex-boyfriend, Liam Pike. But between the bull’s-eye on her back and the dangerous connection she’s forming with Liam, Maggie’s mission is harder than expected. Will their tenuous partnership be … tenuous partnership be enough to shield her when the killer closes in?
more
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Deadly Christmas Pretense is a very good romantic suspense that kept me on my toes. There’s a lot of characters, my favorite being Jingles the dog. Jingles made me laugh quite a bit. Sometimes it was a bit confusing for me, with the twins, and Maggie posing as her twin sister, and who the ex boyfriend belonged to, but as the story unfolds, it becomes more clear. Maggie is in a lot of trouble because of her sister, a rather annoying sister who clearly needs to settle down and stay out of trouble.
Overall this is an enjoyable read, so if you are looking for a good clean romantic suspense, this is a good one to check out. It will give you a few hours of enjoyment!
A copy of this book was given to me by the author or publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions here in this review are totally mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
“Deadly Christmas” is book 2 in the “Roughwater Ranch Cowboys” series but they can be read as stand alone novels. I liked this story much better than the first one. It wasn’t as “dark” even with the suspense and mystery. Book 1 characters are also mentioned in this book which was fun to see how relationships had progressed.
I liked the twins aspect of Maggie and Tammy and I liked their relationship as they work with Liam to protect themselves from the danger they got into while trying to do the right thing.
I have read several books by this author and I like her writing style and interesting plots and characters. Great steady story line, clean christian romance and suspense. I really enjoyed reading it.. and who doesn’t love a holiday story??!!
I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.
This is a story that has non-stop action, and most you never see coming, and what is the cause, my guess greed!
The author drew me in with cars trying to push others off the road, falls, shots, and more!
Now this is the second book in this series that I have enjoyed, being pulled into the story, but they can stand alone with no problem.
We are given some sweet romance, but with some taboo, and then bombshells are dropped, and you might not see most of them coming!
I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.
Wow! Why was she run off the road on her way to help her sister? What has her “twin” gotten herself into now? Lots of twists and turns as she looks for her sister, tries to figure out where she is, why is she in such a dire situation and who is now trying to get to her and her sister. Suspense, mystery and a little romance… A page turner!
One Green Beret turned cowboy. Two young women, identical in looks, but so different as human beings. When this cowboy sets out to protect these twins you know that danger is involved–physical danger and danger to the heart. Deadly Christmas Pretense starts out with heart-pounding action and the adventure never lets up. As Liam rushes in to protect Tammy (or is it Maggie?) the danger escalates and the mystery deepens.
Liam Pike is the perfect hero…dependable, strong, and loyal but he has endured so much. Losing his mother when he was seven, taking care of others, and now facing a future of total deafness. Maggie and Tammy Lofton are identical twins but they are very unalike: Maggie is steadfast and trustworthy and Tammy is like a ‘leaf blowing in the wind’. Liam had dated Tammy but as the story continues, a sweet but intense attraction develops between Maggie and him. I couldn’t help hoping that they might have a future but there is so much to overcome. Will Liam completely lose his hearing? Would this matter to Maggie? Can the ‘bad guy’ be identified and stopped? Will Liam allow his doubts and fears to rule his life?
This is the second book in the Roughwater Ranch Cowboy series but Deadly Christmas Pretense is definitely a stand-alone novel. If you enjoy romantic suspense and never-ending action and if you love a book with a faithful dog companion (Jingles is a treasure!) you will want to read this book. This is another winner from Dina Mentink!
I received a complimentary copy but a favorable review was not required. These are my own opinions.
Dana Mentink has long been my favorite LIS author. Her stories are always sprinkled with perfectly timed humor, the characters are always likable, the action is always nicely paced, and there’s always an unexpected twist at the end of the story. And if she writes in a canine friend, which she usually does, they almost always steal the show!
In this story, it was no different! Jingles the dog was my favorite character. I loved him – crooked paws and all! He had such personality and added a lot of humor to the story!
I really liked Liam and have been waiting for his story since Danger on the Ranch, which is book 1 of this series. He is a very layered character beneath his facade and his health issue added a lot of depth to his character. His relationship with Maggie was well paced and realistic.
As usual, I’m looking forward to Dana’s next story!
A fun and action-packed second book in the Roughwater Ranch Cowboys series! Dana Mentink knows how to create a background full of suspense within a charming and sleepy little town. When Maggie’s twin sister Tammy is threatened, Maggie’s loyal and protective nature kicks in to help her sister. Liam, the former Green Beret turned cowboy, happens to be her twin sister’s ex-boyfriend who gets involved in helping Maggie when she finds herself being chased by cars, bullets, fists, and fire. Liam has emotional baggage from his traumatic childhood and a medical condition to deal with currently. He’s quite broken and it’s not in his nature to let others into his life but Maggie somehow wins him over with her gentle, kind, and understanding ways (along with her fabulous cooking skills). If you enjoy romantic suspense, you will definitely enjoy this book and the series.
I received a copy of the book via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
Wonderful
I am loving this series. I love this rancher family. The suspense is some of my favorite part of this story. Maggie and Liam form a wonderful relationship once they get over the fact that Liam had dated her twin sister. There are many twists and turns that happen. I cannot wait until the next rancher brother gets to find his true love. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Mistaken identity can be deadly
My rating is 4.5 stars
Oh, Liam is such a great wounded hero! His story is pretty amazing and “hero” is such a feeble attempt to describe this valiant man who took on responsibility far beyond his years when he was just a young boy. You may remember him from Danger on the Ranch. He is the former Green Beret who was losing his hearing. His courage and fears warred for victory over him as he began to fall in love with Maggie. I loved seeing him hold on to his faith despite his struggles.
Despite being a fraternal, not identical, twin, Maggie was able to pretend to be her sister Tammy. Though much to her detriment and danger to her life! Maggie was more serious and cautious than her sister. She was fiercely protective and was willing to step way outside her comfort zone to make sure Tammy remained safe.
Deadly Christmas Pretense was packed with action as Maggie and Liam worked together to rescue Tammy and clear her name.
Jingles, the dog Liam’s sister got for him, was so much fun! The candy cane dilemma at the parade was cute, and the solution surprised me. I especially liked the way Liam’s opinion of the four-legged escape artist evolved throughout the story and that Jingles got to play the hero himself.
If you enjoy romantic suspense, don’t miss Deadly Christmas Pretense. As with all the stories I’ve read by Dana Mentink, the characters grow in their faith through deep issues, it is sweetly romantic, and has just the right touch of humor.
Read my review of Deadly Christmas Pretense by Dana Mentink at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Non-stop action and suspense. And cowboys. I fell in love with Liam and Maggie. I liked the way the author was able to open up the past of these characters and show why they had the insecurities that they did. I loved they way these characters, with God’s help, were able to work through these insecurities and learn to trust one another. Another character that I loved was Jingles. He saved the day more than once. There were also plenty of breath-holding moments of wondering if they were going to be able to get the “bad guy”. I would recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book from the author and was not required to write a positive review.
Any story involving twins is always fun to read, perhaps because, as a child, I wished I was a twin. Maggie and Tammy are fraternal twins, but still look enough alike that they could be mistaken for each other. This just brings problems since Tammy seems to have an affinity to trouble.
Between jewelry theft, explosions, kidnapping and almost being pushed off the road this page-turner will keep you at the edge of your seat until finished! Questions as to who really was guilty of these things kept me wondering through most of this well written suspense. An unexpected love was a lovely addition to the plot.
I received this copy through Harlequin Enterprises and CelebrateLit. This positive review was in no way solicited.