Her life depends on her ability to hide her identity.Loving him may cost her everything.Nine years ago she was left for dead and Maddison Baer gained a life. It wasn’t her real life, but it was more than she’d had before. Pretending to care about her looks and social lifestyle was sometimes more exhausting than fun. Lying to her only real friend was hard, but if it kept her safe, she could do it.… she could do it.
Then there was Ryan Gramble. A man that made Maddison speechless.
Ryan has spent years running from one challenge to another. He’s come to Chandler County to face and deal with his previous traumas and come from under his family’s overprotective wing. He has used his love for horses as a way to treat himself and others with equine therapy. He prides himself on his ability to read people.
Still, he isn’t ready for Dr. Maddison Baer, with that beautiful face and those disturbingly familiar eyes…that lie.
Their attraction is instantaneous, but neither is willing to pursue what they believe is an ill-fated relationship. That is, until danger comes perilously close to Maddison and she is forced to seek refuge amongst the lights and glitter of Chandler County at Christmas. As the threat looms Ryan steps up to keep Maddison safe only to find that they are in danger of falling for one another.
Will they give in and accept the gift they’ve been denying themselves?
This inspirational interracial romantic suspense is part of the Chandler County multi-author branded series.
This standalone is my third book in this series.
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This was a perfect quarantine read! It’s nice to see faith incorporated gently and seamlessly into a book that has romance and a bit of a thriller in it, too. I’ve never read the other books in the series (and it works fine as a standalone) but it’s fairly easy to see which couples were featured in the earlier books and I might just have to read one of them. The couple that appears headed for #4 in the series looks promising, too.
Not your every day Christmas story. But, it is a really fantastic read. It has everything you need. Suspense, love, romance, faith, unfortunately a little domestic violence. I was really able to identify with this story somewhat. Just not to the level of violence. I will definitely recommend this story to all my friends.
I haven’t read books 1 and 2 in this series but will be doing it because I just loved this one so much. In the very beginning I wanted to cry . But the moment that Maddison and Ryan there is something between them. People aren’t quite how they seem to be, feelings are hidden, danger will become known and feelings finally come out.
What a great story! There’s suspense, friendship, romance and faith. The faith of the characters ties everything together. You get to know the characters which I love. Its a definite must read!
Missing the gift
I enjoyed spending my time with these characters as they found themselves and overcame the obstacles thrown at them
FABULOUS – Just wonderful I loved every bit of it. Well written and described. A different kind of story that kept me wondering and guessing but could never figure where it would lead. Keep writing like this because you are a winner.
Great book loved the emotional characters
I loved Traci’s new book. It is so suspenseful and the characters are so well thought of that you feel that they are real people and you are rooting for them to get together.
I loved the perceptiveness and discernment of this book as it delved into how faith can transform our lives. We follow the two alluring main characters as they traverse life’s challenges. Intelligently written with insightful (and sometimes quirky) dialogue and penetrating emotions delivers a transcendent tale not to be missed. As noted in other reviews, this story has romance, intrigue, suspense, faith and so much more. Kudos to Traci Wooden-Carlisle!
This is a well-crafted story with a strong message of faith and hope. Although it starts off a bit dark it blossoms into a story of strength, perseverance, and God’s grace. A great read and a wonderful series.
Having read the previous books in the Chandler County series, I’ve come to the conclusion that these books really do take quite a bit to actually get into because they seem really slow starting out.
I think what made me give a lower rating on this story I felt as if all the problems leading up to the climax seemed a bit anti-climatic.
I’m also a bit curious about how the title is suppose to fit into the story. Usually for most books the title in some way is easy for readers to see why an author chose it, but with this one I guess it just kind of flew over my head.
What I did like about this was how the author had to show both Ryan and Maddison overcoming their own issues and PTSD to discover their own piece of happiness.
The prologue of this wonderfully crafted novel starts off dark when an officer is dispatched to a domestic disturbance. The story jumps ahead 9 years and we are introduced to Maddison, the girl with a secret past and Ryan who has a troubled past of his own. The undeniable chemistry leads to a suspenseful romance, filled with twists and turns, patience and understanding. What started out dark ended up glorious with the underlying theme of God’s love, grace and mercy. This is the first book I read in this series- I loved the characters of Reina and Dr Nathan so much that I plan on reading the rest in the series.
I loved how the author Traci Carlisle, draw you into Madison’s story and made you understand and see the level of trauma that persons who suffer abuse struggles with. What Madison suffered was more than what I think I could have endured and not fall apart too. Many times because of bad upbringing we sometimes make decisions that take us on a path that makes us or breaks us.
The part of this book that touched me most was watching Ryan pursuing Madison with such patience, gentleness and understanding. His own post-war experience helped him understood some of what she was going through and made him perfect to help her heal and step away from the shell of a woman she had become because of her abuse and the fear it had inflicted upon her. I love how the romance part between them wasn’t rush, it made you feel like you were part of the story and feeling the emotions as they did. This is a wonderful story that I would recommend to those who have suffered abuse and even those who have felt rejection. Madison and Ryan’s romance is a wonderful story to see grow.
For new readers though, I recommend first reading the previous books in the series to fully get to know all the characters, otherwise, in some place, you might get a little lost, but not too much to defer the story.
This is a wonderfully written story that kept me turning the pages. At its core, this story is about love, romance, and happiness; there is some sadness, heartache but overall, hopefulness and inspiration prevail. With mystery, suspense, intriguing characters there is something for everyone. This was a story I enjoyed getting lost in.