A gripping new novel from New York Times bestselling suspense author Terri Blackstock.One father was murdered. Another was convicted of his death. All because their children fell in love.Nate Beckett has spent his life fighting wildfires instead of the lies and rumors that drove him from his Colorado hometown. His mother begs him to come back now that his father has been released from prison, but … back now that his father has been released from prison, but it isn’t until he’s sidelined by an injury that he’s forced to return and face his past. But that means facing Brenna too.
Fourteen years ago, Nate was in love with the preacher’s daughter. When Pastor Strickland discovered Brenna defied him to sneak out with Nate, the fight between Strickland and Nate’s drunken dad was loud—and very public. Strickland was found murdered later that night, and everyone accused Roy Beckett. When the church burned down not long after, people assumed Nate set the fire to get even for his father’s conviction. He let the rumors fly and left town without looking back.
Brenna is stunned to learn that the man convicted of murdering her father has been pardoned. The events of that night set her life on a bad course, and now she’s fighting a brutal custody battle with her ex and his new wife where he’s using lies and his family’s money to sway the judge. Brenna is barely hanging on, and she’s turned to alcohol to cope. Shame and fear consume her.
As Nate and Brenna deal with the present—including new information about that fateful night and a wildfire that’s threatening their town—the past keeps igniting. Nate is the steady force Brenna has so desperately needed. But she’ll have to learn to trust him again first.
Praise for Smoke Screen:
“Full of secrets, lies, and with a visceral impact that grabs from the first sentence, Smoke Screen is Terri Blackstock at her finest.” —Colleen Coble, USA TODAY bestselling author
“Terri never fails to deliver a plot that moves, well-developed characters who are real, flawed, and relatable . . . Just a word of warning if you decide to pick up this book—don’t plan to do anything else until you finish it.” —Lynette Eason, bestselling, award-winning author
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Another nice romantic suspense by Terri Blackstock. I didn’t connect with the weak heroine, but enjoyed learning about the hero’s occupation.
SMOKE SCREEN by Terri Blackstock is her new standalone Christian second chance romance. This is an entertaining and intriguing easy-to-read romance with realistic characters and a mystery subplot.
Fourteen years ago, while in high school, Brenna Strickland, the pastor’s daughter and Nate Beckett, the son of the town drunk fell in love. When Brenna was found to be defying her father and sneaking out to meet Nate, Pastor Strickland confronted Nate’s father in the local bar. It was very loud and very public. The pastor was later found killed in this car and Nate’s father was accused and sent to prison. When the church burned down, not long after, Nate was rumored to have set it because he left town the next day, but he was never charged.
Nate has spent his life as a hotshot fighting wildfires. After being burned while rescuing a family from a wildfire, Nate is put on leave just as his father is coming home after being pardoned by the governor. His mother asks him to come home and he decides to return to face his father and his past.
Brenna is now divorced with two children and living across the street from Nate’s brother. Brenna is in the middle of a brutal custody battle and has lost her faith. She uses alcohol to cope when her children are with their father and his new wife. She is shocked to learn of Nate’s father’s pardon and does not know what to do with her feelings of guilt and anger.
Nate reconnects with Brenna and they easily fall back into their old feelings. Nate wants to help Brenna get over her need for alcohol, fight for her children and find her faith again. When new information on the pastor’s murder surfaces and an arsonist sets wildfires that threaten their town, Nate and Brenna must rely on each other, fight for the truth and be willing to believe in a future together.
I loved Nate and how he turned his life around. He is definitely BBF material and his life as a hotshot was interesting. I felt terrible and frustrated with Brenna. She was a great mother, but her alcohol abuse, while realistic, left me so frustrated. She was giving up and not fighting for her children until Nate showed her how. I was also not aware of the author’s previous books and that this book was a Christian romance, which I would not have read if I had known and I would have missed out on a good story.
The mystery from the past of the pastor’s murder and the church arson where both written and integrated into the story well and tied to the present day wildfire and Brenna’s custody battle. The solution was easy to figure out, but still satisfying.
Overall, I recommend this second chance romance.
I’ve never read a novel by Terri Blackstock before. If I’m honest, it’s because I’m a baby. Her covers scare me. I am a super sensitive woman. If I read or watch anything scary before bed, I will have nightmares. Since I work full-time during the day, most of my reading gets done at night, which means a lot of suspense novels never make it to my TBR pile. But, my husband adores Blackstock’s novels and encouraged me to read this one, and the premise did sound really excellent, so I took a risk. Boy, am I glad that I did! Smoke Screen is a very well-written story: the plot is highly engaging, the characters have depth and are very relatable, and the conflicts are so frustrating I flew through the pages to get to the end because I had to know everything would turn out OK for Nate and Brenna. All in all, Smoke Screen is a seriously good read I highly recommend.
I found so much to love about this novel, but my favorite aspect is the illustration of corporate prayer. I am a BIG believer in prayer. I believe with my whole heart that God hears and answers prayers. And, I know that praying with others makes prayers super powerful. As stated in Mark 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I among them.” I’ve read hundreds and hundreds of Christian fiction books over the years, so I’ve seen characters pray. I’ve seen characters gather together at church to pray during Sunday sermons and masses. But I’ve not read a Christian novel where Christian characters go on red alert, immediately gather together, and corporately pray because a member of the congregation needs help ASAP. This moment in Smoke Screen is AMAZING — prayer warriors going to battle with God in order to help a member of their team. And God moves mountains for the character because of this corporate prayer. It’s one of the most awe-inspiring moments I’ve read in a book.
My review, I fear, doesn’t do Smoke Screen justice. I found this story to be sweet and romantic, frustrating and encouraging, and action-packed. If you are looking for a well-written novel filled with suspense, romance, and timely themes, then Smoke Screen is the story for you!
I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, via Celebrate Lit. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
It’s another well-written novel from Terri Blackstock that is reminiscent of her Moonlighters series. It has intrigue regarding what may be considered “cold cases” from the past but the emphasis is more on the family drama and relationships as Brenna struggles through an ugly divorce and its aftermath and her old high school sweetheart returns to their hometown. There is a lot of backstory involved in Brenna and Nate’s tumultuous high school relationship and the outcome of that past relationship collides with the present day happenings to bring some twists and turns to the plot. The heart-wrenching realities of divorce, alcoholism, wild fires, and desire for revenge are starkly real and the author digs deep into the emotion well to bring us close to the characters’ hearts and motivations. These darker realities are balanced out by the growing affection between Brenna and Nate and lessons of faith and trust.
It’s definitely not like the author’s previous If I Run series in the intensity of suspense, but leans more toward her last book Catching Christmas in the intensity of emotion and shared human experience. If you enjoy contemporary fiction with a strong theme of overcoming adversity, you will enjoy this book. I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
Exceptional story. I could not put this book down.
Terri Blackstock never disappoints me. This was another good one!
A smoke jumper is burned and needs to recuperate at home, where he’s confronted with old family turmoils, a murder blamed on his father, an arson even blamed on him. Add to that and old girlfriend with issues of her own, some tied to those of his family. Faith comes into it, but in such a compelling way, as the knots in the story are unraveled. What a satisfying story!
terri Blackstock is a superb writer!
I love Terrie Blackstock.
Liked the complex realistic
characters
One of my favorite authors! I always get very excited to see a new release. Can count on fully developed characters and an exciting storyline!
So good! Glad it had a happy ending!
Loved it, Blackstock always has great reads!
Once again Terri Blackstock has written a wonderful, realistic, and inspirational story. Her characters are flawed, troubled, and struggling through life at times, just as we all are. It’s wonderful to read with full confidence that I will be entertained without attacks on my faith and values.
Brenna and Nate were high school sweethearts, a relationship that ended in heartache when Nate’s father was convicted of killing Brenna’s father. Soon after, Nate left town amid accusations that he’d burned down the local church. Fast forward almost 15 years, and Nate returns to town an injured hero, and Brenna is fighting a bitter custody battle for her two children. Nate’s father has been released from prison, but most people still believe he is guilty, including Nate. While Nate tries to reconnect with his father and Brenna tries to fight her own demons while also fighting her ex-husband, Nate and Brenna realize that their flame is still burning.
This book gave me all the feels…I got angry, I smiled, and I shed some tears. Nate was incredible, Brenna was all too real, and their relationships with God were presented in a very real, positive way. I am very glad that I read this book.
The book is listed on Netgalley as a mystery/thriller, but it really isn’t either of those. It’s more drama & suspense, with a heavy romance. Yes, the mystery of who killed Brenna’s father, as well as who burned down the local church, are addressed in the book, but they are some of the smallest plot threads, at least until near the end. One of the biggest arcs is Brenna’s battle with her horrid ex-husband. That was the part that had me angry. I won’t pretend that things like this can’t happen in real life, but the way it all went down was just…so aggravating. And because of this situation, Brenna was struggling with alcoholism, which was a heavy element in the book as well. But it was difficult to blame her, considering how she was being steamrolled into not being able to take care of her children properly.
The relationship between Nate and Brenna was one of the sweetest romances I’ve read in a long time. It was not about the physical, but purely about the emotional & historical connection between them. That Nate was able to look past the effects of her currently terrible circumstances to see the real woman, and gave her a lifeline when she needed one the most, while allowing her to build her own strength, rather than relying purely on him, all makes him one of my favorite male romantic protagonists ever.
The book was told in first-person perspective, but switched back and forth between Nate’s and Brenna’s points of view, which I found a little disorienting. Each time we switch, or even just when there’s a new chapter, we are clearly told who’s perspective we’re in, but I still had a difficult time with it. And I’m not sure there was really a good enough reason to do it this way.
I think that one of my biggest issues was with the predictability and contrivances that I noticed. One of the things that happened near the end I basically assumed had to happen, though weirdly, even when it did happen, it turned out to not be for the reason I thought it was necessary. And a few events were a little too coincidental, happening purely to make sure the plot went where it was supposed to.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was surprised by how quick and easy of a read it was, and would recommend it to all fans of Christian drama, suspense, and romance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock surprised me. I’m normally not into crime-suspense-romance novels, but my local book club chose Smoke Screen as its monthly selection. I’m pleased to say that I really enjoyed this novel. It has suspense, mystery, and the expected investigative aspect, but it also has emotional depth and character development.
There were so many things I liked about Smoke Screen. First, it hooked me right from the beginning and I didn’t want to put the book down. I read it in less than 24 hours! Part of its appeal lies in how much I could relate to Brenna. My children are the same age as hers are in the story and I couldn’t imagine going through what she did. Her raw, imperfect character felt very authentic as she struggled through a difficult divorce, personal vices, and spiritual wandering. Second, I love a good second-chance love story. While Brenna and Nate’s romance wasn’t the focus of the novel, I cheered for them to get together. Third, the challenging circumstances provided depth to the story. The novel doesn’t gloss over difficult family issues and dynamics, but every issue is laced with hope for the future.
I recommend Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock to readers looking for a captivating mystery filled with spiritual themes and character growth. It’s a keeper for my bookshelf!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
Smoke Screen is another hard-to-put-down, riveting read from Terri Blackstock! It held my interest from the beginning to the satisfying, tear-jerking end. The plot is well-structured, emotionally charged, and moves at a fitting pace. The story is told in first person through the viewpoints of the two main characters Brenna Strickland Hertzog and Nate Beckett. Ms. Blackstock handles this style masterfully showing her strong storytelling skills. The characters are well-developed, relatable, and memorable. The faith element is beautifully infused into the story. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
Great book! Intriguing plot, well developed characters, interesting mystery. I really enjoyed this book!
Exceptional story. I could not put this book down.
I have been a big fan of Terri Blackstock books for a long time and Smoke Screen is a reminder of why. She is a master of not only page-turning suspenseful plots, but also writing well-developed characters. Nate and Brenna, the main characters, were high school sweethearts that were driven apart when Nate’s father was sent to prison for murdering Brenna’s father. 14 years later, Nate’s father has been pardoned and Nate also returns home. The big question all along is if Nate’s dad didn’t murder Brenna’s father, then who did? Not only is the book suspenseful, but it also explores the themes of forgiveness, reconciliation, divorce, depression, and addiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through Net Galley. Opinions stated in this review are completely my own.