Gripping romantic suspense from USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble. A lie changed her world. Police Chief Jane Hardy is still reeling from the scandal that rocked her small-town department just as she took over for her retired father–the man who wrecked her life with one little lie. Now she’s finally been reunited with her presumed-dead fifteen-year-old son, Will, and his father, … Will, and his father, documentarian Reid Bechtol.
A crisis looms.
When a murder aboard the oil platform Zeus exposes an environmental terrorist’s plot to flood Mobile Bay with crude oil, Jane and Reid must put their feelings for each other behind them and work together to prevent the rig from being sabotaged.
A killer targets her son.
Then the terrorist puts her son Will’s life on the line. Protecting him could be the common ground they need . . . but then ghosts from the past threaten to ruin Jane and Reid for good.
She’s got plenty of reasons to run. But what if she stays?
“Colleen Coble’s super power is transporting her readers into beautiful settings in vivid detail. One Little Lie is no exception. Add to that the suspense that keeps you wanting to know more, and characters that pull at your heart.” –Terri Blackstock, USA TODAY bestselling author of If I Run
“Colleen Coble’s latest has it all: characters to root for, a sinister villain, and a story that just won’t stop.” –Siri Mitchell, author of State of Lies
- Full length romantic suspense
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs
- Perfect for fans of Allison Brennan, Terri Blackstock, and Dani Pettrey
- Part of the Pelican Harbor series
- Book One: One Little Lie
- Book Two: Two Reasons to Run
- Book Three: Three Missing Days (available April 2021)
more
Two Reasons to Run is the sequel to One Little Lie. I know some series can be read as standalones or out of order, but this is one you definitely will want to read after finishing One Little Lie. This story picks up right where that one left off with a cliff hanger.
Just like the first one, this book was fast paced and full of suspense. It centers around the same characters and I enjoyed seeing their relationships develop with one another in the midst of quite a complicated past to say the least.
I am looking forward to the third in the series which releases next year.
I was given an ebook copy by the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Two Reasons to Run is the second book in the Pelican Harbor series, coming after One Little Lie. Jane Hardy, the police chief of Pelican Harbor, is enjoying her new relationship with her long lost son, Will, but she is not ready to try to trust Reid Dixon again after he has hidden the truth from her. When an odd disappearance on a nearby oil rig teams Jane and Reid up, their investigation puts not only their lives at risk, but the lives of those close to them. As they work together to find the truth, will they also be able to repair the damage done to their relationship?
I found Two Reasons to Run to be an exciting story with lots of action and likable characters. One thing I appreciate about Jane’s character is that her heart doesn’t heal and move on in the course of a conversation. She protects her heart. In real life, it takes time time to heal and learn to trust again after a betrayal, and Jane has been wounded, so she doesn’t give her trust to people who haven’t earned it. It feels very true to life. I appreciate the role of faith in this story, as in all of Colleen Coble’s books. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to the next book in the series (Three Missing Days, coming in 2021).
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A wonderful book as all Colleen Coble books are.
I received a complimentary audiobook from NetGalley and Harper Collins Christian Audio in exchange for an unbiased review.
In this second novel of the Pelican Harbor series the background story of Chief of Police Jane Hardy is further revealed. Since the story itself mostly focuses on a mystery it would be possible to read without having read book one but I wouldn’t recommend it. The background history of the characters gives credibility to their decisions.
Jane Hardy is the daughter of retired Police Chief Charles Hardy who settled in Pelican Harbor years ago after leaving a powerful religious cult when their compound was burned down. Jane stills harbors resentment towards her mother who took her baby from her during the fire and was never seen again. Her father claims she died and mostly likely her baby Moses.
Soon Jane meets Reid Dixon who is an investigative reporter who eventually decides to settle in Pelican Harbor after he finishes his story about the serial murders that occurred when he arrived. His decision is also influenced by his past history with Jane and his 16 year old son Will. They have a history together which is not apparent when he first comes to town. Reid had a lot to explain to Jane including his presumed ex-wife who adopted Will but never showed any maternal feelings for him.
This murder mystery revolves around an oil spill and rumors of an environmental terrorist plot to flood Mobile Bay with crude oil. Again ghosts from the past come back to haunt the residents of Pelican Harbor. The high school principal received an ominous warning from her son Keith McDonald before his body is found dead in the water. It seems that Will is the unlikely target in this drama which has Jane working overtime to protect him.
This second book was not nearly as captivating as the first. Jane’s character is annoying as she is reluctant to forgive and let go of past grudges. There are signs that she is “warming” up to those who tried to protect her with their deception.
Two Reasons to Run by Colleen Coble was a great follow up to One Little Lie and I liked this one even more! Jane is back again as the Chief of Police for Pelican Harbor and still trying to deal with her father and Reid’s lies. Unfortunately, she has more important things to think about, like who is following them and trying to get her to leave an investigation alone. There are lots of close calls and a lot of action, and I flew through it in just a few hours. I listened to the audio again and Devon O’Day narrates which she also did for One Little Lie. I love it when the same narrator is used for books in a series and I love the way O’Day reads these books. I highly recommend audio but reading it would be quick and enjoyable as well.
I think my favorite part about the Pelican Harbor series is that they are incredibly fast-paced with nonstop action. They make for perfect binge reads and obviously Two Reasons to Run is no exception. I also love so many of the characters, and the fact it warms your heart while also keeping you on your toes. I also find Jane’s obsession with beignets adorable, and I love that the characters have little quirks like that which Coble continues to mention.
This is a Christian series, but it doesn’t feel preachy at all and everything fits into the dialogue and text perfectly. If you are looking for a clean mystery series than look no further! I just noticed it is going to be a trilogy and I already can’t wait to see how things will conclude, while also never wanting to leave Pelican Harbor.
Thank you to the publisher for my advance review copy via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
This was a crime I couldn’t solve until the ‘real’ detective figured it out. As ever Colleen Coble has produced an action-packed, unpredictable roller coaster of a novel. Recommended for fans of romantic suspense. I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook but my opinions are my own.
As if Police Chief Jane Hardy didn’t have enough to deal with getting to know her fifteen-year-old son, Will, coming to grips with the betrayal by his father… and hers, working through the aftermath of an attempt on her father’s life, and searching for the mother who abandoned her as a child, now she’s added a murder and possible terrorist plot to her plate.
When Keith McDonald doesn’t arrive home on schedule, his mother, Ruby, follows his cryptic instructions and contacts Jane. After overhearing a conversation, Keith fears something bad is planned for the oil rig where he works. He also knows if something happens to him, a Pelican Harbor resident, the young police chief won’t rest until justice is served.
Before even determining Keith’s whereabouts, Jane learns the young oil rigger also shared his suspicions with investigative journalist Reid Dixon… Will’s father. Now she must put her personal feelings aside to find a killer and stop a terrorist plot that could devastate the southern coasts that haven’t fully recovered from the last oil rig explosion.
I liked all the characters in this suspenseful page-turner, even if I didn’t care for all of their actions. I’m looking at you, Will.
When Will’s life is threatened to force Jane to stop her investigation, she and Reid pull together, with the help of her father to protect their son until she can solve the case. Just as Jane lets her guard down, betrayal rears its ugly head again and Jane doesn’t think she can ever trust anyone again.
The shared pasts and cult-life of Jane and Reid is a strong sub-plot and the reason for so much anger and animosity. I liked the way the author worked to resolve issues in a realistic manner. It didn’t feel forced or fake. Jane has every right to her hurt and pain, but for how long and at what cost? The inspirational theme is also nicely woven through the story and realistic. Not over-the-top preachy or hypocritical.
While I didn’t read the first book in the Pelican Harbor Series (yet), I didn’t feel lost in Two Reasons to Run. Just enough details were woven through the story for me to understand the relationships of all the characters without info dumps. A good ending brings resolutions and character growth… and enough unease for the upcoming book three.
Enjoy!
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
I have been waiting on this book! I was able to read and review the first book in this series, One Little Lie, and I was thrilled to read and review Two Reasons to Run. And just as expected, this story had me on the edge of my seat throughout most of it! I will say this is not a stand alone, book 2 continues the storyline from book one, so it’s better to read them in order or you will be spending a lot of time trying to figure out all out.
Against her better judgement, Jane and Reid are thrown together in a new case that has them spending a lot of time together. Where Will loves this, it has to be difficult for Jane. I’m not sure I could have looked at him after what he did! There are quite a few characters to keep up with, but the way the story flows, it’s not a problem. And author Colleen Coble has her way of teasing her readers just enough to keep the mystery and suspense going. For me, this one was pretty easy to figure out, but I had to keep reading toward the finale to know how everything was going down. This is probably not my favorite of Colleen’s books but as far as the writing, it was right up there with the rest of the phenomenal writing skills we always see from Ms. Coble.
This is a book that you mystery and suspense buff out there will love. I highly recommend you give this one a try, but make sure you read book one first. Two Reasons to Run is a 5 plus stars for me! Wish I could give it more!
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
This is the second book in the Pelican Bay series, and although I had no difficulty understanding the plot or the relationships between the characters, I wish that I had read the first book already in order to get the back story in Jane and Reid’s relationship. That being said, this book definitely left me wanting more of their story, especially the interference that Lauren is threatening to their discovery of each other. I enjoyed how the plot was complicated and woven around various characters. My favorite character was Will, a young man with a practical head on his shoulders who wants the best for both of his parents, regardless of whether they stay together or not. Jane is a strong and fierce heroine while Reid is not as strong but is a real brainiac who figures things out and has passed this trait on to his son. All of the characters work together to attempt to stop an attack on an oil platform that will also threaten the Gulf. This is a winning series, with an intense and intriguing plot and characters that are realistic and relatable.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I just finished the first book and went right on to this one, the second in a series of three. Good book, but I have to wait until the release of the third on, in April 2021.
Colleen Coble has done it again and I have boxed myself in once more. I read One Little Lie when it came out and was chomping at the bit waiting for Two Reasons to Run to appear and it did. So did I learn my lesson and wait until Three Missing Days comes out so I would not be left waiting again? I saw it on the shelf and nope could not wait so devoured the book so now am chopping at the bit for the third book.
We follow Reid and Jane as they have just started to work together again and their son Will is being a typical teenage boy. This book has intrigue and keeps us guessing as to who is after whom in this story. Will Jane finally find her mother and solve all the lies her father has been telling her? Will Reid reconnect with his family and what about their son Will what is going on with him and Megan? Then also will Reid and Jane finally be able to put the past behind them and return to the husband and wife team they once were even though they were married when she was 14 and he was 18 and they were both living in a cult. Truthfully, if you have not started this series of Colleen’s and you are trying to find something the read this weekend then get book one and two and you will be done by the end of Sunday….but I warn you it could get dicey waiting for the third book in the series…..
Title: Two Reasons to Run (Pelican Harbor Series #2)
Author: Colleen Coble
Pages: 352
Year: 2020
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Jane Hardy is the Chief of Police in the small town of Pelican Harbor. She receives a report of a missing man who works on an oil platform in Mobile Bay. Reid Dixon, Jane’s friend and possible love interest, has been hired to film a documentary about the oil rig. Since Jane needs information about the oil rig and the employee who is missing, they team up to try to discover what happened to the missing man. Before he went missing, the man sent an email claiming a possible attack on the oil platform by an environmental terrorist group was in the works, and that if he turned up missing, he was probably dead.
Jane and Reid investigate if the man is missing or dead. Her questions cause threats to her son, putting them all on pins and needles. On a side trip, Jane has longed to discover what happened to her mother after Jane and her father left the religious cult they were all members of. Her father is less than forthcoming about her mother and her whereabouts. Her father says it is to protect her, but Jane has heard that excuse before. She decides to find her mother without her father’s help while still tracking down a criminal and possible terrorist group. Her best friend has a degenerative disease that will soon make life much more difficult. No stress for Jane, right?
I really like this gritty, gutsy officer of the law! She will protect her son, those she loves and the innocent with everything she’s got. Her past definitely has a profound impact on who she grows up to be, how she lives her life and whom she trusts. She has recently reconnected with God, but will she be able to trust Reid enough to reconnect with him in a romantic relationship? Her son, Will, is a wonderful Christian teen with a loving heart, and he has quickly become the center of her earthly life. Her relationship with her father is strained to say the least after his big whopper of a lie to Jane for half of her life, but when danger threatens, her dad offers protection. I can’t wait to see what crime Jane will face in the third book of the series due to be released in April 2021.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.
Did this mean the alarm Keith raised was credible?
The author has once again written a book that kept me guessing all the way to the end. I managed to shorten a few nails in that time as well. Book 1 in the Pelican Harbor series laid some of the groundwork for this story, but one can certainly enjoy this one without that history. After all, non-stop action will keep you on the edge of your seat regardless.
Police Chief Jane Hardy is a master at solving crime – but will this one be too much for her? Blackmail, threats, kidnapping and murder are just a few of the incidents she must deal with all the while trying to find the perpetrator(s). Will those closest and most important to her escape unscathed?
This ARC was received through Thomas Nelson, HarperCollins Christian Publishing and NetGalley. The comments and impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.
Been a little bit since I read it. Remember I liked it but don’t remember specifics. Read too many books. But Colleen Coble is a really good author and I do remember getting another of her titles right after I finished this title.
I did not read the first book but it still was able to connect with the character of the sheriff but felt lost with some of the other characters and part of the story with her son. The book opens with death on an oil rig in the Gulf. Then a mother coming to the sheriff with the son missing and whether it is a suicide, murder, or just a missing case. There is also a hint of a possible threat of an explosion of the rig which would cause devastating harm to wildlife and to the livelihood of the people along the gulf coast.
So as Jane is dealing with one possibility about a terrorist threat, she is also still dealing with her son being in her life from apparently the first book. She is also dealing with the boy’s father also. You have two things happening which for me once I felt like I got caught up in the story seemed to work and after the halfway point was a good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 3 stars. Follow us at http://www.1rad-readerreviews.com
This is the second book in the series, and I really suggest you read the series from the beginning to get the full story. The suspense and mystery continues for Jane and Reid. Again there is a lot going on, but they are fierce and up to the challenge. There are some sweet moments, but several suspenseful moments as well. I enjoyed it, but am anxious to read the next book and see how the story ends.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley and this is my honest review.
This is Book #2 of the Pelican Harbor series. You will definitely want to read the first book of the series, One Little Lie, before reading this one and be prepared to get the third book in the series which comes out in 2021, because the whole series follows Jane Hardy and Reid Dixon. She is the Police Chief and danger follows in her footsteps. There is lots of action with Jane and Reid working against time to stop an oil platform from being blown up with many lives at stake. I have enjoyed both these books tremendously and can’t wait for #3. Colleen Coble does not disappoint when it comes to Romantic Suspense.
Two Reasons to Run
Pelican Harbor #2
By Colleen Coble
Jane Hardy’s life has never been in more turmoil or more complicated. The son she thought had died is alive and now 15 years old. Her father has been lying to her for years. The man she had started to feel something for, Reid Dixon, has been withholding the truth about who he and Will are. Her best friend has been diagnosed with MS. And she is the new chief of police. Add to that she is working overtime following the betrayal of one of her officers and the murder of another. Yeah, Jane has more than a full time life and it is just about to get even messier.
Keith McDonald’s email to his mother was just a precaution, but when he turned up missing Jane finds herself with a potential situation on her hands that could be devastating to the entire region. Worse Keith contacted Reid about what he knew. Can Jane work with Reid to safeguard what she holds most dear while dealing with his betrayal? With no evidence how can they get to the truth they seek?
Reid never meant to hurt Jane. But Will’s safety was his top priority and it still is. He’s unsure how to obtain Jane’s forgiveness, much less the feelings they were starting to have when the truth came out. At least they have Will to keep the hope of a second chance alive.
Soon the investigation takes a personal turn and the threat comes home for Jane and Reid. Can they keep Will safe and still stop the threat of sabotage aboard the oil rig just off their coast? Or will they lose everything?
Two Reasons to Run is the fast-paced non-stop action sequel to One Little Lie that doesn’t let the reader down. The book picks up shortly after the conclusion of the first book. One is drawn to Jane as she struggles to make sense of what her life is and what it could have been. Her relationship with her father is noticeably strained but she still needs her father, especially with Will’s safety in question. Get ready for some unexpected twists and a future that is in doubt as the clock ticks down. “Who?” and “Why?” are the questions they need answers to and they need them now…
Colleen Coble does not disappoint with this book and one can only wonder where this series will go in the next book. Highly recommended if you want suspense that keeps you reading into the wee hours of the day. Fans of Romantic Suspense you have a new book to add to your tbr list.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.
I read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it but I also obtained an audio version of it via Libro.fm (an alternative to Audible) and enjoyed listening to the narration by Devon O’Day though I did listen to to it at 1.5 playback speed (better fit in my opinion for the suspense driven action). So if you are a fan of audio over text this is an excellent option to explore.
Page-turner, and nearly impossible to put down! This is the second book in this series – highly recommend reading book #1, One Little Lie first, however, there is enough of the back-story, that this book could be read as a stand-alone. Jane Hardy has just been named Police Chief, upon the retirement of her father, the previous Chief. Her relationship with her father is on shaky ground since she discovered it was a lie when her father told her 15 years ago that her baby son died to find out nearly 15 years later he was alive and had been with his Dad all these years. Now, Jane discovers her son, Will and his Dad, Reid, are in town for Reid to make a documentary. Between a terrorist plot to sabotage a big oil rig out in the ocean, a mysterious death, as well as a threat to Will’s life if she continues to investigate the possible terrorist attack, this will keep you on the edge of you seat. Jane and Reid are also treading in unknown waters, trying to figure our their relationship. Colleen Coble is a gifted writer who grabs your attention from the first page of her books, to the very last word. The characters are so life-like you begin to feel as though they are real. If you enjoy romantic suspense, this is a must read!
This is book two in the Pelican Harbor series. When I started this book I did not realize it was book two, however I could tell quickly it must be part of a series, because I was lost. So, I stopped this book and started book one “One Little Lie”, which cleared things up. Therefore in my opinion you really need to read these books in order, they are not a stand alone. Having said all that they are great suspenseful reads. I know I can not wait for book three.
I loved Police Chief Jane Hardy, Reid Bechtol and Will. Their ups and downs and all the suspense and mystery in this novel. Colleen Coble always does such a tremendous job at keeping you interested and on the edge of your seat.
I was given a completely audio book for my honest opinion.