"Trapped" by Irene Hannon

"He always listens to us, no matter how long it's been since we last spoe iwth him. It's just that we don't always get the answer we want."
-Irene Hannon, Trapped

Laura and her 16-year-old little sister, Darcy, had problems, but what sisters don't?  Darcy moved in with Laura after some family issues, and Darcy wasn't exactly thrilled about it. After giving it a try, Darcy decided to do Laura a favor, and just leave and live with a friend back home. Laura came home from her job at the library to find Darcy's room clean (unusual), and she found a note on the bed, saying that Darcy had run away. Panicked, Laura began to make phone calls while she silently prayed for her sister.

A few days pass with no luck, so Laura decided to hire a private investigator. Laura is aware of the dangers of runaway teens, and the snow storm made her worry for Darcy even more. James Devlin (Dev) was the best PI around, and he would do everything he could to help Laura find Darcy. First, he had to do everything he could to get his mind off of Laura. An agent should not date his client! The sooner he found Darcy, the better; not to mention, he could ask Laura out once the investigation was over.

Laura was completely aware of how attractive Dev was, but she kicked herself for even thinking things like that with her little sister missing! Whatever Laura had to do to find her sister, she would do it. Hopefully, it wouldn't take too long, especially after Dev told her all that could go wrong for Darcy. They had to move quickly.

The snow storm ended up being on Laura and Dev's side. It detained Darcy from leaving the city, so Darcy ended up in a shelter with a girl she met at the bus station. The girl seemed to know the street life, so Darcy trusted her. When the girl was ready to leave the shelter to hit the streets again, Darcy hesitated, not knowing what she should do. She was more comfortable having a friend, but she wasn't sure about leaving the warm shelter. One of the volunteers spoke with her, noticing that she didn't seem to belong with this crowd. He offered to let her stay at his place for a night or two until the storm passed, and he even offered to let her friend join, too.

What does Darcy decide? Do Laura and Dev find her soon? Find out in this romantic suspense novel!

I have to admit, when I heard "romantic suspense," I thought that there was no way that would make sense. I had never heard that combination before, but I was extremely surprised and pleased. This book had me running through pages. I read this book in NO time! I was so into this book, that I would tell my dad about everything that was happening, especially when one of those moments happened where I would gasp aloud. Halfway through the book, I thought that he was getting annoyed, but he came up to me while I was reading and asked me what happened next. He was into it, and he wasn't even reading it! And if my dad is interested, that means it's REALLY good. He is a picky one!

The book alternates points of view frequently, allowing the reader to see every angle of the story, without giving too much away. Even though you see all the sides, you still are on the edge of your seat until the very end. The romance is refreshing and not overbearing. Because it is a Christian novel, the romance side of the book is genuine, fresh, and there are no scenes that make you wish you could cover your eyes. I work in a Christian bookstore, and a lot of the fiction books we sell usually are the same, and I hate to say it, but they are dull. Hannon definitely stands out among Christian authors, creating a story that is truly gripping.

If you aren't a Christian, don't think you should stray from this book. There are times where God is discussed and they pray for Darcy's safety, but Hannon in no way tries to bash the Bible over your head as you read. She uses a gentle touch of grace to show God's love and care in a way that is not overbearing to her readers that are not believers.

Her writing style as a Christian author was not only inspiring, but it was very intelligent. Trust me, you won't want to miss this book!

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