Ransomed Dreams by Amy Wallace

4 Stars

Welcome to the new kid on the block in romantic suspense ~ Amy Wallace!

Her debut novel, Ransomed Dreams kicks off her Defenders of Hope series, published by Multnomah and releasing April 17th, 2007.

Gracie Lang's life is shattered by the hit and run death of her family and is consumed by her desire to find the man responsible. Teaching first grade at the exclusive Hope Ridge Academy and her golden retriever, Jake are the only things anchoring her in this life.

FBI Agent Steven Kessler has been flying solo as a parent since his wife's betrayal and desertion nearly five years earlier. Becoming the Crimes Against Children Coordinator has kept the guilt of his failed marriage and his rejection of God at bay - just.

When the British Ambassador's daughter is kidnapped and Steven and his team, Clint Rollins and FBI newbie, Michael Parker are assigned to the high priority case, the pressure mounts. The ambassador is bent on hiding his past, the kidnapper is elusive and time is running out for the victim. In this tense environment Gracie and Steven meet, their attraction signaling a fresh start for them both but soon the demanding nature of Steven's job and Gracie's unforgiving heart toward her family's killer trample any hope of a future together.

Amy Wallace takes the reader on a roller coaster ride through the emotions from the heart-wrenching grief of a young widow to the torment experienced by an FBI Agent when an investigation fails to the hope birthed through forgiveness. Gracie and Steven are fascinating and authentic and the author does not shy away from the hard realities of life which gives her characters a depth and purpose the reader can relate to. Her minor characters and the "bad guys" are also well-developed. The suspense is tight and the romance captivating reminding me of Dee Henderson's O'Malley series. While there is some disjointed writing from time to time, I have no doubt Amy Wallace is an author to watch and I eagerly anticipate the sequels which tell the stories of Clint and Michael respectively.

Check out my interview with Amy, here!