Colleen Coble is a master storyteller who is always able to spin a story that is rich with well developed characters, an intense, interesting plot and great setting. The story takes place on the lovely Gulf Coast of Florida in towns of Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Duniden. Harper Taylor's mother was involved in a car accident, gave birth to Harper and died moments later. Harper is used to being alone. She ran away from the foster system and was found by businessman Oliver Jackson, who became her mentor when she was fifteen. Now she is thirty and after a DNA test has discovered a half sister, Annabelle, both fathered by an unknown man. Annabelle's mother was murdered. Now, both of them have been attacked and an attempt to kidnap was made on each. Someone attacked Oliver as well. Oliver's son, Ridge, and Harper have never been friends but Oliver wants them to work together in a sea life research lab he purchased. When the attempts are made, the two unite to get answers. This is an interesting story to unravel, to find out why someone is after the two sisters and how is Oliver's attack connected. There is a little history in the story involving the years old, famed Weeki Wachee and the Mermaid shows that are still going on. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery with the history, lovely setting, the characters - some great, some not so great, and a thread of romance and faith. I was kept guessing and trying to figure out what was going on and who was involved. Ms. Coble tied things up wonderfully.
I received a complimentary ARC from Thomas Nelson Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

Colleen Coble does it again! This book is set in Dunedin, Florida which is not far from where I live. She did a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the area, history and overall vibe of Florida. The story is one of mysterious crime and suspense but it feels a bit whimsical as well. Most likely due to the inclusion of the Weeki Wachi mermaids, sea silk and seashells.

The suspense keeps you on the edge until the end. I found the family dynamics as well as the way in which the main character becomes pregnant interesting and unique. The book combines mystery, family dynamics, tragedy and romance. It's a read that keeps you interested from the beginning to the end. Colleen Coble is an author I highly recommend. Strand of Truth is another great book in the long of her books that you should read.

This book was so amazing!! I was drawn into the story from the very first chapter! Harper always wanted a family and to belong. We all can understand those feelings, we all desire to belong! I loved Harper from the minute I met her, she was so steadfast in her faith, desire to have a family and I just loved her spunk! Ridge was so well wrote! His desire to protect the ones he loved and cared about was evident from the beginning. While he may have been wrong about Harper he was willing to admit his mistakes. Colleen Coble never fails to deliver in her books, they always have an adrenaline rush along with them and you have to keep reading because you HAVE to find out what happens!
I received a complimentary copy of this books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Will be posting my review on my blog, good reads, amazon and christian book

Colleen Coble is back with her best book yet. A complex plot tied to an interesting concept: Sea Silk. Add in murders from a generation ago that tie to today, and this is a book you won't be able to put down.

I am a big fan of Colleen Coble’s books. I love the mystery, suspense and romance surrounding the stories that she creates for readers. Her latest novel, Strands of Truth is no exception. It was clearly a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. As always, her characters are well developed and her plot keeps moving beautifully and keeps you guessing until the last page.

In Strands of Truth, Harper Taylor loses her mother at birth under suspicious circumstances. Raised in foster homes most of her life leaves Harper bitter and broken until she meets Oliver Jackson. Oliver moved with compassion takes her under his wing, finds her a home and treats her as his own much to the chagrin of his son Ridge and his daughter Willow. Desperate for a real family of her own, Harper decides to adopt an embryo. Instead of it being destroyed, the embryo with the biological mother’s permission, would allow Harper to become its mother. This decision propels Oliver and Harper’s best friend Sara to do a DNA search. As a result, Harper finds a sister she never knew existed. When the two meet, they immediately bond. However, in the course of the meeting Harper learns her sister’s mother was murdered. Desperate for answers her longtime rival Ridge decides to help Harper find her father, at the same time hoping to expose her as a gold digging fraud. What Ridge and Harper don’t expect is the dangerous roller coaster they just boarded and the unexpected feelings they eventually develop for one another.

I really enjoyed this book. I had no idea what was coming until the very end. Emotional and exciting I had difficulty putting the book down. As suspenseful as it was, the developing relationship between Ridge and Harper had just enough tension and romance that I found myself cheering them on despite the hair-raising action that seemed to be happening all around them. Colleen Coble writes great villains and strong female characters, as well as solid and irresistible male leads. This is a great read for anyone who loves mystery and romance all rolled into one. You will not be disappointed.

I want to thank the publisher Thomas Nelson - Fiction and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book Stands of Truth by Colleen Coble. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.”

Interesting read! Colleen Coble always writes enjoyable reads. So enjoyed learning about pen shells, sea silk, and byssus, as well as the Weeki Wachee mermaids. My sister lives in Dunedin and is a member of a book club so I recommended this book to her thinking they would love all the local references. The mixture of suspense and romance is just right. Loved getting to know Harper and Ridge, along with all the other characters. Their interconnected lives with others was enjoyable to unravel and also seemed very realistic. Keep writing Colleen Coble.
Many thanks to Colleen Coble, Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this Arc of a soon to be published book.

3.5 stars
Harper Taylor is used to being alone even after Oliver Jackson took her under his wing when she was a runaway teenager. Now, she conducts pen shell research for Oliver and continues to wish for a family of her own.
When a DNA test reveals a half-sister Annabelle living just two hours away, Harper is both hopeful and nervous. The women quickly bond, however, and discover that both their mothers died tragically without revealing Harper and Annabelle’s father’s name.
Meanwhile, Oliver’s son Ridge still sees Harper as a troubled teen. But when Oliver is attacked, Ridge and Harper decide to work together to uncover dangerous secrets. They must unravel her past before they can have any hope for the future.
Colleen Coble does weave a good story. "Strands of Truth" kept my attention and is exciting to read. The storyline flows well, too, from one character and plotline to the next. I also appreciate that the book is mostly clean - no cursing and only light sexual-related content.
The characters fell flat for me, though. I never connected emotionally to Harper, Oliver, Ridge, or anyone else. The threat seemed far-fetched, too, yet it is a unique angle from other books I've read. Unfortunately, I didn't want to stay up all night reading this book and would classify it as a weekend/beach read. For these reasons, it earns only 3.5 stars.

Strands Of Truth by Colleen Coble is an exciting and gripping contemporary Christian suspense that will have the reader glued and guessing.
Legacies are important, as is heritage. We need to know where we come from in order to plot where we are going. Even more important is to know Whose we are.
A mother’s love is a powerful thing. It is protective and caring. If we are denied it as a child, we will lose our anchor in life and be continually searching for that love, never trusting as the foundations are not there.
We can trust God. He will be with us and walk through the storms beside us. “No matter what happened, God was with her in this.” Sometimes life is hard but God is faithful. “God saw her in this place. She had to hold on to faith.”
There will be times when we face difficulties. “She needed to gird herself for the battle with some praise music and her favourite Bible promises.” Reminding ourselves of God’s promises and soaking in His presence helps us to walk through our fearful circumstances.”
We all need someone to believe in us. When we have someone who walks beside us, encouraging us, we can achieve great things.
The novel is bang up to date with the latest scientific advances as we hear about DNA testing and embryo adoptions.
If not used wisely, money and power corrupt. “His father’s money and power ensured he was accepted no matter where he went.” Money and power will always open doors but we must be discerning as to which doors we walk through. We must always be wise stewards of that which God has entrusted us with. “If you pray about it, God will tell you the right thing to do.”
Colleen Coble always writes novels that grip me from the start. Her plotlines are intricate, engaging and well thought out. Strands Of Truth was a marvellous novel. I will leave you with one final powerful quote:
“Live like you’re dying.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Colleen Coble has always been a favorite author of mine and her books are one of the reasons why I love historical fictions that have airs of mystery within them. Strands of Truth was different than anything I've read by her and while it was not my favorite, it did keep me guessing until the very end.

The book follows Harper Taylor, a young woman who grew up in the foster system who eventually turned her life around thanks to her friend and mentor Oliver and is now using her marine biology knowledge to study pen shells off the coast of Florida. The only person who still sees her as the troubled teen of her youth is Oliver's son Ridge, and to say they don't like each other is an understatement. After a DNA test reveals a half-sister living close by, Harper jumps at the chance of having a family and maybe finally discovering who her father is. However, after meeting with her half-sister Annabelle, the two sisters discover disturbing similarities in each of their mother's deaths and the fact that no one really knew who their father was. After a string of gruesome attacks and attempted kidnappings, Harper and Ridge find themselves thrust together to uncover the secrets of the past.

The story had a great concept and the twist ending was very well written. However, this book did leave me disappointed and wanting more. The romance between Ridge and Harper was cute but did feel mechanical and awkward at times. There were also many time jumps back in the past with Annabelle's mother and several different subplots that got confusing at times. Towards the end, the characters began running together and it was hard to tell the difference.

I would have to say my favorite part was the marine biology aspect even though we only get a little bit of it in the beginning. Readers can tell it was very well researched and painted a beautiful picture of the Floridian gulf and its sea life. I wish that was incorporated more into the story but I do understand why it was not spotlighted.

Overall, I give this book three stars.
**I received this book as an ARC and complimentary copy. The thoughts and opinions of this review are entirely my own
IG: @hungrybokworm_ or #hungrybookwormreviews

Colleen Coble delivers another take-your-breath-away romantic suspense. With so many people checking into their heritage through DNA, Colleen has taken it a step further. What happens when the DNA reveals secrets? Strands of Truth is a fast paced story that kept me reading past my bedtime. One of the things I enjoyed, aside from the mystery, was learning about byssus, silk thread made from a clam's filament. I'd never heard of it. But it played into the story in an interesting way. If you love suspense mixed with romance, you'll enjoy reading Strands of Truth. With the Floridian ocean setting, it's the perfect book to read at the end of the summer season. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was the first Colleen Coble book I had read in a long time, and I was reminded why I like her books. She writes a great romantic suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

This book was classic Colleen Coble, filled with suspense and romance. It was also filled with action that moved the story along. I did struggle to make some connections in the story, but the author did a good job of tying up the loose ends. I enjoyed the book and would recommend!

This is a stand alone romantic suspense. Colleen Coble is one of my favorite authors. This books delves into DNA and family testing and I really like that subject so the book grabbed me from the start. I love books with family mysteries. My only complaint was how quick they fell in love, one week.

I think this is my favorite Colleen Coble book! I love the suspense! For me, a good book is one with an unpredictable plot, and this one delivered. I just need to remember to pay attention to Ms. Coble’s “minor” characters, because they are not always minor in the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An amazing book of suspense with a little romantic twist. I started the book this morning and then failed to get anything else done as I had to finish it and see if it was going where I thought it was. Many times I was holding my breath quickly reading to find out what happened next. This is my first book by this author and it definitely drew me in and I will definitely read more by her.

3.5 for me. Seemed somewhere between a mix of a cozy mystery with some Christianity thrown in. You have to keep reading in order for the characters to be fully identified and their relationships shown. It was a bit confusing to start reading dialogue and wonder who is that?did I miss them and you go back and see that , no, they haven't been mentioned before, then wa la, three pages over you find out who they are and relation to the main characters. Their faith and life isn't developed fully and mentioned in later portions of the book with the exception of a few 'I'll pray for you' notations along the way. The mystery/ suspense portion holds your interest bit gets bogged down and slow at times. Overall a good,easy read, just didn't feel it reached the potential on several fronts.
Thanks to the author,publisher,and NetGalley for the ARC. I received this book as a complimentary copy. The opinions expressed are my own.

I loved "Strands of Truth" by Colleen Coble! I have read most of her books, and I think this one is my favorite. There was so much suspense and trying to figure out what was going on!

Harper Taylor was a foster child who never really had a true family. She never knew her mother, who died just moments after giving birth to Harper. She never knew who her true father was. So Harper does a DNA test and finds a long-lost sister. This starts a long string of events that sometimes prove deadly! There were twists and turns along the way. I really didn't predict what happened to happen!

I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy good, clean, romantic suspense! Colleen Coble is one of my favorite authors, and you can never go wrong with her books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

As always when reading any book by Colleen Coble I loved this book! I loved the plot of using DNA to find long lost relatives. As we have learned from the news recently, DNA can definitely open a can of worms yet it can be a life save for those with various illnesses. In Strands of Truth, Harper's DNA results opened a large can of worms as someone is determined to have her dead. The results lead her to a half-sister whose mother had also died when she was young. Neither woman knew who their father was. Suspense is high as attacks and kidnappings happen to both women. This is a book that you cannot put down, it will keep you up all night long.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from Net Galley. This is my honest opinion.

I’d actually give it more like 3.5 stars but I rounded up because romantic suspense is not a genre I typically go for anyway so I’m not exactly her target audience, and to her credit, I didn’t have the ENTIRE thing figured out by the end so that was good. And it wasn’t as ‘cheesy Christian’ as some other fiction novels I’ve read. I enjoyed the plot involving the implications of DNA/ancestry sites as well as the idea of adopting embryos- I hadn’t thought of that before.

But there were some reactions of the characters that I felt were unnatural:

So when Oliver is in the hospital and Harper asks Ridge how he’s doing, Ridge says ‘Still in a coma.’ And then they change the subject. Ha! It just seemed so flippant. They were also so cavalier about Harper’s attack. I mean he had a knife and tried to abduct her but they act like it was just like someone spilled coffee on her best dress. And THEN later after all the ‘abductions’ and Ridge tells her to stay with him- she says ‘Oh I don’t want to bother you, I’ll be fine.’ *rolls eyes* oh really? You’re gonna be just fine? Are you delusional? A normal person in this situation would not just try to move on with their lives. You are in DANGER! It’s all very clear. The previous abductee literally said they were coming for you next. But no. Go hang out on your houseboat by yourself. I’m sure you’ll be fine.

I also wanted to address the issue with Harper not telling Ridge she was pregnant “right away.” The author made it seem like it was this great deception and she wasn’t honest and it was because she didn’t trust him, but hello! It hadn’t even been a WEEK since she found out herself. Especially with miscarriages being so common. She has no responsibility to tell anyone. That’s her own decision and it’s about her, not about how she’s treating other people. It’s a very personal thing, take a chill pill Ridge. You hated her just a week ago so calm down.

Then, I just want to acknowledge a couple writing style things I wish weren’t in there. Almost all the men were described as having ‘broad shoulders and thick black hair.’

And this one just made me chuckle. It was supposed to be a romantic moment where someone was feeding the other a fondue bite and she wrote that he “deposited the nugget of chocolaty goodness”. Hahaha. ‘Deposited’ and ‘nugget’ are not real romantic. I think we all know what those words are typically used together to describe....

Anyway... all that to say, I still enjoyed reading it and I think it’s a great book for her target audience. It’s a clean, romantic suspense novel. The end especially got intense. I ignored my children for a few minutes to finish it.

** I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Strands of Truth was a fascinating novel filled with suspense and mystery. I am very interested in genealogy, so I loved the DNA aspect of the storyline. I found myself skimming through the parts with Harper and Ridge’s interactions because I didn’t feel the connection between them, and I was much more interested in Harper’s relationship with her newly discovered half-sister and solving the mystery of their mother’s deaths so many years earlier. Overall, this was a well written novel that I enjoyed reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.