Smoke Screen is a smart new mystery from bestselling author, Terri Blackstock.

Brenna Strickland Hertzog is a divorced single mom with a drinking problem she tries to hide. She’s resentful of her narcissistic ex-husband. Brenna has returned to her hometown after a contentious divorce, with no thought that her teenage sweetheart would move in across the street.

Nate Beckett is a smoke jumper injured while saving a family from a fire. He has returned to his hometown to heal while he is on a one month medical leave. His brother tells him that Brenna is back in town and lives across the street.

Any renewed relationship or friendship between Nate and Brenna is going to be difficult, because Nate’s father has just been pardoned for the murder of Brenna’s father fourteen years ago. Further complicating the situation is the accusation that Nate burned down the church where Brenna’s father had been the pastor. Neither family is supportive of a relationship between the two, though Nate and Brenna are developing a friendship that seems to be moving toward a more serious commitment.

Smoke Screen is a well-written mystery. The story is revealed through the alternating viewpoints of the primary characters, Brenna and Nate. This can sometimes be tricky and confusing to the reader but is handled appropriately through chapter headers. The characters are fully-fleshed and relatable, if not likable. The plot twists are well-conceived and executed. The romantic aspects add an element of distraction from the tense plot. The Christian themes were of particular interest to me and revealed the strengths and weaknesses of some of the characters. I enjoyed this novel from start to finish. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to readers who enjoy mysteries with a little romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Terri is one of my favorite authors, and I was so excited for this new book. It is a major departure from some of her past books, and I had really mixed feelings about it.

Summary:

Nate Beckett left his hometown fourteen years ago. His father was convicted of murdering the pastor, and Nate was subsequently accused of burning down the church. Since then he’s worked as a smoke jumper, fighting wildfires all over the country.

Brenna Strickland loved Nate, and was heartbroken when her father was murdered. After Nate left town, she married a rich man and had a family. But now her whole world has fallen apart. Her ex-husband is trying to take full custody of her children. His father is a powerful man, and Brenna feels them slipping away from her.

Nate returns to town to recover from injuries received in a fire, and finds Brenna completely changed. Not only has she left her face, she now drinks to numb the pain of losing her children.

When a wildfire breaks out near their town, Nate and Brenna must fight to save lives. They’ll discover truths and God’s grace in the most unlikely ways.


My opinion

Since Terri generally writes action-packed thrillers, I expected Smoke Screen to be a similar style. There were no fast-paced moments, although the plot moved along pretty well. I loved Nate’s character, how strong he was and how he stood up for Brenna.

I felt a lot of emotions as Brenna fought for custody of her children. Her character is written so well that I found myself criticizing and cheering for her by turns. As much as I wanted her to keep her kids, I struggled with her decision to continue to drink alcohol.

The alcohol in this book is the one downfall of an otherwise enjoyable story. I was very disappointed in the author’s viewpoint that alcohol in moderation is acceptable, and her assertion that Jesus turned water into actual fermented wine.

Recommendation

This book wasn’t easy to get into! It took a few chapters to get hooked into the story. Part of the reason was the fact that it was so different from Terri’s previous books, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.

However, as it went on I started to feel more connected. I think every mom can sympathize with Brenna as she watches her kids being taken from her. So many times I felt true pain over what was happening, and wished I could step through the pages and change it.


In the end, that’s one of the marks of a great writer and a well-written story. You feel the emotions. You can really like and dislike a character all at once. Just like life, you can support a person without supporting their actions.

(Does that sound like a soapbox? Yea. I’m off it now.)

I recommend this book, not just to readers who love thrillers, but to moms in general. Even if thriller/romance novels aren’t really your thing, you should try this one.

Author Terri Blackstock has written a contemporary Christian novel unlike her others in Smoke Screen. It is a suspenseful, romantic Christian mystery that had me on the edge of my seat flipping pages to see what would happen next. Blackstock is a talented wordsmith indeed.

I was immediately drawn in to the story and felt the characters’ emotions. It is the tale of a love gone wrong where parents never wanted their children to be together. Smoke Screen deals with gritty real life issues so I would only recommend it to adults.

The characters are well defined and relatable. Some have many flaws and it is hard to read about them but not unimaginable. Conversations were realistic. Even the chats with the children rang true.

This is the tale of Brenna, newly divorced, and Nate, her high school sweetheart. Brenna is going through so extremely difficult trying times. Her struggles make her seek solace in a bottle of alcohol. There are many sides to this character. Nate is a complicated guy, too. I loved that he encouraged Brennan to lean on God and trust Him.

I would recommend this is adult readers that enjoy suspense and mystery. There are many life issues and timely life lessons faced in this book. I rated it a 5 out of 5.

Since the death of her father, Brenna's life had been extremely difficult. To make things worse her husband has replaced her with a woman barely out of college and has decided to run for mayor. He's also trying to take the kids away from her, leaving her with nothing. As if things couldn't get any worse, her father's murderer has been released from prison. Nate, his son and her first love has returned home to heal from his work injuries. Can his reappearance in her life give her the courage she needs to fight and believe God knows her struggles.

I don't usually like romance novels, but Terri Blackstock does a fantastic job of adding a mystery into the mix that draws you in right away. You're so involved you'll start cheering for the budding romance. Even though it's a religious novel, it's not in your face about God. But it does show that even a pastor's child has their own set of problems.

I was really excited to read another book from Terri Blackstock. However, this book didn't have the high-paced tension I was hoping for. There was more romance than suspense and normally I'd be thrilled, but after reading the If I Run series, I was left disappointed.

Wow, what a great story! This was a story about Nate, a smokejumper, and Brenna, a single mother. Nate and Brenna were in love as teens until her pastor father found out and threatened Nate’s drunkard dad to break them up. The pastor ends up dead and Nates dad is accused of murdering him and sent to jail for it. Nate was also accused of arson a couple years later. He left town and never looked back. Years later, Nate returns to his hometown to recover from his burns he acquired thru his job and develops a friendship again with Brenna who is now a single mother who’s fighting for custody of her children from her estranged rich ex-husband. She turns to drinking to cope with her worried of losing her children. Nates dad is out of prison and wants to clear his name.

This story was more drama than murder mystery in my opinion. Despite that, there were some hints leading up to the twist (call it what you like). I felt things wrapped up too quickly. I’m also surprised we didn’t get much interactions with Brenna and her mother and sister. Her and her sister worked together, too. I’m surprised there wasn’t more added conflict between both Nates family and Brenna’s family. We just got that Nate’s dad was pissed at his son for seeing Brenna. Same goes for Brenna’s mom and sister. Brenna also had a best friend but we barely hear from her after Brenna slept over her house in that one scene. Despite all that, I recommend this story.

Terri Blackstock takes hard, difficult, real to life issues and wraps them up in suspense writing that keeps the reader involved and entertained. Her books always deliver on suspense, making the reader wonder what turn will come next and who it will affect.
A divorced mom having trouble keeping herself together when the children aren't at home and an injured smoke jumper have a past they can't ignore. They fell in love as teenagers, but her dad was murdered and his dad was convicted of it. The years have taken them in different directions, but God has brought them back together when they both need it the most. She is fighting an uphill battle for custody, with alcohol the only numbing factor she finds to help when the kids are gone. He is recovering from injuries that put him in the perfect place to help her. And wrapped around it all are secrets the little town can no longer contain. Who really killed her dad? Who set the fire all those years ago at the church? And who is the shadowy man following them, and what does he want?
Terri Blackstock weaves characters that are instantly relate-able and real to readers. I find myself pulling for them to change bad decisions, look over their shoulder to see the danger, and cheering when the right decision is made. I love how they face real issues that may not be pretty but make the characters even more real. I feel I can really learn from the mistakes and growing they do through the story. It was so easy to sink into the story and stay there! This is a great book well worth the read. Terri Blackstock just keeps upping her game with each book I read! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

SMOKE. SCREEN. Teri Blackstock
Her ex husband with a new wife, barely out of her teens, and now he is running for mayor, Wants his eight year daughter and 4 year old son on the platform with him, bribing them with gummies. He is even suing her for custody of them. Brenna wonders if his father has bribed the judge.
A secret of her drinking, until she falls asleep, daughter of a pastor. He’d roll over in his grave if he knew. The man convicted of the murder of this pastor is out. This is a stand alone, and has many twists and plots dealing with a number of issues. The plot flowed with a story and good characters Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion by Net Galley and Thomas Nelson.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book. Terri Blackstock is one of my favorite Christian authors. This book did not disappoint. I enjoyed that this book was a stand alone book. The characters were very enjoyable. I got caught up with the main character's struggle with her children's custody battle. This book is a mixture of suspense, mystery, and romance all wrapped into one book. Highly recommend!

Smoke screen was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was really excited to read this book when I received it a contemporary novel with some suspense and romance with the trope of a second chance love! Yes please!

Smokescreen was such an easy and quick read. It was so enjoyable and although it dealt with some strong topics such as alcoholism, custody battle, murder and fire trauma I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. These topics were dealt with very carefully!

Throughout smoke screen we meet many characters some so sweet and I fell in love with others I despised and wanted to yell at these characters.

A truly wonderful masterpiece of a novel that I enjoyed so much and gave it a well deserved five stars! I am definitely going to enjoy reading more of Terri Blackstock’s wonderful writing!

I love Terri Blackstock's writing and was so happy to be able to read another of her books!
In this one, Nate is a fire jumper and was burned while fighting a fire that involved rescuing a family. After getting the family to safety, and getting burned, Nate went back into the fire to rescue their dog. Later he learns that the family was a senator. Since Nate was unable to work until his burns healed, he headed to his hometown where he had left fourteen years earlier to run from family scandals. His dad was convicted for murdering a town pastor, who also happened to be the father of his then girlfriend, Brenna. His father was an alcoholic and had a horrific temper, so it was easy for Nate to believe his dad was guilty. A church had burned and there were whispers and speculation from some that Nate had done it. It seemed to escape the town was the best thing he could do at the time.
Now, his dad has recently been pardoned and is back in town. Nate isn't sure how he feels about this. He has chosen to stay with his brother, who just so happens to live across the street from his teenage love, Brenna. Nate learns that Brenna is recently divorced and has two young children that she dearly loves. There are other things about Brenna that is surprising to Nate.
Nate would like to be able to help Brenna and finds he still has feelings for her.
Brenna is shocked that the man convicted of murdering her father has been pardoned and is back in town.
Brenna's husband left her for the town, Selfie Queen, a much younger woman and he is now fighting her for custody of their children. His father is wealthy and has a lot of town connections. Brenna is under a great amount of stress and begins using alcohol to cope when the children are with their father on weekends. She is drinking way too much and even videoed in a restaurant after having far too much to drink. How did the preacher's daughter come to this?
Fast paced story that will enthrall you. A must read if you enjoy romantic suspense.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Terri Blackstock never disappoints me! This is another page turner. I thought it was interesting that, even though Nate was accused of something he didn’t do, he had a hard time believing that his father was innocent of the crime he had been accused of. I liked how Nate stood by Brenna, despite her poor lifestyle choices. Great book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In Smoke Screen, author Terri Blackstock transports the reader to Carlisle, Colorado for an intriguing Christian Suspense story that follows two people who must face the traumas of the past, while trying to find a way to overcome present life struggles with hope, faith, and a second chance of finding love and redemption.

Nate Beckett is a member of the elite smokejumper team, the Rocky Mountain Hotshots. While battling a wildfire in Steamboat Springs, Nate rescues a U.S. Senator and his family, and is subsequently sidelined from duty with second degree burns on his body. Nate returns to his hometown of Carlisle to recover from his injuries and deal with the false misconceptions of his past.

Brenna Strickland-Hertzog world has fallen apart after a recent divorce, and she struggles with the possiblity of losing her children to her ex-husband in a brutal child custody case. Brenna's struggles has led her down a self-destructive path of depression and alcoholism that could seriously damage her case, and cause her to lose her children.

Fourteen years ago, Nate and Brenna were high school sweethearts, but a tragic event between their fathers changed their lives forever. Nate's father was convicted of murdering Brenna's pastor father spurred on by the unapproved romance between the teenagers. And if that wasn't bad enough, Nate was wrongfully suspected of arson, when the pastor's church burned down after his father's sentencing. The lies and rumors ran rampant and drove Nate to leave his hometown. Recently, Nate's father has been pardoned for the murder and is released from prison, which causes old wounds to reopen between their families. Can Nate and Brenna face the trauma of their past that had torn them apart, get redemption by finding the real murderer and arsonist, overcome their present life struggles, and get a second chance of love?

Author Terri Blackstock weaves a mulit-layered and suspenseful tale written in the first person alternating narrative that follows Nate and Brenna as they reunite and use their reconnection to lean on each other as they try to overcome the trauma of their past, while struggling to overcome the obstacles of current life issues, hoping for redemption, love, and a new beginning.

I loved reading this complexed multi-layered story. From the first page, I was intrigued as Nate and Brenna's traumatic past unfolded, and how their reconnection drew together two flawed people who were dealing with current life struggles, in addition to the questions surrounding the mystery of the murder and arson. The reader will be easily drawn into this well written story with its richly descriptive plot that will keep them guessing as secrets, deceit, greed, and dysfunctional family drama are uncovered. I loved the intertwining of Nate and Brenna's life struggles with the undeniable attraction between them, as they searched for forgiveness, redemption, and a second chance at love and a new beginning.

Smoke Screen has enough drama, tension, action, danger, secrets, romance, and unexpected twists and turns that will take the reader on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Terri Blackstock is a staple in Christian suspense, so as someone who absolutely loves this genre it's actually quite shocking that I had only ever read ONE of her suspense novels--- and that had been YEARS ago (back before the genre was a preferred one for me even). For whatever reason, they just never had made it onto my TBR pile... after reading Smoke Screen however, that is certainly going to change! I absolutely, positively LOVED it!

Do you ever have those books that you quite literally could not put down? This was one of those for me. I had my Kindle propped up by the sink as I did dishes, read as I cooked and stayed up late despite my exhaustion just to see how it would all end. To me, that is certainly the sign of a great book... one that keeps you that connected in such a way. And it wasn't due to the nonstop action... in fact, for a suspense novel, there really were not a ton of super intense action moments at all, but I can'y say that I really missed it in this story.

The lead characters Brenna and Nate were imperfect to say the least. Nate was a fire jumper who had run from his past, and Brenna was in a dark place and was oftentimes not even the most likable in that you just wanted to shake some sense into her. But it is through their imperfections that we really root for them to turn things around. The book covers a lot of heavy topics like divorce, custody and alcohol abuse. No sugar coating, just real life issues addressed genuinely. Were some of the bigger twists and turns throughout the story fairly easy to predict? Perhaps, but I still enjoyed the journey to how it would all unfold anyway!

Overall, this was a fantastic read that fans of Christian romantic suspense will surely enjoy. I know I will certainly be looking forward to finally adding more from Terri Blackstock into my TBR after this one!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thought are 100% my own.

Edge of your seat suspense. The whole book kept me on the edge of my seat. I literally could not put it down, and I'll admit I stayed up way later than I should have to finish it, because I just had to find out what happened to Brenna and her kids,to find out if Nate's dad is really innocent who killed Brenna's father? I immediately fell in love with the characters, and my heart went out to Brenna. I was rooting for her from the beginning. I was hoping she'd see the light and deal with her drinking problem. I love how Nate encourages her to look to God and get back into a relationship with Him instead of turning to alcohol. If you love suspense, if you love a good Blackstock novel, you will not want to miss this book. I highly recommend this book!

**I received this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock is a thrilling read. A single mother on the brink of collapse, a firefighter benched for injuries— the characters in this novel are deeply characterized with full backstories that add great dimension to this novel. Even so, the author is quite adept at weaving their stories together so that the reader never experiences an overwhelming amount of information at once. I absolutely loved the plot of the story— I could not tell where it would go but found it a satisfying read in the end. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes well developed novels with great emotion and tension throughout. I think it would appeal to men and women alike. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

What an adventure this story is. It has all the element for a movie of the week with intrigue, secrets, deceit and high volume action. The story is not just about forgiveness but about learning to trust God. It was easy to like Brenna because even though she had flaws, she still tried to overcome her weaknesses. For years she has had to live with the death of her father who was murdered. I understood how hard it was to be a preacher's kid and knew her dating Nate went against everything her father believed in.

Nate is a wonderful character with a dangerous job as a smoke jumper. Can you imagine jumping from a plane into a blaze that was out of control? I enjoyed the turmoil between him and his father. We have often heard of people in prison who are innocent but cant prove it. Nate struggled with his dad being locked away for years knowing that he still doubted his dad's innocence. The author does an excellent job of writing scenes where Nate and his dad have to find a way to communicate again. What I liked was Nate's bravery in rescuing a family in danger of being in the line of a fire overtaking their home. Most people would have not gone back into the fire, but Nate wouldn't be able to live with himself he he didn't try to save them.

The relationship between Nate and Brenna is not welcomed by some and it took the story in a direction where we see how God works. Brenna is at a breaking point with fighting for custody of her children, coping with the release of her father's killer and maintaining a semblance of control in her life. There is much to learn in the story from how to treat an asthma attack, discovering secrets about a murder and learning to forgive. It is a fast paced story that will have you on the edge of your seat as secrets are revealed. I liked how Nate's father never gave up hope and drew closer to God during his time in prison. Nate and Brenna are dynamic characters each searching for truth and healing. Don't miss this story from a gifted author that delivers intriguing stories surrounded by faith.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Terri Blackstock  has written another great book about ever burning forest fires, as is prevalent even today.  This book is different from the "If I Run series" but still a good suspense. Alcoholism is discussed with sensitivity and dignity. Grace and forgiveness are major topics and shows how our Heavenly Father can put back together the broken pieces of broken lives. Then one can learn to to forgive and accept those who have hurt us. A great story of how love and forgiveness can bring healing. I highly recommend this novel to those who appreciate well-written Christian fiction, mystery, and drama.  I have enjoyed every book I’ve read written by Terri Blackstock! She is truly a great writer.........I was gifted this E-book by the publisher via NetGalley and these are my own words.

I heard a writing teacher say once that it’s much harder to write a truly good character than to write a flawed one. She said that readers would dislike the “perfect” people. I thought I’d feel that way about the hero of Smoke Screen. After Nate nobly saved an entire family (and their dog) from their burning home, then worried more about his team than about his own injuries, he was looking a little too good to be true. Ho hum. But then the the author did her trademark thing: she made his life messy. She gave him a very complicated family. She gave him a bad reputation. Now, he was a genuinely good and likeable guy, but he was interesting, too. Terri Blackstock is really good at that!

The heroine was easier to dislike – a weak woman with a drinking problem, when she should have been stronger and stayed sober, if she really wanted to keep her kids. Instead, she wallowed in self-pity and hopelessness. So irritating. But… just as she has in so many other books, Terri Blackstock took that character and made her real. She was still doing all the wrong things, but now I cared about her. I wanted her to succeed. I could identify with the attitude of her sister,,, I wanted to shake Brenna and then dump out all her hidden bottles of alcohol.

The other characters are solid, too. I like where she went with Brenna’s ex-husband at the end of the book. I have a feeling we’ll see more of the siblings in future books.

This book reminded me of Ms. Blackstock’s earlier series, Moonlighters and Intervention, with their complex family relationships and “real life” problems. The plot is creative, and the relationships feel natural. The Christian content is good. with the characters asking hard and honest questions about God and their lives. I was glad to see a return to the author’s previous style, too – It’s written in alternating first-person past tense, which I greatly prefer to her more recent present-tense stories.

Readers who are looking for her usual suspenseful stories might be disappointed. This one is good, but it’s more of a romance and mystery, with hints of women’s fiction in the family relationships, which are a major element of the book.

This is not your typical Terri Blackstock read, however that is not a bad thing. When I see Blackstock’s name on a book, I immediately think of suspense, action, and books that are going to keep me on my toes. This was totally different – it was full of drama, broken characters, redemption, and inspiration. I was still hooked, just in a different way.

My absolute favorite character was Brenna. She was a Christian, yes, but she was flawed – aren’t we all? Blackstock was not afraid to bring in a **gasp** big sin into this storyline. I know some readers may have issue with that, but I welcome it. We’re all sinners in some way, shape or form. Maybe we don’t know what Brenna struggled with, but her story can certainly represent a sin that we are dealing with. A sin that just won’t undo it’s grasp over us. One that easily besets us. Brenna just needed help, as do we. I found her character to be a breath of fresh air if I’m honest. I don’t always want to read about prefect characters. I want to read about the Brenna’s of the world, and how they come out of their mess, and how they learn to rely on the Lord again and remember that He never left them in the first place.

There was a little mystery in trying to figure out who actually killed Brenna’s dad and set the church on fire, but I didn’t feel like that was the main part of the story. It was really about Brenna’s growth, both as a person and as a Christian. As for Nate? Well he had some flaws himself, mainly forgiveness. I could see the wall he put up whenever he was around his father, and I was just waiting for that “aha” moment where he realized he needed to put all his anger and fears aside, and see his father for the man he was today. Just as it wasn’t easy for Nate, it’s not easy for us to do with some people. I think seeing Nate progress through the course of the story will inspire people as well.

Was this a typical Blackstock novel? For me, no. But honestly, it was so much more. I encourage you to dive in, get inspired, and learn from these flawed characters. I think you’ll find yourself encouraged and thankful you picked it up. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.