Amazing book!

Eason has done it again. This book is full of action, suspense, and a mystery. It also has really relatable characters I loved and a plot that was very engaging

The beginning grips you. I don't usually care for any books with much Middle East military action, but Eason handled it well and pulled me into the book by the characters. By the time the book turned stateside I was already dying to know what would happen next.

I really like Brooke. There were a lot of things about her that I related to. I also loved how strong she was. I love strong women in fiction. Asher was amazing. I love how he was able to be a hero but not be arrogant. I actually wish this book could have been longer. At the end I wasn't ready to say goodbye to either of them.

The mystery in this book was so well done. I did put some of the pieces together before Eason revealed them and did figure out who was behind it and why before she revealed it - but not so soon that I didn't enjoy the puzzle. In fact, I wonder if I wasn't meant to solve it.

The collateral damage referred to in this book is an extremely sad problem in the world right now. I'm thankful for authors that use real world issues in their books. Hopefully it opens people's eyes. I also appreciate that more authors are including PTSD and trauma in character profiles. Hopefully the stigma around these will continue to diminish.

And while it wasn't a huge focal point, I loved the romance in this book. It was a perfect balance to the action and suspense. I felt like while it happened fast (as it always seems to in fiction) that it really did happen organically.

I can't wait to see what book 2 brings.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason is the first in the Danger Never Sleeps series. My interest was captured from the very first chapter. Brooke Adams and Asher James are complex characters. Brooke is a woman who got burned out while helping military personnel and then harmed in the explosion. She held a man’s hand while he died and has a last item to give his wife along with a message. Brooke is suffering from PTSD and is dealing with it the best way she knows how. Asher James has been discharged from the Army and is having trouble dealing with the nightmares. Asher is a man who prefers not to reveal his feelings, but he believes Brooke is the one person he can talk to because she understands what he is going through. Asher rescued Brooke from the restaurant, so they have had similar experiences. The last thing Asher expects to find is a dead body in Brooke’s office. They experience an immediate connection which grows deeper as they evade the killers. The mystery was multifaceted. I do not want to say too much and give anything way. I like the complexity of the crime and how it was revealed bit by bit. I enjoyed figuring out who was involved and what they were up to. There are surprising twists and unexpected revelations. I especially liked the action which kept the story moving along at a fast pace. The author created such a delightful villain. I like how Christianity was incorporated into the story. The romance did not dominate. It developed as Brooke and Asher worked to stay alive and get the bad guys. There are quite a few characters and it can be hard to keep track of them at times. I enjoyed how everything came together at the end and I am looking forward to the next installment in Danger Never Sleeps series. Collateral Damage is an intense Christian suspense that you will not want to put down.

The first book in Danger Never Sleeps and my first read by this author, and what an introduction. Suspense, danger and romance, Collateral Damage is well delivered with a fabulous story and great characters. I look forward to exploring more by this author

The first two chapters gave the appearance that I was reading a military thriller - a genre I tend to avoid. I was wrong.

Chapter three opens in a South Carolina field with the discovery of a mass grave. That grave would lead to the involvement of the FBI, the CIA, the Army CID, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and numerous local authorities, into an international manhunt for men so evil even those accustomed to various crimes would be offended. As a reader, I wanted these people caught before they could bring more pain into their world - only the cooperation of the various agencies would bring the guilty to justice.

Though the focus was on the crime, it also presented the reader with a better understanding of PTSD as experienced by those in the military. As I have said before, a book that deals with serious topics (even books of fiction) should also provide pointers for those dealing with these issues either directly or indirectly to additional help. Sadly it did not. Hints that help exists, yes; but no links to websites or phone numbers to reach out for support.

Though coming from a faith-based publisher, I had a hard time calling the book a faith-based thriller. It certainly was not anti-faith but did not weave an underlying theme of faith into the book. Even with that said, the book may find a place in some church libraries. It will also belong in most public libraries serving the general population and on the shelves interested in the unintended casualties of war. It serves as a stark reminder that we need to pray for those living in war-torn areas, whether they are directly fighting or merely trying to live in areas affected by war.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Last year, starting a new Lynette Eason series meant my Christmas decorations stayed up a couple of weeks later. Same story this year! Collateral Damage had me intrigued to start and gripped very quickly thereafter. I liked how events stateside tied into the crucial work of the military in Afghanistan, but ultimately the bad guy was not the predictable choice. There's a very interesting plot twist toward the end that I didn't see coming and several of the secondary characters jumped out so there's plenty to look forward too.

"Collateral Damage " is by Lynette Eason. This book is the first in the suspense , thriller series Danger Never Sleeps. Collateral Damage will leave you on the edge of your seat wondering what is coming next ! Brooke Adams is a former military psychiatrist. She is suffering from stress after being in the military. She becomes for the focal point in the suspense , looking for the fraud, solving the crimes. The action never stops until the last page! The setting involves Kabul, the United States , Central America. Lynette Eason is a best selling author. She has won the Selah award, the Carol award, the Daphne award and IRCC award. This book is a suspense, thriller and mystery to be solved. Thank you to netgalley , publisher, author for allowing me to read and review this book.

WHAT a ride.

This is my first book by Lynette Eason, and I'm impressed!

I'm surprised I liked the characters as much as I did. I wasn't attached to them, per se, but they were really neat and I wasn't bored by them.

Brooke is a unique lead, for sure. There are just so many stories in which the MCs look down on/hate on "shrinks" of any kind, and that's just ridiculous. Because there are plenty of psychiatrists out there who ARE trying to help. Like Brooke, for instance. And I love how the author actually weaves that into the story-- of course the soldiers she helps don't seem to appreciate it. And that's realistic too. But she was really cool, psychiatrist-character aside, and truly relatable.

Asher was cool, too, although I did like Brooke better. (*flash red lights* SHE LIKES THE FEMALE LEAD MORE) I just didn't really connect to him as much. But it's all good.

The other characters though?? How many more books will there be in this series because I will be snapping them up. The side characters are pure gold. And I know Eason's gonna continue the thread of crazy action-packed awesomeness.

The mystery/suspenseful part was really well-done, even though I guessed it a couple chapters before its reveal (but hey, I overthink everything, because it's safest to just assume everyone's the killer, you know?). I like how Eason added a whole bunch of the side characters' own subplots and wove them into one huge big web of mystery. *thumbs up*

A couple things I didn't like: there wasn't much character growth in this book. Not saying that there was absolutely none, but it was very subtle, and made it slightly more difficult to connect to the characters. Brooke was easy to resonate with because of her personality, but yeah, that's probably why I didn't like Asher as much.

4/5 stars. This isn't a genre I usually read and it took me forever to get into it, but aside from that, it was great. :D

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. A positive review was not required; all views and opinions expressed are my own.*

Asher and Brooke find themselves in the midst of a fight for their lives and they don't even know why. As former Army warriors they're not strangers to danger or the unexpected but they did not expect to have to be on guard once they'd returned home. Unsure who to trust, they discover a mystery that's unfolding across the ocean in the war zone is now unfolding front an center here at home.
I enjoy everything I've read by Eason. Collateral Damage did not disappoint. Fast paced anticipation fills the pages of this book. Danger Never Sleeps definitely applies to this story.
My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!

COLLATERAL DAMAGE is the newest release by Lynette Eason and at first I thought it wasn't for me since it started on the battlefield, and then I thought it was rather disjointed, hopping from two different muslim countries to shallow graves in SC to a psychiatrists office... how did they all relate? But I couldn't see the big picture. I just had to trust.

Soon the story began to make sense and I grew to care for the characters and wanted them to find peace. And justice. I did guess who the "bad guy" was but only minutes before it was revealed and there were some twists I never saw coming.

There is little to no sexual tension and I do wonder if Asher and Brooke will survive a long term relationship with their wounds. There is a faith message included.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE was a little creepy but not terribly, and should appeal to lovers of romantic suspense as well as military fiction.

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.

Collateral Damage
by Lynette Eason

Revell

Christian

Pub Date 07 Jan 2020

I am reviewing a copy of Collateral Damage through Revell and Netgalley:

Brooke Adams is a former Military Psychiatrist from the army after she is nearly killed by an explosion. Brooke Adams set up shot to help others but her days of helping those in the military are over. She’s got to fight her own battles from her time she served overseas, and she is not equipped to take on more. Former Army Special Ops Sergeant First Class Asher James could handle anything that war sent his way–terrorists, bombs, bullets. The only thing that he is scared of now is sleep. Just As the shadows close in, the nightmares begin.

After finally being convinced that he needs help, Asher sets up an appointment with a counselor. Brooke is pressed by her boss to take on this case. But when he arrives at her office, she isn’t there, a dead body is there. Brooke is devastates when she walks in Asher is a conveniently strong shoulder to cry on. But she can’t take him on as a client after sharing such an intimate and unprofessional moment, can she? And he’s not sure he can handle sharing his deepest fears with such a beautiful woman.

After it becomes clear Brooke was the real target of the attack, that her secrets go even deeper than Asher’s, he vows to protect her no matter what.

I give Collateral Damage five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

This book was amazing I really had a hard time putting it down. The author deals with some tragic situations. I honestly feel like the situations in this book could be totally be pulled from the headlines. I loved Brooke and her friends they all seemed to have a heart for others no matter what they are facing. I loved how Brooke was able to face some of her fears and keep fighting for what was right. I liked Asher, while sometimes it seemed more that Brooke was saving him, he always seemed to have everyones best interest at heart. Now can we please talk about Lyric she was my favorite her and Sarah need to be friends and have there stories told, they both this take no prisoner attitude in them and will stop at nothing. I liked that this book was a good clean read and that even thought there were tough subjects the author kept you going from beginning to end.

Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason packs so much intensity, emotion, intrigue, and nail-biting suspense into a neat package filled with great characters, difficult challenges, and wrapped with a hint of humor, romance, and faith. I have a difficult time putting down any of Ms. Eason's writings, and Collateral Damage was no exception. This book was outstanding! I absolutely loved the context of the book with a wide variety of military branches and several closely associated services. Along with the military themes, I also thoroughly enjoyed the characters of Brooke, her friends, and of Asher and his family. Ms. Eason's characters are down-to-earth, yet full of struggles, brokenness, doubts, strength, courage, regrets, grief, but also hope, joy, love, faith, and laughter.
I particularly appreciated Ms. Eason's clever use of title for this work. Collateral damage as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is "injury inflicted on something other than an intended target specifically : civilian casualties of a military operation."¹  The intricate web of hurt and sorrow weaved by Ms. Eason in Collateral Damage clearly shows how deeply injurious a single act of evil and betrayal can become. It seems an appropriate representation of our current society as we often see the great ripple of harm caused by one person's failure to stand for truth and for right.  Without giving away the ending, I think that Ms. Eason stirred at the heartstrings of her readers with the horrific actions some evil men and women can justify towards other men, women, and children. There may be some hard situations that readers may not want to deal with, yet these evil situations are sadly commonly occurring in real life and often go unchecked. I appreciated the overall fight for justice and protection of the innocent portrayed in Collateral Damage. 
Collateral Damage packs so much intensity into the book with so many unexpected and dangerous plot twists and suspicious incidents. From the first chapter, the characters have to deal with extremely difficult conflicts and deadly situations, which result in deep scars that reach into their post-military lives. I couldn't believe how many suspenseful situations the characters kept dealing with throughout the book, continually surprising me.

As a former Army psychiatrist Brooke Adams devoted her life to helping others overcome their struggles, yet after being honorably discharged due to injuries from a devastating bombing incident, Brooke struggles to see the purpose behind her pain.  Brooke not only had personally lived through great trauma when serving in Afghanistan, but also had absorbed countless tragedies and hurt second hand from the many servicemen and women whom she had served.  With her physical hurt, Brooke also had other regrets, mainly regretting her sense of inability to help other military members. After she recovers physically, Brooke begins her practice again, but with one specific regulation: no veterans allowed as her patients.  Shortly after this, Brooke's one rule is broken when Asher James comes to Brooke for help.  
Former Army Special Ops Sergeant First Class Asher James doesn't want to admit that he needs help; however, after Asher's family bluntly shows him how deeply his military scars reach, he is convinced. Asher only knows one person whom he respects enough to reach out to for help with his PTSD: Brooke Adams. However, when Asher appears for his first counseling appointment with Brooke, he is startled to find a masked intruder in the office as well as a dead body.  What was meant to be a healing visit for Asher, turns into a complicated situation in which he soon finds himself vowing to protect Brooke from the apparent threats on her life.

As the investigation into the suspicious circumstances begin, Asher and Brooke are now thrown together and begin to rely on each other.  Brooke struggles to discover why someone is coming after her with such deadly intent.  Asher and Brooke soon discover that Brooke may be targeted due to a conversation she had with a dying soldier right after the very devastating bombing that led to both Brooke and Asher's transition out of military life.   What follows is a non-stop roller-coaster of danger, adrenaline-packed situations, emotional flashbacks, unexpected ties to other crimes, unexpected betrayal, heartbreak, and a seemingly unending supply of situations that both surprise and intrigue the reader.  It is no surprise that another of Ms. Eason's works exceeds my expectations, but I did  highly enjoy this work by Ms. Eason and would clearly recommend it.

¹“Collateral damage.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collateral%20damage. Accessed 4 January 2020.
Disclaimer: Revell  graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and part of an unbiased review.

A wonderful surprise I had no idea this would be so military or strategic. Loved this, I almost tried to read slower so it wouldn’t end. However I needed to know who was behind it all. Great storyline and realistic, unfortunately probably too real. The characters were so dynamic and interesting, even his jacka$$ brother. Thrilled I received a copy through Netgalley.

Collateral Damage is the latest from Lynette Eason. This story opens with a view of the lives of Brooke Adams and Asher James. Brooke is serving as a military psychiatrist in the army. She is stationed in Afghanistan and she is ready to go home. Asher is also working in Afghanistan, as Army Special Ops, and seems to often be in the middle of enemy warfare. On the day that Brooke gets caught in the midst of enemy fighting, luckily Asher is nearby to carry her out of the flames!

After Brooke returns to the states to be treated for her 2nd-degree burns, she finally ends up in North Carolina trying to settle into a normal routine. It has been four months since her military tour oversees; however, the nightmares and the PTSD are not going away. Asher, also struggling with PTSD, ends up at Brooke's new work place, looking for help. Asher and Brooke have no idea that their lives are about to get intertwined once again. The moment Asher enters Brooke's new office and encounters the office receptionist dead on the floor, he knows the world of his nightmares has followed him home!

This is a fast-action tale as Brooke and Asher try to discover who is out to get Brooke. There seems to be possible death around every corner as they try to stay ahead of Brooke's stalker. The conclusion to this tale is beyond anything you would ever imagine!

This book throws the reader into an intense and dangerous situation right away! Even from the first chapter my suspicions were on overload and I was trying to piece together what was going on beneath the surface.

This book was a little hard to keep up with at times. There were a lot of characters, a lot of different locations, and keeping them all straight made my brain hurt a little bit. I wanted more character development and more romance. I felt as though the only things that were focused on about these characters were PTSD related, and I wanted to know them beyond those issues.

The actual crime or mystery part of the plot was really detailed and had elements that surprised me. I pretty much had pegged the villain early on in the book. Perhaps the author meant it to be somewhat obvious. There was enough danger to keep me on my toes and it was a tense conclusion. All in all it wasn’t my favorite suspense novel from this author, but it was an entertaining read and I enjoyed it for the most part.

Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason is a remarkable start to the Danger Never Sleeps series. I have long been a fan of this author as I find she consistently writes excellent fiction with high levels of suspense and just enough romance to keep it interesting. This novel starts in a military situation, and honestly this concerned me because it is not my favorite genre. However, this is primarily not a military novel, and the plot kept me riveted from page one. I loved the two main characters Brooke and Asher. I found their common history and their current situation fascinating. I also loved all the supporting characters in this book and I look forward to reading their stories in future books. There is so much to explore in this series and I just can't wait for the next one! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

A fantastic read and I can't wait for the rest of the series. This will be on lists for my readers looking to start a new series.

This is an explosive start for Lynette Eason’s newest series! This high pace action-packed story focuses primarily on Brooke and Asher, but readers will also get to know many secondary characters. After going through a traumatic event in the Army, Brooke seeks to counsel those in need. Asher finally decides to seek help for PSTD and makes an appointment only to find a dead body in the office. After piecing together different things, they decide that maybe there is more at play than previously thought. It is a race to the finish to discover what is really going on in this story. For those of you who are fans of Ms. Eason, you will love this latest series by her! For those of you who are interested in trying a book, this book is a great place to start! I highly recommend this book! You will not be disappointed! I can not wait for the next book in the series to be released.
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the author for an honest review. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, I have purchased her books before.

Collateral Damage is a fantastic romantic suspense. Well crafted plot and characters. This plot kept me on the edge of my seat. Fans of romantic suspense will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

We hear the phrase self-worth regarding one's self-esteem often enough. Baby boomers nearing or entering retirement are very familiar with the concept of net worth. Lynette Eason in Collateral Damage delves into the worth of humankind, the worth of all as being created by God. She also explores the theme of laying one's life down for another, and how the lens one sees others through impacts the willingness to do so. Of course in true Eason style she explores these weighty themes against the backdrop of a superbly told suspense story with plenty of danger, intrigue, and a bit of romance.

I am grateful to have received a copy of Collateral Damage from Revell via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review, and received no monetary compensation.