Full of action, suspense, and a bit of romance. Once again though, there's too much focus on a topic. In this book the author keeps harping on the proper way to treat a woman, as a person not a thing. Support her, don't smother her in her actions and profession. Once was enough, reiterating it over and over detracts from the story. It's important to understand based on the circumstances, however continued discussion is unnecessary.

That being said, this book is good and I enjoyed the story. The first half moves a bit slow. The information about beekeeping and raptor rehab was interesting, adding to the suspense. I would rate it between 3.5 and 4 stars.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

Courage Under Fire is the second of Lindsay McKenna’s new Silver Creek series. The couple have an obvious chemistry but this is a slow burn romance with danger and suspense. Carissa Taylor comes to work on Chase Bishop’s ranch as a beekeeper. They have a friendship before it leads to romance. I like this kind of story much more than those instant lust/ love ones. This feels real and natural. This is also exactly what I expect from this author.

The story has the perfect blending of romance and suspense. Cari finds herself once more in danger from her psychopathic step-brother. Chase’s military training comes into play to protect Cari. However, Chase is not the typical male, he is respectful, caring and open to new ideas. He is a new breed of cowboy who is looking for new ways to save the family ranch. Also strong enough and tough enough when needed but doesn’t run ramrod over others. I liked him.

If you enjoy romantic suspense with likable, knowledgeable, and capable characters then Courage Under Fire is the story for you. Stories where the good win and the bad are stopped in their tracks.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Courage Under Fire is a very good book. Well written, believable characters and a beautiful setting. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

I like Linsay McKenna's books but always wish for a little less force in the focus. This time it is women's rights; a very timely topic. Carissa Taylor needs to hide and Chase is just the one to hire her. His ranch is perfect until the unthinkable happens. Nice action and tension to keep the story going. I want to see what else happens in this valley.

This is the second book in the silver creek series. Cari is running from her stepbrother who has escaped from a California prison. She flees to Three Bars Ranch in Wyoming. She meets the owner of the ranch, Chase Bishop. I really like Cari as a character. Chase was a likable hero and I loved his mother, Mary. I liked the suspense scenes and the storyline of Cari's stepbrother hunting her. However, I feel that the book was repetitive at times and while I liked the beekeeping facts as they were thrown in here and there, I didn't care to have half a chapter of Cari and Chase talking about what he carries in a go bag and why. Overall the story was good. I received this book from netgalley and Kensington publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I sometimes request books in order to try new author and have found some great new reads. Unfortunately this one isn't for me. Thank you so much for letting me try it out.

Courage Under Fire (Silver Creek, #2) by Lindsay McKenna
This the second book in this series and I did like Cari and Chase and wanted to love this book ... but there is to much about toxic masculinity and other "political" stuff like the first Silver Creek book. I liked the bee stuff but some of seemed far out like her experience with the swarm when she was a child. Some things were repeated way to many times and I speed read through them after a while. The was danger with the step brother and fun with Valkyrie "wild child" and their relationship. If this is the kind of book that interests you it is a fine read.

Courage Under Fire has a background story of a girl on the run from her killer step-brother. An opportunity appears to use her degree and knowledge on a ranch. Luckily for her the rancher used to be a sniper and the ranch is surrounded by former military personnel who can protect her from her step-brother. I learned so much about bees and animal conservation. Luckily for me, beekeeping is a fascination for me as are the efforts to save animals. McKenna gives plenty of information about both areas that sometimes it feels as if the romance and the action are the subplots. Chase and Cari are sweet and sometimes too adorable as they tread so carefully towards each other that they stand still. I do love how McKenna has both characters learn from each other...a true partnership. Courage Under Fire is a great read for a snowy day.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

This definitely lives up to Lindsay McKenna's writing prowess, which I had missed in her last few books.

Courage Under Fire, book 2 of her Silver Creek Series brings back the Lindsay McKenna charm that I have so become used to. Carissa Taylor and Chase Bishop sure have chemistry and the plot is pretty intriguing.

Worth a read as I see the Lindsay McKennna peeping out as I remember her.

Courage Under Fire, boarders on the edge of a Science-fiction book. Several key points in the book are repeatedly retold. I felt it to be unnecessary. Plus you knew what was going to happen next so nothing was a surprise.

COURAGE UNDER FIRE by Lindsay McKenna is the second book in the Silver Creek contemporary romantic suspense series. The protagonists are Carissa (Cari) Taylor and Chase Bishop. Cari has her own beekeeping consulting business in California and loves it. However, when she gets a call from the county sheriff, her life is about to change. Her stepbrother, who has vowed to kill her, has escaped from prison. Luckily, Cari lands a job on a large range in Silver Creek, Wyoming. Ex-Marine Corp sniper, Chase Bishop runs the 80,000 acre family ranch. He is trying to add organic honey production to the ranch’s diverse operations. When his initial beekeeper suddenly leaves, he hires Cari.

Both Cari and Chase are likeable characters with a lot of chemistry. They have similar values but have approached life very differently. Cari is strong, intelligent and believes in herself. She is used to working in a field that is dominated by men. Chase shows respect for others and treats women as equals. He is diversifying the ranch by including honeybees for honey, a raptor rehabilitation center, organic vegetables and much more. The secondary characters played a background role and weren’t as well developed. However, they may show up in future books in the series.

The writing and discussions gave me a strong sense of the Three Bars Ranch and the people of Silver Creek. While the dialogue felt natural, there was some repetitiveness in some areas; especially around Chase’s attitudes and treatment of women. While it was important to the story to acknowledge this, it seemed to be repeated a little too often.

This book has a lot of details in it on topics as diverse as beekeeping, raptor rehabilitation and military sniping. I felt this added depth and made the book more realistic. Additionally, I learned a lot while reading the novel. While it may have been a little over the top in some respects, it left me feeling good that people are finding innovative ways to save family ranches.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was an entertaining book that was emotionally intense at times. The author did a good job of meshing the romance and the suspense without either suffering. If you are a fan of contemporary romantic suspense without instant love, then you may want to check out this series. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Kensington Books – Zebra and Lindsay McKenna provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for February 23, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Carissa Taylor is a beekeeper who must run away from her home and family after her life is threatened. She gets a job in Silver Creek, Wyoming at a local ranch. The rancher is a young man and the two fall for each other. I'm having a hard time with this review because this is the first book that I've read by Lindsay McKenna that I didn't really care for. I found the characters to be unbelievable and the plot to be just about the same.

This was a fast paced thriller. I thought the story was good, the romance just right. All the bee information was interesting. I enjoyed the story, it was a nice change from my previous books. I’m looking forward to more in this series and from this author
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

Courage Under Fire by Lindsay McKenna is a very enjoyable and informative book. The story of Cari and Chase is believable and exciting. The story has a lot of great information about bees and beekeeping and how usage of beehives can improve the growth of certain crops. For a city-dweller this was extremely interesting and helped me realize how important bees are to our environment. The strength of Ms. McKenna’s female protagonists is always appreciated. A wonderful book for a weekend read! #CourageUnderFire #NetGalley

Cari, has a relationship with bees, when her stepbrother escapes from prison she’s terrified. After witnessing him killing his girlfriend she testified against him and the last thing she remembers is him promising to kill her. Where can she hide? Chase needs a bee keeper. Can Cari work for Chase and not tell her secret? Reading the book will tell!


I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Courage Under Fire by Lindsey McKenna is entertaining and enlightening. Lindsey McKenna stuffed her novel with delightfully written information about beekeeping and care. She almost made me want to have a few bee pets of my own. She wove in microclimates, soil, birds of prey, and mythology info-bits while she built the tension of Cari Taylor’s step-brother’s threat to kill her. Silver Creek, Wyoming and the Three Bar Ranch become desirable places to visit and live in with McKenna’s skillful descriptions. The romance between Cari and Chase is gentle and believable. Courage Under Fire is an enjoyable if tense escape into adventure and romance.

If you have ever dreamed of reading a western/cowboy romance that is the antithesis of toxic masculinity - this is your dream come true! I honestly never thought I would actually find one that embraces those concepts so whole heartedly. Silver Creek is <i> definitely</i> a bit of a shangrila - organic produce company with a female CEO, a ranch that employs men and women - with a woman foreman. Cari is definitely a woman in a male dominated field. But she is incredibly strong - especially given what she has been through with her sociopathic brother. Chase is - as Cari says at one point - a rare type of man. He is a military trained sniper now running his family's ranch. He could very easily be a classic example of the alpha male - but he is expressly the opposite. Conscious of his behavior towards women, respectful, and treating women as his true equal. He is immediately smitten with Cari - but being deeply conscious of #metoo he doesn't approach her as a prize to be won or a sexual object - but as a professional woman first. All of this was seriously refreshing.

The thing is - I think maybe Lindsay McKenna overdid it a little. I can't even imagine the research she did on bee culture or military sniper training for this book - because the detail is pretty intense. At times I felt more like I was reading a manual more than a romance. The romance is sweet and I loved seeing Cari and Chase come together - but I admit to skimming some of the details about bees, snipers, law enforcement, and even feminist culture (which I am so much in favor of in romance - like so much). At times I felt like I was getting hit over the head with it. I get that Cari was pretty surprised by Chase's forward thinking and behavior - but I think after the initial interactions - it was enough to show us that he walked the walk - not just talked the talk. The constant surprise and discussion could have been left out. So - yeah - I had mixed emotions about that. We need more of this in romance - but maybe this was too much? Please don't hate me. My feminist flag flies high!

Overall - I liked this and I am kind of anxious to read the next book. The preview for it is included in the end and I really want to see where it goes.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

ARC received for review

There was chemistry between Cari and Chase but it was weighed down by all the talking and talking and thinking. Plus there was all the explaining about bees and raptors and snipering and his mom...way too much. Then there was the bad guy...how the heck did he find her....no real explanation, just a vague idea from the sheriff. I had to speed read a lot of parts cause it was boring. They finally hook up at about 80% in and it was over in a couple pages. Sweet epilogue.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Carissa lands a job working with bees on a farm in Wyoming. Carissa brother escaped from jail with the intent of killing Carissa. Chase who owns the farm was in the military and will protect Carissa at all costs. I liked the chemistry between Carissa and Chase i cant wait to read Lindsey McKenna next book.

Ugh. I really don't like to write negative reviews because authors and editors work really hard, and I really do appreciate the opportunity I was given to review an ARC of this novel. However, this book was really not good, at least for my taste. The storyline sounded great: bee expert flees to Wyoming to escape a dark past. Lands a head beekeeper position at a ranch owned and run by a hardened ex military sniper who still mourns a dead lover.

Instead, the book was a series of holes and head-scratching moments, Frankensteined together. The book starts with an unnecessary prologue about the heroine Cari as a young girl, saving bees from the wrath of her preschool teacher. I guess it was to show us how she has an affinity for bees. (Oh, and she's also experienced with raptors. Why the author didn't just make her a falconer or something is a mystery because there's a hawk that plays a far more important role than any bee.) Her "dark past" is never really fleshed out for us, instead told in a handful of asides. Perhaps the moments in time that led to her dark past would have been a more logical prologue.

The hero, Chase, in addition to being a skilled sniper with who-knows-how-many kills on his resume, is also a scone-baking softie who has seen the light on his own patriarchal behavior (which doesn't occur during the storyline, but we know because he tells us) and is now practically a card-carrying feminist. As for his heartbreak, I thought the book description was wrong, but then about 75 percent into the book, he finally offhandedly mentions his lost love.

The title, Courage Under Fire, is a little confusing unless it refers to Chase. Cari is not a coward, but she spends pretty much all of the book's conflicts hiding behind a rock or Chase or her baseball hat.

The information about beekeeping, falconry (or whatever hawk training is called), and sniper-ing is interesting, but it all seems like it's plopped down into the book in Wikipedia-style chunks rather than woven skillfully into the story. i.e., I'd have preferred to learn about these topics from things that the characters were doing rather than from long passages that seemed of topic at the time. (Nora Roberts is a genius at that.)

Finally, the chemistry between the two heroes was almost nonexistent. In fact, it was rated G until close to the end, when it went R for about two pages.

In short (ha, too late), I wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. I gave it to stars because it was readable and because there's a storyline in there somewhere.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.