I really enjoy stories set in remote places especially ones with frigid temperatures. 36 Below fits the bill along with being a cyber thriller and christian romantic novel of suspense. It was a bit startling to think about the power of these nerdy and brainy computer hackers have over a world so very dependent on technology. Scary and real…

The Emergency Operations Center in Fairbanks Alaska is in its infancy with an ambitious timeline of a year to be fully up and running. We meet Darcie, newly appointed executive in charge as she is helplessly fielding the unkind and unexpected questions about what she will be doing in her new and important position. The residents are skeptical and suspicious about her motives and abilities in their town. After this particularly bad press conference, an old woman complicates everything by publicly warning residents of an attack on the power system when the temperature reaches 26 below zero. At this temperature life cannot sustain without heating systems. With the unforgiving winter impending, there’s simply not enough time to get ready, but she pushes her team hard to complete their part: coordinating things to operate smoothly in the case of an emergency.

Darcie’s confidence is shaken, but she is a good leader and presses on guiding her capable team. Jason's her right hand guy, has a weak point. This is his drug-addicted brother, who works to undermine him. It’s Fairbanks and inevitably, the temperatures will hit 26 below, which is not unexpected but the power grids do fail as the “crazy” lady predicted. Now her team must work rapudly to determine how the sabotage was done and get communications and power back online before folks freeze to death in their homes.

Darcie and Jason are the focus and work well together supporting each other, and building each other up. They both have have to work through extreme emotional issues as well as deal with this public emergency. Everyone is relying on them literally for their lives.

The main characters were likable and acted realistically. Darcie came to learn again to trust Christ through the example of Jason and her assistant, plus God working through events to reach her when she hit rock bottom. It seems many of us have to hit that point before turning to the One who was always there to help.

The suspense component was riveting and the attackers had me guessing at motives and identity throughout the book. This book ends with a cliffhanger, so I think Darcie and Jason have more work to do in their fair city. Oh yes and the sparks between the two have begun to fly.

I definitely recommend this book to readers of…. Christian fiction, technology thrillers, suspense, and a bit of romance

A new series begins with this fast past mystery which brings cyber attacks to the forefront. Very realistic! Darcy and Jason make a very good team as they strive to keep Alaska safe from terrorism. A little predictable at times but very enjoyable. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

"26 Below" is a Christian romantic suspense. The Emergency Operations Center has just been started, with a timeline of a year before it's expected to be fully up and running. Darcie had to field questions about what they do, hire staff, and get secure computer systems going (among other tasks). Then an old woman publicly warned of an attack on the power system when it reached 26 below zero. There's simply not enough time to get ready, but her team pushed hard to complete their part: coordinating things in an emergency.

The bad guys targeted Darcie through hostile meetings and press conferences, which shook her confidence, but she loves to organize things and is a good leader. Jason's weak point is his drug-addicted brother, who worked to undermine him. When the temperatures hit 26 below, the crisis hit, and they had to determine how the sabotage was done and get communications back online.

Darcie and Jason worked well together as a team, supported each other, and built each other up. They had to work through triggered emotional issues as well as deal with the public emergency. The main characters were likable and acted realistically. Darcie came to accept Christ through the example of Jason and her assistant, plus God working through events to reach her when she hit rock bottom tired, sad, and stressed. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this interesting and suspenseful novel.

It took me several chapters to really get into the book because it kept alternating pov from the "bad guy", Natalie, Jason and Darcie; so I kept getting confused. Once I figured out who everyone was and what was going on, I enjoyed the steady pace story line.

Darcie, Jason and the team are trying to figure out if crazy lady Natalie's claims are true that bad things will happen once their town in Alaska reaches negative 26.

Clean, steady drama with interesting characters. Im glad I kept reading even though it took me a while to really get into it. The story ended with a cliff hanger so I'll definitely be back for book 2!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

This story serves as a poignant reminder of our dependence on electricity, the internet, and rapid communication. It is a thrilling romantic tale that also incorporates themes of faith.

The main characters possess imperfections... Although Jason may not be perfect and makes mistakes both personally and professionally, he is still relatable and deserving of sympathy... However, when it comes to Darcie, she seems to struggle with a lot of insecurity issues that stem from past hurts. Personally, I find her internal dialogue to be filled with too much self-doubt and negativity.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

This is my first book by Kimberley Woodhouse and I was drawn to it by the premise of the plot. I was also curious about how a well-established historical romance author would handle contemporary romantic suspense. It was a different read - though there were some technical aspects that this non-techy reader couldn't quite grasp, I didn't feel lost while reading the book. The plot was intricately laid out and the ending was definitely a surprise. Faith and returning to God's love were strong subplots in the main characters' journeys.

Jason was an imperfect hero, making tons of mistakes personally and professionally, but he was relatable in his imperfections and frustrations. Darcie was a bit more difficult to connect with; though the reader does get her full story of past rejections and hurts that shaped her personality, it was harder to feel empathy for Darcie than for Jason. The suspense component was riveting and the villain had me guessing at motives and identity all throughout the book. This book sets up for the rest of the series and it promises to be an intriguing ride.

I received the book from the publisher via JustRead Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse is a cyberattack on the electrical grid in remote Alaska. One of my favorite parts was the countdown of the temperature. Early on in the first chapter, readers are introduced to Natalie, a crazy older woman, who overhears that something horrible will happen when the temperature reaches 26 Below. Because of this, Darcie Phillips, the hero, is trying to figure out what it is and how to stop it before it happens. While the novel is categorized as a Mystery / Suspense novel, it felt a little off for me. Of course, there are dead bodies and the suspense of waiting to see what might or might not happen. However, it takes until seventy-five percent into the novel before the temperature reaches the 26 Below zero mark. I wanted more of an apocalyptic rush to the conclusion. At this point, there is a lot of internal dialogue from Darcie and Jason as they feel rushed to what is occurring around their small town. Readers will not feel the urgency of the situation. I know if the power went off in our town with temperatures that low most people would freak out. I wanted to see more of the humanity side to the situation. Plus, the ending was too easy to solve the mystery and the people responsible. Overall, 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse could have been a lot more of a techno – apocalyptic style novel, but I did not feel the urgency of the situation.

I received a complimentary copy of 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse from Kregel Publishing through JustRead tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.

What a thrilling and fast-paced book! I was hooked from the very beginning and wasn't let go until the very end. The premise of this book was terrifying in how realistic it was. It was a great reminder of how reliant we are on technology and how easy it would be for cyber criminals to bring it all down. It's also a good reminder to be prepared in case something like this were actually to happen.

Jason was a great guy and easy to like. I didn't know what to think about Darcie, but once she started opening up and I learned more about her past, I ended up liking her. I wasn't sold on the romance at first, but as the story progressed, I could see how good Darcie and Jason were for each other.

I loved the Alaska setting. It really came to life, and I felt like I was actually there. Which is something, considering the temperatures where I live were in the 90s for part of the time I was reading it. It was fascinating learning about emergency management and all the preparation, prevention, and response that goes into it. I had no idea.

I can't believe this was my first time reading anything by this author. I'm definitely looking forward to more from her. This is one of my favorites so far this year. I highly recommend it to fans of romantic suspense.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

Wow! Talk about keeping the reader on the edge of the seat wondering what twist or turn is next. Taking a very real threat to today's world and writing a work of fiction took a lot of research and skill. Kimberley Woodhouse accomplished that and more in her novel "26 Below".
Darcie and Jason and the team must overcome many obstacles, both professionally and personally, to handle a state of emergency in Fairbanks, Alaska once the temperature reaches twenty-six degrees below zero. Dealing with issues and family from the past affects them all. Will Darcie remember that God is still there for her? Will the sparks between Darcie and Jason be extinguished or ignited?
Now, I cannot wait for the sequel to this book as Kimberley Woodhouse left a masterful cliff-hanger.

NetGalley provided an e-copy of this book, but the opinions are my own.

Natalie, an Alaskan native woman, was cold and needed a place to stay, and she found an old cabin that looked deserted. She was told at a clinic in Anchorage that her disease would ravage her brain and she had difficulty knowing what was real and what was a memory, she often had dreams about her husband Toto and their children.
Natalie found a hatch under the floor where she could hide, she heard voices discussing a plan that would be put into action at twenty - six below and that they needed to get rid of the mayor's new appointees.
Darcie Phillips, the mayor's new appointee for the Emergency Center Director was in charge of organizing and readying the city of Fairbanks Alaska if there was a civil emergency. She did not know that her skills would be needed so soon....

I enjoyed this suspenseful and edgy depiction of what is probably a realistic threat to our world these days. Darcie is the new director of the Emergency Operations Center in Fairbanks, Alaska. Jason is a cybersecurity expert brought in to help Darcie and her workers get things up and running. Before that happens, someone is threatening their system and all things controlled by computers. We all depend on computers for so much and this is a scary thought, one of a cyberterrorist attack. 26 Below has some great characters, some with family baggage, who deal well with the situation, but it is not without danger, fear, and confusion. Faith plays a part in the story as a grounder. Romance is light and a little rushed but with a happy ending.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.

“When it hits 26 below, all will be lost. People will die. The end is near!”

“One cyberattack could essentially shut down everything. Making chaos king of the day, with no communication. No way to help people. No way to turn things back on.”

“God, help me do what is right.”

3.5 out of 5 stars

I don’t remember reading many books that take place in Alaska, so that was a treat. I don’t think I can handle the below zero temperatures which made the plot an interesting one. There were parts that were slow but when the action kicked in, it was quite good. I like a book that races against the clock; this one is like that with the added factor of people could die from the freezing temperatures. While I enjoyed the characters, I was not a fan of the romance and insta-love. I would have definitely rather had that at a minimum and gradually introduced it into the series. I will probably continue with the series and hopefully romance won’t be more prevalent than the mystery aspect.

In addition to being the setting of the story, the cold of Alaska also serves as a major character as we watch the temperature drop and the body count rise. The romance aspect of the story felt contrived compared to the rest of the plot line.

Kimberely Woodhouse returns to the genre of romantic suspense with her latest book, 26 Below, set in modern-day Fairbanks, Alaska. The author's attention to detail is one of the most impressive aspects of this book. Her collaboration with her son-in-law, a cybersecurity expert, ensures an accurate portrayal of the cybersecurity topic.

As someone who has lived in Alaska for five years, I found Woodhouse's depictions of the setting and the resilient spirit of its people to be authentic. The book also contains a strong Christian message, with the characters' faith playing an important role in the story. Readers who enjoy Christian fiction novels with overt gospel presentations will find what they're looking for in this book.

While the book has many strengths, there are some detractors. The romance progressed too quickly for my taste, and I didn't feel a strong connection to Darcie, the protagonist. Additionally, the incoherent ramblings of the character Natalie, known as "the Prophetess," were initially off-putting until I knew more of her backstory.

Overall, the technical details and authentic setting make the story feel grounded in reality, and the characters' faith adds depth to the story. While there are some detractors, the book is well worth reading for fans of the genre or those interested in the topic of cyber defense.

Disclosure: I obtained a copy of this book through Netgalley in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

26 Below is a well written book. I enjoyed the plot, setting and the character development. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

Temperatures are dropping and time is running out for Darcie Phillips, the new Emergency Operations Center director in Fairbanks, Alaska.

An old woman, who many disregard for her seemingly ‘crazy’ behaviour, has just predicted widespread destruction when the temperature falls to 26 below. Nobody took her seriously until bodies started showing up in the days leading up to the cold snap.

I loved the tension created by the chapter subheadings. Each one stated the temperature and date. As I saw the temperatures dropping, I knew the terror was imminent. Knowing more than the majority of characters, thanks to a few from a different point of view, ramped up the tension even more!

The setting added to the success of this book. A cyber attack anywhere is destructive, but in a remote location that relies on the heat for survival, knocking out the power grid could have devastating results.

I loved the focus on preparedness, a reliance on God’s guidance, and a realization that working together benefits everyone. This was a great book to start a new romantic suspense series - Alaskan Cyber Hunters - and I can’t wait for book two.

I was gifted this copy by Independent Publishers Group, Kregel Publications and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.