"A strong woman faces the enemy and walks through the fire."

Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills is an exhilarating ride of intrigue, extortion, murder, exploitation, and a bit of romance. DiAnn continues to thrill readers with this fast-paced story that never lets up for even one second. Grab your favorite beverage and claim a comfy chair because you won’t want to put this one down.

Risa Jacobs is an FBI agent in Houston, Texas, but takes a step back from the agency and into her previous profession as a college English professor after a deliberate hit and run leaves her family reeling. Risa is still in the crosshairs as the intended target, so the danger level is sky high. To add a bit more excitement to the mix, Risa and her FBI partner, Gage Patterson, are smack dab in the middle of their own personal quandary as they dance around their feelings for each other. The romance here is skittish at first, stringing the reader along for a bit but with the expectation that these two are meant to be together. They just fit, but with all the warnings, bullets, and bad guys zinging around, stepping away from the FBI and her role in the violent crimes against children division is her only choice to keep her family and others safe from a mysterious enemy who won't hesitate to harm or eliminate anyone to push an evil agenda. That is, until a student turns in a short story in Risa's creative writing class that flips the entire narrative.

DiAnn Mills sure knows how to keep the story fresh, lively, and full of surprises with each chapter. Risa and Gage and several other characters are well developed, almost from the first chapter, and two seemingly separate plots are quickly weaved together to form one fantastic story. Child exploitation and greedy evildoers preying on the tender emotions of families longing to adopt a baby are heartbreaking themes here and provide both the main characters and readers with a jagged edge to navigate.

The overall tone of Facing the Enemy, therefore, is an interesting combination of somber and sweet. Family plays an important role here, and Mills expertly portrays many sides of what family means to different people, bound by blood, friendship, or love or perhaps a unique mix of all these and more. A few things are clear in Facing the Enemy: Everyone harbors secrets, trust must be earned and maintained, and the line between innocent and guilty can be either bold and uncrossable or blurred and shifting. Risa and Gage are facing the enemy head on and walking this electrifying tightrope together. Watching their feelings for each other tentatively search for a strong foothold is definitely the sweet part of this story.

You cannot go wrong with anything written by DiAnn Mills, so grab a copy of Facing the Enemy and prepare to be enthralled and ready to dive into all her other books.

This book was a fun alternative, as it still had a romantic plot line, but really brought the suspense and intrigue. I was enjoying seeing each character address the main mystery from different sides and positions, since Risa is out of her usual FBI position.

The romance element was one that was a major highlight for me. I kept wondering "will they finally SAY something? Get those feelings out in the open!" I was cheering for the main couple, but it wasn't distracting at all from the main suspense portion either. The murder and mystery elements are very well done and I loved the multilayering this story had with its balance of suspense and romance. Often I've read books that are too one way or the other, and this had a good blend of both.

I found the Christian elements to be very authentic and believable. I thought this portion was well-handled as well. It wasn't very heavy-handed or "preachy". It was just right. I liked Risa and Gage a lot. Jack was also very interesting. I would love to see more of this FBI office and see how they solve some of their other cases. This one was absolutely fascinating and I'm glad I read it. I love the dual POV, I'm a sucker for it.

The only thing that threw me off towards the beginning was the passage of time. There were a lot of markers involving time and then they just seemed to drop off entirely as the action ramped up. When I have those extra notes, I just pay more attention to them and have look back at them. When they disappear, I'm like "wait, did I miss one?" I think some little thoughts of just "it'd been x months since the accident..." would've been smoother for me personally - but that's a very minor detail relative to the story as a whole.

You will enjoy this suspenseful story by DiAnn Mills. Starting with page one you will be pulled into the action as hostage negotiator Carrington and investigative reporter Levi are thrown together in a standoff. The hostage situation is intense.

With a commitment to see justice served, these two team up to uncover the truth. A lot of suspense as the layers of the investigation uncover so many twists and turns as more clues and motives are revealed.

The story is in first person, which gives a lot of insight into the romance that begins and the personal lives of both characters. I liked the strong integrity characteristic of both as they search for truth. They express their fears and life issues they are dealing with in an honest way and that adds much emotion to the story. The faith aspect was blended so well, including Messianic Judaism, and how each of them are handling their struggles with unbelief and uncertainty.

The story has you wondering who the enemy is, and the ending is a surprise. I recommend this to all who want a good romantic suspense novel.
I received a copy from the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

A hit-and-run murder. A baby kidnapping ring. FBI agents being targeted. All this – plus a sweet romance and thoughtful explorations of grief and loss – awaits you on the pages of DiAnn Mills’ latest suspense, Facing the Enemy.

Our first encounters with Agent Risa Jacobs are a roller coaster of emotions – cautious hope to joy to unspeakable grief… all in one day. My heart went out to her, and I wished I could reach through the pages and hug her tight. On top of all this, she is threatened with harm to other people she loves if she doesn’t resign from the FBI immediately. Talk about major upheaval in such a short time! Cut off from everyone in her inner circle – for their safety – she battles grief and guilt in isolation even as she’s determined to find justice for her brother’s death. And then…. one chilling short story flips the script yet again and we’re off and running, back with her partner Gage (with whom she’s in love) and hunting a consortium of ruthless killers with heart-stopping danger at every turn.

Just about the time I thought I had things pieced together, another twist upended my mental jigsaw puzzle and sent me – and Risa & Gage – back to square one, with a few more pieces completed than I had before… once the dust settles, that is. The villains in Facing the Enemy are truly vile with no respect for human life and willing to use gruesome means to get rid of whoever might stand in their way. Be prepared to have the wind knocked out of you a few times in this one. Needless to say, I cheered quite loudly (in my head) when these particular bad guys were brought to justice, and I was quite proud of Risa for some kick-butt defensive strategies there at the end. And while the active criminals in this novel are resolved quite satisfactorily, it does leave some doors open for possible future books, too. (Gage in particular has a loose thread that I’d love to see tied up someday.)

Bottom Line: Facing the Enemy is another thrill ride from DiAnn Mills, a high-stakes suspense that engages your emotions as it barrels to a harrowing conclusion. Some of the dialogue is a bit choppy at first and I struggled to understand some of Risa’s early decisions, but both of those issues disappeared as I became absorbed in the story. The romance between Gage & Risa is sweet, and I liked that we switched back and forth between their first person POVs because it gave me insight into Gage’s feelings too. I also appreciated that counseling is highlighted as a way to help process loss and grief – “Honesty brings us one step closer to healing and giving the tragedy to God.” – and that we get a front row seat to Risa’s renewed relationship with God. All of this makes the characters that much more relatable and gives the novel a balanced perspective that speaks to our hearts.

I didn't love this one as much as I wanted to. The author has a lot of popular books under her belt, and a strong reputation in the Christian fiction community, so I went into the reading with high expectations.

To its credit, this story has an interesting premise and its characters drew me in from the start. It’s also action packed from beginning to end, so it has plenty to keep a reader engaged.

What diminished my enjoyment personally, was a trend of awkwardly phrased sentences that forced me to re-read to understand what was meant. That may have been an artistic choice to reflect the state of mind of the characters? Or an attempt to fit clever turns of phrase that didn’t quite fit? Then again, given that I read an Advance Reader Copy, it’s also quite possible that additional editing took place before final publication, and that my reaction to the final book would have been different.

Regardless, there are many favorable reviews, and the characters are interesting and the storyline well plotted, so if you enjoy fast paced romantic suspense, give this one a try and see what you think.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an Advance Reader Copy of this book through NetGalley for review purposes.

This is a fast paced FBI crime mystery that just so happens to also be a Christian novel. From Trenton's death, to the threatening note left on Risa's car, to the essay that implodes, to the romance between Risa and Gage. Diann Mills takes the reader on a whirlwind journey full of twists and turns and palpable suspense.

The characters are easy to connect with because they are written with depth. The plot makes it a page turner. Pick this one up if you get a chance. You will not regret it.

Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills is about two Houston FBI agents who delve into the dark workings of violent crimes against children division. After the death of her brother, Risa takes a leave of absence and begins looking into his murder, which takes her on a journey to discover an illegal high-level baby adoption ring. The story contains page-turning content and a plot that holds the reader's attention. I enjoyed the storyline, characters, and the questions it causes one to consider about the kind of support that is available to mothers choosing life for the unborn child within them. It has a predictable happy ending, but I didn't mind a neat bow at the end of such a tragic story.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a clean weekend mystery, but I wouldn't refer to it as a 'heart-pounding' thriller.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers, for an arc of this book for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

#FacingtheEnemy #NetGalley

Written in first person prose, with the chapters going back and forth between the two main characters, DiAnn Mills presents a Christian thriller that's well worth the read. Romance and mystery/thrills are throughout the book. I did feel like that the intensity of the mystery thrill was amazing throughout the whole book until the last couple of chapters and then the mystery seemed to wrap up too fast and the romance took over. But all in all a 4* read for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, DiAnn Mills and Tyndale House Publishers for allowing me this kindle arc version in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! If it was a cup of delicious, doctored coffee, I would be thinking how delightfully yummy it was!
The characters and plot were especially engaging! FBI Special Agent Risa had reunited with her brother and watched him die before her eyes. She was horrified that he sacrificed his life for hers. Risa's partner, Special Agent Gage, had loved Risa since he first met her. They were working on solving a complex case where babies and birth mothers had gone missing. The author masterfully brought in their relationship with The Master to show how the characters' faith affected their questioning and dealing with their own grief/guilt situations. If those were not enough, the note from the author at the end was very special. I am so glad I read this book, as this author writes magnificent books!
I very much appreciate reading this book, compliments of the publishers. The thoughts expressed are my own.

Facing the Enemy is a stand-alone romantic suspense novel by DiAnn Mills. FBI agent Risa Jacobs watches her brother be killed before her eyes in a hit-and-run accident and learns that she was the intended victim. Racked with grief and determined to find out who is after her, Risa takes a leave of absence from the FBI and becomes a college professor. However, Risa is still on the case and her former partner. Gage, enlists her help to solve a string of baby adoption kidnappings. Mills has weaved together an intricate plot that will keep the reader entranced until the last page.

Wow! This was my first book by DiAnn Mills & I’m now a fan! If you enjoy romantic suspense, this book is a must read. From the get go, I was drawn in to this fast-paced, suspenseful, FBI mystery with a sweet romance and touch of faith woven through. It really kept me guessing, and didn’t shy a way from violent, evil enemies with nefarious intent.

Risa Jacobs’ an FBI agent who just lost her brother in a terrible pedestrian hit and run accident. Her grief, pain, and need for finding the killer supersede everything else. When she receives a threatening note, putting her parents and FBI partner in danger, she agrees to a leave of absence and begins teaching a college writing class. When one of her students turns in a writing assignment with seemingly unbelievable detail about her brother’s accident, she’s immediately suspicious. Could he be playing a cruel joke or does he have the answers to her brother’s death?

Risa enlists the help of her former partner Gage Patterson who she’s secretly in love with. While Gage was upset about Risa leaving, he understood her reasons and tries to suppress his growing feelings and attraction while being her friend and support. He’s been working on solving a baby kidnapping ring, but agrees to investigate Risa’s student. What follows is an edge of your seat thriller as Gage and Risa seek for the truth in both cases.

I loved Risa & Gage. Risa is a strong willed, intelligent, yet softhearted agent who doesn’t hesitate to act, often without thinking through the ramifications. I felt like her struggle with anger and faith was very realistic and well written. Gage is a calming force who steadies her and supports her. I loved their relationship and couldn’t wait to see if they would admit their feelings for each other.

The suspense was nail-biting and just when I thought I’d figured out what was going on, I was thrown a curve ball. The red herrings and false leads kept me turning the pages trying to figure out who all was involved in the crimes. I enjoyed the way the two mysteries were intertwined.

Highly recommend, especially to romantic suspense fans! I can’t wait to read more books by this author. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are completely my own and voluntarily provided.

CW: some violence, baby kidnapping, murder, loss of sibling, grief.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Facing the Enemy is a winner for me when it comes to a good heartstopping Suspense. Risa is excited to see her brother again, but the outcome is nothing she ever expected. It wasnt until she went back to her old job of teaching that the issues are brought to life. She was surprised that an assignment turn in was an account of her brothers death, in chilling details. With the help of her former partner Special Agent Gage Patterson, details start to surface.

This chilling and thrilling story will truly have you sitting on the edge of your seat bitting your nails. I love getting to know Risa and Gage as I followed rheir journey trying to find who is doing all of these crimes. As they look into Risa’s student, Carson’s life they find more than they bargained for, but a start on who and where the responsibility falls on.

I really like Risa and Gage and learned a lot about law enforcement and what is involved in a case. Author Diann Mills does a fantastic job with researching her story well, and it shows in the detailed scenes throughout the story. The twists and turns will have your head spinning and wondering what is coming next. I love these stories such as this one. I was so engrossed in the story, I didn’t want it to end. If you enjoy a good heartstopping Suspense thriller full of chills and pulls out all the bells, then you need to read Diann Mills Facing the Enemy. I’m giving this book Five Stars, and oh how I wish I could give it more.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I've been reading DiAnn's books for at least a decade and am amazed by her ability to create so many different storylines that give us an immersive look into an aspect of law enforcement. The amount of research she's conducted for her books is impressive. This one is a slow build and ensures you won't be able to figure out where it's all going to land.

Trigger warning for those sensitive to crimes surrounding children. There's nothing graphic, but baby kidnappings are not easy to think about.

"A strong woman faces the enemy and walks through the fire. Just like you're doing. A coward stuffs her grief and attempts to will it away."

As an FBI agent, Risa should be able to handle whatever comes her way. But suddenly she is trying to navigate a grief that she never anticipated. Hiding away is not helping. But will she know how to find the answers that she seeks? Is she willing to reach out to those who care about her and want to help?

This is another incredible romantic suspense book by this author. After so many years of writing incredible fiction, how the author can continue to come up with original and interesting plots amazes me! So many twists and turns. Once you start reading this book, you won't want to stop.

This latest book by DiAnn Mills is highly recommended.. If you enjoy books that keep you guessing without all of the gore and yuck, I highly suggest that you pick up this one. Glad I could read this book on NetGalley. I wanted to read and review it. All opinions are my own.

Facing the Enemy sweeps you up on a whirlwind of suspense and carries you all the way through to the end. With intense moments of suspense, mystery, and intrigue you’ll be turning pages long past midnight. The author has done it again, writing a tale that’s both suspenseful and heartwarming. I absolutely recommend this clean romantic suspense.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy a copy of this book for my review.

I always look forward to a new DiAnn Mills book, and Facing the Enemy proved worthy of the anticipation.

Can you imagine watching a life changing tragedy, then getting an essay turned in with details only someone involved could know about? That’s what happens to FBI Special Agent turned college professor Risa Jacobs.

Risa turns to her former partner Gage Patterson to help her figure out what’s going on with her student. Gage has been focused on a string of baby kidnappings but agrees to help. It doesn’t take long for the pair to realize their cases may be connected. But can they solve the mystery before one or both of them wind up dead?

As ever, DiAnn Mills delivers a gripping story that’ll keep readers guessing about the eventual outcome. I did stay up too late reading, despite being in the middle of moving house when this hit my nightstand. If you like fast-paced, cleverly written romantic suspense stories, then this is highly recommended.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley but the completely enjoyment (and dark circles round my eyes) are my own.

Facing The Enemy is long time favorite DiAnn Mills’ latest romantic suspense offering. Filled with unexpected twists, this book kept me guessing! That’s a big plus for me. Featuring FBI agents Risa and Gage, their usual professional demeanor is put to the test when crimes become much too personal. That aspect kept the story interesting and begged the question how does law enforcement keep an objective mind when elements of a case come too close to home? I felt Mills developed both of the characters in realistic ways. Their growing romantic relationship was put to the test as well — but that ending satisfies too. 😉 There are tough issues explored — human trafficking, child endangerment — that, unfortunately, keep this novel relevant. We live in an evil world and confronting and exposing that is hard. But Facing The Enemy is not a book without hope. There is a strong faith element that runs throughout the book. We may not always understand or agree with God’s plans, but He is faithful and loving in spite of our doubts.

I enjoyed the fast-paced action, the realistic characters, and the plot that made me suspect just about everyone. If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, put Facing The Enemy on your TBR list.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Risa finally gets together with her brother, Trenton whom she has not seen in a long time only to have him murdered in front of her after they had dinner together. Come to find out that the murderer was actually after her. They had been estranged from each other as Trenton had gone through a rough time over his use of drugs.

Risa and her partner Gage, who also have some romantic feelings for each other, are both agents of the FBI. They both work for the Violent Crimes Against Children of the Houston FBI.

After her brother is killed, their investigations lead them to a kidnapping plot in which babies are taken from the mothers and put up for adoption, and not through legal means.

The further they get into the investigation into Trenton's death and the illegal adoptions take them right into the mess that this all is.

Told in separate viewpoints, in the first person we also learn a bit more about Risa and Gage. There is a lot to unpack in this novel. Romantic inclinations, murder, and what and why was she the target for this hit and run, which killed her brother instead.

This book is pretty fast-paced and I did figure out who the bad guys were probably 2/3rd of the way through the book. This is not the first book I have read of Ms.Mills, Concrete Evidence was the first. These two books are not part of a series. Both of the books have Christian faith as part of the story. Not overly religious myself this did not deter me from reading the books. In fact, it helped to understand the characters.

DiAnn Mills knows how to weave a suspenseful tale with romantic leanings, very clean which is nice. As the story went on, I was cheering Risa and Gage and hoping that at the end they would end up together.

I enjoyed the book and give it 5 stars.

Facing The Enemy

So I enjoyed part of this story, but in the end, the cons unfortunately outweighed the pros in terms of content.

Negative Elements

Language: screwed up, sucks, darn (each used once). Someone uselessly tries to deny their affection for someone, and tells the person who pointed it out that they were talking through their rear. (Whatever they meant by that, this was really inappropriate.)

A mention of someone deserving a good rear chewing.

Other negative content/triggers:

A side character is found beheaded.

A male character offers for a female character to use his place as a safe house. Not a wise idea, especially considering his past choices and regrets. They don't, but this was terrible idea to even bring up.

A mention of his past sin, and the guilt the character still carries because of it.

The female MC wears a sorta short off the shoulder dress.

Blood- a character writes a short story in which the villain has a disgusting desire to spill blood, and lots of it. :-P

So it's a bummer that because of all the various bits of crummy content, I have to rate this one star.

If you want a good clean thriller/suspense story, I recommend reading the author's previous book, Concrete Evidence instead.

Thank you the publisher for the complimentary e-book I received to review through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and the thoughts above are my own.

Facing the Enemy was such an intense read. This is the first Diann Mills book I’ve read. I can assure you, I want to read more. Her writing pulls you in and you become hooked from the first few pages.

Both main characters are dynamic, smart, and in love with each other. The problem is neither one has spoken about it with the other. They were FBI agent partners until someone killed Risa’s brother in a hit-and-run. She finds out they really were trying to kill her. The guilt and shame that Lisa goes through is heartbreaking when she knows they are after her.

Gage is kind loyal and good at what he does. Working together to find Lisa’s brother's killer, they become closer and closer. There were so many smaller pieces in this story that started weaving together the picture. I felt like I was on a wild ride where I could either jump off or hang on for dear life. This whole storyline is so compelling you don’t want to put the book down. There were several red herrings in the novel to keep readers on their toes. Mentally I’d sit there reading while simultaneously trying to put everything together, The other part of the story is about a baby being kidnapped and a ring of people that sold stolen babies. This was an emotional book about Rosa’s brother dying and the many babies that had been taken away from their now-empty arms.

I know this is vague but I will never ruin a book and give away details. Facing the Enemy is a novel that Romantic Suspense readers need to latch onto and put aside time to read. This book was such a great and emotional read with enough romance and suspense to keep all readers happily sitting on the edge of their seats.