Target Acquired by Lynette Eason
mysterious medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0

This was part of a series but I read as a stand alone. I couldn’t help wondering if I would have connected with the characters more if I had read the first one in the series. The mystery was full of twists and turns with an ending I didn’t see coming.

Lynette Eason delivers another pulse-pounding thriller with Target Acquired. This second installment in the Lake City Heroes series seamlessly blends intense action, buried family secrets, and a touch of romance, making it a standout read for fans of clean suspense.

Kenzie King has fought hard to earn her place as a tactical medic on the all-male SWAT team, but proving herself isn’t easy. With rumors swirling that her position came from connections, not skill, she’s determined to show she belongs. When team members become targets of a deadly assailant and Kenzie herself receives threats, the stakes skyrocket.

SWAT leader Cole Garrison has his own struggles—balancing his growing feelings for Kenzie with his commitment to the team. As danger mounts, the pair must work together to untangle a web of threats tied to a decades-old family feud and Kenzie’s mother’s suspicious death.

Eason excels at crafting fast-paced narratives, and this novel is no exception. Action-packed scenes and gripping twists keep readers on edge, while deeper themes of faith and redemption add emotional weight. The nuanced portrayal of SWAT life and Kenzie’s resilience as an unconventional heroine add richness to the story.

While the intertwining storylines occasionally falter, the book’s riveting suspense and strong character dynamics more than compensate. Target Acquired is a breathless ride full of danger, buried secrets, and the hope of second chances. 4/5 stars

** Thanks to the publisher for a comp of this novel. The opinion expressed are my own.

Target Acquired by Lynette Eason is a great read. Truthfully I think all of hers are. I grab her new books as soon as I can. This book is an action packed thriller.This is the second in a series, but but it also stands alone.

Kenzie has made it to a SWAT team and quickly shows that she is worthy of the spot. She and fellow member Cole work together and slowing the relationship changes to more. There are two timelines that tie together in the end. Enjoyed the book very much and look forward to her next book.

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

Loved this new book by Eason! Great slow burn between Kenzie and Cole. I really appreciated the absence of insta-love. It was a slow burn, deep connection. Really good pacing,interesting content. Great story and plot twists that are hard to guess. Overall, great book with deep characters.

I received an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Great story! I did not guess the twists at all, which is always fun :) This is my favorite trope (though admittedly it's a little hard to read right now) and I just loved Kenzie and Cole as characters.

One of my favorite elements was the history and connections between the two families. Part of that is shown in a bit of a time split element, and I liked that the historical element was interwoven, but the way it wrapped up fell a little bit for me. It was almost like it was an after thought, "oh yeah, this happened", and I think it could have been neat to "see" it play out on the page. Another favorite element were James and Cole's interactions. They were GOLD!

Something surprising to me was Kenzie's family. I'm not used to characters with families like hers and I did not like, though I am sure that is point.

I also have to mention that I think this was the best treatment of "women in a male dominated field" that I think I've ever read!

I want to thank Lynette Eason and publishers for giving me an Arc copy of this book so that i can read and review it. Lynette Eason is a great writer and would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

I really enjoyed this story! Kenzie and Cole had such a good journey. I enjoyed the banter and overall their relationship. The twist I had figured out, but the reasoning did surprise me. Also, I enjoyed the earlier timeline story too. Literally could not put this one down. Highly recommend!

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

This story has a twisting plot that is told through two timelines. The current storyline is enhanced with the past story giving depth to the characters and the history of their family interactions. I love the plot and the character interactions.

This is a great second book for the Lake City Heroes series and it did not disappoint. The book has a dual time line which at first I wasn't sure how it would all tie in but boy did it come together nicely at the end. The historical timeline does add a depth to the story I didn't even know I needed. In the present time Ms. Eason had me at the edge of my seat with all the action and mystery that was happening and kept me turning the pages until I sadly came to the end and the book.

I really enjoyed Kenzie and Cole. It was great to see how their storylines and relationship developed. The SWAT team really came together for Kenzie after being so distant from her. The romance between Kenzie and Cole was a slow burn and although you may want it to move faster I think if flowed perfectly and made it more realistic.

Overall I thought this was a great story. I can't wait to read the next book in the series and see some of these characters again.

I received a copy of this book for review. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

If a book has Lynette Eason listed as the author, I ALWAYS put it at the top of my TBR stack. I've never counted how many of her books I've read, or how many years I've been devouring her books, but in my opinion, she only gets better.

Target Acquired features Tactical Medic Kenzie King who just won her spot on the Lake City SWAT team. Unfortunately, there are those who think she got the job because of who she knows (her father is the former police chief) and not on her ability to do the job. As her team is called out to incident after incident only to have one of them seriously injured, she begins to see that the pattern surrounds her. Can she continue to do her job without endangering her teammates?

Cole Garrison sees the antagonism some of his SWAT team have for Kenzie, but he sees first a more than capable medic who is willing to put her own life on the line for a team member. It's the second look he's having some issues with. He sees a beautiful woman who could possibly be the one he's been looking to settle down with. He's definitely interested, but where she goes, trouble seems to follow. Can they get past the sparks that fly when they're together to find the person trying to knock her off the team?

I liked how Eason started out with some "family history." I spent the rest of the story trying to figure THAT mystery out, in addition to the ongoing suspense in the rest of the story. Love Eason's writing style and can hardly wait for the next book featuring another strong woman.

Aaa-maaa-zing!! Beware, once you start reading, you won't be able to stop! The edge of your seat, suspense, and drama will draw you in and not let go!! When you get so invested in a book that you want to smack someone against their head to wake up, you know you have a winner!
I love to see how the characters develop and grow. The mix of suspense, drama, romance, history, and faith is spot-on!
Kenzie has to fight for her job, to be accepted, but also to stay alive! Luckily, her old friend and team leader Cole is there to lend a hand in more ways than one!
Thanks, Lynette Eason, for this awesome book that blessed me on so many levels!

Target Acquired is an entertaining mystery/thriller. I enjoyed both the main characters, Kenzie and Cole, as well as, the storyline, which was fairly fast paced. If you love a strong heroine, flashbacks/dual time line, clean romance, plot twists, and an hea, this is the perfect rainy day read! 4 Stars!

Kenzie King has fought her way into a prime spot on a SWAT team, as a tactical medical, and everyday proving time and again that she has earned her spot.

A high stakes game of cat and mouse, as the SWAT team is continually drawn out and hunted, by a mysterious antagonist who manages to stay just out of their reach. Cole has been interested in Kenzie for awhile, but he's also never had trouble finding a date. But as their team is in danger, they find themselves closer together as the stakes raise and the dangerous plot unfolds.

An action packed read, with secrets from the present and past, strong protagonists with a slowly building romance. A highly entertaining read, with an edge of your seat plot, strong faith, plenty of suspense and romance!

An excellent addition to a fantastic series, but also great as a standalone. Great character development and interaction, I loved seeing familiar faces from the previous book as well. Great for fans of action and suspense!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Kenzie is the only girl in her family and she grew up around her brother and his friends. She is very competitive and is determined to do everything the boys do, so after she finishes medical school, she applies to be the medic for a swat team. Her secondary reason for becoming involved with police is to prove that her father is innocent and was, in fact, not a corrupt cop. Themes of friendship and faith as well as overcoming the resistance of the other men on the team to having a woman among them. This is the second in a series, but is easily read as a stand alone. I will be interested to see what comes in a third book. Thanks to Netgalley for an arc, and no pressure for a positive review

Rating: 5 stars ~ Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense ~ Pages: 299 ~ Publish Date: 20 Aug 2024

The year is 1947 and a young woman 22 years old is in a hospital because her father put her there. Supposedly she tried to kill herself. And the keyword in that sentence is … supposedly. No other patients have a private room. Why did she? She does not remember if what she has been told is true. Her name? Eliza.

The story moves to “present day” with a new team medic assigned to SWAT. Not exactly new, having been on the team for six months but when your team doesn’t accept you, you feel “new”. It probably doesn’t help that your father was chief of police until she was 14 years old. Or that he was known as TD — “The Dictator”. She was good at her job but one team member made it VERY clear he did not think so. Snide remarks. Uncooperative when he could get away with it. Her name? Kenzie.

The mystery? Why does someone want Kenzie dead? And exactly what did happen in the accident that ceased her father’s career? And … what does Kenzie’s story have to do with Eliza’s?

To find out, you’ll need to read “Target Acquired” by Lynette Eason which is book two of the Lake City Heroes series. I had not read book one so this one can be read standalone. I felt no “missing parts”. A five-star read that engaged me immediately and kept me that way until the end. To this reviewer, the ending was great. Loved it.

If you love “clean” mysteries, this book is for you. If you love “Christian” suspense, this book is for you. I recommend it highly.

I received a complimentary DRC (digital review copy) of “Target Acquired” via NetGalley from the publisher, Revell. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: 5 stars
Series: Lake City Heroes
Cover: Eye-catching.
Pages: 299
Publish Date: 20 August 2024
#TargetAcquired #NetGalley #LynetteEason

Target Acquired by Lynette Eason is the second book in the Lake City Heroes series. Lynette Eason is one of my favorite authors for Christian romantic suspense so it was no surprise that I loved this book. Kenzie is a tough SWAT team member and Cole is the leader of the team. They must work together to find out who is out to get Kenzie. It is action packed and suspenseful. The character development is great and there is a great mixture of romance and suspense. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Eason is one of my favorite christian fiction/romance/suspense authors. She just does such a great job of character development and having me root for the FMC and MMC the whole time. I will be looking forward to the this series.

Tough-as-nails Kenzie King has finally earned her place as a tactical medic on a SWAT team. But not everyone on the all-male team accepts her. Rumor is, she didn't get the position because of what she could do but because of who she knew. Which means she has to work harder and longer than anyone else to prove herself.

Cole Garrison is a man with deep faith who is finally ready to settle down and build a family of his own--if he can find the right person, that is. Kenzie sure has set off his interest meter, but trouble seems to follow in her wake. Since she joined the team, someone has begun to ambush and pick off team members, one by one.

It's all hands on deck to discover the culprit and end the killing. Can Kenzie and Cole put aside their differences and work together as a team? Or will their budding attraction be snuffed out by a sniper's bullet?

Solid dual narrative with a present day and a historical story interwoven from Eason. Not my favorite of her books, but not a bad read either. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC--all opinions are my own.

Kenzie is a memorable character. Strong willed, smart and savvy. As the only woman on the SWAT team she has to deal with her male counterparts insults. Cole is in charge of the squad, and when someone targets Kenzie and the rest of the squad, he takes on protecting her and investigating with her. They fight their growing feelings for each other. There is also some things from long ago that resurface and need a second look. Full of action and some romance, this is a wonderful book.

I love Lynette Eason's books and this one didn't disappoint. The balance between the suspense plot, romance, faith without seeming pushy, and characters is always excellent. This book keeps you on your toes but also gives you some calmer moments where the romance between Cole & Kenzie can blossom. It also gives you a few suspects but not quite sure who it actually is until the end.