Sheriff Heath Dalton is hiking back to his truck when he runs into two killers burying a body. When he confronts them, he is shot and loses his weapon. When running from the killers he jumps in front of traveling nurse Kayla Eldridge car. She wreaks her car and now the two are on foot in the Smokey Mountains trying to evade the killers. Kayla knows who Heath is and he knows she is the sister of a friend who is former FBI. Kayla is having a really hard time since a few years ago her fiancé took her into the mountains and tied her up with a bomb attached. This is a faith-based story and the author has done a great job with the suspense theme in the book.

At first I thought this book would be completely about hiking to safety while evading the bad guys. But it changed directions about 1/3 of the way through.
We were introduced to new characters and the plot became deeper. Heath and Kayla's interactions continued all the way through the danger.
So many of the characters had well thought out back stories that added to my interest--that was being held by the suspense. Kayla has the most involved character arc, since we meet her and she's suffering greatly from PTSD, doubting herself, and having been inclined to isolate herself.
I liked this book.

I received an e-copy of this book from its publisher and NetGalley. These are my honest opinions in this review.

This was really a good story with a fresh take on being chased through the woods by criminals. Great book.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from Harlequin and Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

Smoky Mountain Escape by Rhonda Starnes is dedicated to Starnes' mother who loved the Newfound Gap overlook area of TN/NC. I love it also and have a panoramic oil painting of that exact spot which made reading the book exciting.

Smoky Mountain Escape is fast-paced, page turning action. Starnes did an excellent job describing the setting as I could picture each location. Strong characters and their faith play a major role in the plot.

Releases Apr 29th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#SmokyMountainEscape #NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This is a new to me author and I'm so glad to have found her. A great mystery suspense book with characters to root for. It held my interest and I truly enjoyed reading this. Highly recommend.

I really liked this book. I love a good suspense story and this did not disappoint. The story was interesting and kept me on my toes!

Thanks to Netgalley for my review copy.

Wow what can I say. This is my first book by Rhonda Starnes and won't be my last. The action starts from the start. Then like the eye of a storm we think things are ok and bam the storm is back with a vengeance.

The book starts with Heath the local Sheriff is out on a camping trip and one the final leg when the action starts. He stumbles across a scene where a body is being buried. After a standoff he is running for safety. This is where Kayla comes into the picture. She is taking up a temporary nursing job and seeing her brother and his family. She wasn't going to the woods that was the last thing she wanted to ever do again. But circumstance and need to survive means she and Heath are in the woods running for their lives.

There is so much to unpack in this book that you will need to read yourself. Kayla has been a victim before and is still recovering. She has come a long way but like another reviewer I felt for her, why does she have to suffer again. Heath has his own issues from a previous relationship. The growth and determination of Kayla as she battles demons and then the choices to survive were good to see.

As an Aussie I was expecting a wolf till I googled what a coyote looks like then I understood the cover. It is very relevant. I have fallen back in love with LIS books. If you like Romantic Suspense and LIS books I am sure you will enjoy this book.

Heath is such a great sheriff and brother. I loved how throughout the story he had such a sense of duty to those around him.

Kayla's story broke my heart and made me angry that she was part of this debacle in the woods. Her strength and determination amidst the struggle in the mountains was remarkable.

Kayla's big brother, Sawyer, was a force to be reckoned with. His wife, Brenda, knew how to maintain his sanity and be there for Kayla.

There was just the right amount of suspense in the story!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this story to the fullest!
This is a new to me author that I'll be watching for in the future.
Her writing is excellent and the characters are very enjoyable. I loved in getting to know them.
Fast paced with twists and turns that I never saw coming which made it an exciting read as well.
I finished this story in a couple of hours because it is quite the page turner.
Some unsavory characters as well but in my opinion, they're what made the story.
I simply love the cover. Never had a coyote on the front before which I think is beautiful!
5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

sheriff heath is out hiking when he comes upon two men talking about burying a body. when he tries to arrest them he is shot and falls down the mountain. kylie is on the road and wreaks when a man comes out of the woods. if you like page turning stories and mystery you will want to read this book. i was given a copy but this is an honest review

This book was a great read. I loved Heath and Kayla characters. Heath is a strong southern gentleman and Kayla is a strong woman . I never read this author but this is a must read but need to read 1 st one . I highly recommend this book

Smoky Mountain Escape is a fantastic romantic suspense. I throughly enjoyed the fast paced plot and loved the Smoky Mountain setting. I definitely recommend this book. I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

Such a well written suspense book that held my interest from page 1. If you enjoy mysteries and trying to figure out what is going on and who is behind the turmoil, this book is for you. It will definitely hold your interest. This book is from the Love Inspired Suspense series and is scheduled to be released on April 29, 2025.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All words are my own.

"Smoky Mountain Escape" is a Christian romantic suspense. Apparently these characters were in a previous novel, but this novel can be understood and enjoyed without reading the previous one. Kayla was previously held in a cabin in the forest by a serial killer, so she had to deal with traumatic memories of the past as well as escaping from the current killers. The suspense was mainly created by the bad guys trying to kill Health for witnessing them commit a crime, and Kayla because she soon knew, too. Kayla and Heath worked well together, and Heath made Kayla feel safe around him. The main characters were likable and reacted realistically to events.

My only complaint is that coyotes generally avoid humans, and a lone coyote would generally run from humans rather than seem determined to attack them for no apparent cause. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable suspense.

Sheriff Heath Dalton was hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains State Park when he overheard two men discussing burying a body.
Heath decided to stop them, but he got struck by a shovel in the arm and lost his gun and he got pushed over an embankment down into a ravine !

Kayla got flagged down by a stranger, she applied her brakes and her car slid into a nearby ditch. Heath showed her his badge and told her to get out of the car in case it blew up.
Kayla grabbed her nursing bag and Heath told her they needed to go into the woods to escape the men who were chasing him.

Kayla was petrified but she agreed to run and they ran through the woods, hearing their pursuers shoot off their guns and chase them.
Kayla told Heath she had been the victim of a serial killer, which had made her more cautious, and they backtracked Heath's trail to find his gun.

They didn't find the gun, but Kayla had flashbacks of seeing the grave of a victim of the serial killer, Heath took pictures and they ran further into the woods.

Will they escape?

I decided to give this author a chance to wow me since I absolutely love the concept of the story. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint!
My favorite stories these days consist of a suspenseful romance and this one for the bill!
Kayla is back home to work for a month as a traveling nurse. She’s overcome a lot to even be in this town after what happened to her. Sheriff Dalton, Heath has been camping for a week when he stumbles upon two men who are burying a body. A body of a man one of them killed thanks to them complaining so much amongst each other..
While looking for help, Heath manages to scare Kayla enough to wreck her car and now they are both trying to escape the two men.
This story has everything you hope for in this type of story - I loved every chapter!