SOLID AS STEELE by Susan Sleeman, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

" . . . he looked like he'd traveled a distance on foot, reached her porch, and dropped. . .  Was he dead? . . .  Her coffee was only starting to brew. How could a girl think after only four hours of sleep and no java?"

And this was how Mackenzie Steele's vacation was going to begin? With an injured man passed out on the porch of her rental, deep in the middle of nowhere Oregon? Apparently so. Stranger still, when said man does rouse, he cannot remember anything that happened to him (his injuries were many) or even who he is. Not a great combination.

Calling in an experienced tracker, Mackenzie and the man who seems to think his name may be Owen, form a team of three to begin re-tracing Owen's trail to her front door. Unfortunately, they locate disturbing evidence proving something terrible had taken place, more than likely shocking Owen's psyche to the core. Now all they have to do is to put the pieces of the puzzle back together again. Much easier said than done.

Wonderful plotting! This story is a tangled web of theories and suppositions that place Mackenzie and Owen in a wicked bulls-eye of criminal activity. They hesitate for many reasons to acknowledge their growing personal attraction, (don't give up on them, though) especially as Owen struggles with all the "whys" of his life, allowing Mackenzie's deep faith to steady them both while passing along some proverbial advice.

"When I'm troubled about something I try to remember the problem isn't forever. That things will change . . . Maybe not get better but change. . . I say to myself that I'm upset for now. Adding the 'for now' . . . helps me remember it's temporary. . . Maybe instead of asking God why, ask Him to help you accept and deal with the problem." 

*I purchased this book and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.3.5 stars

 

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Backcover Blurb:

He lost his memory…
Mackenzie Steele has been instrumental in keeping Steele Guardians afloat, working long hours for months. Nearing burnout, her family encourages her to take a vacation, and she reluctantly agrees. She needs solitude and quiet, and a vacation rental home in the Oregon desert is just the ticket. But she’s no sooner unpacked her bags when a man lands on her doorstep. A man who can’t remember his identity or why he’s there. All they know is that the name Owen seems familiar to him.

But will finding it bring a killer to her doorstep.
Mackenzie shouldn’t trust this man, but something about his earnestness draws her to him, and she agrees to help him determine his identity. When her rental home is bombarded with bullets, she knows she’s accepted a task that could turn deadly, and she should walk away. But by this time, her deepening connection with the stranger keeps her firmly rooted at his side, and she can only pray that she won’t regret her potentially life-altering decision.

Edge of Your Seat Books, February 2023

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