ransom - No Apology Book Reviews

Elise’s Review – Christmas in Winter Valley by Jodi Thomas

January 3, 2020

Book Review by Elise Cooper Christmas in Winter Valley by Jodi Thomas has an unusual format. Instead of having one hero and heroine there are multiple relationships. Each are connected with the theme involving the importance of family. The author noted, “Having many relationships, instead of just one, has become very much my style. I like to have an interconnection between the lives of those who live on a ranch as well as a sense of community. I wanted to …

Review Roundup Fall 2018

August 23, 2019December 16, 2018

I don’t review every book I read. Not nearly. As much as I wish otherwise, I simply don’t have time—or sometimes the brain energy—to write dozens upon dozens of reviews. Plus, sometimes it’s nice to just enjoy a book without having to analyze as I read. But I wanted to talk about some of the books I read recently, so I thought perhaps I could compile a series of brief overall opinions for them. A review roundup, if you will. …

Interview with K. J. Howe (Skyjack)

October 10, 2018April 15, 2018

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Skyjack will elevate author K. J. Howe to a level close to Tom Clancy. She follows up her riveting debut novel, The Freedom Broker, with another gripping thriller featuring kidnap and ransom expert Thea Paris. Her assignment is to escort two orphaned African brothers, Jabari, 12, and Ayan, 9, to their new adoptive parents in London. The children had been forced into soldiering after seeing their mom and dad murdered by Boko Haram. Now …

A Christmas Affair by Jodi Thomas

October 9, 2018October 2, 2017

Title: A Christmas Affair Author: Jodi Thomas Series: Ransom Canyon #6.5 Rushed but well-meaning This was cute, if you don’t mind some cheese and purple prose. It’s so strange; I don’t remember associating Thomas with such fanciful dialogue before this year. Maybe my taste or perception has changed recently. I just couldn’t imagine real people saying some of those lines, and that sense of absurdity distances me from the story. Which might sound like an ironic paradox considering it’s fiction, …

Indigo Lake by Jodi Thomas

August 23, 2019July 19, 2017

Title: Indigo Lake Author: Jodi Thomas Series: Ransom Canyon #6 Not entirely bad but hardly satisfying To my astonishment, the leftover sense of disappointment I had from the last installment in the Ransom Canyon series, Wild Horse Springs, tempted me to not only skip reviewing this one, but to skip reading it at all. But my curiosity, a small sense of duty, and years of loving Thomas’ work combined into a force I couldn’t deny, so I read it. My …

Wild Horse Springs by Jodi Thomas

October 10, 2018January 25, 2017

Title: Wild Horse Springs Author: Jodi Thomas Series: Ransom Canyon #5 Holding on… Dan Brigman is the sheriff of Crossroads. He’s been alone for a long time, though not always lonely, per se. He loves his daughter, who’s grown and moved away, trying to figure out life for herself. He loves his job, and it keeps him busy. But it isn’t until he meets Brandi Malone, a singer who goes from gig to gig in an attempt to run away …

Sunrise Crossing by Jodi Thomas

October 10, 2018September 2, 2016

Title: Sunrise Crossing Author: Jodi Thomas Series: Ransom Canyon #4 A good, solid addition to the Ransom Canyon series As far as I can tell, Jodi Thomas is one of the few authors making a go of the romances that tell the stories of not one couple at a time, but several couples living within the same town/county/area, and she does it well. The writing in Sunrise Crossing was excellent. The main pair: Yancy Grey, a character we met way …