Review: Surrender at the Border

Surrender at the Border (Border - Book 1) by Risa Leigh

Publication Date: 02/15/2016
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Imprint: Entangled Ignite
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 230
ISBN-10: 1682811204
ISBN-13: 978-1682811207

(Received for an honest review from Ignite)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, itunes

Risa Leigh on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

Synopsis: 

ATF agent B.J. Carleton's first priority is stopping the flow of guns into Mexico until sassy Callie Snowden finds herself in the sights of a ruthless gunrunner, a man B.J. suspects killed her husband. After the tragedy Callie retreated home to her small Texas town, thinking she'd found safety. Now secrets from the past plunge her into a nightmare. When she and B.J. are kidnapped by ruthless cartel henchmen and taken into the Chihuahuan desert, B.J. must protect Callie from the killers and harsh terrain. As they run for their lives, the past continues to play itself out and catches them in its deadly spiral. And if B.J. gives in to his overwhelming attraction for her, he may lose everything...for both of them.

Thoughts:

Risa Leigh brings readers the first book in a new romantic suspense series. Surrender at the Border is action filled and romantic. Leigh strikes a good balance and readers will quickly fall in love with her sassy heroine and her determined hero. Looking for something that will have you on the edge of your seat and staying up late flipping those pages? This one might be just the thing. A very good new book from an author to keep an eye on!

What I liked:

I have only just become really interested in romantic suspense writing and I find that there are several things that draw me to a particular book or author in the genre. Usually that is a trusted author, a good hook and a great balance between action and romance. Since Risa Leigh is new to the genre, I was skeptical but the synopsis of this story was interesting and got my attention. There has to be a great hook for romantic suspense novels. That thing that pulls the reader into the action. This one has that. An ATF agent trying to curb gun running from the Mexican drug cartels. A premise that is not necessarily unique until you add in the girl next door librarian who is still reeling from the death of her husband. Leigh has the romance angle covered as well right from the start.

Leigh gives readers characters who have depth. B.J. is an ATF agent and readers can see right from the beginning that his job is very important to him but they can also see is protective nature when it comes to protecting Callie during his investigation. He shows great vulnerability when he discusses the death of his wife and the death of Callie's husband due to violence and he quickly becomes a character readers can become invested in. 

Callie thinks she is safe, but danger is lurking right around the corner. The man who killed her husband is stalking her and he happens to be the man B.J. is looking for in connection to the gun running case. Callie is sassy and energetic, but she that soft side that grips the heart of the reader. As she and B.J. begin to be aware of their attraction to each other, Callie blooms. A great female lead!

It's all about the balance in romantic suspense and Leigh does that with style. This is a fast paced novel. You have gun running, kidnapping, escapes, desert survival and everything a reader could ask for in the suspense aspect of the book. But you also have that heartwarming connection that builds between the hero and the heroine. There are moments of tenderness and sharing and moments of passion that keep the romantic aspects of the book on point. Leigh draws us in and keeps us right on the edge throughout this book.

What I didn't like:

This book has quite a bit going for it and this certainly is not a deal breaker. There was only one real love scene and it wasn't very long. That can be good and that can be bad. There was a good balance to the book but most of the romance was more of generic sort, not too much hanky panky. For me that's not a big deal but to some it might be. Just keep in mind that this is more romantic and lest sexual and you'll love it.

Bottom Line:

I liked it a lot. Risa Leigh gave me good characters. A believable storyline. Lots of heart pounding action and a wonderful romance between two people who has had their share of tragedy. The hero was rough and tough and the heroine was sassy and sweet. They proved they could survive just about anything including the desert. Risa Leigh is definitely an author to keep in your sights in the romantic suspense genre.

Surrender at the Border is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Risa Leigh lives in Arlington, Texas, close enough to see her grandchildren often.  She was named for an opera singer (Risë Stevens) so it stands to reason that she sings in two choirs.  Risa has a part-time job at Barnes and Noble as a bookseller and storytime lady.  She loves to travel and every time she goes somewhere, she finds a new story to tell.

She is no longer working as a school librarian, but she writes children’s books under the name Risa Brown.

Risa currently indulges that secret fantasy by writing romantic suspense for Entangled Publishing.