Series:
Cameron Glen (Book 2)
Working together to save their child…
Before it's too late.
Jake and Emma Turner's marriage is in ruins. Their latest
shouting match has driven their teenage daughter to run away from home. But
when evidence surfaces that she's been kidnapped by human traffickers, the
couple must set aside their conflicts to save their child. With time running
out, can the pair's desperation bring them together…now and forever?
This was a very intense book. Jake and Emma married young
and have grown apart in the intervening years. Emma misses the old feelings of
teamwork, and her bitterness over that loss is expressed in increasingly angry
confrontations with Jake. With memories of hard times always at the back of his
mind, Jake spends longer hours at work, ensuring that his family never wants
for anything, but deprives them of his presence. He tunes out Emma's complaints
until she's had enough. Their argument in the book's opening pages is loud,
angry, and unproductive. It is also overheard by their teenage daughter, Fenn,
who has observed their actions with increasing dismay and blames herself for
their problems. She runs away, believing that they will be better off without
her, and ends up in a perilous situation.
This book shows how tragically easy it is for runaways to
find themselves in situations beyond their control. Fenn's uneasiness at being
watched showed she had good instincts, but they weren't enough to protect her. Fenn's
fear at her situation leaped off the page and kept me turning the pages as I
hoped she would be rescued quickly. The scenes with Fenn and her captors were
heartbreaking in their realism.
Jake and Emma must put aside their differences if they
are going to work together effectively to find their missing daughter. It isn't
easy, and initially, they spend too much time hurling accusations at each other.
I wanted to shake them both because neither was listening to the other's point
of view. Their desperation to find Fenn was evident in every scene, while their
issues created obstacles to true teamwork. Ultimately, they realize their love
is still there and are willing to do the work to repair their marriage.
The story's suspense kept me glued to the pages from
start to finish, despite some of the issues I had with its plausibility. From
the get-go, Jake and Emma ignore everything law enforcement tells them to do,
haring off on their investigation. I still rooted for them all the way, as their
discoveries led them closer to Fenn. A couple of lucky breaks moved them along
and led to them locating Fenn. The final confrontation was a nail-biter, with
Jake's spur-of-the-moment plan augmented by Emma creating her backup action. I
loved how it ended.
At the same time, there are scenes from Fenn's point of
view, and we see her doing her best to fight against her situation. I ached for
her when they used threats against her family to force her cooperation. She never
gave up hope that she would be found and didn't just sit back and wait for
rescue. Her attitude did get her into some rough spots, and I suspect she'll be
dealing with those memories for a long time.
I liked the epilogue and seeing that Jake, Emma, and Fenn
get the help they need to resolve their issues. I liked seeing the family all
together and moving forward in a healthier atmosphere. I liked the bit about
Jake and Emma's new crusade to warn young people of the dangers of human
trafficking, how to recognize it, and how to avoid it.
No comments:
Post a Comment