desperate measures {book review}

//title: desperate measures//

//series: book 3, port aster secrets//

//author: sandra orchard//

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//genre: christian fiction//

Kate won't be safe until all of Port Aster's secrets are revealed

Researcher Kate Adams has finally pinpointed the supposed "miracle plant" that tore apart her family years ago. She's certain that discovering its secrets is her only hope of solving the mystery surrounding her father's disappearance. She's willing to risk anything to find the truth, including her relationship with Detective Tom Parker. But with so many people in pursuit of the plant, going it alone might be a fatal mistake.

Award-winning author Sandra Orchard pulls out all the stops in this breakneck and breathtaking conclusion to the Port Aster Secrets series.

I was immediately drawn into the action and intrigue of this book.  The plot was very interesting, the suspense definitely kept me turning pages!  I appreciated the depth of Kate's character and faith.  Spunky with a mind of her own, but gracious and optimistic--but scarred.  Ms. Orchard did an excellent job of fashioning the main characters of this book with heroic, admirable traits, and most importantly the type of flaws that make them relatable and real.

I was disappointed in some of the disjointed writing, however.  I noticed much of the dialogue felt too-obvious and strained.  Also, some of the situations felt unrealistic and pushed--like the first time


(*SPOILER*)


that Tom and Kate kiss is because he is covering her mouth with his own to keep her quiet because she doesn't hear someone sneaking up on them?  I thought that was pushing it.  That was just one of the many instances that I felt were a bit awkward and out of place...trying to push the story along instead of it flowing naturally.

I read this book stand-alone from the first two in the series.  I appreciated how the author did an excellent job of giving enough of the details from the first two books woven throughout the story to help you understand the beginning without giving too much to bore the reader of the first two.  While some of the details did lose me a little as a result of not having read the first two, I was still drawn in and truly enjoyed the climactic ending!

Thanks to Revell Books for providing a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.