- Title: Sunburst
- Author: Susan May Warren
- Genre: Suspense, Thriller
- Where to find it: Goodreads, BookBub, Amazon
Synopsis:
When former Navy SEAL and lifelong bachelor Ranger Kingston is called upon to take part in a rescue mission to save his brother Colt, who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria, he is shocked to find among the hostages a woman he knows and could never forget.
Noemi Sutton was attempting to return a young girl to her family in Boko Haram territory when she and the girl found themselves taken hostage, along with several others.
And while Ranger Kingston may be able to get the hostages away from their captors, he’ll need Noemi’s help if he ever hopes to get out of Nigeria alive.
Her solution? Pose as husband and wife. But when her uncle discovers the union, he insists on a traditional Nigerian wedding–binding Noemi to a man destined to break her heart. Worse, she’s discovered the real reason she was kidnapped, and anyone around her is bound to be caught in the cross fire. Including her so-called new husband.
She’ll need to figure out a way to leave the man she loves if she wants to save his life.
USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren throws you into the thick of the action in this high-stakes, globe-trotting romance.
About The Author of Sunburst Susan May Warren
I can’t help be amazed at the gifts God has delighted me with – a wonderful husband, four amazing children, and the opportunity to write for Him.
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember – I won my first book writing contest in first grade! Over the years, writing has become, for me, a way to praise God and see Him at work in my life.
Although I have a degree in Mass Communications from the University of MN, my real writing experience started when I penned the The Warren Report – a bi-monthly newsletter that detailed our ministry highlights.
Living in Russia meant I never lacked for great material – and those experiences naturally spilled out first into devotionals and magazine articles and finally into my first published story, “Measure of a Man,” in the Tyndale/HeartQuest, Chance Encounters of the Heart anthology.
I grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. My favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota – it’s where I met my husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living. The north woods easily became the foundation for my first series, The Deep Haven series.based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. I have to admit – I’m terribly jealous of Mona, the heroine of my first full-length book, Happily Ever After, a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.
Our family moved home from the mission field in June 2004 — and now we live in the beautiful town I’d always dreamed of! God has amazed me anew with His provision, and blessings — and allowed me a season when I can write full time for Him.
I ‘m delighted you’ve stopped in to visit. My hope is that you’ll be blessed and encouraged by soul-stirring stories of regular people interacting with a God who loves them.
I’d love to hear from you! I love getting mail, especially from readers and I welcome your questions and comments. You can drop me a line via the form on my Contact Page, and, if you’re interested, sign up for my newsletter, a quarterly sneak peek into upcoming releases and projects. Thank you for your interest and support.
God Bless and Happy Reading!
In His Grip,
Susan May Warren
The Plain Spoken Pen’s Thoughts on Sunburst
This book review of Sunburst was originally posted on The Plain Spoken Pen. Reposted with permission.
I loved Sunrise, the first in the Sky King Ranch series. When a book is that good, you wonder if the next in the series can live up to the high standard the first one set. In the case of Sunburst, the answer is a resounding yes.
Ranger Kingston is on a mission to rescue his brother Colt, who’s been taken hostage by terrorists. He doesn’t expect to find someone else that he knows among the people they’re trying to free. Noemi Sutton was captured when she was on a humanitarian mission. She never thought she’d see Ranger Kingston again, and certainly not in the middle of nowhere, Nigeria.
Ranger and Noemi have a history of mutual attraction, but it ended on a sour note. Now, when they find themselves separated from the rest of the rescue mission, the only way they can possibly survive and get out of Nigeria is to pretend they’re married. But when they find Noemi’s family on her mother’s side—and her uncle is an actual Nigerian prince who wants to do their wedding up right—can they maintain that facade?
Warren does it again. She creates a world where the characters are genuine, the action is enthralling, and the romance is ultimately sweet. Ranger and Noemi are almost maddening at times with their struggles to move past old hurts and take a chance on building a new relationship. But Warren shows us why they struggle, and that makes it easy to have compassion for them. Like any of us walking this earth, they have baggage and issues and fears, and they each have to work through those things in their own ways.
It was quite a surprise to have Noemi’s family turn out to be actual royalty! Her uncle and the rest of her family members were just a joy to read about. Warren uses that part of the story arc to share a bit about Nigerian culture with the reader, and I loved it. I know very little about Nigeria, and I always appreciate the chance to learn something when I’m reading. I also loved that they just welcomed Noemi back, no hassle, no headache. She was family, and she was home, and that made my heart so happy!
As always, Warren does a masterful job of making faith an integral part of the story without beating you over the head with a King James Bible. It isn’t a blind faith. It’s a faith that sometimes wavers. The characters have to wrestle with God and work some things out. Noemi struggles to trust that God is with her, while Ranger wrangles with issues that go to the heart of who he thinks he truly is. But they ultimately find their faith strengthened by the trials they face, and we can find encouragement in that.
You can read Sunburst as a stand-alone; however, I highly recommend starting with Sunrise and seeing the entire story arc unfold. Susan May Warren has written another bang-up good Christian romantic suspense novel, and I eagerly await the third in the series!
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley and Revell. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.
About the Reviewer
The Plain Spoken Pen
Hi! I’m Lisa, the reader and reviewer behind The Plain-Spoken Pen. I’ve been reading since I was 3 years old, and my mother would probably tell you I started spotting errors in the written word shortly thereafter.
I’m an attorney by education and employment and a word nerd and geek by personal inclination. Mystery, sci-fi, and fantasy are my favorite genres, but I’ll read other things if they catch my attention.
When I’m not working or reading, I enjoy baking, playing the piano, and working on freelance editing projects (want more info? See my “Work With Me” page!). I’m the family CEO of the Nerd Herd, and we call Louisiana home.
https://theplainspokenpen.com/
