Thursday, April 17, 2014

REVIEW: STRANDED ~ DANI PETTREY

It has been months since reporter Darcy St. James left Yancey and the McKennas behind.  She had hoped Gage would stay in touch, but he hadn’t… and neither had she.  She returns to Alaska on an undercover assignment at the request of her former partner.  Darcy starts working on the Cruise Liner with her friend, but within hours – and before they have a chance to talk - Abby disappears without a trace.  Darcy needs to not only find her friend, but discover what Abby had uncovered on the cruise liner.  What put the fear in her friend’s eyes?  What lead to her disappearance?


Gage McKenna has taken a summer-long stint leading adventure excursions for the passengers of various cruise lines that dock in Alaska for a few days of sightseeing.  When Gage ends up on the same ship as Darcy, he knows trouble is brewing.  It is obvious Darcy went back to undercover work, something Gage has no respect for.  Lying and deceiving people is not something Gage can accept in a friend, much less a partner.


Gage and Darcy can't hide or fight their attraction to each other, but whether or not something can come of their attraction is another matter altogether.  Gage has serious issues with Darcy's profession, fearing she might be like Meredith - the former girlfriend who has left him disillusioned following the death of their infant son. Darcy can't be with a man who doesn't share her faith, and she has been praying for Gage since they met.  Can Darcy use this opportunity to help lead Gage back to the loving God who can heal his battered heart? Gage is surprised to find the stirring of his childhood faith in his soul, along with a stirring of something powerful for the woman who charmed her way into his heart.  

The cruise liner administration isn’t concerned with Abby’s disappearance.  They believe she simply quit without informing anyone.  Gage isn’t sure what to make of Darcy’s insistence that her friend is in trouble when there is no evidence to support her claims.  But when Darcy starts digging and ends up unconscious in the medical bay, it’s obvious someone has something to hide.

Together Darcy and Gage dig for answers, with a little help from the other McKennas, and what they find is bigger and more terrible than either could ever have imagined.  Can the danger that surrounds them be the catalyst that finally forces Gage to admit his need for his Saviour and his love for Darcy?


Stranded is the third book the Alaskan Courage series by Dani Pettrey.  Each novel can be read as a stand-alone, but reads best in order as each novel features the same characters.  

I had really looked forward to Gage and Darcy’s story.  I adore both of them, and from their interaction in Shattered I knew they would be perfect for each other.  Truthfully, though, something is lacking. Throughout Stranded, Gage and Darcy don’t give off the spark I had come to expect.  The intensity of the story is also not as intense as its predecessors, and while the danger is no less significant this time around, I did not find myself truly fearing for Gage and Darcy’s safety as I had feared for Cole and Bailey, and Piper and Landon. 

Having said that, I loved returning to Alaska and meeting up with the McKenna family, whom I adore.  It was a joy to experience Gage's awakening faith, and the progression of his and Darcy's relationship.  While Cole and Bailey were only featured very briefly, we met up with Piper, Landon, Kayden and Jake.  We learn more about Jake’s mysterious past and start seeing a softer side to Kayden.  Jake and Kayden’s story is next in Silenced, to be released at the end of April 2014.


Product Information:
Title: Stranded
Author: Dani Pettrey
Pages: 352
Year: 2013
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN-10: 0764209841
ISBN-13: 978-0764209840

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