*Thank you Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for the eARC. All opinions in this review are my own.
Author: Melissa Koslin
Genre: Christian Thriller
Age: 18+ (No graphic content, but the plot may not appeal to young readers)
Rating: 4
POST RELATED TO NEVER MISS BOOK REVIEW:
Book Review: Night Fall by Nancy Mehl
Never Miss in a Nutshell
It was just another day on the run for former sharpshooter Kadance when she rescues Lyndon from an assassination attempt. But Lyndon is a different character altogether. Not only is he very attractive, possesses an eidetic memory and a host of doctorates, but he seems to accept her for who she is. She can’t abandon him. Soon Kadance and her Maine Coon, Mac, are entangled in a massive conspiracy that forces her to confront the past she spent so long running from.
Never Miss is a thrilling novel by new author Melissa Koslin. The plot centers around two unique protagonists stopping a plot to unleash an amped-up version of the Ebola virus on the world. There’s plenty of action and romantic tension to keep readers turning pages until the end. Faith plays a decent role in the book, but I think the conversations are well-written and not “preachy” at all. Lyndon discusses his thoughts on the Big Bang Theory and why he believes the universe shows evidence of a creator. Eventually, Kadance joins in musings of a creator or “Presence.”
What I Liked About the Book:
The Characters
I loved how quirky the characters were. Kadence is well-trained fighter and sharpshooter, yet her weaknesses made her so likable. I loved her wit and bluntness just as much as her insecurities. Lyndon is a super genius whose greatest attribute is his logical approach and seeing things that people can’t. The fact that he has an eidetic memory made him much more interesting. But he also struggles with his emotions and I loved how this added tension throughout the book.
And of course my favorite character was Mac. I’m not going to lie, after reading this story, I looked up how I can buy myself a Maine Coon. His personality was so fun. He definitely takes the spotlight in every scene.
The Passion
I’m not a romance reader at all, y’all. I skip the steamy sections of movies and to be honest, I can’t even remember the last time that I watched a rom-com. This book had me. The tension between the MCs was downright steamy but utterly clean.
Fast-paced
Once the book starts it doesn’t stop. I can’t remember any slow parts or a time where I had the urge to stop reading. I probably would have read it in about 2 days if I wasn’t insanely busy with two kids.
What I Didn’t Like:
While I was hooked by the passion between the two MCs, sometimes the romantic internal musings and discussions occurred at weird times. I don’t want to give anything away, so here’s a vague example: After Kadance and Lyndon discover a significant, game-changing plot point, the MCs were thinking about their feelings for each other. For me, that just wasn’t very believable considering the context.
Grammatical and Writing Mechanics
Sometimes I found it difficult to keep up with the scenes, especially the faster-paced ones. The MCs would be running and then all the sudden they were in another place. It disoriented me.
In other instances, I noticed a lot of repeated words. At one point, the same word was repeated five times in a paragraph. Usually I take off my editor/writer when I review a book, but these things kind of took me out of the story.
Disappointed with the end of the book.
For most of the book I felt very engaged with the plot. At about 80% through, Kadance and Lyndon ran into some troubles with stopping the main villain. This is where the plot fell apart.
There were some really climatic scenes that were underwhelming and then the ending was anticlimatic. I felt like there were a lot of loose ends between the characters and Kadance’s past. I was also disappointed with how things ended with the villain.
Would I Recommend?
Absolutely. Even with my issues with the last 20% of the book, I think Never Miss is a fantastic read. I hope there’s a sequel planned. Also, thanks to this novel, my new life goal is to get myself a Maine Coon. I’ve been completely converted.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller with some hardcore steam between the main characters, check Never Miss out! You’ll love it!
POST RELATED TO NEVER MISS BOOK REVIEW: