Loving Gia To Death (Book) - 10/1/2018 5:12:24 PM
The book says everyone falls in love with Gia when they meet her, and so did I. Adorable character, sad but loving and very resilient.
The story line of 'Loving Gia to Death' is about divorce and all the problems it can bring when one party doesn't want the divorce, but also touches on the seriousness of Munchausen Syndrome, and is also a love story.
Blake Matthews has divorced his wife in an attempt to rescue his daughter. He suspects that his ex-wife has Munchausen Syndrome, but how to prove it??? His intent is to file for full custody of his beautiful little girl, Gia. His ex-wife, Lynne, wants Gia and her life with Blake back and she will do anything to accomplish that.
When Blake befriends a nurse, Noreen, at a hospital that was caring for Gia when she mysteriously suffers from a broken arm, Lynne starts becoming even more psychotic upon learning about Blake and Noreen's evolving relationship.
But, the straw that broke the camels back came when Lynne is served with the full custody lawsuit papers from Blake. Lynne takes psychotic to a new level then and the rest you will need to read for yourself!
I have read additional works by Rena Koontz and I really enjoy the writing style. 'Loving Gia to Death' shines a serious light on Munchausen Syndrome along with several side plots that create a "can't put it down" book. The scenes of Blake and his daughter, the love of his life, are extremely heart-warming. In the midst of all that, you have drama on steroids and a wonderful love-story.
'Loving Gia to Death' is an easy read with many twists and turns. I highly recommend you check it out. I look forward to reading additional works by Rena Koontz. Two thumbs up!
Broken Justice Blind Love (Book) - 10/18/2016 10:07:31 AM
Rena Koontz delivers her best effort to date with Broken Justice, Blind Love. From the startling opening line to the very last word, she had me on the edge of my seat. Rena definitely knows police procedure, and paints Trish Kleerey as a by-the-book cop who, in the end, has to decide between doing right by her job or doing right by her man. It's full of suspense, and it keeps amping up with each chapter. I loved this book!
Broken Justice Blind Love (Book) - 10/16/2016 1:28:56 PM
Sat on the edge of my seat
Review Copy Provided By Author
While I’m a fan already of Rena Koontz novels, I was once again tense, moved, and satisfied reading her latest release. Broken Justice, Blind Love might be her best to-date, which is saying a lot.
Typical of Koontz’s writing style, action grabbed me from page one and never let up. The balance between suspense and emotional journey kept me reading, hardly taking a breath. Her writing is tight, evocative, and engaging. Her knowledge of police work gives the book refreshing authenticity. She never missed a beat in taking me, the reader, along the intense investigation of a serial killer. Her characterization grabbed my heart, as well, as I felt right there with the heroine and hero facing life and death decisions and rooting for them as they searched for truth and love.
But before any relationship can grow between Officer Trish Kleerey and Bryan DeJewel, Trish must face the fact that investigation of a series of murders is leading to Bryan as a suspect. Her suspicion of him throws Bryan for a loop, as he understands a relationship with Trish would be impossible if she can’t trust him. And Trish knows ignoring the incriminating evidence goes against what she stands for – justice.
If you love characters with depth and heart in a superb romantic suspense story, go buy this book now.
Thief Of The Heart (Book) - 9/3/2014 11:18:54 AM
With her carefully crafted sentences and explicit word choices, Rena Koontz writes with precision and elegance. In Thief of the Heart, her writing style grabbed my attention and her characters and her story kept me engaged. I enjoyed the way she brought the heroine and the hero together naturally when the heroine's apartment was burglarized and she needed a policeman to keep her safe. A dedicated police officer, the hunky hero took care of her in every meaning of the phrase. As the danger escalated, the main characters faced it together and found tenderness and strength in each other's arms. Once again, Ms. Koontz has written a well-crafted and steamy story.
The Devil She Knew (Book) - 5/16/2013 7:59:34 AM
A Devilishly Good Read
Rena Koontz’s second romantic suspense novel, “The Devil She Knew” leaves no doubt: This author has mastered the knack for page-turners.
Koontz builds suspense from page one — introducing compelling characters; parceling details; connecting the dots at a skillfully measured pace; and keeping the reader flipping pages with every twist and turn.
Close your eyes, and you can picture Koontz’s rich cast of characters: Hunky police officer Clay Cestra, whose looks, actions, and passion re-define “good cop;” Cassidy Hoake, forced into life on the run after witnessing a mob murder; and ruthless mobster Tony DelMorrie, a devil with no disguise. After posting bail, DelMorrie makes it his mission to track and kill Cassidy — the woman who identified him as his girlfriend’s killer.
Their paths converge at The Packing Place, where Cassidy hopes to work inconspicuously as a counter clerk. But when Clay Cestra walks in the door and meets her for the first time, Cassidy’s skittishness alerts Clay’s cop instincts. She’s obviously a woman with many secrets — skeletons he’s compelled to uncover.
Romance and unlikely friendships build gradually, as Cassidy struggles to follow her heart and learn to trust. Along the way, Koontz introduces supporting characters that are every bit as real as the book’s hero and heroine. Close your eyes (again!) and you can picture Cassidy’s lecherous boss, her free-spirited co-worker, and Clay’s obsessive and clearly dangerous ex-wife.
Suspense builds steadily and while DelMorrie’s pursuit originally catapulted Cassidy’s life as a fugitive, he turns out to be only one of several that are bedeviling her.
Block off some time for this page-turner, but be strategic. Because once you start “The Devil She Knew,” you simply won’t want to stop until the breathless conclusion.
The Devil She Knew (Book) - 5/5/2013 3:19:14 PM
Rena Koontz has done it again. The author offers “The Devil She Knew,” a brand-new romance that burns even hotter than her first book, “Love’s Secret Fire.” She immediately draws readers into the lives of Cassidy Hoake and police officer Clay Cestra, and after the first page, there’s no turning back.
Koontz draws on her past experience as a cops and courts reporter for several major newspapers to create a fast-paced romantic suspense novel.
Be prepared to read to the very end in one delighted sitting, so once you start, hang a do not disturb sign on the door, turn off your phone and settle down to a fantastic few hours of heart-pounding action on the police beat and in the bedroom.
Cassidy is on the run, and for her, there’s no safe place to hide. She’s fled across the country and changed her appearance, but she’s getting tired of running. She has no one to turn to, no one she can confide in, even though Amber Malone, her co-worker at The Packing Place, tries to help her. Cassidy is edgy and nervous as she learns her new job, especially when Amber introduces her to police office Clay Cestra.
Although he’s just met her, Clay is drawn to Cassidy. She stubbornly rebuffs any attempts he and Amber make to help her, but her elusive attitude toward the simplest questions raises his curiosity – and a whole lot more. Slowly he begins to elicit information, and the more he finds out, the more he is attracted to her.
The feeling is mutual. Despite her resolve to distance herself from any relationship, she allows her heart to lead her into a love that is hot and growing hotter with each kiss and caress.
Koontz expertly builds the tension of the relationship as she weaves in the pieces of Cassidy’s past, as well as the complications caused by Clay’s ex-wife. Readers will not be disappointed as the action builds to an electrifying conclusion.
The Devil She Knew (Book) - 4/14/2013 10:17:19 AM
Readers who open to the first page of Rena Koontz's The Devil She Knew will be thrust immediately into action that doesn't let up. A romantic suspense, the book delivers on both powerful suspense and steamy romance.
When heroine Cassidy Hoake changes her appearance to elude grave danger, she also begins a new life with a move into the town where hot hero Clay Cestra works as a police officer. Though Clay struggles with his own problems, he can't help but get caught up by the beauty and vulnerability of Cassidy when their worlds intersect at her new job. Willingly swept into the nightmare that is her present life, Clay finds he wants more than to keep her safe; he wants to get to know everything about her. For fugitive Cassidy, getting close an officer of the law is the last thing she wants.
With authentic characterization, crisp dialogue, and evocative descriptions, Koontz's writing took this reader through vivid action scenes and the emotional journeys of two sympathetic characters trying to thwart the devil's they each face and embrace love.
The Devil She Knew is an enjoyable read.
The Devil She Knew (Book) - 4/7/2013 11:24:29 AM
Rena Koontz’s second romantic suspense is a tight, spine-tingling roller coaster ride of a tale—exactly what I enjoy in a romantic suspense. I was immediately drawn to the heroine, Cassidy, and could imagine myself in her shoes. The description of her apartment in the seedy side of town was so spot on, I could feel the grit in the air. And her fear of everything and everyone was palpable. The hero, Clay, is a classic good guy who loves babies and serves and protects the community. Despite all the goodness radiating off Clay, Cassidy is afraid to get too close, to trust him. And for good reason. The twists and turns in this book kept me awake long after my bedtime. Rena has a winner on her hands here.
