Book Review: If I Live

THE HUNT IS ALMOST OVER.

Casey Cox is still on the run after being indicted for murder. The hunt that began with her bloody footprints escalates, and she’s running out of places to hide. Her face is all over the news, and her disguises are no longer enough. It’s only a matter of time before someone recognizes her.

Dylan Roberts, the investigator who once hunted her, is now her only hope. Terrifying attempts on Dylan’s life could force Casey out of hiding. The clock is ticking on both their lives, but exposing the real killers is more complicated than they knew. Amassing the evidence to convict their enemies draws Dylan and Casey together, but their relationship has consequences. Will one life have to be sacrificed to protect the other?

With If I Live, Terri Blackstock takes us on one more heart-stopping chase in the sensational conclusion to the If I Run series.

Terri Blackstock is a New York Times and USA Today best-seller, with over seven million books sold worldwide. She is the winner of two Carol Awards, a Christian Retailers Choice Award, and a Romantic Times Book Reviews Career Achievement Award, among others. She has had over twenty-five years of success as a novelist. Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in an Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual “new kid,” her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.

In 1994 Terri was writing romance novels under two pseudonyms for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, Dell and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening prompted her to switch gears. At the time, she was reading more suspense than romance, and felt drawn to write thrillers about ordinary people in grave danger. Her newly awakened faith wove its way into the tapestry of her suspense novels, offering hope instead of despair. Her goal is to entertain with page-turning plots while challenging her readers. She hopes to remind them that they’re not alone, and that their trials have a purpose.

Terri has appeared on national television programs such as “The 700 Club” and “Home Life,” and has been a guest on numerous radio programs across the country. The story of her personal journey appears in books such as Touched By the Savior by Mike Yorkey, True Stories of Answered Prayer by Mike Nappa, Faces of Faith by John Hanna, and I Saw Him In Your Eyes by Ace Collins.

My Impressions:

Terri Blackstock is one of my book club’s favorite authors. We never miss one of her books. If I Live, the final book in her If I Run series, did not disappoint us. We were unanimous in our approval of this book. A great ending to a wonderful series.

Casey and Dylan are running out of time as they race to discover the truth behind the murder of their mutual friend. But the bad guys are working overtime as well, and the threats to both come fast and furious. Will they live long enough to unmask the evil?

Casey and Dylan are great characters. My book club has really enjoyed the journey they have taken throughout the three books. Although the two have faced more and more danger, their faith grew and strengthened. Both characters suffer from PTSD, and Blackstock does an admirable job detailing what sufferers go through. I liked how they were not actually fixed, but gained peace and strength through their relationship with Jesus. The faith journeys of the two are complex (plenty of valleys and mountain tops) and encouraging. For those who love a good romantic suspense story, If I Live is just the ticket. The action is fast-paced with plenty of twists. And the love story is sweet as Casey and Dylan hope for a future. Although we knew the identity of the bad guy(s), there were some surprises we didn’t see coming. That’s a big plus for the veteran suspense readers in my group.

We give two thumbs up to If I Live! Please note that the three books in this series are not standalone – you must read them in order. The good news is that all three are now available for hours of binge reading!

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

To purchase, click HERE.

(I received a copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Tags: romantic suspense fiction, Terri Blackstock