Backlash

Romantic and Inspirational Thriller

This is my first book from Rachel Dylan and I’m hooked! I couldn’t put this book down!
I’m definitely going to be following her and reading her previous books! It’s always great to discover a new author you love and discover you have yet to read more of her books without waiting for a new one to be published!
This series involves four good friends: Layla, Vivian, Bailey and Izzy. This is Layla’s stories, although we also get a glimpse of part of Izzie’s story too. I love it when the heroine has good female friends she can always count witn. And this is the case with this group, Izzy being the last addition. Layla, Vivian and Bailey have been good friends since College days at Georgetown University.
Layla Kara mis a CIA Analyst, passionate for her work, although she has been asked of late to work on the field, which is of course, to say the least, threading dangerous waters. Layla’s recent mission was in Honduras, where she was sent with three other operatives by the DEA to bring down a cartel. They didn’t get the ringleader, but they did confiscate drugs, cash and traffickers. But the operation didn’t get to the root of the cartel.
When she returns, things start to happen… One of the ops from the mission gets the visit from a mysterious intruder who has cartel symbols as tatoo… Then a bomb explodes in the restaurant where she usually meets her friends, and a couple who were seated in their favorite table dies from the impact. Then another op member of the tea mis murdered at his home… Someone is definitely after them, and she becomes an important target. Not only that, but shortly after that, the CIA opens up an international investigation against her. Providentially, Hunter McCoy, her exboyfriend who broke her heart, and now a Private Investigator, is around town and rushes to the hospital when he learns of Layla’s accident. Even though Layla is hesitant to let him into her life again, he’s determined to make things right to her this time, as he has never forgotten her in all these years. He gets the opportunity to help Layla out when, other than find out who is trying to destroy her career, they both discover there is a mole inside the DEA who has sold out the team’s identity to the cartel. But who can they trust? Is the traitor amongst the people Layla trusts? And the ultimate question: can Layla trust Hunter, not only with her life, but also her heart?
I don’t want to spoil the story for you. You’ll have to ride this journey with Hunter and Layla -and Izzy has her own part too- to find out how they fare nad survive. This was a thrilling story from page one until the end. I literally couldn’t put the book down and kept reading late at night! The plot is non stop action and intrigue, almost breathless. But what I loved more was the depth of the characters, and how they grow through out the story, personally, and in Hunter’s case, strengthening their fragile faith, especially Hunter’s. They have very interesting and enlightening dialogues. I loved the different angles of faith in the Lord each character went through, and how they, together, supporting each other through their fears and struggles, end up bettering each other!
The anguish of being a revenge target felt so real and I found myself almost praying for Layla’s life! It’s a thriller through and through, yet it has more substance and inspiration than normal thrillers do! I loved this! Knowing that God never abandons us and only He can bring good out of grief and evil. This is not an easy conviction in this shattered world, so I love when the characters get to this point, even if sometimes through the hard way.
I definitely recommend this story! You won’t be able to put it down, that’s for sure! I want to read more of Rachel Dylan's stories!
I received a complimentary copy from the Publisher but wasn’t required to post a positive review. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.