Closer Than She Knows

Teagan O’Rourke is from a family of police officers but instead chose to become a court reporter, a job that brings her close to the action but keeps her safe from danger. All that changes with two deaths in a single day and a note from the killer addressed to Teagan. Luckily, Teagan has her family, her faith, and soldier–turned–youth pastor Max Kennedy on her side. Max would do anything for Teagan, and she longs to return his feelings, but she hesitates to get involved since she knows Max hopes for a big family and Teagan doesn’t want children. Irvin (“Every Amish Season” series; “Amish of Bee County” series) packs a lot into this Christian romantic suspense title—serial killers, gun control, faith in a family of nonbelievers, the pros and cons of parenthood, addiction, and posttraumatic stress disorder—but does so in a way that makes Teagan and Max feel like complex human beings with strengths, faults, and doubts. The faith of the main characters guides them and their decisions. It doesn’t keep them from harm but gives them strength and hope, resulting in a relatable picture of Christianity. The big reveal isn’t a surprise, but readers will be so invested in Teagan and Max that they won’t mind.