Crossed Off

BAM! Get Ready for Intense Suspense!
Just when you think a series can’t get any better…BAM! This book had me from the first sentence and didn’t let go until the end. Wait! It didn’t even let go then…I want MORE!!

First let me say that this is Book 3 in a series and they must be read in order. So if you haven’t read, Criss Cross and Cross Fire yet, then buy them and start this amazing, thrilling, rollercoaster ride of suspense, mystery, humor and God’s mercy! This 3rd book continues with Holly, Marx, Jordan, Jace, and of course, Collin. If you read book 2, then you can imagine how this book will start. And start with a bang, yes! Emotions in high gear from the start and it only intensifies from there.

This is the book we’ve been waiting for. The one where Collin is finally finished with toying with Holly. He’s ready to get down to business and he doesn’t care who is hurt in his quest to destroy Holly. Holly is surrounded by many people who love and care for her, Marx, Jordan, Jace, Sam and she’s trying her best to keep them safe from Collin as well. There are so many touching scenes in this book. I probably highlighted at least a third of the book. One minute you will find yourself crying from sadness, then laughing at something quirky Holly does, then on to holding your breath and hanging on for life. This book does get gritty. The author, C.C. Warrens, does it in a very compassionate, tasteful way and although the horrible scenes will have you gasping for breath, she always ends it and gives you plenty of time to breath and compose yourself. Holly, even when she’s on the brink of despair, she can always come back with something to be thankful for or some witty comeback that will ease the tension.

This is Christian fiction, but it’s not “preachy”. It’s real. It’s about life and how dirty it can get. It’s about how even at our worst, God is with us. He never leaves. Holly’s relationship with Jesus is woven throughout the whole series and is not overpowering. So don’t let this being Christian fiction stop you from reading these amazing books. I think you will love them!

C.C. Warrens is an excellent writer and I’m so thankful that I found her books. Because I love a book that will totally capture me and not let go. It’s full of surprises and not your typical mystery that you figure out before you’re halfway through. You will fall in love with the characters and the story, you will be exhausted from the suspense, you will laugh out loud at Holly, you will end each book saying “I can’t wait until the next one!”

Loved this book!
Oh. My. Goodness. What an amazing addition to this series! While this book had good closure, I am itching for more from these characters. I’d like to see what the next chapters of their lives holds and I hope the author does decide to revisit them someday. This book was extremely intense, and the author did include a note that there were some scenes that might be difficult for some readers. Fortunately, there was not any explicit detail, but you could still feel the intensity of the moments. I’m pretty sure I cried through the last third of the book, which goes to show how well written the characters were that I was able to empathize so strongly (I’m actually tearing up as I write this review nearly a full day after – it took some time to process!). If you haven’t read the other books in the series, I believe you could still enjoy this book as a stand-alone…. but you will have a much richer history if you read “Criss Cross” and “Cross Fire” first. I would highly recommend all 3 books in this series. This book is a Christian suspense. While this one has more spiritual depth, none of the series is at all preachy. Being a Christian is part of who Holly is and she’s reminded of scripture when she finds herself in sticky situations. In spite of her faith and trust in God, she still has very human tendencies, which is part of what makes this book so real, and not at all preachy. The characters are very well developed and the action is well utilized, realistic and intense. This is one that I would not recommend for younger readers due to the intensity, but I would strongly recommend for more mature readers. This book held great depths of emotion. I didn’t find myself laughing as much during this one as the other 2 (probably because I cried through a third of it), but it was very healing. I would also definitely recommend reading the author’s note at the end. Though I’ve never experienced the severity of experiences that Holly has, I have had many of the same fears and insecurities. The author tied that in with her note at the end to remind us that we don’t need to be beaten down so severely to be wounded and in need of healing. I truly LOVED this book (and the others in the series) and can’t wait to read more by this author!

It’s been a while since I read this book, but I still remember the intensity of it. You become so immersed in C.C.’s books that you forget the characters aren’t real. C.C. and her husband also keep things fun in her FB page such as visits from the characters. I’m getting ready to buckle up and reread the first three books so that I can read the next two. Here we go for an emotional rollercoaster that I actually look forward to!