Carole J. (PianoLady357) reviewed on 11/10/2014 + 157 more book reviews

Have you ever picked up a book where the characters, steadily developing romance, plot, and setting all came together in such a way that you wanted to prolong the reading experience? That perfectly describes the way I felt about Vannetta Chapman's first romantic suspense novel, Hidden. I have long enjoyed Vannetta's Amish stories, and I'm not much of a suspense fan - so I literally found myself asking, Who are you, Vannetta Chapman, that you can write in such contrasting styles and effortlessly capture my emotions?

I simply think the quality of Vannetta's writing transcends the genre in which she is writing. Top-notch suspense and romance are strong elements, but it's the characterization, gentle humor, and sense of place that kept me engaged. There's good character depth - but more than that, it's like Vannetta really knows and is comfortable with her cast of characters and is able to convey that realism to the reader. Taos, New Mexico, is a fascinating setting and Vannetta did a great job bringing out the local flavor, culture, and natural beauty.

Dana and Ben are strong, appealing lead characters. Tough, smart, and extremely capable, Dana has risen to the top of her field as a local director of Homeland Security. Ben is all that a hero should be - brave, protective, and faithful, a former military leader who took the Homeland Security job "to keep American towns from being torn apart like the ones in Iraq had been." And while Dana lives with a painful past, disillusioned with God, Ben is comfortable in a faith that strengthens and sustains him.

One of the most moving characters is the elderly Apache, Tafoya, a man who honors the way of his people, but has embraced Christ . . . "This is what gives me peace, knowing I will be united with my son and even my wife who went before him. This is why I can work each day and do so with the strength of the hawk and the peace of the deer."

The spiritual themes woven throughout really brought everything home for me. Ben firmly believes that God guides his steps and that he has been placed on Danas team for a reason. Another thought is that God's plans are not the same as ours - something I know, yet always need gentle reminders. But it was Ben's words to Dana that especially spoke to me: "Sometimes we can accept God did the tremendous things - like create those stars you're staring at. Then we try to believe He can heal a fawn, or a person, and we stumble. Our belief falters."

Hidden is an impressive story on many levels, one that will be on my "best of" list for 2014 because of how much I enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

Hidden is independently published, but don't let that discourage you from picking it up, because this story stands out in comparison to much that is traditionally published.

Thank you to Vannetta Chapman for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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