Skip to main content

Review: Watch Your Back - Crossroads Suspense #3

Watch Your Back book cover on blue background

What a ride this book took me on where it felt like nearly every chapter, something was happening that kept me wondering what would be next! Watch Your Back by Kristen Hogrefe Parnell fits the theme of the book perfectly and is the third book in the Crossroads Suspense series.

Many thanks to Mountain Brook Ink for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

You can’t watch your own back.

Private Investigator Avery Reynolds leads the charge to expose Tampa's supposedly “extinct” mob. The crime boss responsible for her foster brother’s death is within her grasp—until she hits a wall in the form of Ethan Bridger, a Coast Guard veteran who unknowingly derails her sting operation. When the elusive “Big Eddie” comes out of hiding, he targets their mutual friends about to tie the knot.

Avery sets aside her angst toward Ethan to focus on ending the crime boss’s reign of terror. But working together exposes her trust issues and his PTSD stemming from a comrade's tragedy. When Avery goes solo into a prisoner exchange operation, she discovers her vulnerability too late—and must lean on Ethan and the God she thought had abandoned her. But will that help reach her in time?

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

It’s a good thing that Watch Your Back is book three in the Crossroads Suspense series because the suspense kept me riveted in guessing how everything would wrap up! I loved meeting Avery and Ethan and getting to see their faith journeys progress as they reluctantly join forces to take down a nebulous mob. Though I haven’t read the first two books in this series, this book acts as a great standalone and make you want to read the previous titles where you can get to know some of the side characters even better. I enjoyed seeing how well-supported Avery and Ethan are by their wonderful friends and family who watch their backs and how they take the time to give back through their volunteer efforts. This is a book that contains just as much soul as it does action, making it both a heartwarming and a heart-stopping reading experience.

When it comes to Christian content, the scenes are top-notch in that they flow so naturally between the characters. In between the chases and the tension, Avery and Ethan take the time to reflect on what they’ve been learning about the Gospel from others, which contributes to the overall richness of the book. Miss Martha is a formidable figure to behold as she loves others well through her faith in Jesus Christ. I appreciated how the author addressed issues of morality as a subplot in this book and how things were resolved. If you are looking for a romantic suspense that will keep you on your toes as you root for the characters to experience God’s life-changing love, Kristen Hogrefe Parnell will be a name to seek out!

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📱
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available or you don't qualify for one 😊 List last updated: June 4, 2026 Christian Publishers 10ofThose Availability: US, Canada, and UK residents Format: Only books published by 10ofThose qualify for review requests so as to avoid impeding with other Christian book review programs Genre: Christian non-fiction, children's books Email for availability and eligibilit...

Life Up North

I'm going to go against my previous posts about keeping my opinions to myself on things outside of faith and reading by sharing some of my recent experiences instead. I figure that if we read fiction to broaden our understanding of other perspectives that it might be worthwhile for me to share how things have been for me as a non-representative Canadian (I'm not speaking for anyone else here!) 😄 I'll be honest in that it's been tough in the last few weeks and months. I've done my best to keep up my optimism and more importantly, my hope in Christ, Who is unchanging and steadfast. Rulers come and go, nations evolve and change, and politics can swing back and forth, but God is immutable and sovereign over all things. That being said, recent geopolitical factors have resulted in an emotional toll on me and a lot of the people I interact with in my life. While I am grateful that I can place my burdens at the foot of the cross, I recognize that others in my life have va...

All the Cheese

I've been coming across content within the past several weeks that has stereotyped Christian books (and other mediums) as being cheesy on Christian accounts. While this isn't a new label or even a new topic, what has surprised me somewhat has been seeing more Christian authors jump into this conversation who wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. Although some authors will name others whom they believe are writing non-cheesy fiction, I feel as though the damage has been done by repeating this blanket statement. While readers have freely been engaging in this type of commentary for some time, it's been interesting to see authors chime in, where in some cases, there seems to be an emphasis on self-promotion over reflection. I'm not stereotyping and saying that all authors or even the authors I'm connected to respond with this tactic (because I really don't think they do!), but there are a few out there from my limited experience who seem to respond to this disc...