Growing up, goody-two-shoes Kirra Jacobs and troublemaker Reef McKenna were always at odds. Now, working together as search-and-rescue for Alaska's arduous Iditarod race, a growing attraction seems to be forcing aside old arguments. Then Reef catches Kirra sneaking from camp in the middle of the night.
Kirra's uncle, a musher in the race, has disappeared. Kirra and Reef quickly track the man, but what they discover is harrowing: Frank's daughter has been kidnapped. Kirra and Reef, along with the entire McKenna family, are thrown into a race to stop a shadowy villain who is not only threatening a girl's life--but appears willing to unleash one of the largest disasters Alaska has ever seen.
My thoughts...
Sabotaged is Dani Pettrey's fifth book in her series entitled, "Alaskan Courage". To truly appreciate this novel, my opinion is that reading the previous novels in this series would help you to better understand the characters and the family background. However, I have read some of the other books in this series out of order and I was able to enjoy the plot and pick up on a lot of the family background on my own. Either way, you don't want to miss out on reading this series finale!
This novel is the perfect blend of suspense, action, drama, and romance. While there were a few times when I kind of rolled my eyes when some of the characters were exchanging heartfelt words with one another, overall it honestly didn't bother me. Because in a story that filled with so much non-stop action, you need a little lightheartedness before you dive into another intense segment of the book. If the romantic side of the novel and the plot/action were both super intense it would be easy to burn out on reading it. Pettrey did a good job and maintaining a good balance of both.
You also have several story lines and a few side moments with some of the other McKennas and their significant others. The main plot, which is about Frank and his daughter, Meg, was very engaging and intense. The evil doers behind the kidnapping were not revealed early on, so I was journeying along with Reef and Kirra as they were following leads and trying to find Meg. Through this, I learned about a tragic event in Kirra's history, which had a huge impact on how she interacted with others, particularly Reef. This ran more along the lines of emotional intensity, so it brought out a different side of the main characters. The pace of the novel was steady and engaging...which made it a definite page-turner. The reader is able to follow the characters, once again, to several locations, by plane, snow mobile, skiis, and even a dog sled. I felt like I was getting a good glimpse of what the Iditarod was like for those in the race and the rescue workers. Even a false lead that led Kirra and Reef off the trail for a while was an effective way to have Kirra and Reef build trust in their relationship and encourage their budding romance.
Overall, I thought this novel was a very well written piece of fiction! It had so many great action segments, believable characters that you either want to root for, see brought to justice, or just played a necessary role in the story, and it brought closure to the lives of those in the McKenna family and their loved ones. I would highly recommend it...along with Pettrey's previous novels.
Happy Reading!
*I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher, Bethany House, in order to give an unbiased review.*
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