My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it
Synopsis
Mallory Hammond is determined not to let her boyfriend, parents, or
anyone else get in the way of her #1 goal—to save a life. She had that
chance when she was a teenager, and the opportunity slipped away,
leaving a void she’s desperate to fill. Then a new friend she met online
offers her the chance she’s dreamed of. But she’ll have to leave behind
everyone she loves to take it.
Tate Webber has loved Mallory for years. He understands that
Mallory’s free spirit has to fly, and when he gives her the space she
needs, he hopes that when she lands, the two of them will be in the same
place and can marry at last.
In a bold move—and with lots of resistance from Tate and those
closest to her—Mallory decides to travel across the world to fulfill her
dream. Tate begs her not to go, but Mallory embarks on the dangerous
journey to Pakistan anyway, only to discover how swiftly and easily
promises can be broken. Her new friend isn’t who he says he is. And
Mallory can only pray she’ll make it out alive.
Inspired by actual events, this riveting story will take you on a
wild journey and have you asking yourself: How far would I go for love?
My Review
Intense. Frustrating. Eye-opening. The author Beth Wiseman personally knows the young woman whose experience this story is based on and does an amazing job bringing the realities of the other side of the world to the page. Told from multiple points of view, the reader is able to sense that not all is what it seems. Mallory's compassionate and emotional nature overrides her common sense and she is focused solely on having an amazing "life experience" despite the warnings and red flags that she chooses to disregard. As I was reading I felt a combination of pity for her circumstances and what-did-you-expect?!?! I appreciated that there was a subplot with Tate's side of the story of a piano student abandoned to his care which showed more dimension to his character besides the constant worrying for his relationship with Mallory and her safety. The book starts out relatively slow but momentum builds with the suspense and climaxes with an intense ending.
(Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing and Litfuse Publicity for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)