Kayla WoodhouseRessenyes

Whew! I’m exhausted. This book starts and never lets up with the action and suspense. It took me awhile to get into the constant changing of characters perspectives, but once I got the feel of it, I was totally into it.
I really did like the characters and the storyline. The plot really kept me guessing and I’m not sure I ever want to be in a plane flying over Alaska!
This is Christian fiction with no bad language or sex. The gospel message is expressed very well and very often. Loved it!
Interesting to read the author’s notes at the end. Make sure you do.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. To be honest I did not finish it and had to tell the publisher it was not for me. I rarely find a book that I absolutely can not get into or really dislike but this was one. I did not care for the mixed writing style and found it difficult to tell when it was a flash back, when the mom was talking, or the daughter. Now they have another one out - Surprise it is basically the same plot! A mother and sick daughter - and (surprise) a murdered father. Again in the snow packed hills of Alaska! Hmmmm.....wonder if it will be any better. I think they would be better off just writing about their own journey through the illness of Kayla and how that has affected their life. I am beginning to wonder if there is a father involved in real life - or if this mother daughter team has had the loss of the father and the illness to deal with.

I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, I found the book to be over-emotional with unrealistic characters. I think it would have been something my 10-year-old self liked. No Safe Haven is like much of Christian romance fiction nowadays - contrived and fake.

Couldn't finish it. Poorly written with an overabundance of exclamation marks and the change of voice from chapter to chapter was too hard to follow.

Title: Race Against Time
Author: Kimberley & Kayla R. Woodhouse
Pages: 352
Year: 2011
Publisher: B & H books
Readers are introduced to a plot that has suspense, tension, intrigue, murder, faith and romance. The story starts in book one, No Safe Haven, by the same mother and daughter authors who team up to write these fictional novels set in Alaska. In the first book, the audience learns that military men have worked to undermine a special project. Now that the program is in safe hands when the program is run for a test; the problem begins to glare brightly with the military. Cole must find whatever clue his friend left before his death in order for the program to work correctly, but it becomes a race to locate the clue.
Zoya loves sprint racing. Her dogs are well cared for and when she sets out one day to prep them for an upcoming race, she witnesses a murder and is shot. Her mother, Anesia, is called to the hospital. After that, the mother and daughter are seemingly the target of the killer’s scope constantly. Needing full-time help with her award-winning kennels Anesia hires Sean who has left Boston behind to get a fresh start. The constant pressure of being hunted by unknown assailants brings out the deep battle residing in Zoya’s heart and causes Anesia to realize that without opening her heart to love the burden will surely tear her apart.
As I read through both novels I fell in love with the story that shows how sometimes unknown issues of our hearts come to the surface when life’s pressures are at their highest. Both mother and daughter are learning how to let go of control and anger in order for them to hear His voice. Sean is a man who made a choice to leave his father’s company because the actions of his Dad were illegal. Sean must learn to forgive his Dad and talk to him respectfully with the hopes his Dad will be open to the Lord.
I love how the military program is what the evil character is desperately trying to get their hands on. As it causes Cole, who is in the military, to rethink how even America could use the program for wrong reasons as all mankind struggles with a sinful nature. The authors show how each character must decide whether to draw near to the Lord or to walk this life without Him. The mother and daughter team have written more than just No Safe Haven & Race Against Time, but these two books are connected and can be enjoyed by adults and teens alike! These are two wonderful books to give as presents to readers in your household!
My rating is 5+ stars.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Other reviews can be read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/ . Also follow me on Twitter @lcjohnson1988, FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/lisa.johnson.75457

Regrettably, No Safe Haven is a perfect example of why I struggle with the premise of Christian fiction. I have no issues with people’s beliefs in a Higher Power, with the idea of forgiveness and loving one’s neighbor, and other Christian elements. I do however wrestle with the idea that these tenets are purely Christian. I also take issue with the idea that someone is not trustworthy unless they believe in God or consider themselves Christian or that somehow being a Christian makes someone completely honest and reliable. For all its talk of tolerance and love, I find Christian fiction to be highly intolerant and exclusive. In my limited experience, the enemies are always non-Christian, and the heroes always find their way back to God after having lost their faith for some reason. This is a very narrow and dangerous viewpoint in our highly diverse world and is one that does nothing to promote the tolerance and acceptance which Christians love to claim as their primary message.

No Safe Haven does nothing to convince me that the true message within Christian fiction is not one of intolerance, however subtle that message may be. Throughout the novel, there are several moments when a character questions another person’s actions as implausible because s/he is a Christian and would never do such a thing. At other times, a character urges others to accept God before it is too late, and these discussions always occur during highly stressful and action-packed scenes. No other belief system is as important as theirs. Call me crazy, but that is an attitude that is difficult to stomach.

Take away the Christian elements, which do make up approximately half of its 352 pages, and the actual story of No Safe Haven is not horrible. Andi is adorable, bouncing between a precocious girl-child and an all-too-wise young women as only a preteen can. Her bond with her mother is breathtakingly sweet. Cole makes for a great mystery man. However, the entire novel feels more like action-lite than a true thriller. The mystery is convenient, while the danger in which Andi and Jenna find themselves never really gets under the skin of the reader. There is tension, but it does not build to a fever pitch, as a reader knows that the good guys will win out in the end. In fact, the entire story is very black and white. There are the good guys and there are the bad guys, and there is no confusing of the two. It makes for an interesting storyline but one that is not absorbing, pleasant without being completely engrossing.

Unfortunately, the story itself cannot compete and does nothing to offset its more negative aspects. The proselytizing within No Safe Haven is just too much too often. When not discussing faith, God, and the power of prayer, there is the long and repetitive discussions of Andi’s medical disorder, one in which Kayla Woodhouse has firsthand experience, as she has it herself. While the disorder is fascinating in what it means for sufferers, after the third or fourth explanation of the dangers, the drama behind the illness loses its effectiveness. For the right audience, No Safe Haven may indeed be compelling. Sadly, I am not a part of that target audience, and I consider No Safe Haven a great lesson in that there is such a thing as moving too far beyond the boundaries of one’s comfort zone.

Acknowledgments: Thank you to LibraryThing's Early Reader Program for my review copy!

This book sat on my TBR shelf for over a year. Reflecting, I'm kicking myself in the ass for that. This is an amazing book!
Y'know when an author like Tricia Goyer is quoted as saying, "I'd only made it to page 8 when I realized I was holding my breath.", you know it is good. It was page 10 when I realized how true that statement was, for I had been doing it too.
A fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat story, where the little girl steals the show. For one person to have so much perseverance, strength and integrity at such a young age is rare indeed. Especially today.
Some fantastic morals and love of God is displayed too.

Mother and daughter are flying, when their plane is involved in an accident. The daughter is severely ill, and needs medical attention. Someone is behind the plane accident. Do they trust the others on the plane. This is a suspenseful story. I loved it! I couldn't put it down. I had this book for a while, just hadn't started reading it right away. Now I don't know why I waited so long. It was great!

This Mother/Daughter writing duo does another great job of writing an action-packed, fast paced story. I like the way these two write, and especially like how each main character in the book is given there own unique perspective on the story with the date and time always given. It seems to keep the story really moving along and helps you to understand each character better.

This story is based around the teenager Zoya and her Mom Anesia, who is a breeder of champoin racing dogs. Their best friends Jenna, Andie and now Cole (who you would have met if you read their first book "No Safe Haven") are also very much a part of this story. Zoya witnesses a murder while she is out racing her dogs in North Pole, Alaska and finds herself now thrown into danger now that someone is out to silence her. She finds herself doubting a God who could let so many bad things happen to her. Sean Connelly is a new employee at the kennel and quickly discovers he is out to protect Zoya and her Mom because they are very special to him. When Zoya takes off to protect her Mom from danger, Anesia and Sean both race against time to find her.

This book had alot of suspense and a very tender romantic side to it. I loved the Alasken setting and also got a kick out of how they named each litter of dogs they owned. It was a book you will find yourself wanting to read from beginning to end without stopping. It is another big hit and although you could read it as a stand alone, I highly recommend you read their first book before this one, because it will make Race Against Time all that more interesting and easy to understand.

Anesia Naltsiine is a strong woman who has been raising her daughter, Zoya, on her own. She owns a kennel where she breeds champion racing dogs that people from all over come to purchase. So why is loneliness nagging her heart along feelings of unworthiness. Zoya misses a dad she never knew and wonders why God took him away. But she will make her dad and his name proud by being the best sprint dog racer. Then Zoya is witness to a murder which throws her and her family into danger but also reeks havoc on her emotions. Is God really there? That's when Sean Connelly shows up looking for a new start. Anesia and Sean are drawn to each other. As the danger escalates Sean finds himself wanting to protect mother and daughter but he's also finding his feeling for them growing. When Zoya takes off alone trying to protect her mother, Sean and Anesia find themselves in a Race Against Time to save not only her daughter but themselves as well.

The dynamic duo writing team of mother and daughter have once again produced a gripping-nail-biting-page-turning-staying-up-late-into-the-night story that you don't want to miss. Race Against Time is a great sequel to No Safe Haven. I loved that Cole, Jenna and Andie (from No Safe Haven) were very much a part of this story as well. And Sean is one guy you'll want to get to know!!!! You get a panoramic view of the beauty of Alaska, its culture and her people. You learn about sled dog racing, what it takes to care for the dogs and the harshness of the beautiful terrain. The authors tackle many tough subjects like PTSD, anger, forgiveness, and doubting God. You truly feel like you walked the journey with these families. The way the story was laid out, with person, place and time in each section, really enhanced the reading experience. If you enjoy an a great romantic suspense that keeps you hooked 'til the end, then I definitely recommend Race Against Time. You could read this as a stand alone but I recommend you read No Safe Haven first. Great job Kimberley and Kayla Woodhouse! A thank you goes to B&H publishing as well as the authors for providing this complimentary copy for my review.
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: B&H Books (November 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1433671174
ISBN-13: 978-1433671173½

I started this book but am having a tough time getting into the story. Not sure why. It's just got a slow start. I will try it again later...

I received No Safe Haven and immediately thought this would be a great book for my book club. Well I was right -- the feedback from the members of my group has been very positive. But . . . I really didn't like it as well as the other members. It followed the typical formula for a romantic suspense novel. People in trouble, they become attracted to each other through the crisis, they fight the attraction, then give into it. And because this is christian romantic suspense, one of the characters has a salvation experience. Now, I am an evangelical christian and have no problem with the gospel being presented in a novel, but the message seemed a bit heavy handed for my taste. Not a book that non-christians would probably pick up. So overall, I would not recommend it.

This suspenseful story of survival follows a teen and her mother who survive a plane crash in Alaska. Coincidentally, it is written by a mother-daughter team. They must struggle against the elements and the daughter's rare condition, but also to determine whether something sinister caused their crash. This book is published by B&H, aChristian publishing house and does have an evangelical theme.

The mother-daughter team of Kimberley and Kayla Woodhouse has written a heck of a page-turner with No Safe Haven. It's got a bit of everything - suspense, intrigue, action, romance, all undergirded with a strong theme of Christian belief. The main characters, Jenna, Andie, and Cole, all struggle with something they must overcome - fear, the elements, injury, being willing to let down walls and let other people in. The suspense had me anxious to see what happened next. If you're a fan of Dee Henderson's O'Malley series, you should give this a read. Although having part of the story told from the point of view of a preteen girl gives it a slightly different flavor than Henderson's novels, No Safe Haven has that same suspenseful quality I enjoyed so much in the O'Malley series.

No Safe Haven was a quick page turner. It had action, it had romance, it had a bit of humor thrown in, and it had faith. I loved the relationships between Andie and Cole, and Andie and her mother. And for some reason it made me want M&Ms. Aha.

From the publicity information: A young widow and her physically challenged daughter survive a plane crash in the Alaskan mountains but must puzzle together how it relates to the recent death of their husband and father. Written by a mother and her teenage daughter whose rare medical condition led to their family’s story being shared with millions on the hit ABC television program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Elements of their real-life story are worked into this exciting novel.

I did a little better with this effort from B&H Publishing than I did with its predecessor, but I gave on this at 130 pages. The text reads very much like teenaged writing – the chapters are far too short as the narrative bounces back and forth between the three main characters in tiny bursts, and there must have been some heavy fingers on the exclamation point key given their liberal use.

The adventure is set up far too quickly, as is the romance, and I have yet to figure out where the Native Alaskan aspect fits into things…

Confusing. Promising, but too confusing to continue with.

This was a fun read. Kudos to this mom and daughter team for their accomplishment. Incorporating Kayla's nerve disorder into the story through the character of Andie was an interesting twist, and the authors presentation of the gospel message of redemption was well done. I'll be looking for more from this team in the future. I have a feeling they will get better and better

This book has everything in it that I enjoy. It has mystery, romance, and all with a good dose of Christian living thrown in. If you are not into Christian fiction, this book is not for you. It follows a mother and daughter through a plane crash and subsequent events relating to their rescue from bad guys who want to kill them. The daughter is very vocal about her faith. Through their misadventures, she trusts God and leads two men to their own relationship with God. She has a nerve disease and her father has died and yet she and her mother cling to their faith. Love the story line and love that it all takes place in Alaska.

Jenna and Andi are hoping to make a new start after the death of Jenna's husband and Andi's father, Marc. Andi who is 12 yrs old is struggling with a medical disorder (HSAN). On a flight home to Alaska, the small plane they are in is sabatoged by the pilot and crashes into a mountain. I loved this book and enjoyed every page. I would definitely read more by this mother and daughter team.

I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, I found the book to be over-emotional with unrealistic characters. I think it would have been something my 10-year-old self liked. No Safe Haven is like much of Christian romance fiction nowadays - contrived and fake.

It was an Early Reviewers copy, and I must admit I requested the book because I was mainly attracted by the setting: Alaska, Denali National Park, a crash in the mountains, and the themes of survival and perseverance. The information that it was Christian fiction was either not there, or I must have skipped over it as I would have never thought it was for me. Christian fiction is not something I would read out of my own volition. Still, since I requested it, I decided to read it and I must say that the story did keep me interested. It had a good mixture of suspense, drama and romance, and the style had certain exuberance to it. It’s impressive that it’s written by a mother and an adolescent daughter team as well, and I think it would really appeal to adolescent Christian readers. Overall, not a bad read.

This is the story of three people who have survived a plane crash in the mountains of Alaska - a mother, daughter and a stranger. Together they must elude unknown enemies who are trying to kill them while they also try to get to safety. To complicate matters, the daughter suffers from a rare medical disorder. The authors are a mother and daughter. The daughter has the same disorder as the daughter in the story so this part of it was written with true understanding. Although I enjoyed the story and the role that the characters' faith played in it, I did not feel it was especially well written. Some of the writing was choppy and it felt like the authors tried to speed the ending up. Overall though, I would recommend it as a light read.½

No Safe Haven exceeded my original expectations. I got this book as an early reviewer and, at first, wasn't really looking forward to reading it. However, the Woodhouse girls snatched my attention and kept me reading 'til the end.

The prologue, beginning from the perspective of someone we wouldn't get to be "in" again was a little sad to me. However, it was effective in making me want to learn more about him. This multi faceted plot was well written and thought through. I personally enjoyed being in a pre-teen's (Andie's) mind again. While she seemed really annoying at first, Andie definitely grew on me. Having such vulnerable characters is also great because it makes them seem more lifelike. I found myself seeing people I know in the characters which endeared them to me all the more. Something that's hard to do when the protagonists are a little to good to be true. I love how they incorporated salvation into the plot, and let the characters' dependence on God shine through. I would recommend this book for any who like action books that aren't to gory. As well as to any who would like to know more about the way Christians think.

NO SAFE HAVEN by Kimberley and Kayla R. Woodhouse is a nailbitting inspirational romantic suspense set in present day Alaska.The plot is interesting,gut wrenching,nail bitting with characters that not only capture your heart,but also your spirit.This story is full of suspense,intrigue,danger,romance,faith,love,hope,courage,adventure,betrayal,and survivial.It is a fast paced,page turning story that will grip your attention from the first page to the last.This mother-daughter team not only the story but the authors will keep you turning the pages and reading this incredible story will into the night. The Alaska setting will have you feeling as through you are there with the characters through their struggles to survivie,their faith,hope and their love."Safe Haven" is well worth the time to read,you will not regret it at all.This book was received for the purpose of review from Library Thing and details can be found at B & H Publishing Group and My Book Addiction and More.½

"No Safe Haven" was an interesting adventure to the cold arctic world of Alaska with Jenna, her daughter Andrea and mysterious passenger who they will have to learn to trust to survive. The suspense and different points of view made for a very interesting story that held my interest all the way to the end. I enjoyed being able to climb in each person's head and see things through their eyes. This made the story quite believable and really fascinating.

I did have a bit of a problem with the timeline though. Things moved too fast for me in the "romance department", however, I do know that people in dire situations are more likely to develop fast feelings for each other allowing the story line still believable.

This was a really good read that is both entertaining and gives great testimony and insight to what happens when one holds onto faith. If you are a romantic suspense fan, make sure to add this one to your list of must reads!