Published: February 20, 2021

Tandem Services Press

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

J.L. Crosswhite is an Amazon bestselling author, a mom to two navigating the young adult years while battling her daughter’s juvenile arthritis, exploring the delights of her son’s autism, and keeping gluten-free. A California native who’s spent significant time in the Midwest, she’s thrilled to be back in the Golden State.

“There’s just one condition.”

Allie has reconnected with an old friend from childhood, and she finally thinks they may have a chance at exploring a romantic relationship- yet. Collins surprises Allie with the request to help him find a home to buy, and suddenly the ball is rolling. On their first trip to look at potential houses, they interrupt a crime against another realtor. Luckily for the woman, she isn’t seriously injured. But unlucky for Allie, she is in the attacker’s sight. When Allie and her siblings, plus their partners, take off on a road trip- things between Collins and Allie finally start to take shape. But now, their time together may be cut short… because one of them might not survive the trip.

I enjoyed this book. I am a massive fan of road trips, so this was right up my alley. I enjoyed the scene of descriptions and the characters. The plot development was decent, and the character development was substantial.

You could feel the connection and affection these characters all had for one another, which helped emotionally connect me to the story. The imagery used to describe the sights and scenery on the trip was so vibrant, it was easy to visualize.

I enjoyed the little snippets back and forth between the characters; it helped the reader get to know them. I have never read a Christian Romance-Suspense novel before, but I enjoyed the trope. If you are looking for a suspenseful read intermingled with sweet romance and a firm belief- this is a book for you. Each of the main characters has such a strong connection to their faith and are all so open about it; it was very cool to see. And the romance is so genuinely pure; I am talking the stuff that leaves you swooning. My introductions to this genre was a success.

I do wish we got a bit more insight into the “bad guy” throughout this book, though. There are snippets but nothing that dives into the big questions. It would have been interesting to find out more about how he became the way he did or why… what his motivation was. And what his fascination with curly hair was. But overall, he was written to be creepy, and that was more than accomplished.

I think the most intense thing about this book is that something like this could happen. So that is a terrifying little factoid to store in the depths of my already over-active brain. Overall, I enjoyed the book. It had a nice build-up, and the plot moved quickly once things started rolling.

Find Off the Map by J.L. Crosswhite on Amazon.