Steinbeck (Minnesota Kingstons Book 5) EARLY ACCESS

Excellent did not disappoint

"Stand back and see what I will do."

I have loved this journey with the Minnesota Kingstons. The six siblings are all fantastic and this last book in the series brought all of them home and tied up some loose ends in the family. Alas, the ending still leaves room for the story arc that has been coursing through several series to continue on some more. I absolutely adored alpha male Steinbeck who protects and shows up no matter what. I had thought his oldest brother Jack and his younger brothers Doyle and Conrad were alphas but Stein outshines them all. Emberly, as a highly trained international "thief", added spark, grit, stubbornness and loads of action to the plot. Their banter was absolutely fantastic and their romance was delightful. The entire Kingston family under one roof was a treasure in itself; the siblings' easy-going camaraderie and fierce love for each other touched my heart. There is plenty of action, maybe more so than any other book in the series. I guess that's what you get when you put a former SEAL and a Black Swan together to fight international crime and thwart a world war. There is also a good dose of spiritual truths embedded in all the family's conversations. "Faith is the only way out of the chaos of this world" struck me to the core.
I also loved seeing the Alaskan Kingstons cousins, the Minnesota Marshalls, the Caleb Group, and those from Alaska Air One Rescue team pitch in and help bring down the villains. I still want a story about Roy though (I hope one is in the works...).

If you enjoy high-octane romantic suspense, this book is it! I received a complimentary copy courtesy of SDG Publishing and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

Wow! Steinbeck proved to be quite the explosive ending to the Minnesota Kingstons series! Stein and Emberly's story has been teased since the very first book of the series, and even still, it did not disappoint. The entire book is non-stop action, and just when you think you can breathe for a minute, something else explodes—sometimes literally. I love when old friends pop in for a visit, to lend a hand in the current mission, and we have several cameos in this book. So fun! As an added bonus, the entire Kingston family comes together throughout the book. While I wanted to shake Jack for much of the book, that made his and Harper's happily ever after all the sweeter.

Steinbeck and Emberly are sweet together; I love the he-falls-first situation as he tries to keep her safe, a mission that proves difficult. I'm not ready to say goodbye to the Minnesota Kingstons. Hopefully, they'll show up again soon in another new Susan May Warren adventure.

Great book

Steinbeck by Susan May Warren is a thrilling story that finally brings some closure to the whole Black Swans story that has been floating in and out of a couple of series now, if my memory serves me right. Readers will love all the action that takes place. Warren does a wonderful job at keeping the plot moving and guessing who the actual bad person is. However, on the side, romance is a little too much for me at times. I kept seeing Steinbeck and Phoenix like each other, then not like each other. Then question what they are doing. Run away from each. Then run toward each other. It was annoying at times. I get not being sure about yourself, so it is hard to allow others into your heart too, even God, but it bothered me. As a reader, I could totally understand Phoenix’s questions about God. I really enjoyed the moment where she actually sat down and reflected on why she should allow God into her life, but then Warren had some dramatic moment happen, and she hustled off to answer that call, but readers will not see if she fully grasp the God moment and accepts him or not. If readers are familiar with the other characters in this series, they will see several of them come back and make appearances and be sounding board for Steinbecks and Phoenix’s questions. Overall, Steinbeck by Susan May Warren is a thrilling, yet satisfying ending to a question that has been moving through a number of stories, but the romance was a little over the top for me.

I received a complimentary copy of Steinbeck by Susan May Warren from Sunrise Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.