A Firm Place to Stand Book Blog Tour, Review, and #Giveaway #LoneStarLit

A Firm Place to Stand is a quick-paced romantic suspense novel. It starts with a dead body, then a missing girl, and finally guy with some great flirty banter!

The novel read like a cosign curve for me, high at the ends and lower in the middle. The beginning starts strong and I was immediately drawn in. I could absolutely feel where Maribel is coming from right from the start. She is down on her luck, with her paranoia and anxiety coming clearly across the page from her thoughts and actions. The end of the novel answers most of the plot mysteries, like a great game of Clue. The who, what, where, why are all wrapped up by the end of the novel, with some heart-racing action included. I did struggle, however, with the middle of the book. The action is still going on in the background of the novel, but more of the focus becomes about Maribel’s soul searching. The novel would have been stronger if it had focused more on some of the other elements like Peg’s genealogy project or Maribel’s search for treasures in the barn. Those two plot points remain open at the end of the novel and curious readers want to know!

Even though the plot slows in the middle, the bookends of the beginning and ending of the novel make A Firm Place to Stand worth reading.

The writing of A Firm Place to Stand is visual and descriptive. There are some great turns of phrases that I want to share as examples:

“Silence didn’t bother Maribel, but this one buzzed like a swarm of yellow jackets, making her anxious.”

and

“Sleeplessness had been her companion for months now and last night was no different. Every time her eyelids slipped closed, the slide projector in her brain turned on, determined to replay every defeating moment of her life.”

Both examples really resonated with me. The silence buzzing in her ear really captures a hot Texas day. The slide projector of the brain imagery succinctly describes how I feel on sleepless nights as well, using a phrase I never thought of on my own (but will totally be borrowing going forward!). Ms. Altebaumer genuinely understands what it is like to by lying in bed with a brain that will not quiet!

The flirting between Maribel and Conner is on point right from the start. I enjoyed reading the back and forth banter throughout the novel. The romance, however, doesn’t have much time to bloom during the novel. I hope that after the events at the end of the novel that the two have some quiet time to get to know each other better.

The novel has some random shifts in point of view, mostly between Maribel and Conner, with the occasional shift to Sheriff Griger as well. The shifts make sense; we need to know what is happening in other scenes when Maribel is not present. However, with each change in POV, I sometimes had to re-read the first few paragraphs to know who is talking or thinking.

Overall, I enjoyed reading A Firm Place to Stand. There is plenty of suspense, mystery, and romance, along with great writing from Ms. Altebaumer.

I received A Firm Place to Stand free in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to author Lori Altebaumer and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing this opportunity.