A novel where tensions run high, passion runs deep, and trust means everything.
Suburban mom Jess Michaels isn’t the first unfaithful wife, nor will she be the last. Not quite sure how she ended up in another man’s bed in the first place, Jess has been unrepentantly meeting up with Reid for an annual romantic getaway for several years. Jess spends half her time looking forward to her rendezvous and the rest of it missing Reid’s touch. But most paramours know more about the person they’re involved with than a fabricated first name. Where is he from? Is he married? Does he have a good job? What kind of man is he? Those questions hang heavily, but remain unasked until their tryst in New Orleans. Armed men storm their hotel and leave Jess and Reid fleeing to a safe house. The attack isn’t random, and now she deserves some answers about Reid’s mysterious background. Though she’s furious to have been put in such a dangerous position, Reid’s attention, concern, vulnerability, and—hopefully—honesty persuade her to continue their secret affair. Jess returns home, but it doesn’t take long for the illusion of her happy family life to be shattered. Her marriage is the first and least bloody in a string of casualties. Reid’s terrorist roots refuse to be buried, threatening to unravel the relationship he’s been working hard to protect.
An ordinary woman finds herself in extraordinary circumstances in the romantic thriller, Gone Astray. Anyone with a family or close friends to worry about will appreciate the impossible choices faced by Jess and Reid as they fight for their lives and each other. Even in her disagreeable choices, Jess embodies the ideal everywoman, making her a highly relatable protagonist. The narrative voice directly engages the audience, drawing them into Jess’s world and making them feel like trusted confidants. And this compelling first-person perspective spins juicy secrets into gripping, in-the-moment scenes that embroil readers in the tension. Action scenes are described in exactly the way you might imagine a 35-year-old housewife to experience them, making an unlikely plot fully believable. Uncluttered prose paired with realistic storytelling leaves readers feeling every choice, every close call, and every agonizing moment with heart-pounding intensity. As Jess allows herself to truly fall for Reid, it’s impossible to decide which storyline is more captivating: the sweeping love story or the suspenseful, globe-spanning drama? With merciless terrorists, compassionate friends, corrupt agents, selfless acts, and strained encounters, Gone Astray is a novel where tensions run high, passion runs deep, and trust means everything.
