TLC Book Tour for Two from Isaac's House by Normandie Fischer

Two from Isaac’s House

By Normandie Fischer

A Story of Promises, Volume 2

Publisher:  Sleepy Creek Press

Release Date:  November 18, 2015

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Format: eBook/Print

Length:  414 Pages

ISBN: 978-0986141621

ASIN:  B016E57DA4

Buy Link:  Amazon

Inheritance? Check. Solo trip before getting married? Check. Dangerous hot guy she shouldn’t get involved with in a thousand years? Oh, honey, that’s a check.

From author Normandie Fischer comes a new romantic suspense that takes the reader from the hills of Italy to the Jordanian desert and from there to an Israel on the brink of war with Hamas.

Rina Lynne has never traveled far from Morehead City, North Carolina. So when she inherits her father’s secret stash, she’s ready to kick up her heels and go adventuring before she settles down to marry her long-time fiancé. First stop, Italy.

Enter Tony (aka Anton), an engineering geek conned into helping his Israeli cousins as a sort-of spy. From the moment he meets Rina, he’s distracted, which is not a good idea when there’s already been murder and theft. And from the moment Rina meets Tony, she’s fascinated, which is also not a good idea. He claims to be an Arab-American, and she’s half-Jewish. And engaged. And then there are all those bodies dropping around them, each linked to the gathering storm in the Middle East.

About Normandie Fischer

Normandie Fischer combines a love of all things Italian with a fascination for the cultures and cuisines of the Middle East, an interest fostered when she studied sculpture in Perugia and lived among Arab students. She and her husband retired from cruising Pacific Mexico on board their ketch, Sea Venture, to care for her aging mother, who now sails with them whenever the opportunity arises.

Two from Isaac's House is her first romantic suspense. She is better known for her women's fiction, including Becalmed (2013), Heavy Weather (2015), and Sailing out of Darkness (2013).

Find out more about Normandie at her website, connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

A young sheltered half-Jewish woman traveling overseas for the first time, and an Arab- American engineer talked into spying on a European terrorist cell by his cousin take center stage in Normandie Fischer’s Two From Isaac’s House.  Part literary romantic suspense and part coming of age story, Ms. Fischer’s story grabbed my attention from the first page.  Likeable characters, good dialogue, an intriguing mystery and just the right amount of tension, kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next.  If you like exotic locations, good food, and romantic suspense, this is a book you won’t want to miss.

Ms. Fischer does a great job introducing us to her primary characters, Rina Lynne Roberts and Anton “Tony” Rasad, two people from different parts of the world who have more in common than they know.  I liked both characters from the start and enjoyed getting to watch them get to know each other and themselves.  I especially liked how Rina began to question everything she’d known about her family, her “fiancée”, and even herself, as she spends time on a trip paid for by her deceased father’s secret stash of money.  Having been raised thinking they were almost poor, Rina is determined to have an adventure before she settles down and marries Jason, the only man she’s ever dated.  A man she’s not sure she really knows.  I also enjoyed watching her attraction to Tony develop and watching their relationship grow.

I enjoyed getting to know Tony, an engineer who is talked into playing the part of a “spy” by his cousin in Israeli intelligence.  Using his “half-Arab” background, Tony travels to Italy to take a language class and infiltrate a student group suspected of recruiting terrorists.  I especially liked how Ms. Fisher tells the story from both Rina and Tony’s viewpoints by telling their stories in alternating chapters, I liked how she deals with Tony’s conflicting emotions; his fear of being caught, his compassion towards the young men in the group who had been fed false Anti-Israeli propaganda, his desire to help a friend stay out of trouble, and his hope that the students wouldn’t do anything to worsen the situation in the Middle East. 

The secondary characters are also well developed and I especially enjoyed getting to know Acie, another American woman in Italy, who becomes Rina’s best friend.  Meeting by chance in a cafe, they quickly become close and Acie encourages Rina to have fun and become self- confident.  The villains of the story are well developed and are easily identifiable.  Even if their motives are not as easy to follow.  There are more than enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and there’s plenty of action and danger to keep you turning the page. 

Will Rina’s journey turn into more than just a vacation with a few good memories?  Will she and Tony’s attraction and growing romance chance the course of both of their lives?  You’ll have to read Two From Isaac’s House to find out, I enjoyed it and hope we get to see Rina and Tony again in of Ms. Fischer’s books.  This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it won’t be my last. 

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 Crowns     

Normandie’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, February 16th: Worth Getting in Bed For

Wednesday, February 17th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Thursday, February 18th: I’m Shelf-ish

Monday, February 22nd: Patricia’s Wisdom
                                                     Queen of All She Reads

Tuesday, February 23rd: #redhead.with.book

Wednesday, February 24th: Reading is My Super Power

Friday, February 26th: Not in Jersey

Monday, February 29th: Book by Book

Tuesday, March 1st: From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, March 2nd: My So-Called Book Reviews

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of the book tour for a fair and honest review.  My review is my opinion of the reading material provided.