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About the Book

Book: Every Star in the Sky

Author: Sara Davison

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release date: March 2, 2022

She is willing to testify against her trafficker. If she can stay alive that long.

“You’re safe here, Starr.”

How many times has Detective Cole Blacksky said that to her since helping her escape the life she’d been forced into eight years earlier?

Starr desperately wants to believe him, but she knows Brady Erickson, her former captor, too well. Although Cole has promised her protective custody on his family’s remote ranch, no place on earth is safe enough. Brady will stop at nothing to permanently silence her before she ever reaches the witness stand.

And he is powerful enough to do it.

If Starr wants to help Brady’s other victims, she has no choice but to put herself in God’s hands. And Cole’s. But the longer she and Cole stay hidden, the more her life is at risk.

And her heart.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Sara Davison is the author of four romantic suspense series—The Seven Trilogy, The Night Guardians, The Rose Tattoo Trilogy, and Two Sparrows for a Penny, as well as the standalone, The Watcher. A finalist for more than a dozen national writing awards, she is a Word, Cascade, and Carol Award winner. She currently resides in Ontario with her husband Michael and their three mostly grown kids. Like every good Canadian, she loves coffee, hockey, poutine, and apologizing for no particular reason. Get to know Sara better at www.saradavison.org and @sarajdavison.

 

More from Sara

A few years ago, I attended a women’s conference in the Canadian capital city of Ottawa. The theme of the conference was human trafficking, which had always seemed to me something that happened in other countries of the world. The speaker informed us that, in fact, sex trafficking is very much an issue in Canada. In fact, she went on to say that if we were staying in a hotel that night, she could pretty much guarantee that somewhere in the building a young girl would be trafficked against her will while we slept peacefully in our beds.

That fact—and the way my subsequent research has borne up that truth—shocked, horrified, and deeply impacted me. And so, Every Star in the Sky was born. This romantic suspense novel puts a face and name and story to the scourge of human trafficking. While the fictional tale of one woman’s experiences, it represents the reality of countless women and shows the devastating toll this evil takes, not only on those in captivity, but on those who love them and desire to see them restored to freedom and eventually physical, mental, and emotional healing.

Every Star in the Sky is a love story. Not only between a woman rescued from trafficking and the man who risked everything to save her, but between God and every human being created in his image victimized by this unspeakable practice. The theme of this series, which I hope and pray comes across clearly to every reader, is that we are never alone. God sees what we are going through. He never leaves or forsakes us. He knows the name of every star in the sky, and he knows us deeply and intimately.

As the main character in the story reflects: “And if you know every star by name, you must know every one of us by name.” When no one around her, not even friends like Ruby, knew her real name, she had clung to the truth that God knew it, that it was engraved on the palm of his hand. Without that knowledge, she would have been afraid her name might be lost, since she was so determined not to let her true one slip out to Brady that even in her own mind she had become Starr. But God had kept her name in trust for her until Cole freed her, and now God had given it to her again. She hadn’t planned to tell it to Cole tonight, but something had nudged her to. Had assured her it was safe. That he was safe.

While the problem of human trafficking may seem overwhelming, prayer is our most powerful weapon against the forces of darkness. Pray for all those held in captivity, that they would experience God’s love and presence with them, that they would find freedom, and that all who participate in this evil would one day be brought to justice.

My Thoughts:

I was intrigued when I read the back cover copy of Sara Davison’s novel Every Star in the Sky. It is a huge undertaking to write on human trafficking—a topic that is so dark and overwhelming from a Christian standpoint. I applaud Ms. Davison for this.

The characters of Starr (Tala) and Cole Blacksky were easy to love—maybe a little too easy. No one is perfect, yet they both come across that way. Still, it’s a beautiful love story with the backdrop of such evil, it’s probably difficult for most of us to grasp the true extent of it.

This story takes place in Canada, and being unfamiliar with their laws, it’s hard for an American such as myself to know what is realistic and what is not. Cole Blacksky is a detective in an undercover operation to close down a human trafficking operation. Starr is a victim of this trafficking—a woman who miraculously has held onto her faith through the most brutal seven years of her life. He is able to help her escape with the hope that she will testify against the key offender.

Ms. Davison does a good job giving the reader a glimpse into this evil without crossing into descriptions that might turn off those who rely on Christian fiction to be clean.

There were a few things I struggled with. The book starts off and ends with action and intrigue. But the middle is a very long, narrative, telling of events. Part of the challenge is that there are basically only these two characters. The reader “hears” a lot of their thoughts, which become excessively repetitive, as they each delve into an attraction with the other. I realize this is a romance, but it should still have an elevated rise in conflict throughout its pages, yet it’s very flat.

There were opportunities to show the reader a more in-depth psychological struggle for Starr as she started counseling sessions on the phone. Since they had a computer and were able to use it, why weren’t these sessions online? Ms. Davison could have used the conversations Starr had with the counselor to show conflict and emotion rather than telling what they discussed.

Another issue I had was that a known human trafficker who has victimized countless women and is suspected of murdering some is not jailed but instead housed with an anklet to monitor his movements while awaiting trial. It is obvious they expect he might escape, so they have guards “watching” him in case he does. This doesn’t feel realistic to me. Cole Blacksky leaves his job in order to guard Starr for several months and hides her away on his late father’s farm, yet the police department pays for their groceries.

Near the end, when the reader knows the offender will go after Starr, and Cole is fearful of leaving her alone where she may be unsafe, this experienced detective orders an alarm system. It’s not yet in place, but he’s fine leaving a window unlocked. Then it takes him hours to realize he’s forgotten his cell phone. This stretches the confines of believability for me.

I have no doubt those who love romance will enjoy this book. God’s redeeming grace and love are woven throughout its pages.

3/5 stars

Blog Stops

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deb’s Book Review, April 14

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Betti Mace, April 15

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 16

Mary Hake, April 16

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 17

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 18

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, April 18

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 20

Livin’ Lit, April 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 21

Blogging With Carol, April 22

Rebecca Tews, April 22

 

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Sara is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.