Flee the Night is an interesting variation of "strong protector" trope, as it is, at its heart, a spy thriller with a good bit of suspense, with romance and (Christian) faith playing heavy parts.
Ex-CIA operative lacey Montgomery is a fugitive trying to travel with her daughter under an assumed name on the train in Missouri. She has developed a new messaging protocol that would secure communications from spying through quantum computing, and some bad people want it badly. She thought she spotted a Middle Eastern assassin on the train with her, then the train derailed and she woke up in the hospital, one arm in a sling, under arrest, cuffed to her bed, without her daughter. No one would give her time of day because she was suspected of killing her own husband, another CIA operative, several years ago on a botched mission in Eastern Europe. She knew she had been set up, but she doesn't know how or by who. Whoever derailed the train has her daughter, and she knew only one person whom she can call for help... former special forces Jim Micah, a man she'd give her life for if she didn't marry John Montgomery. But John's dead, and Micah had been after her for justice, for John was his best friend as well, and John's death at Lacey's hands cut him to the core. But Lacey didn't want his help for her... but for her daughter. As a girl's life hangs in the balance, and Lacey struggles to leave Micah out of the messy situation, Micah is determined to stay by her side, and show her that faith in God and his friends, dubbed "Team Hope" Search and Rescue, may be the element that turns the tide in their favor.
As a suspense novel this book is nicely plotted, though the technical details are problematic. While the technobabble about quantum computing used in encryption is right on, the idea that Lacey was able to develop a quantum computing device the size of a palm is... problematic. For quantum computing requires extreme cooling (almost to absolute zero) and shielding to harness quantum effects properly. The rest of the book is nicely detailed, and characters are very reluctant to let their passion through. But the pace of the novel seems a bit slow for romantic suspense. I personally find the mention of faith a hair overblown, but that is the author's stylistic choice.
Category: Romantic suspense
Primary Plot: Woman on the run from unseen threat lost her daughter; her only hope was a man who would rather arrest her
Tropes: betrayal, childhood sweetheart, reunion
Overall Rating: 4/5
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