PUBLICATION DATE: FEBRUARY 15, 2011

r. Paige Ryan was ready to leave the Republic of Dhambizao.  Three months in the country had taken an emotional and spiritual toll.  Her flight back to the states in four days could not get there soon enough.  However, her plans were derailed when former Ghost Soldiers rebelled and began a campaign of killing civilians.  With no other available doctors, the non-profit organization she was working with, Volunteers of Hope, asked her to help establish and control a cholera outbreak until more help could arrive.  Reluctantly agreeing to the assignment, Paige had no idea the logistical difficulties and dangerous situations she would encounter.  In the face of overwhelming odds, can she really make a difference?

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Blood Ransom.  I thought Harris did a magnificent job of creating an African country that felt realistic and authentic.  The conflicts of the first book set up the perfect backdrop for this one and laid the foundation for a wonderful, fast paced adventure.

Blood Covenant is a rare romantic suspense that has a great balance of suspense to romance.  While there were glances and internal thoughts, for the most part the suspense and story took center stage.  From rebel attacks to sabotaged transports to corrupt government to cholera and measles outbreaks, there is a never ending supply of tight situations and close encounters.

The emotions of each character fit the difficulties they are facing.  Harris did a nice job of ensuring each one reacted uniquely to their environment while pulling the reader deeper into the story.  When not everyone walked out of the country, the character’s loss was felt, but also added to a sobering reality that not every humanitarian worker survives.

Harris tackles a pretty tough dilemma for aid workers.  Do their efforts make a difference?  With so much adversity does helping one person recover really matter?  Is it worth living in substandard conditions, risking their life or loosing their family when the need is so great?  It takes a lot of courage to face those questions and admit overwhelming challenges.  Blood Covenant addresses those issues in a way that offers hope while also accepting human limits.

The ending to this story leaves me wondering if perhaps this is the end of the Mission Hope Series, which would be rather disappointing.  I enjoyed both these books and am not ready to leave the Republic of Dhambizao.  Even if this is only a two book series, it is well worth reading.  Harris has a fluent, easy to read style and her insider view of Africa makes these fun adventures.  Hopefully though, this will not be the end.