When the Silence Breaks is the first book in Elizabeth Goddard’s new series, Mercy Ridge, and is full of action, danger, and heroics.
Main Themes
Sarah likes to think that she is highly trained and capable of handing any type of situation, but she is way out of her depth as she tries to uncover the secrets that led to the murder of her brother and a strange deathbed confession from her elderly grandfather. She teams up with Ryder, a former Navy SEAL who has his own ghosts on the same mountain Sarah believes holds the key to unlocking the truth about the past. Ryder is convinced this is a fool’s mission and far more dangerous than either of them realize. But they both have questions, and the only answers are buried deep in the heart of the treacherous Mercy Ridge.
There are themes of trusting others instead of trying to do everything alone, the importance of being honest instead of hiding secrets, and how critical the proper gear is when hiking in mountains where the weather can change every minute.
Favorite Scenes
The book started a little slow for me, but once Sarah and Ryder were trekking into the mountains, the action picked up and I was hooked. One scene that made me chuckle was when they were hiking and Sarah thinks they’ve traveled so far, but Ryder tells her they’ve only gone a few miles. Hiking messes with my sense of distance too, so that scene was very relatable.
Faith Elements
The characters pray frequently, but other than that, faith plays a small, subtle role in the novel.
Family Friendly Considerations
This is a very clean novel I have no qualms about recommending to teens and adults alike. The romance is minor and kisses-only, which I appreciated. There are a few gun fights, but nothing graphic, and the suspense is absolutely there, but not at a terrifying level. Overall, I thought it was a fantastic blend of light romance and intense action that was exciting enough for adults and clean enough for teens.
Interested in Similar Reads?
If you love romantic suspense novels set in the rugged wilderness, you’ll want to check out these books as well:
- Nothing but Air by Susan May Warren and Tari Faris
- Attempted Mountain Murder by Jaime Jo Wright
- Scent of Hope by Susan May Warren
