Under the Northern Lights

Tracy's books are very interesting and at the same time very relaxing to read. For a while you can escape the cares of your world and travel and experience another world. One feels they know the people she writes about in her stories as personal friends. I have enjoyed all of her books that I have read and plan to purchase all of her books as time go by.

Tracie Peterson's Alaskan Quest series reintroduces us to Jacob and Leah Barringer, first seen as children in her Yukon Quest series. Now grown up and independent adults, the two still live up in Alaska and have come to adore their new home. In Under the Northern Lights, the second book in the series, Leah has just married Jayce Kincaid and is ready to settle down and have a quiet life with him. Unfortunately for her, Jayce's evil twin brother Chase kidnaps her and Helaina Beecher, the Pinkerton agent searching for Chase. While the two women have to fight for survival against Chase, Jayce and Jacob go out to search for the women they love in hopes of rescuing them. When something happens that nearly destroys Leah, the four have to to depend on faith in order to move on. I love seeing characters reappear in books. I wanted to know what happened to Jacob and Leah at the close of the Yukon Quest series when they were children. Now as their adults, the pair have had to share their own hardships and triumphs. Alaska is always a great setting because it's so vast and big and like Hawaii, familiar yet different at the same time. I'm glad that Helaina's character changes throughout the story. In the first book, she is very stubborn and headstrong because she's trying to prove to herself and others that she can survive on her own. In this book, Leah has to force her to realize that finding Chase is not the most important thing in the world. I also felt sorry for Leah with what she went through. The turn of the events at the end though are rather interesting and I bet her and Jayce would have appreciated modern technology for their situation! She rightly feels bitter and I believe that she is allowed to. The only thing I didn't like was she felt guilty over feeling bitter but I feel that in her situation she had an absolute right to. I love when I feel like I'm drawn into a book and that happened several times while reading this one. I actually felt cold when reading certain scenes and had to get a blanket. Recommended for Peterson fans and anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction story.

This is a great story about how life is lived in the villages of Alaska. It has suspense, and holds your interest. I can't wait to read the next book. Great series

In her second book of the `Alaskan Quest' series Peterson continues the saga of the Barringer siblings, Leah and Jacob, in an exciting entry that will stand completely alone. After a lengthy journey traversing the Alaskan territory newlywed Leah Barringer Kincaid walks into her home to discover her husband's identical twin brother Chase, a murder, whom both her husband and brother are chasing. Kidnapped by Chase who preys on Leah's protective instincts she is reunited with the insufferable Pinkerton Agent Helaina Beecham whom Chase had already kidnapped. Leah wants only to escape but Helaina's focus is solely on bringing Chase to justice. When Helaina falls critically ill, Leah attempts to reason with Chase in trying to bring him to an understanding of her loving God but after Chase sexually assaults Leah even her faith in God in letting such a monstrous thing happen to her is severely tested. Partly blaming Helaina for all the bad things that happened to her, Leah's faith in God, her rage over the injustice done her and her battle for vengeance vs. forgiveness would be tested in innumerable ways as would her husband Jayce as he continues the pursuit of his brother. Later as Helaina recovers, she begins to gain a better understanding of the damage done by her impulsive and selfish behavior has caused to the people around her. With gentle guidance from Jacob Helaina comes to discover an inner strength and a new spiritual awareness of God. Even more so, Helaina would find herself tested as she realized that Jacob was a man worth fighting for when she learned she must find and save him from a cruel Alaskan `iced-in' winter. Tracie Peterson continues to gift her fans with incredibly inspiring stories of life and love weaving adventure, excitement, and highly charged emotional examples of Christian faith into a fully robust tale that never slows down. Without being overly preachy she presents excellent scenarios that easily guide the reader with food for thought in dealing with life, while seeking reassurances that the paths one takes are the right choice for them. Her stories make you feel that you always have a place and source to turn both in joy and sorrow for strength and sustenance. In this new series she combines excellent writing, superb research, and fabulous adventures in an incredible frontier setting to add zest to the excitement and adventure of living in the frozen wastelands of Alsaka. Fans of Peterson should be thrilled with this latest entry in the Alaskan Quest series again leaving you with a cliff-hanger and wishing you didn't have to wait so long for the next entry to come! Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization

Under the Northern Lights is the sequel to the 1st book in the Alaskan Quest series, Summer of the Midnight Sun. It picks up right from where the 1st book ended. Helania Beecham, having proven Jayce Kincaid's innocence is now held hostage by his twin brother Chase Kincaid. Leah returns to her home in Last Chance Creek and hears her husband Jayce has returned as well. Who she finds actually is his murderous brother Chase, and she as well is kidnapped and taken far north. Jacye and Leah's brother Jacob are on Chase's trail. Will Leah and Helania be found in time? The suspense is great in this book that it makes you not want to put it down. Another great thing is the change in Helania Beecham's heart. It is Jacob who rattles her understanding of herself and her purpose in life, and b/c of this it is how she is led to the Lord. I loved the romance played out between Helania and Jacob. Jacob tries many times to tell Helania he loves her but is always interupted by someone else calling for him or Helania herself. I'm hoping for a happy ending for those two in the 3rd book. We also get a glimpse of Leah's bitterness and hatred she has stored towards Chase. Overall, it is a gem by Tracie that almost rivals her wonderful Heirs of Montana series. The amount of research she put into it is evident with her descriptions of how natives do simple chores and the native words used here and there. I felt as though I was in early 20th century Alaska myself. :-) If you have not read Summer of the Midnight Sun pick that one up first. And while you are at it read the Yukon Quest series as well since some minor charatcers and names mentioned in the Alaskan Quest series are major characters in the Yukon Quest series. I look forward to the 3rd book--Whispers of Winter. The only thing I'm dreading is I'll have to wait till November to be able to read it.