DNF. I did not finish this book which is saying something because at 60% of the way through, it was practically almost done. I had a hard time getting on board with these characters and the cat that was featured to have human and also dog like characteristics was completely unrealistic and distracting. The thing that made me DNF this book was the fact that it was stated by a main character that God could have been responsible for the Big Bang. Basically science supports the Big Bang as how the universe likely began, but this doesn’t refute the existence of God because he could have caused the Big Bang. This is not what it says in Scripture and I had major issues with this being in a CF novel. I am perfectly fine with a book not having a faith element at all but, if it’s there it needs to support scripture. Not OK! Also there was a quite vulgar in my opinion and highly unnecessary reference to the main character “ripping off a mans testicles” and I felt as though that was inappropriate and should not have gotten past editing. Another phrase could have been used. This book overall was a miss. I am not sure based on the writing style and obvious spiritual misstep that I would read this author again.

This book had my attention from the first page. It was very difficult to put down because I needed to find out what was going to happen next. I love that it was written from a Christian perspective without being preachy and it was a very clean novel, even if it kept me in the edge of my seat most of the time. Highly recommended!

"Never Miss" is a Christian romantic suspense novel. Kadance and Lyndon respected each other's unique skills and trusted one another's judgment, so they worked very well together as an awesome team. While Lyndon was a genius scientist, he also knew how to fight well enough to back Kadance up. Each let the one best suited lead when their skill was needed and supported their actions. Because of their unique backgrounds and abilities, they both understood what it's like to not quite fit in and felt comfortable opening up to each other. Still, they had to work through some misunderstandings as they learned more about each other.

The suspense remained high due to several attempts to kill them and the pressure to uncover who's going to release the super Ebola virus at the State of the Union speech. The main characters were likable, honorable people who reacted realistically to the situations. I cared about what happened to them. I loved that Kadance really was intelligent and skilled and didn't suddenly, at the end, throw away her gun or something just so that the hero had a chance to rescue her.

The Christian element was a few references to prayer and Kadance asking Lyndon how an intelligent scientist could believe in the existence of God. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I would recommend this enjoyable, exciting suspense novel.

Never Miss is the author's first published novel, and it starts off with a bang. Literally.

Former CIA sniper Kadance is on the run when she stumbles across the ridiculously smart, and quite handsome, Dr. Lyndon Vaile. Together they must work together to save not only their lives, but the lives of the entire nation. Along with Mac the giant cat, they fight against the odds to learn who, and how, to trust, and to try to get the powers-that-be to listen to their concerns.

Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me. I really wanted to like it, and found the idea behind the plot very intriguing. The cover is absolutely stunning! The storyline was fast paced and full of surprises. However, the story felt quite exaggerated, and the believability just wasn't there. Much of it seemed like the author was trying too hard to make it exciting and ended up with unrealistic situations. It seemed like so much happened, but the reader didn't really get to be a part of it; ie. big events had a lot of detail leading up to them, but the actual event was mostly skipped over. I would have loved to see more dialogue as well. Also, Lyndon's beliefs about lust and his wanting Kadance to cover up to keep him from lusting just felt icky.

Overall, I loved the premise for the book, but unfortunately it fell short of my expectations. That said, I'd definitely give this author another try if she writes more in the future, as many authors have written less than perfect debut novels and have gone on to write fantastic books.

*I received a complimentary copy of Never Miss through the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.

Never Miss is an intense and well written romantic suspense. A real edge of your seat plot that will drag you immediately into the action. I couldn’t put this book down. An awesome debut novel. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

This was a page-turner of a novel with incredibly high stakes. Ebola seems to be the virus of the year for novels, but this one adds quite a twist to the race to save the world. The heroine is an impossibly good sniper who uses her skills to save a man's life. Or did she? Quickly they are thrust together in a race to stop the release of Ebola. The hero and heroine are perfectly complicated and yet great for each other. This is romantic suspense at a nice balance. I recommend this book to readers who love suspense with huge stakes.

In this debut novel from Melissa Koslin, we are introduced to Kadence, a former CiA agent, on the run from her deadly family. She stumbles upon a man about to be killed, and intervenes. Unable to let it go, she decides to help him discover the reason behind the murder attempt. Lyndon has researched the Ebola virus and is convinced that it can be modified to spread. As terrorists seek to use his research, they work together to stop the deadly threat. Kadence and Lyndon are engaging characters, it's interesting to watch their relationship unfold, and the history that has shaped them.

**2.5/5 Stars**

Never Miss is Melissa Koslin’s first published novel, and what an entrance it was. She did not slip into the fiction field quietly. Instead, Koslin presents a breathless adventure with exceedingly high stakes and ten questions for every one answered. The story never stops moving, propelling readers to turn one page after another. Good luck finding a moment to let your heart rate slow down, because Kadance and Lyndon’s never do. Never Miss, however, is not a novel I’d choose as a starter in a game; rather, it would be a benchwarmer.  Koslin’s debut novel was, unfortunately, a miss for me.

From the moment I read the summary for Never Miss, I wanted to read the novel, but it disappointed me. The characters did not seem realistic. I didn’t like them, and I constantly found myself rolling my eyes at their stories.  They resembled driving on a desert highway—flat, with little substance.  They also seemed superhuman.  Kadance—an expert markswoman. Lyndon, a genius-level nerd who also happens to be fit, attractive, and oh, he knows how to throw a fist. Koslin peeled their personalities away in layers, but I didn’t like how she did it. Another thing: Unless I overlooked it, Koslin never mentions Kadance’s last name, besides in the novel’s summary. That bothered me.

Forced. That’s how I would describe Never Miss by Melissa Koslin. She tried too hard. Too many plot points with not enough detail.  It read like Koslin only wanted to move the story quickly, rather than diving into the real reasons why things happened. I kept saying, “Oh no!” but not in a good way. I developed outlandish ideas for the plot’s direction, and sometimes, I ended up being right. The summary, too, also gives away too much, in my opinion. I read it, downloaded the book, and promptly forgot what Never Miss was about until I picked up my Kindle to read the novel. Learning about the Mastermind, a potential bioattack, and Kadance’s complicated background are what kept my attention. With the synopsis, Koslin leaves little for discovery.

Finally, Never Miss by Melissa Koslin was anticlimactic. What should have been explosive moments didn’t even sizzle. Koslin builds up to certain times—the State of the Union address, for example—for much of the novel, but when it happens? Nothing. She just…mentions them and rolls through, as though those “major” points are only afterthoughts.  Inaccuracies also abound in Never Miss, upon which I won’t expand. But I will say I laughed aloud with the comment, “Absolutely not. That would never happen.”

Never Miss is just…okay. I’ve read better, but I’ve definitely read worse. It’s a good first novel from an unknown author, but the Christian romantic suspense genre has too many big names. Melissa Koslin, though promising, may fade into the background.

Note: I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All views expressed are my own.