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Up in Smoke

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Life heats up… An accident claims the lives of Leanna Wilson’s parents. Her dreams of a high profile law career are reduced to rubble when she returns home to assume custody of her sister, Brie. But, without the financial means to take legal custody of her sister—or a binding will to place her safely in her arms—Leanna’s future becomes more uncertain than ever. Already prepared for a blazing custody battle, with less than capable relatives, Leanna’s world is set ablaze when her ex-fiancé complicates matters in an attempt to destroy her future and her faith. US Army, SSG Garrison Burke has spent the last few years alone—balancing flag and fatherhood since the tragic death of his wife. Facing deployment, Garrison is desperate to find a safe caretaker for his son, Ezra—preferably anywhere but the abusive home he grew up in. So, when Leanna Wilson walks unexpectedly back into his life, he’s not sure if she’s a blessing or a curse… More importantly, Garrison cannot seem to forget how he betrayed Leanna many years ago. Yet, Leanna and Garrison start to see that the solution to their problems might lie within each other. Can the they forget the past and allow their broken hearts to mend? As sparks begin to fly and their love is rekindled, a marriage of convenience will either make their wildest dreams come true or cause their best-laid plans to go up in smoke.

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 5, 2017

110 people are currently reading
128 people want to read

About the author

Hannah R. Conway

5 books72 followers
Hannah Conway is a military wife, mother of two, and speaker. Her novels are a deployment experience of their own, threaded with faith, and filled with twists and turns that are sure to thrill, and encourage. Hannah is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and My Book Therapy. She and her family live in Tennessee.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews132 followers
Want to read
February 14, 2019
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/14/2019)! 🎁

Blurb:
Life heats up for Leanna Wilson when an accident claims her parent’s lives. Her dreams of a high profile law career are reduced to rubble when she returns home to assume custody of her sister, Brie. Without the financial means to take legal custody of her sister—or a binding will to place her safely in her arms—Leanna’s future becomes more uncertain than ever. Already prepared for a blazing custody battle, with less than capable relatives, Leanna’s world is set ablaze when her ex-fiancé complicates matters in an attempt to destroy her future and her faith.

US Army, SSG Garrison Burke has spent the last few years alone—balancing flag and fatherhood since the tragic death of his wife. Facing deployment, Garrison is desperate to find a safe caretaker for his son, Ezra—preferably anywhere but the abusive home he grew up in. So, when Leanna Wilson walks unexpectedly back into his life, he’s not sure if she’s a blessing or a curse. More importantly, Garrison cannot seem to forget how he betrayed Leanna many years ago. Yet, as Leanna and Garrison begin to run out of time, they start to see that the solution to their problems might lie within each other, but will they forget the past and allow their broken hearts to mend? As sparks begin to fly and their love is rekindled, a marriage of convenience will either make their wildest dreams come true or cause their best-laid plans to go up in smoke.
Profile Image for Claudia.
902 reviews22 followers
August 11, 2017
Hannah Conway is a gifted storyteller. There are so many things to love about Up in Smoke. Hannah’s characters, main and secondary, are endearing. Her themes of forgiveness and the joy found in a life lived in Christ are clearly communicated without being preachy. The plot of Up in Smoke is suspenseful, yet realistic; the story would play well on 48 Hours and would not seem farfetched in today’s newspaper headlines. Hannah portrays twenty first century small town life in Kentucky without making it seem hokey or relying on stereotypes. The romance in the story is touching without lustful embellishments. The pace of the story and the twist and turns are well designed to keep the reader’s interest.
Following the untimely death of her parents, Leanna Wilson leaves her New York law practice to return to her hometown in Kentucky to become guardian to her much younger sister. Unfortunately, a will written before she reached full adulthood and a surprising amount of debt left by her parents for her to contend with might strip her hurting sister from her loving care. At about the same time, Leanna’s childhood friend and former sweetheart, Garrison Burke, is struggling to put together an appropriate family care plan for his son and aging aunt in preparation for his deployment to the Middle East. A widower, Garrison had stayed behind the last two times his unit deployed. He knew what staying behind again would mean to his military career, and it wasn’t good. Was there a way that Leanna and Garrison could be the answer to one another’s problems, and if so, would it be a God-honoring solution? Each time Leanna and Garrison seem to be gaining some element of control over their situations, the past in the form of Leanna’s former fiancé, her aunt and uncle, and Garrison’s regrets and fears threw them into a tailspin. Might ceding control to God be a better choice?
I received an advanced reader copy of Up in Smoke in exchange for my honest opinion. A favorable review was not required, and I received no monetary compensation for my review. I recommend this book to fans of both Christian romance and suspense novels. You won’t be disappointed.
Profile Image for Camille.
71 reviews
June 2, 2018
Great read

This is a great book a story of courage, loss, faith and hope. It was an unexpected great read and I would recommend it to anyone of all ages
Profile Image for Katrina Epperson.
615 reviews
August 10, 2017
Oh my, where do I begin. This is a debut from Hannah Conway which will pull the reader in from page one. Ms. Conway is a new author for me, but I can assure you that I will be reading more of her books. She sets this story in my home state of Kentucky, which I loved, in the small fictional town of Lebanon Junction. Leanna Wilson had one goal growing up and that was to get out of Lebanon Junction and make something of herself. She left for college after high school and a heartbreak.. She graduated a year ago and was offered an internship at a prestigious law firm, but last month she was offered a solid position at the firm. Unfortunately she's been called home after her parents were killed in an auto accident. Leanna arrives home to bury her parents and to care for her younger sister. She intends to prove not only to herself, but to her parents that she can think and take care of someone besides herself. USS Army, SSG Garrison Burke has also arrived back in Lebanon Junction. Garrison is caring for his elderly aunt and son. He never planned on being a single parent, but after the death of his wife there was no choice. Garrison is in a predicament, his team is gearing up for deployment, but they want to keep him stateside since he's the only living parent. He must come up with a family plan before his deployment will be approved.
I loved the plot and characters. As the story opens I was immediately pulled in by both Leanna and the story line. Leanna is typical of most young adults in that she has put her wants and needs first, but when faced with a crisis she steps up and handles whatever life is throwing at her. She exhibits raw and real emotions. She has been having a crisis in faith and suddenly finds herself faced with dealing with it. Garrison, I fell in love with almost immediately. He is a protector by nature and is always wanting to find answers to problems. I love how he cares for his elderly aunt who is in poor health.
This story has elements of faith, forgiveness, grief, second chances and love. I was immediately pulled in from page one and kept turning the pages until the very end. I must admit that this story pulled on my heartstrings. I like how the author weaved words together that brought both the characters and the plot to life for me. This is a book for anyone.
**I received this book from the author. I was not expected to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Kari Hansen.
12.2k reviews91 followers
August 11, 2017
Leanna has graduated law school and was looking forward to starting her career in NY however the death of her parents changed everything and she returned home to look after her sister Brie. The only problem is her parents were in debt and now she must fight relatives for custody of her sister with no money and no job.

Garrison is a widowed single father and he serves in the army. He has problems of his own as the person who was looking after his son when he was on mission is no longer capable so he needs a backup plan fast.

When Leanna and Garrison see each other again they could be the answer to each other’s prayers as he would have someone to help with his son and she would have someone to help her gain custody of her sister. Will they ever be able to overcome their pasts so that they can have more than a marriage of convenience?

I loved the characters as the obstacles that life has placed in their way only made them stronger. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Ann.
731 reviews22 followers
August 8, 2017
I loved this author's first books and was excited to get to be an advance reader for this one. I wasn't disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed following Leanna and Garrison's story as they attempted to recover from and overcome past hurts all the while dealing with family secrets, Leanna's struggle to deal with the tragic death of her parents and to raise a younger sister that was left traumatized by the accident that killed her parents, and Garrison's struggle to deal with the death of his wife and and raise a young son. There is an element of suspense to the story that results in an ending that had me on the edge of my seat. It is also a beautiful story of love, hope and second chances. I was given a copy of this book by the author, but a positive review was not required. The opinions are expressed are my own, and I wholeheartedly recommend this book to the reader that enjoys the best in Christian fiction.
Profile Image for Michelle Welch.
147 reviews1 follower
July 23, 2018
Hannah's heart for military families shines through in this new novel. Garrison, a tough soldier wrestling with the demons of being a widower raising a son while needing to deploy with his troops reunites with Leanna, a girl from his hometown who has her own life altering events. Suddenly faced with raising her baby sister after their parents are killed in a tragic accident, Leanna must choose between her high flying life in New York City and the slow, gossipy, sometimes painful life of her past. Can Leanna handle the stress of being a military spouse? After uncovering some dark secrets from their pasts, Leanna and Garrison must make some life altering decisions that effect not only themselves but their families as well. Will their faith in God be able to overcome their fears? An excellent novel for that last bit of summertime relaxation or the final road trip of the season.
Profile Image for Nettie.
175 reviews2 followers
August 10, 2017
Up in Smoke by Hannah Conway is an exciting and beautifully told tale of what God can do in spite of bad choices and consequences. The characters in the story are richly developed and relateable. This is a story of pain and loss but there is light and hope. Lee and Garrison have both been scarred by their life choices. They have loved each other for most of their lives and this foundation comes into play as they dare to try and open up their hearts anew. Ez and Brie are children who also need to heal from the damage they have experienced in their tender young hearts. The character of Aunt Mary is a delight. She suffers from dementia but has such faith in God and her sweet attitude is infectious. I loved the character of Garrison. He had such wisdom and unconditional love. A wonderful hero that you will fall in love with.
Profile Image for Cheryl Ellis.
127 reviews4 followers
May 29, 2018
Very Good Book

Leanna and Garrison were best friends growing up. But a betrayal happens, she leaves home and isn't planning on coming home. Growing up, Leanna's parents had always helped people. They started a ministry and helped a lot of people, which Leanna didn't quite understand when she was growing up. When Leanna's parents are killed, she goes home to care for her sister, Brie. When Leanna comes back home, it is to a mess of finances, her grieving sister, and a crooked ex-fiance who is a lawyer trying to blackmail her to coming back to him. Garrison is now a widow, and has always loved Leanna. Can they learn to forgive, grieve the past, and work together to build a future together?

This book did have a Christian theme, and a few spelling errors, but overall a very good book!
Profile Image for Sara Turnquist.
Author 28 books475 followers
August 8, 2017
Hannah R. Conway hits this third book out of the park. It is a home run. There are so many good things to say about this book.

Leanna’s story is relatable and heart-wrenching. We feel with her, we struggle with her…and, in the end, we believe in her growth as a character. Garrison, too, pulls at the reader’s heart as we follow his arc, through the worst of his story and the best of it.

As far as the story itself, the pacing was good. The twists and turns were well-placed and kept me hooked. I just kept turning pages and never once wanted to put the book down!

All in all, Conway has brought a story that nearly anyone can relate to and the reader can close at the end with a warm heart and a contented sigh. Well done.

Profile Image for Marylin.
1,306 reviews45 followers
September 15, 2017
Grief, loss, and heartache are tough things to deal with, and we each deal with them differently.
Leanna, Brie, Ezra, Garrison all have they ways of dealing with their pain, but can they come together and help each other out? Can they find out, with love, they can raise above the pain and debris of their broken lives?
I enjoyed reading this book. Hannah Conway is a new author to me and I was captivated by her writing style. The story flowed with drama, suspense, lots of emotions, and some sweet romance, along with an under current of God's love and provision.
I look glad to reading more from this author.
I was given this book by the author, all opinions are my own. I highly recommend picking it up.
Profile Image for Caprice.
278 reviews6 followers
June 11, 2018
Small town drama

Up in Smoke by Hannah Conway has it all. Small town gossip, but support for long time townspeople. Corrupt lawyer who thinks he can control everyone. And a childhood romance that ended in pain and betrayal, but now has a chance to shine. Underlying all of these things is Biblical wisdom for each situation.

I enjoyed reading this book. I could relate to some of the characters, and empathize with them as well. The story is well written, and the characters are adequately developed. It's a clean read, which is always nice. I especially appreciated the truths of God's word woven into the story.

If you are looking for a good, clean summer read, give this book a try.
Profile Image for Sharon Wilharm.
Author 5 books4 followers
February 13, 2018
It took me a bit in the beginning to figure out exactly what was going on, but once I got drawn in, I couldn’t put the book down. Just when I thought I knew what would happen next, a new plot twist came along to turn me in a completely different direction. Each plot twist caught me by surprise, but was exactly the right thing to happen. By the end of the book, I was exhausted, but satisfied.

Hannah R. Conway is a gifted writer who captures human nature and weaves in scriptural themes so expertly. She created a world that I could envision, characters I could relate to, and a story that I can’t forget. Now I can’t wait to read her other books.
Profile Image for Cynthia.
91 reviews309 followers
August 26, 2017
What a great read! I immediately felt drawn into the lives of the characters and experienced both their joys and struggles. Leanna and Garrison's lives are complicated to say the least. After years apart, the two are thrown together again after the untimely death of Leanna's parents. Circumstances force them to rely upon each other to manage the onslaught of challenges each of them faces. Can the love they once shared be rekindled? Past and present collide in this powerful story of heartache, grief, and renewed hope.
Profile Image for Rose McCauley.
Author 11 books42 followers
August 8, 2017
I read Hannah Conway's first two books earlier this summer, so jumped at the chance to read this new one from this almost-new author who writes like a pro! Ms. Conway writes with humor, emotion, and passionate, but pure love. She also has a good handle on the military mind, and understands children and writes about them realistically. And the ending for this story is a thriller, so order an eBook today and you can be reading this great story tonight.
2,258 reviews18 followers
August 9, 2017
A great story that has a little of everything from suspense to romance. It's a sweet story that will pull at your heartstrings. It's beautifully well written with characters you will love. It will take you through an emotional ride as it sucks you in from the beginning. I enjoyed following Leanna and Garrison's journey as they overcome the past and learn to trust and heal for their second chance. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.
Profile Image for Holly.
1,470 reviews11 followers
August 15, 2017
The story started slow and I almost gave up on it. But around one-third in it started to get interesting and finished quite well. I wish it had better explained why Garrison did what he did with a Tiffany.
228 reviews1 follower
August 24, 2017
This was the first book I've read by this author, and I was really impressed. I loved the characters as the obstacles that life has placed in their way only made them stronger. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Joy Birky.
9 reviews
May 28, 2018
Real life story

Leanna and garrison go through a series if family events that end up in a “marriage of convenience” which takes many turns.
God’s grace is evident in the many characters included in the story.
2,237 reviews3 followers
February 15, 2019
Ebook

She’s come home for her parents funeral. Her little sister was in the accident and has stopped talking. He is her first love and in the service. He’s getting ready to Deploy and needs someone to take care of his son and ailing aunt. Can marriage solve both problems?
Profile Image for Julie.
729 reviews34 followers
August 18, 2017
Another great read by Hannah Conway!
Profile Image for sheila.
566 reviews
March 15, 2018
This

This is more a sad ending than happy. Makes religion seem depressing. Which is far from the truth. More bad than good in this story.
488 reviews2 followers
July 7, 2018
Very good reading!

I definitely recommend this book and will most definitely look for more by Hannah R. Conway. Realistic characters - well-written - inspirational!
316 reviews3 followers
August 9, 2021
Can an old relationship be repaired?

Leanna, Garrison and Tiffany were friends growing up. Leanna and Garrison had plans to marry one day, but suddenly their senior year Garrison and Tiffany got married because she was pregnant. Leanna left for college and then got a job in New York City and hardly ever came home. Leanna's parents were killed in a car accident and her sister who was nine survived. So she returned home to care for her. Tiffany had died a few years earlier by drowning leaving behind a nine year old son. Garrison was in the Army and was being deployed in a few months and needed someone to care for his son and his aunt who had dementia. Can he talk Leanne into marrying him so the Army would let him go on deployment? Will the Army believe this is a real marriage or a way to get insurance to cover Leanna and her sister? Will Leanna's old boyfriend believe in this marriage?
147 reviews1 follower
February 24, 2018
Ok

I think it could use editing. Besides a couple simple errors, I think the story could use a couple improvements. I know how in a story you get a situation, a little information about how you got there, and over time the backstory gets filled in. This story had a couple jumps that didn’t make any sense for a long time before i got the answers. It was frustrating. Why was Brie back after she just lost her? I also don’t like stories with villains who don’t find redemption, and this had the villain and the characters-nearly -killed violent scenes I try to avoid. On a small note, very minor, I was once in the military and never found them to care more about the family than filling the tanks with a soldier except in certain cases. He had his family plan, I don’t see why that didn’t satisfy them. That was too much fiction for me.
Profile Image for Lillie.
Author 21 books44 followers
November 27, 2019
A marriage of convenience with a twist--the hero needs a wife to care for his son while he is deployed, and the heroine needs stability to gain custody of her young sister. The twist--the hero and heroine had been sweethearts, but he had married the other member of their three-musketeers group. Garrison loved Leanna, but in a moment of weakness, he had gotten the other woman pregnant and married her. Now widowed, he's asking Leanna to marry him to care for the child of that union. Faith, forgiveness, and redemption are as important in this story as romance. Although I enjoyed the story, I think it could have used some more editing.
Profile Image for Christine.
10.7k reviews33 followers
June 25, 2021
ARC Review For honest review. Fantastic 10 stars of Beautifully writing .leanna Wilson comes home after the death of her parents for her sister brie only to find she's in worst mess then she thought and a ex making it worse .Till ssg garrison Burke needs help with his son and a deal is made. Well worth reading .
609 reviews1 follower
July 28, 2021
Great read

This story made me laugh and cry. The hurt that all the characters are going through would make most strong people give up but they all keep fighting. I love the faith aspect the best. It shows how hard it really is sometimes to keep your faith. I'm heartbroken about what the kids have been through but they are so strong. I would recommend this story to any reader.
Profile Image for Martha.
1,941 reviews74 followers
June 16, 2018
I enjoyed the storyline, with some good plot twists that kept me reading.
I struggled a bit with understanding some of the details of the struggle, but in the end, it would be a good, light summer read that I would recommend.
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