Heart-Pounding Romantic Suspense

A Review of Captured in Frame by Laura Thomas

Captured in Frame by Laura Thomas

In an idyllic village nestled in the English countryside, photographer Georgia Brooks is desperate to begin a new chapter in her life. Bramble Cottage was supposed to give her space to heal and hope again after suffering betrayal and rejection by the only man she ever loved. This was Georgia’s chance to rekindle her faith and reconnect with her sisters in a place that held sweet childhood memories—not expose herself to the ugly underbelly of the art world and put her family in danger.

Local pediatric surgeon, Doctor William Hughes, is captivated by the Canadian beauty with a camera over one shoulder and the weight of the world on the other. After suffering his own tragic loss and balancing a demanding career with raising a toddler, he recognizes the heaviness of grief . . . and the burden of guilt.

When Georgia discovers she could be in possession of incriminating evidence to frame a criminal ring, she needs to trust someone. She chooses Will. Postcards, photographs, paintings—something about Bramble Cottage is worth killing for. Can Georgia uncover the truth in time?

GENRE: Christian Romantic Suspense

AVAILABILITY: Amazon (ebook, paperback)

OPENING THOUGHTS: I read book two in this series before book one, so it was exciting to return and experience Georgia’s story in Captured in Frame. Laura Thomas blends mystery, romance, and a healthy dose of suspense to deliver an exceptional story that is well-paced and hard to put down.

ACTION/ADVENTURE: From the opening chapter, Georgia’s plans to settle into her grandparents’ English cottage go awry when an unknown intruder triggers her sensitivity to smoke and fire. A house fire caused the trauma that still haunts Georgia, and the villains use this against her throughout the novel. The adventure continues as the mysterious stalker makes passive attempts to threaten her life and put her on edge. Georgia begins to question her decision to seek refuge in the quiet village as a way to restart her life after her husband of twelve years left her for another woman. But as clues begin to reveal themselves, Georgia becomes determined to solve the mystery and end the threats to herself and her loved ones.

ROMANCE: The romance aspect of this novel involves two characters who have been married in the past but are currently single due to different circumstances, neither by choice. Georgia is recovering from the betrayal of her husband, who left her for another woman, while Will is recovering from the grief of losing his wife too soon. The couple is attracted to each other fairly early on and tends to notice physical attributes and character traits as they get to know each other. Their budding feelings lead to holding hands, blushing, gentle platonic touches, and eventually a couple of kisses. The author uses minimal details to describe the kisses, focusing on each character’s emotional responses.

FAITH: While Georgia’s relationship with her ex-husband had taken her away from her relationship with God, she has turned her focus back to the Lord. Throughout the novel, both she and Will pray in times of trouble and seek help from God when they need wisdom. Occasionally, there is a still small voice that helps the characters know what to do next. These are simple words that provide direction and comfort in the most intense scenes of the book. The author honors a Christian worldview throughout this book and the rest of the series.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Captured in Frame is hard to put down and provides an inspirational story laced with suspense and sweet romance. The book includes topics such as betrayal, guilt, and learning to forgive. Part of the story involves the guilt one character carries about missing the deeper symptoms of depression that led a minor character to commit suicide in the past. Another character is kidnapped and threatened with a knife. The scenes following this event include gunfire, but the bullet only grazes one character. Murder occurs off-page, but the characters view a mildly gruesome photograph on a postcard that police collected as evidence in the opening chapters. A hit-and-run accident also occurs off-page. These events fall into the category of “G” or lower. Still, the light finds a way to overcome the darkness, offering hope, renewal, and second chances. Adult readers will find a thought-provoking read with plenty to encourage and inspire beyond the book’s conclusion.

Rated G: The Clean Fiction G rating is nothing like a movie G rating. The G in this rating stands for “GASP”, not general audiences. This rating is where the rubber meets the road. Action. Adventure. Intrigue. Suspense. Many of the books in this magazine fall under this category due to fight sequences, more descriptive romantic plots, mild language, or mature themes. By mature themes I mean subjects like: abuse, marital relationships, and unwanted physical attention. If your eyebrows are headed to your hairline, let me pause your moment of panic. The above-mentioned “mature themes” appear in these books with a light touch. This is your ACTION, then glance away type books. MOMENT, then fade to black. That is why it is labeled “GASP”.

G rating: does not mean for general audiences, includes action, adventure, intrigue, and suspense, more violence is allowed as well as mild language and mature themes

*Article Featured in Clean Fiction Magazine Autumn 2025 Edition*

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