Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Targeted by Cara Putman, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Series: Secrets to Keep #3
Author: Cara Putman
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: May 19, 2026
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Can she protect her gym students before her past catches up?
When Chloe Ainsworth's older sister reappears after fourteen years, she brings with her the news that Chloe's abuser is back in town. Chloe is a coach at her childhood gym and fiercely protective of her young gymnasts. She won't allow them to suffer the way she did, but she's desperate for an ally—one who can help her make her case.
Law student Dare Shepherd works at the local legal clinic, where he meets Chloe and hears her out. He believes her case but can't get the clinic director on board. As he learns more about her story, he finds himself bound by a deepening personal care for Chloe.
They band together in search of answers, and suddenly the stakes skyrocket. It's clear they're onto something, but will they be able to find the answers before it's too late?
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Kregel Publications | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop
The questions lingered and multiplied.
The conversation with Mayor Lawson hadn’t unveiled anything, making Chloe wonder if she really understood what had happened to Libby at the gym.
Who else could Chloe talk with who would know?
She hadn’t pushed Margeaux yet. Margeaux had been closest to Libby by age, so maybe she had picked up on details and signals that Chloe missed. And maybe she could think of other people for Chloe to talk to. Anything would be better than guessing in the dark.
Chloe started her search of the locker room. If Alex did like pictures of girls, Chloe wasn’t going to take any chances that he’d added cameras in the locker room. She wasn’t certain where to search—the story of her life right now—but search she would. If she found something, then she could get the police involved and let them identify who had planted them.
It was time to be proactive with what she could control.
An hour later she’d searched each girl’s locker and tried to pretend she hadn’t violated their privacy.
Then she dragged a bench over so she could scan the top of the lockers. That was where she spotted something out of place. It was small, but it was enough that she placed a call to Janae, who connected her with a detective she trusted. Another thirty minutes later, Detective Brian Althaus arrived.
“What can I help you with?” He was average height and unassuming but with a presence that said you could rely on him. He’d testified in Margeaux’s trial and had been the police officer who was aboveboard.
“I think I found a camera in the girls’ locker room. And neither Cindy, the coach who was murdered, nor I put it there.”
“All right. Show me what you found.”
Chloe walked him back to the locker room. The man wore khakis and a department polo. He stood a head taller than Chloe, but that wasn’t hard, with her gymnast’s build. Even with his size advantage, he wasn’t intimidating. As he listened to her concerns, she felt heard and seen. A moment later he was standing on the bench, as if it was the next right thing.
Book Excerpt
The questions lingered and multiplied.
The conversation with Mayor Lawson hadn’t unveiled anything, making Chloe wonder if she really understood what had happened to Libby at the gym.
Who else could Chloe talk with who would know?
She hadn’t pushed Margeaux yet. Margeaux had been closest to Libby by age, so maybe she had picked up on details and signals that Chloe missed. And maybe she could think of other people for Chloe to talk to. Anything would be better than guessing in the dark.
Chloe started her search of the locker room. If Alex did like pictures of girls, Chloe wasn’t going to take any chances that he’d added cameras in the locker room. She wasn’t certain where to search—the story of her life right now—but search she would. If she found something, then she could get the police involved and let them identify who had planted them.
It was time to be proactive with what she could control.
An hour later she’d searched each girl’s locker and tried to pretend she hadn’t violated their privacy.
Then she dragged a bench over so she could scan the top of the lockers. That was where she spotted something out of place. It was small, but it was enough that she placed a call to Janae, who connected her with a detective she trusted. Another thirty minutes later, Detective Brian Althaus arrived.
“What can I help you with?” He was average height and unassuming but with a presence that said you could rely on him. He’d testified in Margeaux’s trial and had been the police officer who was aboveboard.
“I think I found a camera in the girls’ locker room. And neither Cindy, the coach who was murdered, nor I put it there.”
“All right. Show me what you found.”
Chloe walked him back to the locker room. The man wore khakis and a department polo. He stood a head taller than Chloe, but that wasn’t hard, with her gymnast’s build. Even with his size advantage, he wasn’t intimidating. As he listened to her concerns, she felt heard and seen. A moment later he was standing on the bench, as if it was the next right thing.
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About the Author
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a signed copy of The Targeted and $20 Amazon gift card!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 20, 2026 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 27, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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