Thursday, June 4, 2020

BLOG TOUR - Ambush Before Sunrise



Today I am pleased to be a part of the Blog Tour for Ambush Before Sunrise by B. J. Daniels.


DESCRIPTION:

Wrangler Angus Savage has come to Wyoming to help Jinx McCallahan get her cattle to high country¬. He’s signed on for the dangerous drive, eager to reconnect with the woman he knew when they were kids. Now in the wilderness the no-nonsense cowboy and the strong-willed rancher must navigate the trail’s many hazards—like her treacherous ex who wants her back…or dead.


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MY THOUGHTS:


TitleAmbush Before Sunrise  
Author:  B. J. Daniels
Series:  Cardwell Ranch: Montana Legacy
Publisher:  Harlequin Intrigue
Genre:   Romantic Suspense
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   256
Date of Publication:   May 19, 2020
My Rating:   5 Stars

It should be just another cattle drive for JoRay "Jinx" McCallahan. Not only does Jinx need a couple more hands for the drive, she must contend with her soon-to-be ex-husband T.D.Sharp. Not only is Jinx divorcing T.D., she has a restraining order on him. Well, as far as he is concerned, that is just another piece of paper. Jinx is his and he has no problem trying to prove that to her.

There is a small part of him that wants the money that would come his way if he got the ranch that Jinx owns, but the bigger part of him wants her back. He still loves her and wants her to give him another chance. Meanwhile there is a love triangle of sorts. Patty Conroe is in love with T.D. and Jinx is in the way. To extend this story of unrequited love, there is Wyatt Hanson, T.D.'s best friend, and he is in love with Patty.

The catalyst in all of these "love" feelings - Jinx She is in the way with T.D. and Patty, and Wyatt is there to catch Patty should T.D. get out of the way. Sound confusing? It really isn't, as characters and motives becomes all too clear in the first two chapters. These chapters lay the groundwork for jealousy, deviousness, revenge and danger. 

Meanwhile Angus Savage is a wrangler hired by Jinx for the cattle drive. They knew one another as kids, and Angus is more than drawn to Jinx now. The drive is full of peril, but it soon becomes apparent that Jinx and Angus are drawn to one another. This comes as a surprise to Jinx after all she is dealing with when it comes to T.D.

What a fast-paced story! Not because it is less than 300 pages, but due to the intensity when it comes to T.D.'s dark side and Patty's manipulative plans when it comes to Jinx. B.J. Daniels is a name I see quite often so I rather surprised myself after realizing this is the first book I've read by her. When another of her books came to NetGalley I snatched that one up as I loved this book and the crafty style of writing Daniels employed. I don't read westerns often, but this book, with romance and suspense, proved to be a fantastic read.

Many thanks to Harlequin Intrigue and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.



Please enjoy the following excerpt:

JINX WATCHED ANGUS GO. She still hadn’t figured out why he seemed so familiar. Nor had he said anything. She sighed and rose to take her dishes back to Max.

“I can take those for you,” Brick said, shooting to his feet.

She smiled but shook her head. “Stay here by the fire with Ella.” She was glad when he sat back down. She needed to be alone. Brick was sweet and a good wrangler. He amused her with his blatant attempts to charm her, but he was wasting his time. While he resembled his brother, they didn’t seem to be anything alike. Angus was a mystery to her.

The more she was around him, the more she felt a strange sense that they’d been here before. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew this man, as in another life. It was crazy. Sometimes she’d find herself studying his face as if a memory was so close she could almost touch it.

“He’s handsome, isn’t he?” Max asked, startling her. She hadn’t realized that she’d reached the chuck-wagon. Her mind had been miles away.

“Pardon?” she asked, turning to face him as she conjured up her most innocent face.

Max laughed. “You were staring at Angus Savage—and not for the first time, I might add.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was…thinking.”

“Thinking? I can just imagine.” He turned back to his cooking.

She didn’t want to know what he’d imagined. Nor did she want to continue this conversation. Still, she asked, “Have you ever run across someone you felt as if you knew in another life?”

He chuckled. “That your story?” 

“I’m serious.”

Max turned to look at her. “I can see that. I suppose it’s possible the two of you met before. Your mother and his were good friends.” The cook frowned. “I think she took you with her up to Cardwell Ranch once years ago.” So that could have been it, she thought. “You don’t remember?”

She shook her head and yet as he said it, she had an image come to mind of mountains shooting up from a green river bottom and a large red barn set against a wall of rock and pine trees. A memory teased at her. “How old would I have been?”

“Eight or nine,” he said as he turned back to his cleaning up. “You didn’t stay long, just overnight, I think. That’s probably why you don’t remember.”

But she did remember a little. Now it really nagged at her. It wasn’t just that she’d seen him before. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something had hap-pened during that visit; she was sure of it.

She turned to look at Angus again. He’d rejoined his brother and cousin on a log by the fire. His face shone in the campfire light. Max was right about one thing; the cowboy was handsome as sin. Had he re-membered her? He would have been a little older than she was by a couple of years at least.

“Why don’t you just ask him?” Max said with a laugh. “Otherwise, it’s going to drive you crazy.”

He was right about that, as well, but what if Angus didn’t remember her? She’d feel foolish. Then again, what if he did? What if he was just waiting for her to say something?

“While you’re making up your mind, why don’t you hand me your dishes?” Max said with a shake of his head as he took them from her.

Leaving camp, she checked the cattle, glad that Brick and Royce had volunteered to take the first shift. She didn’t expect trouble. Not tonight. T.D. was angry and vengeful, but he never planned ahead. He knew she was taking the herd up into the high country for summer grazing today. Maybe he would even wait until she returned to continue threatening her, rather than try to catch them. His laziness might pay off for her.

But unfortunately, she also knew that her being up here in the mountains put her at a disadvantage. T.D. wasn’t stupid. He would realize how vulnerable she was up here. Anything could happen in the mountains on a cattle drive. People got injured. Others died. And T.D. was desperate to get his hands on her ranch. He would come after her.

In the distance she heard a coyote howl. Another answered, then another. She was more worried about wolves and bears, than coyotes. But she could only protect her herd so much. It was the nature of the business.

The camp was quiet as she walked back toward the fire. From out of the dark shadows, she spotted a lone figure still illuminated in the flames. Ella gave her a nod as she pulled up the log next to her again. The heat of the blaze felt good this high in the mountains since it was only early June.

Jinx could feel the long day in the saddle in her muscles. She yearned for sleep, but it had been hard to come by for some time now. It wasn’t just T.D. who haunted her dreams.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author B.J. Daniels lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, and three springer spaniels. When not writing, she quilts, boats and plays tennis. Contact her at web or on Facebook at  or on twitter at bjdanielsauthor. 


7 comments:

  1. Sounds intense. Now I am sorry I didn't sign up for the tour.

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  2. This seems like a good book.

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  3. I also am familiar with the author but haven’t read anything by her! Thanks for sharing - this sounds intense!

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  4. I love western romances :) They always grab my attention. Great review!

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  5. Great review, Sounds like a good read.

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  6. Sounds like an interesting story. Great review! Thanks for sharing. :)

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