About the Book
He’s not looking for trouble…
Montana rancher Knox Marshall’s danger years are behind him. A former bull-rider, he now runs the Marshall family ranch, raising champion bucking bulls for the National Professional Bullrider’s Expo (NBR-X). Wealth and success are his, but life is stable, expected, and…ordinary. But he wants more from life…
But trouble is looking for her…
Kelsey Jones just wants a safe life, a family, a home. Onstage, the beautiful rising star of the Yankee Belles becomes the person she longs to be – vivacious and confident – burying the brokenness she carries from a violent assault. Becoming NBR-X’s next country act is key to outrunning her past and achieving the success and security she craves.
When trouble finds them both…
Knox and Kelsey’s paths collide when an explosion at an NBR-X event traps them in the rubble and leaves them reeling. Kelsey’s crippling nightmares return, but for Knox, an obsession to find the bomber is ignited.
What will it cost him to protect her?
When Kelsey’s past threatens Knox’s family, he’ll have to choose between saving the Marshall legacy or becoming the protector he’s always longed to be.
Excerpt
“Are you hurt?”
She glanced up at him. For the first time, she got a good look at her pursuer-slash-hero. He wore a grim line to his mouth, surrounded by the stubble of cherry-brown whiskers and dark brown sideburns that, in the light of the carnival, seemed flecked with red. But his eyes, oh his eyes. Blue-green, the color of the forest, deep and penetrating. As if she could run into his gaze and happily disappear.
His voice threaded through her, as if it might be made of rawhide, designed not to break, to weather time and elements, as sturdy as the land he probably worked. Because yes, he wore cowboy like a second skin, the no-nonsense aura of hard work and get ‘er done, and given the way he’d sung to his bull, he knew his way around animals.
He even stuck his thumbs in his belt buckle, letting his hands land there, nailing the cowboy persona down in spades. Probably used those wide shoulders to rope in culprits, to wrestle steer, and now her imagination had run away with her, but seriously, under that black T-shirt and jean jacket she guessed he might be all hard-work-hewn body, washboard abs, and powerful arms.
Which he now crossed over his chest, as if trying not to follow his question by skimming his hands over her body to check for broken bones. Instead, his eyes did it for him—and not in a way that would make her step back, but with concern etched into his hard jawline.
“Do I need to go back there and put some hurt on anyone?”
He wasn’t smiling, and she couldn’t tell if he was serious—maybe. Which sort of unrooted her for a moment.
Um… “No. I tripped. There was this little ledge at the bar and I reached over for the container and…I don’t know. Fell back. And my wings went flying, and I bumped into this guy and…” Now she just wanted to cover her face with her hands and slink away.
“You’re okay, then?” He unwound his arms, glanced back at the beer tent. Waved his hand to someone standing outside on the pathway. The someone headed back into the tent.
She nodded. “I’m just…” Oh, who was she kidding? It wasn’t like she could hide the craziness from him, not after he’d chased her down and kept her from being—what, eaten? maybe slimed—by a mad bull.
“I sometimes panic about…I have issues—”
“Like not wanting some strange man to grab you? That feels pretty normal to me.”
And then he smiled, something soft, his mouth lifting up on one side, and it was so charming, the fist in her chest simply let go. Left her free to stand there in the semi-light, to smell the spring air, listen to the carnival music, and realize that maybe, right now, she was safe.
Review
Hot diggity! There’s a reason Susan May Warren is one of my favourite romantic suspense authors. Lots of reasons, in fact. And the first book in this new series reminded me of them all over again. For starters, I was totally sucked into the story from page one. Getting sucked in by the first few pages is one thing, but not many authors can maintain that hold through each and every page that follows like Susan May Warren can, making it really hard to get anything else done once you’ve started reading.
Then there are her characters. They’re each so real and unique. Cowboys are pretty popular romantic leads, but I guarantee you won’t find another one like Knox. Which is kind of a shame, come to think of it, because he’s now up there on my list of favourites. Yeah, he’s got swoony factor, but it’s the quiet, hardworking, down-to-earth, a-little-bit-insecure but I’m-your-safe-place kind of swoony factor. Melt. My. Heart. And Kesley was the perfect heroine to draw Knox out and push him past the things that have been holding him back.
The suspense kept me guessing right to the end too—not in a “whodunnit” sense, but in a “what’s going on” sense. And as always, Susan May Warren manages to challenge her characters spiritually as well—as if they don’t already have plenty on their plate! In other words, you get the full package: Fantastic characters, swoony romance (with substance), riveting suspense, and spiritual growth. And the ending has left me chafing at the bit for Tate’s story. Bring it on!
I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
About the Author
Growing up in Minneapolis and attending the U of MN, I learned to love city life, although I’m a woodsy girl at heart. Or maybe I’m an adventurer — having lived and traveled all over the world, including Siberia, Russia as a missionary for eight years. Probably that’s why my characters can’t sit still, and seem to get into one scrape after another — they’re too much like me! I love God, my family, my country, my church, and feel privileged every day to be able to write stories.
Here’s my “Official” Bio.
With over 1 million books sold, critically acclaimed novelist Susan May Warren is the Christy, RITA and Carol award-winning author of over forty-five novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill, and Summerside Press. Known for her compelling plots and unforgettable characters, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic-suspense, thrillers, rom-com and Christmas novellas.
With books translated into eight languages, many of her novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. She’s a three time RITA finalist and an eight time Christy Finalist.
Of her books, Publisher’s Weekly has written, “Warren lays bare her characters’ human frailties, including fear, grief, and resentment, as openly as she details their virtues of love, devotion, and resiliency. She has crafted an engaging tale of romance, rivalry, and the power of forgiveness.”
And Library Journal adds, “Warren’s characters are well-developed and she knows how to create a first rate contemporary romance…”
Susan is also a nationally acclaimed writing coach, teaching at conferences around the nation and winner of the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year award. She loves to help people launch their writing careers and is the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com and www.LearnHowtoWriteaNovel.com, a writing website that helps authors get published and stay published. She’s also the author of the popular writing method, The Story Equation.
Connect with Susan: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Super review, Katie – so agree with you on Knox himself and Susie May’s writing 🙂
Thank you! I thought you might ❤️