As I've learned to expect, a beautifully written and fun read. Daniels writes wonderfully believable stories with flawed but truly good heroes and heroines

Romance, mystery and suspense in a second chance romance. All the details were interesting and helped Annie find her way back to the home she left behind to find her dream. Her dream was right beside Dawson the whole time reminding her that the answering your heart’s desires will make you the happiest.

He’d never been able to say no to her – even when he should have known that a girl like her wanted something better than a cowboy like him.

B.J. Daniels’ Hard Rustler is a suspenseful second-chance-at-love romance. It heralds the debut of the author’s Whitehorse, Montana: The Clementine Sisters trilogy. B.J. is one of my favorite authors. Her books are always awesome reads. That’s why I never hesitate to pick them up as soon as I see a new one is available.

As this story opens, we learn that thirteen years ago Annabelle “Annie” Clementine left the small town of Whitehorse, Montana and Dawson Rogers, the man she thought she’d marry, to pursue a modeling career. Now, her Grandma Frannie has passed away and left her the home Annie grew up in. Annie has reluctantly returned to her childhood home to ready it for sale. She wants to get in, sell the house quickly, and get out without seeing too many people she knows. That’s not going to happen….

There’s a multitude of reasons for Annie’s inability to meet her self-imposed deadline. First of all, the house isn’t cluttered; it is packed wall-to-wall making for an overwhelming task. Secondly, she’s flat broke and running on empty as her modeling career has gone belly up. Thirdly, her childhood sweetheart keeps turning up. Finally, as Annie’is going through Frannie’s belongings, she discovers skeletal hints of a secret life that her grandmother had hidden – mysteries that now put Annie’s life in jeopardy.

Dawson is an awesome hero. He stole my heart from the get-go. He’s a good man: endearing, strong, caring, protective and capable. He’s never gotten over Annabelle. Fate decrees that he’s the first person she runs into on her return to Whitehorse when she runs out of gas. He helps her out while resolving to do everything he can to make her sojourn in Whitehorse a short one. His heart can’t handle more.

Annabelle took a bit longer for me to warm up to. However, as the plot line progressed, I started seeing the humor and the payback that she deserved in her sorry situation. From there, I began pulling for her to listen to her heart and get it right this time.

The rekindling of their sweet and clean romance was a perfect slow burn. As a mother, I loved Dawson’s relationship with his mother and brother. The townsfolk of Whitehorse were the neighbors we all want – kind, generous and there when we need them.

Following please find a few of my favorite lines from Hard Rustler:

“Ever seen the play Arsenic and Old Lace?”
---

“There was a spider…”
---

“A gentleman would leave.”
He chuckled at that, his gaze locking with hers. “You and I are way past that, Annie.”

I thoroughly enjoyed Hard Rustler. The pacing was just right, the characters were well-written, the suspense was riveting and the western setting was beautiful. There were plenty of scenes to tickle your funny bone too. Now, I can’t wait to read the stories of the other Clementine sisters as this series continues with Rogue Gunslinger and Rugged Defender. If you enjoy cowboys and romantic suspense, I’d encourage you to check out Hard Rustler!

Dawson was amazing and Annabelle was a survivor. This book is loaded with non-stop action and suspense. If ever there was a page-turner, this is it. Mobsters at every turn and a grandma that surprised the entire town. What a twist of events too. Loved this book! Book provided by NetGalley.

I so wanted to like this story but the heroine kept getting on my last nerve with her "spoiled princess" attitude! Someone needed to give her a kick in the-you-know-what - FAST! Unfortunately I didn't believe she deserved the awesome Hero.....

Dawson Rogers is helping Annie Clementine so she can leave town however they uncover a mystery that must be solved before either is harmed. Settle in to a comfortable chair since this tale is a page turner you won't want to put down. Enjoy this author's tales of Whitehorse , Montana and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

Hard Rustler is the first title in the new Whitehorse, Montana spinoff series, The Clementine Sisters, and I'm still trying to figure out what the title of this novel had to do with anything in this book. Rustling is usually about cattle or horses, neither figured into this second chance at love story, and while it was a fairly entertaining read, I had several issues with this story, and, at best, I found it to be a 3-star read.

I'm a fan of the second chance at love trope, and I enjoyed the bare bones of this story. Former supermodel, Annabelle Clementine, is now practically penniless, but is returning to Whitehorse, Montana, the town she left behind 13 years earlier and never gave so much as a thought since. She is the sole beneficiary of her recently deceased grandmother's home, and she plans to sell it as soon as possible, because she desperately needs the money, but before she even gets to Whitehorse, her pricey silver sports car runs out of gas, and she asks a guy whose truck and horse trailer are parked along the roadside if he'd mind siphoning off some gas from his truck, enough to get her home. She's rather rude and haughty to the grubby stranger, who fills her gas tank, and without so much as a thank you, she drives off. The worst part of this interaction is that the grubby stranger, who Annabelle fails to recognize, is the only man she's ever loved, Dawson Rogers, who proposed marriage to her 13 years ago, and who she left in the dust when she went to California to pursue her dreams of wealth, fame and a career as a supermodel.

It turns out that her grandmother was a hoarder and her house is filled to the rafters with all sorts of stuff, and Annabelle's dream of a quick sale and rapid exit out of town won't be happening any time soon--she can't sell the house in its present state and she can't afford to hire anyone to clear it out and get it ready to be shown. Of course, in a small town, it's not long before everyone in town knows that she's back, and during a quick run to the supermarket for food she bumps into Dawson's mom, Willy, who insists that she come to Thanksgiving dinner, and she doesn't take no for an answer. Although Annabelle and Dawson haven't seen or spoken to one another in 13 years, and the fact that she broke his heart when she left town, it's clear that Annie (his pet name for her) is still the one woman for him, but judging by her self-interest, putting on airs, and her general snootiness about the town and its residents, I couldn't figure out why he still found her lovable. As heroines go, I found it almost impossible to like her.

However, I did like Dawson, a Montana cowboy through and through, and even though Annie broke his heart and demolished his dreams 13 years ago, he's the one who comes to Annie's rescue time and time again. He's that rare creature, an honorable man, and had I been in Annie's shoes at the ripe old age of 18, I'd have accepted his marriage proposal in a heartbeat and built a rewarding life with the handsome cowboy, but Annie just took off to find fame and fortune without giving Dawson a second thought.

What I did enjoy was the backstory about her grandmother and her past, and I wish I could discuss it at length but there's a big mystery and evildoers contained within this novel and I'd hate to spoil it for you. Suffice it to say that I liked the mystery, suspense and intrigue of this novel far more than I did the love story, and the seemingly endless discussion of Annie's packing process, which we hear about carton by carton. It was a rather poor substitute for character development and emotional growth, and I can't believe I just wrote this review about a B.J. Daniels novel, because I usually love her characters and their interactions, but I found it sorely lacking in Hard Rustler.

By the time I got to the rather abrupt HEA ending, I still couldn't figure out what Dawson found in Annie's character to love--and why she was the one woman for him was as much a mystery to me by the end of the novel as it was at the beginning. The fact that it's entirely up to rude, judgmental, and elitist Annie to decide whether to give modeling another chance when it's offered to her, or to stay in Whitehorse with Dawson certainly didn't endear her to this reader, and I simply couldn't see that their happily ever after would last for long. The only thing that saved this novel from a 1 or 2 star rating was the mystery hidden in grandma Frannie's house and the suspense leading up to its discovery.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Annabelle Clementine returns home to Whitehorse, Montana to clean out her grandmother’s house and then get out of town, again. Years ago, she couldn’t wait to leave Whitehorse and make it big. The town wasn’t the only thing she left behind. Dawson Rogers was in love with Annabelle and wanted to make a life with her. She unfortunately didn’t want to be just a rancher’s wife. She left and broke his heart, he never got over her. Now she returns to clean out her grandmother’s house and he can’t seem to avoid her. He keeps waiting for her to leave again. Annabelle has a secret, she is broke, and must sell the house to pay her bills. She is stubborn and at first refuses to accept help from Dawson and his family, but she eventually gives in. Something else is going on in the house. Apparently, someone is watching Annabelle and she is in danger. Now Dawson will protect her even if it means risking his heart in the process. As she cleans, she finds out some secrets about her grandmother’s life when she was younger that put her in danger, including losing her heart to Dawson.
I always know that when I pick up a book by B.J. Daniels that I will have a hard time putting it down. This was a second chance romance peppered with lots of suspense. I kept rooting for Annabelle to come to her senses and finally realize that she was still in love with Dawson. As with many of her books, there was a bit of a surprise at the end. In addition to mending fences with Dawson and his family, Annabelle also repairs her relationship with her sisters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more books in this series.

This book intrigued me with its premise of a woman who got out of her hometown at eighteen to become a model, coming home to deal with her grandmothers estate. Then throw in her ex-boyfriend, who’s a Montana cowboy, and a mystery dealing with a mobster and it should have been an entertaining read.

Instead, it was a disjointed story with too many characters. Aside from the two main characters, there were at least 10 supporting characters that we were introduced to. With that many characters, I found myself struggling with the abrupt changes in who we were following and the amount of information that was dumped in each passage.

What made it a two star read was the lack of emotional growth. Annabelle was judgmental, rude, unlikeable and didn’t seem to want to change much of that. Dawson was still in love with the girl who left him and at 3/4 of the way through the book, still thought she was going to take off once her grandmothers house sold. I had a hard time believing that he was in love with the woman she is now.

Never fails to amaze me how a writer can think of intricate details that add the tiers to their stories. Especially those that start out like a simple sweet romance and page by page turn into a crime novel. BJ Daniels confounds me with her innate talent to turn something simple into something both devious and innocent. And yet here she goes again. In HARD RUSTLER B.J. Daniels brings us back to small town Montana to a bittersweet reunion of sorts of two teenage sweethearts. So sweet and innocent.
Annabelle is returning home to settle her Grandmother Frankie's estate which means selling the house. Annabelle and her two sisters were raised by Frankie in that house. Memories are quite wonderful even though Annabelle had left after high school and never looked back. HARD RUSTLER is the first book in B.J. Daniels new series Whitehorse, Montana: The Clementine Sisters.

There were many parts of Annabelle left behind on her quest for fame and fortune as a model. Her career had been a success until events not in her control spiraled leaving her on the outside of the world she had come to love.

Coming back to Whitehorse was bittersweet on so many levels. Annabelle missed her grandmother and dreaded coming face to face with Dawson the young man left behind so many years ago. But as luck would have it Dawson is the first person that crosses her path.

In a small town it is almost impossible to live a private life. And yet as time passes Annabelle comes to realize that her grannie did just that. Grannie was well known and beloved. And yet there were things about grannies past that had been successfully hidden all these years.

Bit by bit as Annabelle works tirelessly to straighten out the house and rid it of the mess of things her grandmother hoarded. Dawson is working right alongside Annabelle to clean up and fix grannies house. His feelings for his Annie haven't changed in all these years but he is a realist and fully acknowledged that her time in Whitehorse is short. As soon as the house is fixed up and ready for sale Annie will once again be on her way to the lifestyle she had become accustomed to. Once again leaving Dawson behind and in his mind the sooner the better.

But something sinister is happening in this small town centered on grannies house. Shadows spotted. Strange cars parked. Annabelle seems convinced the odd noises were that of possible intruders. Imagination going wild. Sadness over loss of her grandmother, fights with her sisters and angst over residual feelings for Dawson.

BJ Daniels developed quite a somewhat amusing tale in HARD RUSTLER. Totally unexpected with her innocent start but building into a mob crime story. Not sure how she ever conjured up this one but it is chock full of surprises and the requisite awe moment when we get it. Great characters and an intriguing drama all add up to another fabulous BJ Daniels book and awesome beginning to a new series.

After racing through B.J. Daniels’ latest novel, Hard Rustler, it’s not hard to see why this much-loved award-winning best-selling author is regarded as the queen of contemporary western romantic suspense. A nail-biting read liberally spiced with heart-pounding mystery, breath-taking adventure and red-hot romance, Hard Rustler should come with a warning: cancel all your appointments and switch your phone off because once you start reading this book, putting it down is simply not an option!

Thirteen years might have passed since the last time cowboy Dawson Rogers had clapped eyes on Annie Clementine, but he has never managed to forgive her for breaking his heart into a million tiny pieces or forget the way she had walked out on him and destroyed any chance they might have had of a future together. When Dawson hears that Annie has come back to Whitehorse, Montana, he is not exactly overjoyed. He cannot wait until Annie gets back on the road and out of his life once again as her return has brought back to the fore memories which he had thought long-buried. Dawson is determined to do whatever it takes in order for Annie to sell her late grandmother’s house and leave Whitehorse as quickly as possible. However, it looks like Dawson is going to have a hell of a wait because Annie has not only inherited a house, but a mystery which she must solve at all costs for the alternative is simply too horrible to even contemplate…

A lot has changed since the last time Annie was in Whitehorse, Montana. Having always chafed at the conventions of small-town life, as soon as she had finished high school, Annie had packed her bags and headed for the big city where she had worked hard to become a supermodel. When she inherits her grandmother’s house, Annie isn’t planning on sticking around – or in rekindling old flames with her ex boyfriend, Dawson Rogers. However, fate seems to have other ideas in store for her! Annie does not want or need the added complication of a romance to distract her from her objective of selling her grandmother’s house, but when old secrets come to light that could jeopardise her entire future, Annie finds herself turning to the only man who can help her get to the bottom of this mystery that threatens her entire existence: Dawson!

With the clock ticking, Dawson and Annie have to work fast if they are to save their skin, but amidst all the danger and adrenaline, will they end up finding each other again and realizing that the only way the two of them can ever be happy is if they give their love another try?

A thrilling roller-coaster ride I devoured in a single sitting, Hard Rustler is an irresistible tale of danger and desire that left me breathless. B J Daniels certainly knows how to ramp up the tension, touch the heart and keep readers on the edge of their seats and in Hard Rustler she has written a fabulous tale of romantic suspense that kept me engrossed from beginning to end!

With a wonderfully nuanced heroine, a sexy cowboy hero, jaw-dropping twists and turns, searing emotional intensity and passionate romance, B J Daniels’ Hard Rustler has got keeper written all over it!

Oh the suspense! I was kept guessing. This was a quick read for me, I just couldn't put it down. I stayed up way to late finishing it but the ending was intense! So many secrets unfolded all at once.

Thrilling beginning to what promises to be a highly entertaining new series, emotionally engaging and sweetly sexy romantic journey.

Annabelle “Annie” Clementine is back home just long enough to sell her inheritance and get back to her real life..... Dawson Rogers is the one she left behind and he is willing to help her get the sale done so she can leave asap.... page turning adventure that keeps you guessing... loved it.

This is the perfect wrap of a romance and a mystery. There are several whys in this story. Why leave the house to only one granddaughter, why was there a wall where they used to be a alcove, why were people breaking into the house and why was Annabelle “Annie” Clementine back in Whitehorse, Montana. A great mix of danger, tension and romance.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

I love Daniel's ability to wrap a romance in suspense. Throw in a good looking cowboy and you've got the recipe for a weekend piled up on the couch reading nonstop. I can't say Annie was a favorite of mine but she grew on me and by the end of the book, appreciated the fact that she had done what she wanted with her life and didn't regret it.

This is a great start to a new series and I look forward to the next two books.

This is a story that has so many different components to it that it will surely appeal to any reader. Along with a second chance romance (with an explosive chemistry involved) there is an old unsolved jewelry heist mystery, a mob connection, murder, and an ending that is a complete surprise...every bit of this story is captivating, adding in charming characters, and a small town with the requisite nosy residents and this is a story that’s truly hard to put down.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Annabelle made it clear that she wanted bigger and better things becoming a supermodel. After the passing of her grandmother she's back in town to clean up the house that looks like the episode of Hoarders. She was hoping not to run into people of their past and of course that's the first thing she does run into her old flame Dawson. Dawson is on a mission to help her clean the house the faster she gets done the faster she gets out of town. Since Annie is inherited the house she seems to have inherited a mystery on their hands.

Now that last sentence is description I made sounds terrible but I don't know if I could do any better. There is so much to like about this book other than the fact that it's quick and easy to read so if you are pressed for time and you're looking for a bit of mystery to escape into then this book might do it for you. I love that there was more than one point of view there is not only are the main characters but of a sort of henchman (?) point of view. It seems the grandmother was deep into something and I thought it was interesting getting to find out what that was and how even after all these years it would still try to come bite her in the butt. I love the connection between Dawson and Annabelle and that it was a clean Romance so if you're anything like me you'd appreciate that. I love that there was a bit of romance, drama, mystery enough to keep the readers interested and I recommend you lovely readers should check it out.

Hard Rustler takes you for a suspenseful ride and doesn't stop. BJ Daniels does it again with a story that twist and turns leaves you wandering if our heroine can survive back in her hometown. Especially when a grandmother's secrets come to light. Besides trying to solve her own problems with the help of her former sweetheart she must maneuver her way through her grandmother's past. Can her former lover and she survive? Will she go back to her old career? Will the uncover the secrets that are decades to a half century old?

Annabelle Clementine is headed to her hometown of Whitehorse, Montana where she vowed she'd never return to the town or the state. Leaving 13 years ago and leaving a broken hearted Dawson Rogers behind. Annabelle is about out of gas when she comes across a cowboy parked along the side of the road and doesn't recognize her old boyfriend. Dawson realizes pretty quickly that he's in trouble when he realizes its his Annie who he's going to help. Taking off right after receiving almost full tank of gas Annie arrives in Whitehorse. Needing to sell her grandmother's house because of career problems she's determined to leave as soon as possible. Running into Dawson's mom Willie at the grocery store Annie is invited to Thanksgiving dinner. Thinking that Dawson is hunting with his brother she goes to Thanksgiving, only they're both surprised to each other. Dawson reveals he's the one that gave her the gas. He's jealous when his best friend and Annie flirt with each other. They all end up in the local bar where he dances and kisses Annie. They both bolt to leave and Annie is warned about hurting Dawson again. As he's leaving Dawson sees that her car is being towed and pays the back payments so she can keep it. Annie being embarrassed lashes out at him. He's talked into helping Annie clean out her grandmother's house. Dawson brings his family and friends to help her thinking the sooner he gets her out of town the sooner things can go back to normal . Only they can't seem to fight the attraction. Some suspicious people are noticed by the elderly neighbor lady. Annie finds a metal box holding clues to her grandmother's past. Dawson and Annie begin to wonder what is behind the closed off alcove. Annie thinks someone has been in her house, when she finds a trap door and tunnel she realizes she's right. They find out that her grandmother has a connection to a mobster. They realize Annie has another relative. The mobster sends his nephew to take care of Annie and find his stolen loot that he stole decades earlier. His nephew realizes the family connection and relays the information to the uncle. Annie and Dawson get closer and decide to open the wall. Finding a dead body wasn't part of the plan. Annie moves in with Dawson and gets a call about her modelling career and tells her secret to Willie. Dawson thinks she's wanting to leave so he's not holding onto her. Annie doesn't want to leave. When she moves back to her house and thinks she hears something. Getting up she goes looking and finds an elderly man with a gun. He's looking for the missing stolen goods only Annie doesn't know anything about it. The nephew shows up in time to save her only to be killed. Dawson meanwhile has a feeling that he needs to see Annie because something isn't right. He shows up as she's being held hostage by the elderly man wanting to know where the loot is. Annie has no idea and he doesn't believe her. Between Annie and Dawson they over power the man and call the sheriff. The sheriff realizes the elderly neighbor is missing. She's found dead in her basement. Annie tells Dawson she doesn't want to leave and they become engaged. Annie calls her 2 sisters to tell them about their grandmother. They plan on coming to Whitehorse for Christmas. Annie get an unexpected letter from a relative.

Hard Rustler is the first bo0k in the Clementine sister series based in Whitehorse, Montana. I look forward to the next 2 installments of the series. This book left me with questions. Like what has the other sister's looking in shadows and wondering if they're being followed. Who in Whitehorse will be the next to claim a Clementine sister as the love of their life. Can they be saved and find the man of their dreams in Whitehorse. I am anxiously awaiting the outcome. B.J. Daniels is a writer who can bring you to the edge of your seat wondering who is the bad guys and will they prevail or will our heroes. More Whitehorse, Montana books is my hope always. Especially since BJ Daniels is a FAVORITE AUTHOR!!!!!

Wow! I was settling down for a typical cowboy romance story(which I love) but no this was so much more....it was the perfect mix of intriguing , suspense, and romance . The characters were all easy to follow and fall in love with, the story line had a perfect flow to it. There is absolutely nothing I can say bad about this book! I will be looking for more books by B.J. Daniels!

Annie had left the small town of Whitehorse, Montana in her rear view mirror more than a decade ago with no intentions of ever returning. Yeah, she knew she’d left one heartbroken cowboy behind but that was something she would put aside to think of another day every single time Dawson ran across her mind… which was too often. Now the fates seems to be turning against her with her modeling career in ruins, unable to find work in the industry she loves due to blackballing from those in too much power… and worst of all is her grandmother’s death, and having to return to Whitehorse to deal with her estate. Clean it up. Sell it fast. And get outta town even quicker. That was her grand plan… but as they say, even the best laid plans can fall apart in a second.

The last person Dawson expected to see on the road in trouble was Annie. He’d had his heart broken by the younger version, and he had no intention of letting the older version do that to him again. Yet, he still found himself helping her clean up and clear out her grandmother’s house – all under the guise of getting her outta town quicker. Then the mystery that Annie’s grandmother had hid started to crumble as discoveries were made and intruders wrecked damage… how was he supposed to turn his back on her now.

Hard Rustler gives me everything I enjoy in a B. J. Daniels novel – a handsome cowboy, the lady he loves, a touch of mystery and a great secondary cast to pull it all together in an intriguing, entertaining story. Plus, I’ll always have a blast returning to Whitehorse, Montana the location of some of the best love stories, mysteries and believable couples to be found in Cowboy Romance. Annie and Dawson have a lot of past to get beyond before their happy ending comes, and I was easily caught up in the beginning story in The Clementine Sisters series. I’m looking forward to meeting Annie’s sisters in September and November of 2018 when their stories are released. Love a good cowboy romance with a touch of danger and mystery? Then this story would suit you just fine.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*