This book is a good fit for readers who enjoy stories about taking a chance on love, even in the face of past secrets and present doubts, and who appreciate a determined heroine working to uncover the truth.

Thoughts: A classmate found dead in a pond 10 years after she went missing, and the small senior class of a dozen or so people are all suspects? Sign me up! Sounds like the movie Clue or Agatha Christie's book And Then There Were None. But that's where the similarities end. This story was so outlandish that I'm surprised I finished it. I really wanted to find something positive to say about this book but I honestly can't think of anything. Even the most interesting part -- a reunion up on the mountain at a secluded ranch where the killer starts enacting revenge -- while interesting and plenty suspenseful, took too long in the story to happen and was just too improbable. The main characters make so many unrealistic (i.e. terrible) choices that it was impossible for me to suspend my disbelief. I appreciated not being able to guess who the killer was, but the level of drama throughout the novel just made it difficult to get invested in the story. I also felt the chemistry between the two main characters, Slade and Lizzie, was forced. The story narration constantly mentions how much they're interested in each other from their internal dialogues with very few actual scenes together until the last third of the book -- the author has to literally tell you they're into each other over and over again because they aren't around each other enough for readers to see it for themselves. This one was just not worth it for me. But I appreciate the opportunity to have read it, so thank you NetGalley and publishers for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Just His Luck is the third installment in the Sterling’s Montana series. I have to say if I could give this story more than 5 stars I would. I couldn’t put this book down I needed to keep reading to figure out who this killer was that after 10 years they were not done killing. Shade and Lizzy were separated due to a killing of a young woman. Shade was in a relationship with Ariel but he broke it off with her because he was interested in someone else. Finally when he had the courage he kissed Lizzy but something happened that night and now nearing their 10th year high school reunion she was found. It was Lizzy’s first day as the Sheriff and her first case to solve was the murder of her so-called best friend. They all thought that Ariel had left the night of their graduation party no one knew that she was in the bottom of a pond dead. Now Lizzy is going to have her hands full trying to figure out who from her graduating class killed her. There were about 13 people that she needed to investigate but as she does things start to happen to her. Ariel was the mean girl in school the girl that everyone wanted to be and had the looks and got what she wanted. What intrigued me even more about this story was that there were sections that Ariel’s thoughts were incorporated into the story. Lizzy and Shade had a long journey before they could be together and finally get their first date. Shade had his own problems that he was going to have to deal with. A ex girlfriend was going to be coming back into his life and was going to drop a bomb on him. But in the end happily ever after would happen but twists and turns of who the murderer was going to happen first.

I totally recommend this read and I will have to go back to read the first and second book.

Just His Luck by B. J. Daniels is the third installment of the Sterlings of Montana. This book is full of suspense and heartache. The story of the one that got away always catches my attention. I couldn't put this book down. I don't reread but this may just be one I have to.

A mystery by B.J. Daniels certainly cannot go wrong as she weaves in a deadly past threatening the future that Shade and Lizzy may be building. Combine a mystery with some romance and a talk from the dead, is pretty captivating and interesting.

Just His Luck, that Shade sure has his work cut out for him to prove himself!

Shade Sterling has carried a torch for Lizzy Conners since senior year of high school. But the timing never felt right for them, especially since his ex-girlfriend, Ariel, disappeared without a trace years ago. Now, with their ten-year class reunion approaching, Shade is tired of waiting. Determined to move on with his life and take a chance with Lizzy, he’s all in…until a car is dredged up from a local pond and Ariel’s remains are found inside. As the newly appointed sheriff, Lizzy must investigate every single lead—including the ones that point right to Shade. She knows she can’t let her heart get in the way of an investigation, but she can’t accept that Shade is guilty. Now if she can only prove it—both to the town out for justice and to herself.
This was a pretty good book. I really liked Lizzy as she’s having the mother of all bad first days to kick off the first chunk of this book. I liked Shade too, but I felt we didn’t really get to know him as well as Lizzy. I really loved uncovering this mystery. It reminded me a bit like the primary plot in the Scream tv show’s first season, only with adults. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Leave it to B.J. Daniels to concoct a murder, sinister and creepy, with details that strike immediately. A crime novel where the cast of suspects is huge. The high school tenth year reunion is being planned by the very people whom newly elected sheriff Lizzy Conners lists as suspects. Why you ask, well it seems as if classmate Ariel was well hated. In fact finding someone who didn’t hate her is decided impossible. But what is most entertaining about JUST HIS LUCK is the ongoing dialog from the dead. Yes Ariel is ever present in this story and whenever she appears she is the comic relief.

Ariel loved being center of attention and even from her watery grave she appears to appreciate everyone talking about her. Even if the talk is about how much they all hated her, the town bully. Burning question is who hated her so much that they tied her hands to her steering wheel, seat-belted her in, and pushed her brand new SUV into the pond. And watched her drown. You see we know these facts because Ariel tells us.

Now we are going to witness B.J. Daniels at her creative, cunning best as we watch Lizzy and Shade Sterling, Ariel’s one time boyfriend, try to piece a puzzle together. And as the reader we are treated to a behind the scenes narrative curtesy of Ariel herself.

You know in plays where an announcer sets up each scene. Ariel plays that role. As armchair detectives we sit back and visualize the action. Lizzy has a big job ferreting out Ariel’s killer. Even more difficult is the reality that it is most probably someone she knows. After all this is a small town. Her graduating class was only numbered about twelve. But Lizzy is smart enough to realize that the branches of suspects could be far reaching.

So sit back and enjoy the third and final installment in the Sterling Montana series by B.J. Daniels. I read this series out of order which was just fine in case you are concerned. Serial books at times need to be read in order but B.J. Daniels books standalone quite nicely. However I would be remiss in not mentioning that all three in this series were quite outstanding. Be prepared to be challenged at each junction while Lizzy flexes her investigative muscles. I totally loved being drawn into the mystery in JUST HIS LUCK as was the case in the first two books of this series. B.J. Daniels just gets better and better and with JUST HIS LUCK she is sure to win new fans.

Another great book!!! I love anything B.J. Daniels writes! She never disappoints me. Her storytelling astounds me!! Can't wait for her next book!!

Shade's the youngest of the Sterling brothers and hasn't ever had much luck in the love department.  His true love, Lizzy Conners, has always seemed out of reach.  His second chance love in college ended suddenly and he pretty much wrote off long term relationships after that.  Of the three brothers, I think I liked Shade the most, which is odd, because the youngest tends to be spoiled or bratty.  Shade, on the other hand, was pretty content with his life and how things had worked out.  Sure, he wanted love and a family, but he wasn't in a rush to find it, either.  He was more than willing to wait for Lizzy and I thought that was sweet.

I was happy to see that Lizzy was Shade's love interest in this book.  We meet her in one of the other two novels and I really liked her character then.  It made me doubly happy to see that she'd won the election for sheriff.  She's a strong-willed character, determined to get what she wants, including Shade.  However, her drive isn't off-putting like it can sometimes be.  She has her insecure moments and I think that's the difference right there.  Often, she questions whether she's right for the job or not, only to prove to herself and others that she's the exact person they need.

The mystery was a good one as well. I love nothing better than a cold case so, when Shade's ex-girlfriend's body is found ten years after her disappearance, I was all in.  Just His Luck had all my favorite mystery tropes combined into one.  A group of possible murderers confined to a small area, no way to reach outside help, no one really knowing who the bad guy is.  I couldn't tell you why this old school approach is so addictive to me, but it's really my favorite kind of mystery.  In the end, I had pegged pretty much everyone for the murder aside from the actual murderer.  Which, honestly, isn't that much of a shock since I can't ever figure these things out. 

While I'm sad to see this series end, I'm also excited because now I can move on to other series by this author.  Seeing she's as prolific as she is, I won't be without something to read for a very long time to come.  And that's a beautiful thing.

Just His Luck is the third novel in B.J. Daniels' Sterling's Montana series, which I've been following since its inception, and so far this novel, which is billed as romantic suspense, is my favorite, and it gets 4.5 stars from this reader, because I've deducted 1/2 star in what would otherwise be a 5-star review for the lack of romance in this novel.

The novel opens as one of the central characters in this novel, Ariel Matheson, is tied to the steering wheel of her car as it is rapidly sinking into the pond during the night of her high school graduation party, and, of course, we aren't told who is behind her death. Her disappearance from town, and her death by drowning in her graduation gift, a baby blue SUV, remains a mystery for the next 10 years, most people assuming she simply left town, at least until her car is discovered at the bottom of the pond, and hauled out of there, with little more than Ariel's skeleton inside. But this isn't the last you'll see or hear of her, since her spirit is one of the narrators of this novel.

Ariel's high school was small, private and special, and her graduating class numbered only 13 students, all of whom are shocked when they discovered that Ariel never left town at all--she was murdered, and her list of enemies was pretty much everyone in her graduating class. She was the spoiled, manipulative, wealthy, bullying and blackmailing leader of the pack among her classmates, but which one of them killed her?

One of the characters most surprised by this discovery is Ariel's former "best friend," the new sheriff in town, Lizzie Connors, the discovery of Ariel's SUV, happening on the day she's sworn into office, and, taking a page from one of Agatha's Christie's most famous novels, And Then There Were None, there is no shortage of suspects, all of her former classmates had reason to hate her, because Ariel, while popular, had made most of their lives miserable, telling lies, turning one person against the other, manipulating, bullying, blackmailing and even fat-shaming others.

Ariel's boyfriend at the time, Shade Sterling, betrayed Ariel at that graduation party--Ariel saw him kiss Lizzie, and Ariel stormed out of the partyn, never dreaming that her life was about to end. Her classmates were all planning to spend graduation weekend at Sterling's Guest Ranch, high in the mountains, where a weekend of fun events had been planned. Many wondered if they should continue on with that plan in light of Ariel's death, but they finally agree, and it doesn't take long for Lizzie and Shade to act on their 10 year attraction to one another, one that has apparently survived the 10 years since that one kiss. But if you're expecting a whole lot of romance in this novel, you won't find it here, because once everyone has gathered at that mountain top retreat, old wounds are exposed, old rivalries are revealed, the snow starts falling, and then the dead bodies start piling up, all in one taut and suspenseful guessing game of a mystery novel that certainly had me guessing until the very end.

I've known how good a writer B.J. Daniels is for years, but although mysteries have propelled some of the action in her novels, this one was a standout for this reader, and although Lizzie and Slade eventually get their HEA ending, there are a number of other obstacles in the way of their romance, and yes, I'd have appreciated a little more time spent on that, but even when you think the killer has been found, and you've solved the mystery, trust me, you haven't. This was one heck of a mystery novel, and I highly recommend it, not just to romance readers, but to mystery buffs as well. Although part of a series, this novel works perfectly as a standalone.

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

For some reason I just could not get into this one. I was bored and therefore I did not finish it. I normally love books about cowboys but this one just didn't keep me interested.

Its been recently uncovered that the high schools Queen B, Ariel, has not been missing but in fact dead all theses years. Its been uncovered right before the high school reunion and newly appointed Sheriff Lizzy is on the case, she was a friend of Ariel and she has to keep her guard and up think about suspects that include Shade Sterling. Lizzy and Shade had a thing in the past but it never amounted much of anything because it wasn't the time and just when he decides to see about striking something up this Ariel revelation comes about messing things up. Everyone is a suspect and Lizzy needs to find the murder and it seems with the reunion coming closer she might have a chance to question everyone and figure out who is behind this.

You know what while I was reading this it has a Pretty Little Liars vibe coming off of it so that made me love the book even more. I loved following along the case seeing how Lizzy was getting closer to figuring out who could've been behind Ariels death. There was just so much going on where everyone had secrets, memories that seems insignificance that could help with the case and just so much going on that you can't help but want to stick around and see who really did it. There was also the suspense and thriller aspect where it seems the closer things were getting, and with everyone from the past sticking around for the reunion things start to go down and you'll have to read this book if you want to know more. But if you love a mystery thriller with a tiny bit of romance you'll love this book!

Like the rest of this series, Just His Luck is more mystery than romance. We have a missing girl turned murder victim, and her body is found just in time for the high school reunion. A reunion that is full of possible suspects. Of course, our romantic couple, not that I felt a lot of romance with this one, is included in that suspect list. That's one of the places I ran into problems with this one. Yes, Lizzy is sheriff, but investigating this murder is a huge conflict of interest on its own even though the finger isn't pointed at her. She knew the murder victim too, plus, there's the fact that she's fooling around with Shade, who has plenty of reasons to be considered a suspect. We also have a bit of the supernatural with sections from the dead girl's point of view. Not a past point of view, nope, we get the present, as in a ghost, which was a bit unexpected, and didn't really fit. To sum it up, the mystery was okay, the romance - well, it wasn't really much of a romance, and hearing from the ghost just felt unnecessary. Too many things didn't work for me in this one, which is shame because the mystery certainly had potential.

Just His Luck
(Sterling's Montana #3)
by B.J. Daniels 

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Published August 27th 2019 by HQN



Goodreads synopsis:
He thought the past was finally behind him

Shade Sterling has carried a torch for Lizzy Conners since senior year of high school. But the timing never felt right for them, especially since his ex-girlfriend, Ariel, disappeared without a trace years ago. Now, with their ten-year class reunion approaching, Shade is tired of waiting. Determined to move on with his life and take a chance with Lizzy, he’s all in…until a car is dredged up from a local pond and Ariel’s remains are found inside.

As the newly appointed sheriff, Lizzy must investigate every single lead—including the ones that point right to Shade. She knows she can’t let her heart get in the way of an investigation, but she can’t accept that Shade is guilty. Now if she can only prove it—both to the town out for justice and to herself.

***

5 Stars

This is the third book in the Sterling’s Montana series by B.J.Daniels.

Daniels is an author I am very familiar with considering my obsession with all things Harlequin Intrigue and Silhouette Romantic Suspense. My library at home is jam-packed with a metric ton of these titles alone. So, when I requested this title, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed and I was right in my assumption.

I find it humorous that Slade Sterling is on the cover of this book. I wouldn’t exactly consider him the main character. He is indeed among one of the most important secondary characters, yes. Lead, to me, goes to Sheriff Lizzy Connors. It would have been nice to have her and Slade on the cover together. But who doesn’t like a handsome cowboy on the cover of their novel, right?

I didn’t realize this until I was almost at the end, but this book had a taste of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Similar, but different. In the Christie book nearly everyone dies, even the killer at one point. (Of course, that person wasn’t really dead and came back to life to off all the guests.) Not everyone gets killed in Daniel’s book, but they make a significant dent in the population of this Montana town.

I have to admit that I had no clue whodunit. Everyone seemed to hate Ariel and had a similar motivation to kill her. I am surprised she wasn’t done in much earlier in her life considering how she treated everyone. And her mother seemed almost clueless to the witch she had become. We all know someone who can smile their sweetest smile while twisting the knife in your back. That was Ariel. Not a nice gal. And she was blackmailing everyone. I am not sure why exactly. She had it all. She was rich, popular and could get any guy she wanted.

In a normal investigation by the Sheriff’s office, Lizzie would not have been able to investigate considering she was the previous best friend of the victim and stole away the victim’s boyfriend on the night of her death. They tried to justify it by saying their office was small and they didn’t have the manpower or money to outsource this investigation. But still, I am baffled. She should have been at least assigned another person to assist her who wasn’t involved. Lizzy’s sounding board was Slade, who had an equal motivation to kill Ariel considering she broke up with him on the night of her death and loudly proclaimed he was the father of her baby. Neither fact was true but that girl had the gift of manipulation.

Once you dive into this novel, you will not want to put it down. So set aside an entire day and soak it all up. You won’t be disappointed. Great book. The romance wasn’t as prevalent as the mystery but that is okay with me when the mystery is so good.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

MY THOUGHTS

I sometimes like a good cowboy and I have to say this is a good one.
Just His Luck is book 3 is Sterling's Montana series and I have to say that I actually liked this one better than the previous 2 books.

I very much like this story and like Shade and Lizzy together.

I am giving this 4 out of 5 stars

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

Ohoooo, I am really liking this book! A mystery from ten years ago, a long smothering relationship that is about to catch fire and the ghost of the victim providing commentary throughout. Definitely not your usual B.J. Daniels Romantic-Suspense. And, a whole cast of suspects, each with a really good reason to off Ariel Matherson.

Shade Sterling, as Ariel's ex-boyfriend, was Suspect #1 in her disappearance after a graduation party ten years ago. After her remains are found, he's the #1 suspect in her murder, even though they were over months before that night and Shade wanted nothing more than to date Lizzy Conners, one of Ariel's best friends. Except, Ariel didn't have friends, more like enemies she just kept really, really close. Ariel kept them close because she knew all their secrets.

Lizzy Conners had a crush on Shade Sterling her senior year of high school, but he belonged to Ariel and Lizzy wasn't about to poach Ariel's guy, Lizzy had secrets too. Now, ten years later, Lizzy is the newly elected Sherriff and Ariel's remains have just been found in a local pond. With the 10 year reunion coming up everyone who knew Ariel is a suspect, especially Shade, which means that Lizzy and Shade will have to put their attraction on the backburner, again.

Fantastic conclusion to the series, and one that sucked me in from the very first pages. Shade is the youngest of the three Sterling brothers and was not much of a presence in the first two books. He works the ranch side. The first sight of him in this book is as he is riding the ranch property and thinking about how much he loves it. His attention is caught by the flashing lights of police cars near the edge of his property. His curiosity brings him to the site just as a familiar vehicle is dragged from the pond.

Lizzy is the newly elected sheriff, and the discovery of this murder happens on her first day on the job. Complicating matters is that Lizzy knew the victim quite well and had been among the last people to see Ariel alive, along with the other members of their graduating class. Ariel disappeared the night of their graduation, and no one had seen or heard from her since then. Now it will be up to Lizzy to investigate all the possibilities, including those pointing at Ariel's ex-boyfriend, Shade Sterling.

Shade and Lizzy have a complicated history. They knew each other in high school, where each had crushed on the other. Lizzy tried to keep her feelings buried because Shade belonged to her friend Ariel. Shade had had feelings for Lizzy for months before graduation and broke up with Ariel, though Ariel refused to admit it. Though Lizzy and Shade shared one hot kiss on graduation night, Ariel's disappearance made Shade reluctant to pursue anything with Lizzy. They soon went their separate ways, and fate kept them from doing anything in the intervening years. Ten years later, Shade is ready to take a chance, until Ariel's body is discovered and their worlds are thrown into turmoil. Now they have to tamp down any feelings they have for each other until the investigation into Ariel's murder is complete.

I liked how the relationship between Shade and Lizzy developed. Lizzy's instincts tell her that Shade is innocent, but she has to remain impartial. This is difficult for both of them as the investigation overlaps the planning for their 10-year class reunion. As it becomes horrifyingly clear that one of their classmates is a killer, Shade becomes very protective of Lizzy, while Lizzy quickly comes to depend on Shade's level head. Just as Shade pictures a future with Lizzy, he receives some startling news that may throw a crimp in his plans. Will Lizzy be willing to accept his changed circumstances, or will it end things before they start? I really liked how this part was handled, with heart and maturity. It also gave them a chance to get to know each other more deeply. The ending was romantic in an amusing way and perfect for the two of them.

The suspense of the story had me glued to the pages from start to finish. The more that came out about Ariel, the more suspects in her murder were added to the investigation. It was a frightening look into the long-ranging effects that a bully can have on someone's life. This was emphasized by the inclusion of Ariel's thoughts as she followed along with the investigation. It added an extra layer to the complexity of everything that Lizzy had to consider in her investigation. The intensity increased as the classmates gathered for their reunion at Sterling's Guest Ranch. There were so many twists and turns that I was kept guessing throughout, with the final twist being completely unexpected.

Just His Luck is the Third book in the Sterling's Montana series by B.J Daniels. If this is your first book in the series let me point out that even though it's labeled a Romance it is not much of one. Yes, there's a connection between the main characters that quickly gets explored at the end of the book, but at it's core this is a western mystery / thriller. That is how each book in the series has been so it's exactly what I expected when I dived into this one.


Just His Luck has three main characters, the sheriff Lizzy, Shade Sterling, and the point of view of the ghost of a girl murdered ten years ago. I know, it's odd, let's move on. Lizzy's first day as sheriff brings the discovering of a girl she went to school with ten years ago, also Shade's ex-girlfriend, Ariel. Lizzy has to find out who murdered her from their small graduating class and Shade is her number one suspect but almost everyone has a motive. Shade has crushed on Lizzy for as long as he can remember but the timing has never been right, with being a suspect and other surprises popping up in his life, now is still not the right time, but he's done waiting. When Lizzy and her former classmates end up stranded at the ranch in the middle of a blizzard she has to figure out who the killer is before more people die.

I enjoyed the characters, except for Ariel's point of view. I felt it unnecessary and little hokey. Besides that aspect, I found the story interesting and the mystery was very layered. I had no idea who the murderer was until it was revealed at the end. However, it did feel a little all over the place and was a bit confusing at times keeping track of which former classmate was up to what. The light romance story line between Lizzy and Shade was a bit forced in my opinion. I don't understand how they could have feelings for ten years and with nothing actual standing in their way not act on it. Then bam they are in love, yet they hadn't been close friends in the meantime. It didn't make much sense but was cute nonetheless.

3.5/5⭐

Wow! Until the murderer was uncovered I had NO clue who it was! I kept trying to figure it out, but the hints in the story just kept me confused until the almost end when the murderer confessed to Lizzy. Loved the story, kept my attention throughout. Wish this wasn't the end of the series.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Actual Rating: 1.5 stars

While I loved the first book in this series, unfortunately I was not a fan of Just His Luck. This is billed as a romantic suspense, but it's really more of a mystery with light romance plot that wraps up way too quickly in the last few chapters. It follows Lizzy Connors (newly elected sheriff) and Shade Sterling (good-looking cowboy) ten years after high school when the body of a classmate (Ariel), murdered on grad night, is finally discovered. Everyone is in town for the class reunion and one of them is the murderer. The problem is, almost everyone hated Ariel and is therefore a suspect. Everyone also has dark secrets that they might do anything to keep hidden.

For me, there was way to much teen melodrama and over-the-top revelations to be enjoyable, with affairs and pregnancies left and right. If I wanted that, I would have gone for a different sort of book. Added to that is a good bit of unprofessionalism on Lizzy's part, an overly-convoluted plot, and a romance that I was never invested in turning into a way too fast proposal...this was unsatisfying and not something I enjoyed. I also didn't like the insertion of "Ariel" from beyond the grave as a perspective. It felt silly and unnecessary. I will try something else from this author because I did really enjoy the one other thing I read from her, but this one fell flat for me. I received an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings for adult/teen sexual relationships, death, terminal illness, murder, underaged drinking, drug use, affairs, depictions of blood and violence.