I've been reading B.J. Daniels' Cardwell Ranch novels for some time, and it was nice to see one that wasn't part of the series, yet it didn't take me long to discover that she brought a few of the Cardwells to Wyoming in this contemporary western romantic suspense novel, which was a tad light on the romance, and which gets 4 stars from this reader.

Jinx McCallan is in trouble. Her father's recent death led to her hasty marriage to the wrong man, T.D. Sharp, a handsome, smooth-talking, snake in the grass. He repeatedly cheated on her throughout their 2-year marriage and 6 months earlier, Jinx finally had had enough of him, his nasty temper and his verbal abuse when drunk, which was quite often, as well as his lazy, unwillingness to help with the mountain of work required to keep the ranch her father left her in the black, and she finally tossed his lazy butt out, filed for divorce and eventually filed a restraining order against him, one that he's ignored repeatedly. He won't sign the divorce papers unless Jinx either sells the ranch and gives him half the proceeds, takes him back (which is so not happening), or simply pays him off--which he'd prefer, since he's amassed a mountain of gambling debts, and his debtors want to be paid.

It's springtime in Wyoming and time for Jinx to move her herd of cattle up to their summer grazing ground, high up in the mountains, but she can't do it alone, and aside from Max, her elderly cook, she needs to hire enough wranglers to help on the cattle drive, but T.D., using threats and intimidation, has made sure that no wrangler in the area will sign on to help her, but an ad she placed out-of-state is soon answered by none other than three members of the Cardwell family, the twins, Angus and Brick, and their cousin Ella, and eventually, a couple of other iffy wranglers, but Jinx knows that beggars can't be choosers, and although she doesn't really trust them, she accepts them all.

It turns out that Jinx's mother and Dana Cardwell, mother of Angus and Brick, were good friends, and when Dana spotted Jinx's ad, she sent her twins and her niece to help her late friend's daughter. It also turns out that the twins had met Jinx decades ago when her mother visited the Cardwell Ranch, so Angus does look a bit familiar to Jinx, and Angus never forgot the feisty little redhead who pushed him out of the hayloft.

There's more than one subplot in this novel, and I won't give it away since I don't do spoilers, but I will tell you that this cattle drive is fraught with danger, from the weather, the two iffy wranglers, T.D. who wants Jinx to either take him back, or is willing to kill her to gain total ownership of her ranch, since the divorce hasn't been finalized. There's also the slow sizzle undercurrents of the attraction between Jinx and Angus, something T.D. notices, and something that makes him even more of a danger to Jinx, who he still considers is his.

While I liked the main characters in this novel, especially strong-willed, brave, and feisty, Jinx, and protective, handsome hunk, Angus, my reason for giving it 4 rather than 5 stars is that it really was very light on romance. Aside from a couple of kisses and Angus telling Jinx she's beautiful, I really wanted to see more depth of character develop between these two, as well as more romantic interactions between these them as well. After all, Jinx and Angus barely know each other. While there's plenty of action and danger in this novel, and it's well-plotted and well-paced, I felt that the romance was given short shrift--so all in all, it's a very good, fast-paced read, but not a great, emotionally satisfying one.

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

Ambushed Before Sunrise is a quick romantic suspense. It's part of the Cardwell Ranch series. For the most part, I enjoyed the book. It wasn't too heavy on the romance part. The characters were fun and interesting. I enjoyed the chemistry between Angus and Jinx. I'm not sure I would say there was a lot of suspense in the book. You pretty much know who is after Jinx from the beginning. Despite that, there were a few nail biting scenes. It's a quick read with a sweet HEA. I do recommend this one.

I like BJ Daniels' work. I've been reading books by this author for years. This one was enjoyable, though there were minor points that didn't quite click for me. So, not bad, but not the best in the author's library.

This intense adventure had me on the edge of my seat!

Jinx needs help to move her cattle, but her crazy ex-husband's campaign to ruin her has kept all the wranglers away. Hope comes in the form of Angus and his siblings, who learned everything they know on the Caldwell ranch. The action-packed cattle drive sets the scene for a complex storyline with overlapping loyalties, betrayals, and single-minded revenge.

The multiple third-person points of view explains why T.D. is so singularly focused on Jinx, and gives breadth to the story that the usual H/h POV approach would lack. This story never lets up on the suspense and intrigue, making it a fascinating adventure you won't soon forget.

The romance between Jinx and Angus has a satisfying, if a tad predictable, HEA that sees them off to a new start in their life together. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

My thoughts

Rating : 4

Would I recommend it: yes

Would I read more by this author ? yes



This is the third book by this author I've read and just like the last two times she didn't let me down, As soon as I started reading I got lost in the story and didn't wait to stop reading at all. Her characters came to life off the page and it it was like watching a movie with each turn of the page. I loved the inter action between Jinx and Angus as well as between the interaction between her and the rest of the characters. Another thing I loved was that the romance was second to the rest of the story and that even though it was part of it , it didn't take anything away from it , that it was even slow burning which can some times be a bad thing but not in this story it worked really well.Over it was a good mix of suspense and romance . With that said I want to think the publishers as well as NetGalley for letting me read and review it .

In Ambush Before Sunrise (Harlequin 2020), JoRay "Jinx" McCallahan must take over running her family ranch when her father dies. She hopes her new husband, T.D. Sharp, will help her to do this but he ends up to be lazy, uninspired, and a gambler. She files for divorce and he fights her every step of the way including making it impossible for her to hire wranglers to move her herd to their summer range. She manages to hire the nephews of her mothers friend, Angus and Birk as well as their cousin, Emily. When TD sees his plan foiled (to prevent her from the drive), he tries something else, and this more deadly.

Overall, this is a good story with a nice balance of western ranching and budding romance. The problems in today's ranch are similar to those you’d find in the old west including horses, cows, stampedes, a chuck wagon, bad guys with guns, a black bear, and broken hearts. My only complaint might be that the writing gets a bit repetitive in some parts, sharing backstory, but not so much I didn't keep reading!

Way back in the early 2000s, when I bought my very first e-reader, the first book I downloaded was B.J Daniels Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch. I remember being so excited to read my first digital book and loving the romance between Dana and Hud! Now, seventeen years later, I’m reading Ambush Before Sunrise and am taken on another suspenseful and romantic adventure. And the best part? Two of the major characters, Angus and Brick, are Dana and Hud’s now-adult sons!!

Ambush Before Sunrise is the story of Jinx McCallahan, a woman struggling to maintain her family ranch. With a soon-to-be ex-husband terrorizing her, a herd of cattle to move, and no workers willing to get in the middle of a toxic, and potentially dangerous, domestic battle, Jinx hires a motley crew including twins Angus and Brick and their cousin Ella.

Angus has plans to return home to help run Cardwell Ranch with his family. However, when he hears that Jinx is in trouble and needs some hired hands, he doesn’t hesitate. Jinx needs help, and Angus always wondered what happened to the feisty beauty he met as a boy. What Angus doesn’t know is that Jinx has an ex who isn’t ready to let her or her ranch go, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get what he deserves.

This is a quick-paced, suspenseful, and action-packed story filled with dynamic characters and a little bit of romance. Jinx is a strong and likable protagonist. Brave in the face of danger, smart, and fiery, she compliments Angus’s strong, quiet, and calming personality. I also like the history Angus and Jinx have. This old connection brings them closer and helps them to let go of their misgivings and fears.

The romance that develops between Angus and Jinx is sweet and true. They have a mutual respect for each other, and they feel a connection from the start. I like how the romance starts slow and then blooms into a lovely relationship built on trust, respect, and admiration.

The minor characters are as well-developed as Angus and Jinx and include Angus’ fun and charming twin Brick, their sharp and kind cousin Ella, the lovable cook Max, and the sinister T.D. and his equally shady friends. The character development and the fast-paced plot are the highlights of the story.

I also liked the reference to Caldwell Ranch. Though it isn’t important to know the characters’ references, it is fun to see some old names and read about their connections to the characters in this story. I’m excited to read more about this wonderful family in future books! Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

If you love rancher romances, definitely check this one out.

Basic premise: Jinx McCallahan has to get her cattle to the high country and she hires five hands to help her out. Two are more seasoned and three are rookies. She is in the midst of a divorce from a dangerous man who spends too much of his time drinking. Her ex wants her back. And then later he wants her dead. He really just wants her ranch so he can sell it and pay back the people he borrowed money from.

The trek to the high country is dangerous. As she gets to know her new hands, she realizes the rookies were her best investment. Then things start to go awry.

The romance was secondary here as it is in many Intrigues but this one was barely there. They fell in love the old fashioned way in this book. Mutual respect led to more. Kinda wished that happened more in real life.

Lovely story. I will definitely continue to read more of B.J. Daniels cowboy books. She has plenty of them to choose from.

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.

Another great book by this author. Her writing is always fresh and the stories are intruguing. It definitely held my interest from start to finish.

A typical B.J. Daniels thriller romance, where we are also introduced to the new set of characters for the next books. It was ok, but the plot is really known....

Un tipico giallo-rosa alla B.J.Daniels dove i personaggi sono anche quelli che popoleranno i prossimi libri della serie. non é male, ma é tutto molto noto....

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!