4.5 star

I was pulled right into this short story. The story has laughs, secrets, suspense, and heartbreak.

If you have not read the below I would recommend reading those books(s) first
Restless Hearts (Montana Justice #1)
Heartbreaker (Montana Justice Book 2)

This is Charlie and Shep’s story. Shep and Charlie have a history. But she has secrets she has been keeping for years. When she gets a glimpse of someone, she thought was dead she knows she needs Shep’s help. But when all the secrets come out will he help? Danger was around her before and now it’s back. Can he protect her and help he find out what really happened to her stepsister? Will they solve the case? Or will he lose her before he gets a second chance at forever with her?

I loved these characters and the side characters. I felt I could connect with the characters and the story was a great read.

I highly recommend this book.

This is the 3rd book in the Montana Justice series. You can read this one on it's own though but I would recommend the others. B.J. Daniels always writes a good romance suspense story. It was enjoyable and kept me guessing.

Heart of Gold (Montana Justice #3). By B.J. Daniels. 2020. HQN (ARC eBook).

Charlie Farmington swears she is seeing the ghost of her dead stepsister Lindy. Unnerved, she calls Judge WT Landusky, who once mentored her and other troubled youth, for help. Her help arrives in the form of her first love William “Shep” Shepard.

When Shep first comes to Charlie’s rescue he’s determined to keep their interactions professional and not let his feelings for Charlie interfere. It was Charlie after all who left him. They may have been kids, but he never doubted his love for her. But as deadly secrets from 15 years ago surrounding the unsolved murder of Lindy begin to coincide with harassment at Charlie’s work they begin to wonder just who she needs rescuing from.

The story’s intrigue pulled me in from the beginning and there were some unexpected surprises. Heart of Gold Can be read as a standalone, but there is a minor side story involving the Judge that is intertwined with all of the Montana Justice books. Overall, this was a satisfying romantic suspense as Shep and Charlie get their second chance.

Charlette “Charlie” Farmington feels like her life is going too well. She is just waiting for something to happen. Wesley “Shep” Shepherd is about to get a call that will change his life. He’ll be asked to help an old friend in danger. Her past will come back to haunt her, giving her a chance to right a wrong that she can’t forget. Their Heart of Gold just maybe the answer to the past to rest forever.

B.J. Daniels does it again, she writes an intriguing and suspenseful story or obsession, revenge and to teenage lovers reunited to solve a cold case murder. The third book in in her Montana Justice series. It continues the tradition of books you just can’t put down. They’ll work together to find a stalker who just may help reveal the truth of what happened all those years ago. These two well written characters will face danger to renew a long-lost love and reveal their Heart of Gold.

There's something about seeing the Harlequin logo that has me one-clicking, ready to indulge in a great romance. And this author definitely brought me that. B.J. Daniels is a definite one click for me.

Its Christmas time and Charlie is still dealing with the weight of guilt from the death of her sister. She may have not been an active participant but she didn't like her step sister and wasn't there to help. Things are getting a bit complicated when her sister's ghost keeps appearing and someone from her past shows up to keep and eye on her because of how unsafe she feels. With a couple of wierd things going on they want to figure out whats going on and if she really is seeing what shes seeing.

There is so much to enjoy about this book and it'll keep the readers from start to end. I loved seeing how this book progressed clearly something is up if after so many years it appears that her sister is showing up especially if shes dead. Then theres the whole guy of her past Shep showing up to keep an eye on her, both had a thing in the past so its causing some complicated feelings. I loved watching as the story got on seeing things piece together the amount of information that kept getting uncovered made for a great book. I really enjoyed this. Highly Recommend!

You know the author has you right away when they throw at you that unsolved murder involving a sister. Charlie has us from the get go and we sit back right away in this one. What a shocker her sight gave her too. Talk about it got interesting is just putting it mild. Secrets are not good and when the ones in this come to light we can not look away. She and Shep have their hands full but we also can not look away as the clues are brought to the front and the answers come out. The romance is another element that helps fuel this and makes for the best in reading that satisfies the heart and the mind.

This was an interesting and intriguing story that kept me guessing right up until the end. I love a good romantic suspense and this had all the qualities I look for in the trope except I think it could have used a little more romance. It is also a second chance romance of course. I did enjoy it very much though; the story flowed nicely and I really liked Shep and Charlie's characters. I love that when the judge calls him, Shep drops everything to show up and be there for Charlie and little does she know doesn't have any intentions on leaving her. And of course the judge. I am enjoying this series from B.J. Daniels.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Romance and B.J. Daniels for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Heart of Gold is book number three of B.J. Daniel’s Montana Justice series, but my first novel by her! Heart of Gold introduces us to Charlie Farmington who faints after seeing her sister on the sidewalk across the street. The only problem? Her sister is dead. Years ago Charlie met another troubled teen named Shepard and their connection was instant. Now after years away he’s back to help Charlie figure out what happened to Charlie and hopefully win her back.
Heart of Gold was a nice mix of suspense, mystery and romance to keep me interested from the first page until the last.

Dry, almost clinical. No passion and no attempt by the author to involve the reader beyond the surface story until the end. I just didn't feel for these characters who met as teens in a boot camp mandated by Judge JT Landusky and formed a friendship. That part should have been told with passion and the angst of first love. It was just related, the reader doesn't get to live it. I am slightly intrigued by the plot that has Charlie seeing her dead stepsister after 15 years. The ending was unexpected and explained a lot, but wasn't very realistic.

Charlie calls Judge JT Landusky with her problem, he sends Shep. They fell in love as teens, but when they meet again as adults you don't feel any of those long ago emotions. Very sterile. I had a very hard time caring much for these two. Charlie sees someone who looks exactly like her dead stepsister. How is this possible? Lindy has been dead for 15 years? I suspected that someone was gas lighting her for some reason. Charlie had a part in Lindy's death, but was not responsible. But Charlie thinks she is responsible. Shep is determined to get to the bottom of it all and he wants another chance with Charlie, who stole his heart so long ago.

I loved this story! Judge Landusky does it again!

Edge of your seat action, swoony romance, and surprising twists make this a book you'll escape into right from the very first page. Charlie (Charlotte) sees a ghost from her past and calls her mentor, Judge WT Landusky, for help. He sends Shep, a cowboy she knew and loved as a teen who is now a middle-school math teacher, to help Charlie to figure out just what is going on.

I loved the easy rapport that Charlie and Shep still had, and the way he stepped right up to protect her was so perfectly written. Their romance has a bit of a rocky start due to her complicated situation, but when it all shakes out it's clear that these two are made for each other.

The plot can't really be commented on without spoiling the many secrets, but suffice it to say that there are surprises around every corner and connections that will shock even the most observant reader. This author knows how to drop hints that are easily overlooked as hints, using delicate foreshadowing that still doesn't give away any secrets. This book is a perfect blend of romance, mystery, and thriller, and I loved every bit of it.

As the third book in this series, this is the third "case" we've seen Judge Landusky employ his connections to solve and in doing so he also matches up his protégés with their once-in-a-lifetime loves. It is fitting, then, that the Judge also has his own romance as a delightful side story here. The HEA is all-encompassing, bringing together several couples whose romances were developed throughout the story and providing closure on all the mysteries and loose ends. I highly recommend this wonderful story. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I'm a fan of BJ Daniels work but this was not one of my favorites. I found the situation a bit outlandish and unbelievable. I don't want to give away the story but suffice to say if you enjoy twists and turns with a bizarre outcome, this book's for you.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

Heart of Gold is the third novel in B.J. Daniels' Montana Justice series, and it's a series I've been following since its inception. While I'm far more used to reading her traditional contemporary western romances, I've enjoyed the previous books in this series, and this one, which combines a second chance at romance with quite a suspenseful mystery that certainly kept me guessing. It gets 4 stars from this reader.

What kept me from giving Heart of Gold a 5-star rating was the very slow moving first half of the novel. It was interesting, it did give us a chance to get to know the heroine, Charlie Farmington, and introduced her boss, his girlfriend, and Charlie's work situation, as well as her current boyfriend, Daniel, but it took quite some time for the story to develop and for the hero, Shep, to be introduced.

What I did like was the backstory of both the hero and heroine, who met as young teenagers at a court-ordered boot camp for difficult teens. Charlie didn't have an easy childhood, and her father's marriage to her stepmother and her new stepsister, Lindy, was dreadful. Her father and stepmother only had time for each other, and her stepsister, Lindy, hated Charlie on sight, bullied and tormented her relentlessly, and only months into this situation, her father is killed in an auto accident, her stepmother is in a coma, Lindy is brutally murdered, and after recovering from the accident, her stepmother deserts her, so at age 14, Charlie enters the foster care system. It's certainly no mystery that she ended up in that boot camp, where she met and fell in love with Shep, but they were both too young, and Charlie left boot camp without letting Shep know what her plans were or where she was going. Both Charlie and Shep eventually attended college, Shep becoming a middle school math teacher and Charlie a talented graphic designer.

The judge who sent them to boot camp has kept track of these two over the past 15 years, and when he calls Shep right before Christmas break and tells him that Charlie needs his help, although Charlie left young Shep brokenhearted, he's eager to see her again and see if any of the love they shared is still there. When Shep shows up at Charlie's apartment, she's surprised and delighted to see him, but there's a lot he doesn't know about Charlie's past, and it only takes seeing her dead stepsister, Lindy, standing across the street and staring at her to start this mystery off and running, and it's time for Charlie to confess to Shep why she's always blamed herself for Lindy's murder, and for Shep to do everything he possibly can to help her figure out what's going on and why. What follows that sighting is as suspenseful and surprising a whodunit as I've read in some time, with plenty of suspects and motives to investigate, so hang onto your hats, because there are secrets and surprises galore in this novel, and a number of plot twists I certainly didn't see coming.

While I did find this romantic suspense novel slow at the start, Ms. Daniels is an excellent writer, and certainly knows her way around both the suspense and second chance romance aspects of this novel. It turned out to be quite a good read overall, and I'm happy to recommend it.

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

Heart of Gold by B J Daniels is the third book of the Montana Justice Series. In this series the storyline includes Judge JT Landusky who once again helps two of his old charges resolve old issues and move forward. Each book is a stand alone as they focus on two people who are tied to the Judge from the past.

Charlie Farmington catches a view of her step sister in the distance. Only Charlie knows her step sister is dead, so she calls for help. William “Shep” Shepherd is a middle school math teacher. He is getting ready to go on his holiday break when the judge calls him and asks him to help. Charlie and Shep were in love years ago, and then she left, so when he shows up at her apartment and practically moves in, all that angst comes out. Shep and Charlie start to work on unraveling what is happening. Being in close proximity to each other working on the mystery causes old feelings to emerge. Charlie and Shep start to get closer and then the things get scarier.

BJ Daniels’ books are fun to read. In this book, I like the characters and the storyline. The twists and turns are what catch your attention and you become fascinated by the mystery. Heart of Gold by BJ Daniels is a good read.

She is usually one of my favorite authors. Unfortunately, this book lacked the usual intrigue, romance combo I have come to enjoy by her. It was in the story but it was not believable. The relationships seemed forced. The story line it self seemed boring and not well thought out.

Heart of Gold was the first book I've read in the Montana Justice series, but it was a wonderful second chance romance with a suspense plot to please.

Charlie Farmington has had a tough go of it in life. Orphaned at fourteen, she was sent to foster care when her father was killed in a car accident the same night as her step-sister. She was trouble back then and found her way to a boot camp for troubled teens. That was also where she met Shep for the first time, another rough and tumble kid who needed direction in his life. Always the rulebreakers, they didn't what they weren't supposed to do and that was be involved with each other. Knowing they were too young to find purpose in life if they stayed together, Charlie made the painful decision to leave Shep, even though it broke her heart.

William Shepard had found his way after Charlie deserted him. Now a middle school math teacher, he was surprised to be called back to service by the judge who saved him all those years ago. He was more surprised to find out that the person who needed help was his old flame, Charlie. He had never forgotten about his first love because he still loved her, even though he knew he would never see her again. When the judge tells him she needs help and protection from someone stalking her, Shep is on her doorstep before he takes the time to think about the consequences.

Charlie is surprised to see Shep, but she's more surprised and petrified to see her dead step-sister standing on the street corner across from her apartment. She knows one thing, it's not LIndy, because she's been dead for years. Shep will stop at nothing to figure out who is after Charlie and why, all while convincing Charlie that her love for him never died. His experience as military police comes in handy as he's hunting down Lindy's old flames while being suspicious of, and investigating, everyone in Charlie's life including her ex-step-mother, off-again boyfriend, his roommate, her boss, and her boss's fiancee. There's a lot to keep straight for Shep, but one thing he knows for sure, someone is out to get Charlie and he will protect her at the expense of his own life.

I liked this second chance romance a lot. While it was slow to start, once it was going, the characters were enjoyable with great backstories. The twisting mystery carried them along as Shep and Charlie explored who they are now and if they can have a life together again. If you love second chance stories with mystery, suspense, and a great HEA then you'll love Heart of Gold!

B.J. Daniels always delivers on mystery/suspense and second chance romance HEA. While sometimes a formula is followed with the contemporary cowboy romance books, they are always satisfying and easy to devour. I look forward to her next book!

Fans of Daniels will find this a welcomed addition and not to be missed if you follow the Montana Justice series.

Nothing more scary or sinister than the unknown. Things in shadows, people in alleyways, presumably dead people under light posts. So in HEART OF GOLD we are treated to all things scary by one of the best crime novelists B.J. Daniels. Always expect the unexpected when reading something by this prolific author. In HEART OF GOLD the lead character has a guilty conscience dating back to when she was fourteen. Something that happened kind of right under her nose. Something that to this day years later she feels responsible for. And now she is being stalked but the issue is whether or not these occurrences are real or just part of her psyche run amok.

So an old time friend Shep is sent to the rescue. Shep and Charlie met as young teens in a boot camp run by a judge for kids with issues. Luckily Shep and Charlie emerged as healthy whole individuals but these kid’s survived events that color the rest of their lives. The judge has watched over their progress almost as a surrogate parent. And now the judge has taken a step to help Charlie deal with what has been happening in her adult life and sent Shep to give a hand.

Shep can’t understand what he, a math teacher, could do to alleviate Charlie’s fears but upon arriving at her apartment he senses something foul in the air. Problem is the source of that could be almost anyone in Charlie’s universe. Someone in her past or perhaps in her present.

So now Shep takes on the role of friend, confident, protector, and amateur sleuth.

Charlie is as independent as they come but can’t deny that the recent events have made her jumpy. She has no idea who or why someone seems to be stalking her as someone she knew almost twenty years ago. Someone who is dead. Someone who looks like, dresses like and smells like her dead stepsister Lindy. Lindy had seemed to enjoy terrorizing Charlie when their families merged. Lindy was brutally murdered after being locked out of their house by - you guessed it Charlie.

You can’t redo the past. You can’t erase mistakes. But these events take on a life of their own and the judge and Shep are concerned that is the issue facing Charlie now. Shep is uncomfortable with the reality of things happening, some scary, others threatening. He is putting on a hat that is new to him. One of an investigator. Shep is looking for a link between Charlie’s past and current strange events.

That is the journey and challenge faced in HEART OF GOLD by B.J. Daniels. Ferreting out the bad guy or girl while protecting someone who is important to you. In HEART OF GOLD two teens formed a friendship that had an expiration date and now have the chance to revisit that attraction and see if it could stick. First things first. In HEART OF GOLD we need to identity who harbors bad feelings toward a girl who is delightful, engaging, warm and friendly. B.J. Daniels deftly creates an intricate web that will allude even the best arm chair detective.

B J Daniels is one of my favorite authors. Her characters and stories always grab me from the beginning of the story. I really like the mystery in this book and it did have lots of twists and turns