Paradise Alden's childhood in Nova Cambridge, Alabama, was idyllic until the night her parents were murdered. Since then, life has left her scarred. The abuse she suffered in the foster care system, her first love's betrayal, and the jaguar attack that nearly destroyed her career have led to an unshakable distrust--in men, in God, and maybe in even in herself. After fifteen years, returning to her hometown is a last resort to finding her life again. She's hoping the wildlife refuge where she's accepted a veterinarian job will be the perfect place to heal from her recent traumas and unlock her memories about the night her parents died. But the day she arrives at The Sanctuary, a body is discovered on the grounds. And soon, a series of deadly events threatens not only her future, but the man who, despite all odds, she still cares about. Arson, a shooting, a break-in, and multiple instances of animals being freed from their enclosures all point back to him, but Paradise knows Blake Lawson isn't responsible.

As usual, Colleen Coble produces a story of heart beating suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seats along with the main character's Christian faith, but not Paradise's faith, and a little romance thrown in. I love her stories and cannot wait to read the next two in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read the first in a new series by one of today's best authors.

This is the first book in a new series by Christian romance writer Colleen Coble. It follows Blake and Paradise as they try and find out who is sabotaging his wildlife sanctuary and who killed Paradise’s parents.

Ambush, Colleen Coble’s first book in the Sanctuary Romantic Suspense series, smoothly combines the story of Paradise, a veterinarian who is trying to overcome her fear after a large cat attack by taking a job at the animal sanctuary where she worked as a teenager. But her arrival at the sanctuary means she must also confront the memories of her first love, Blake, who now helps his widowed mother run the sanctuary. Like Coble's other books set on Alabama's Gulf Coast, there is also a mystery, or in this case many mysteries -- how did a dead body end up in a neighboring rancher's horse trailer, who is breaking into the sanctuary and opening inner safety fences, and why is Blake being targeted as the perpetrator by the deputy sheriff? Buffering the suspense and danger are sweet scenes with Blake's younger brothers and the sanctuary's animals. Coble is a talented and seasoned author who just keeps delivering entertaining read

This story is a combination of suspense, with some romance and intrigue weaved in. I loved the characters. I always enjoy books by this author.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It had lots of drama and some clean romance in a dramatic wildlife sanctuary story.

Paradise comes to help Blake and his mom as a vet at a wildlife sanctuary. Paradise has experienced alot of grief and trauma in her life as a foster child after both of her parents were murdered. Despite her challenges, she was a fighter and made a great life for herself.

I loved seeing the interaction with Blake's family with helping out at the sanctuary. They had to deal with protesters, activists, someone sabotaging their animal pens, etc.

This story kept my interest from beginning to end with lots of adventure and drama on every page. Highly recommend! I hope there will be another book so we can read more about Blake's family.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

I find it hard to put in words how much I enjoyed this very well written book. Family and faith are at the forefront of Paradise and Blake’s story. Every time you think there can’t be another thread woven into the mystery one occurs when you least expect it. This is a must read book!

I always enjoy Colleen Coble's books, and this one is no exception. The plot is not outlandish in any way, which I appreciated. It seems like a realistic story and you believe it could actually happen.

Paradise and Blake are likable characters with real struggles. Their second-chance romantic relationship is sweet, and I was rooting for them.

The wild animal sanctuary is a great idea for a setting, especially given Paradise's training as a vet and the traumatic jaguar attack in her past.

The suspense elements are strong; I will say that the pacing was a bit uneven with some slow parts in the beginning and middle and then a pretty fast-paced ending. However, the pacing did not ultimately detract from my enjoyment of the novel.

The faith storyline is lovely -- never preachy.

There are some unanswered questions, which set us up nicely for the next entry in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Ambush
A Small-Town Romantic Suspense
by Colleen Coble
Pub DateMar 04 2025
Thomas Nelson Fiction |Thomas Nelson
General Fiction \(Adult\)| Mystery & Thrillers| Romance



Thomas Nelson and Netgalley provided me with a copy of Ambush to review:


Once again Collen Coble weaves a story you aren't going to want to put down!



In Nova Cambridge, Alabama, Paradise Alden's childhood was idyllic until the night her parents were murdered. She has been scarred by life ever since. Having been abused in foster care, betrayed by her first love, and nearly destroyed by a jaguar attack, she has an unshakable distrust of men, God, and even herself.



She returns to her hometown as a last resort to find her life again after fifteen years. She hopes the wildlife refuge where she has accepted a veterinarian job will be the perfect place for her to heal from recent traumas and recall the night her parents died. On the day she arrives at The Sanctuary, a body is discovered. Soon, a series of deadly events threaten not only her future, but also the man who, despite all odds, still makes her pulse thump. Despite multiple incidents of animals being freed from their enclosures, a shooting, a break-in, and an arson all point to Blake Lawson, but Paradise knows he isn't to blame. Even though his betrayal years ago cost his mother everything, he has been helping his mother manage The Sanctuary these past six months and caring for his stepbrothers.



The town's moss-draped trees hide something dangerous, and Paradise refuses to let another murderer slip away.


I give Ambush five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

An entertaining murder mystery with an interesting setting in a wildlife preserve. It held my attention and flowed well.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #Ambush

Colleen's books are always a great read for me. She always provides a great mystery combined with romance in a good clean Christian book. And Ambush is no exception! The story takes place in an exotic animal sanctuary in a small town in Alabama. A Mom and her children are working hard to keep the sanctuary going after they have faced some hard times. Paradise Alden grew up here and now is returning home to be a vet at the sanctuary. Her return to her hometown is very difficult for her in many ways but she comes back determined to find some answers. But when she arrives, she finds that her memories of her life here may be harder to face than she thought.
Paradise is looking for answers to her mystery and then comes face to face with a deadly mystery that is surrounding the sanctuary. Is she strong enough to stay and can she trust Blake to help her as she attempts to help his family.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Ambush is the first book in Colleen Coble’s Sanctuary series. Set in the area of Ms. Coble’s fictional town of Pelican Harbor, the site of quite a few of her novels, at The Sanctuary in Nova Cambridge, the story features large animal veterinarian Paradise Alden and Sanctuary owners Jenna Anderson and her grown son Blake Lawson, as well as Jenna’s small boys Isaac and Levi. All natives of the area, Paradise is now coming home to work at the Sanctuary after. some time in Birmingham where, at her former position, she was mauled by a white tiger and is still recovering. Blake recently returned home from the military when his stepfather had an odd fatal accident. As teenagers, Paradise and Blake were inseparable until there was a breech of trust that pulled them apart.

Now the group is under attack by mysterious forces and no one knows why. There has been picketing by a wildlife group, shots fired near the bear enclosure, and fire set to Paradise’s cottage. Plus, Paradise has not given up trying to discover who killed her parents when she was a child Could this be the reason for these attacks?

This is another edge of your seat tale from Ms. Coble. I very much enjoyed this mystery and look forward to the next book in the series!

AMBUSH The Sanctuary Book 1 by Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
This is an unusual story with a wild exotic animal sanctuary, (a first that I have found that particular plot) but it is very enjoyable well written story. This is a murder mystery, romantic suspense, drama and great characters. It is also a Christian fiction book. This is 5 stars.

I listened to the audio version of this story. Karen Peakes does a great job with the narration.

This isn't a terrible book. I think the author did try to get a lot going. Some of which was unnecessary unless this will be a series. The story itself is good. There was the mystery from the past and the uncertainty of who is behind the events going on today. I like that type of suspense and plot. The romance was in the background and became more open as the book goes on. Sometimes, it was a little too much for me. Not my thing. As the romance built, there was more mention of religion as well. Again, not really my thing. I don't care if it's present or important to the character, but i don't need to feel like it's pushing an agenda.

Ambush was my first Colleen Coble book to read and I was very impressed with the cohesiveness of the plot. The author's introduction of her characters was masterful and the storyline intriguing. Ms. Coble also made the wild animals an integral part of the book.
Ambush is an inspirational romantic suspense. The author treats one's Christian faith as an individual choice, not as a fairy tale or Santa Claus. Because there are aspects of this book that are left unresolved, I could not give Ambush 5 stars. Instead, I give it:
4 1/2 stars

Colleen Coble's first entry in the Sanctuary series shows that even a wildlife refuge can be a dangerous place. Paradis Alden returns to her hometown to take a job as a veterinarian with the hopes of healing from a traumatic past, including foster care abuse, a broken heart, and a jaguar attack. Her first day on the job turns out to be more eventful than she ever hoped when a body is found at a wildlife refuge. Coble draws the reader in and keeps the reader's attention to the last page. A great start to a new series!

Quite good:
This was an interesting start to a new series set in an Animal Sanctuary and some of the mystery aspects will be following through into the next book. However I didn’t love it enough to be carrying on with the rest of the series.
Personally I found the pacing and storyline to be a bit choppy and it didn't flow quite as seamlessly as I would have liked. I also felt that the ending was a bit rushed. Overall I enjoyed the faith and mystery aspects the best. Paradise and Blake's "Hallmark" second chance romance was sweet, albeit a bit predictable.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

When the mother of her high-school sweetheart invites her to join The Sanctuary Wildlife Preserve staff as the part-time veterinarian, Paradise Alden can't turn down the opportunity to find closure. Returning to Nova Cambridge, Alabama, after a 15-year absence requires emotional fortitude, and Paradise hopes that if she can find her parents’ murderer, maybe she can unlock healing in other areas of her life.

However, facing her first obstacle—Blake Anderson—might prove to be more than she can handle. Paradise takes the job knowing Blake helps his mom run The Sanctuary, but she’s not prepared for the bloom of attraction she still feels towards the one person who knew her the best in her troubled youth.

When Blake discovers his mom has hired Paradise Alden as the new vet, he has mixed feelings. He understands her resentment towards him but not her bitterness. Despite their 15-year-long separation, Blake has prayed for Paradise and hopes her return will bring her the peace she seeks.

But nothing at The Sanctuary is peaceful. Ever since his stepdad’s tragic death, Blake and his mom have faced one setback after another as they strive to build the wildlife park into a thriving business. And when a murdered woman shows up in a horse trailer from a neighboring ranch, the local detective wants to pin the crime on Blake.

Despite his misgivings, Blake and Paradise team up to find answers to her parents’ murders and the string of disasters besetting The Sanctuary. Will their quest drive them further apart or provide the healing that Paradise desperately seeks?

What I Loved About This Book

Colleen Coble continues to entertain readers with fast-paced suspense and twisty plots. Readers who struggle with trauma from their past will identify with Paradise as she struggles to come to terms with her chaotic childhood. Coble set Ambush near the fictional town of Nova Cambridge, AL. Readers who enjoyed her Tupelo Grove (written with Rick Aker) and Pelican Harbor books will appreciate the cameo appearances from those series.

4 of 5 Stars

The beginning of Ambush throws you into a mess of trouble. Blakes’s family is in trouble as activists keep threatening and attacking their home. As a former Marine, he’s doing his best to protect his loved ones and The Sanctuary. He’s not sure what he’s dealing with and the local law enforcement aren’t very helpful, but he does some of his own digging to discover the culprit. Paradise returns to her hometown trying to figure out who murdered her parents several years ago. Unfortunately, although her scenes start with her thinking about it, the book didn’t conclude this part of the plot. I suppose that was left for the next book. I am looking forward to seeing where that goes as well. Overall a really good book with some unexpected twists.

Characters were flat and plot was boring. I tried to get into it for a month but finally gave up around 30%. This was my second attempt at reading this author, and it will be my last.

Once again, Colleen Coble proves why her books are always best sellers in Christian fiction! Ambush is by turns terrifying then heart-wrenching then back to terrifying. As always, she weaves many different story threads into a masterful tapestry that wraps readers in until the final page is turned.

Paradise Alden's life has been a train wreck since her parents' murders. Dropped into foster care when her only living relatives refuse her care. she is placed in home after home where she is either neglected or abused. She learns early on that men are not to be trusted and that God must have been looking the other way all her life to allow the suffering she has endured. Now a veterinarian, she is on leave from her zoo job as she recovers from a jaguar attack that left her right arm scarred and weakened when she receives an offer to care for the animals at the Sanctuary Animal Shelter in her hometown of Nova Cambridge, Alabama. The Sanctuary is the one place she always felt needed and she hopes it is also the place she can get over her fear of the big cats. The only problem she sees is that she will have to work with her former boyfriend, Blake Anderson, on a daily basis as he is the shelter's official director. Can she work with the man who orchestrated her removal from a home she was tolerating in a town she loved to a home where she was in even more danger in a town where she knew no one? She hasn't even unpacked her car when a dead body is found on the property. As incident after incident piles up, is the Sanctuary under attack, or does someone want her as dead as her parents?

Blake Anderson gave up a lucrative career when his step-father dies. Someone has to help his mother run the Sanctuary and care for his much younger brothers. When Paradise walks back into his life, he sees her distrust and knows he deserves it, but the love he felt for her fifteen years ago is still there. As they battle activists, arsonists, and land developers, can he prove to her that he can be trusted with both her safety and her heart?

I loved so many things about this story. First, it is set in the same town with some of the same characters as Coble's Tupelo Grove books with Rick Acker. In fact Hez Webster from What We Hide is instrumental in finding information for Blake and Paradise. I also loved the second chance romance for Blake and Paradise, and the suspense is stellar. (Watch for the scene with Blake and the hyenas. Yikes!)

Readers who love suspense with a side of romance will love Ambush! Coble fans will not be disappointed, and new Coble readers will find a book they can't put down. If you get the chance, listen to the audio version. I thought the narrator did a great job!