Ambush is an intense, gripping read from start to finish. The story follows Paradise Alden, a woman haunted by her past and determined to uncover the truth about her parents’ murder. The emotional weight she carries from growing up in foster care, suffering betrayal, and surviving a jaguar attack makes her a complex and relatable character. Her return to her hometown for a fresh start quickly turns into a suspenseful journey when a body is found on the wildlife refuge she works at.

What I loved most was how Paradise’s distrust, particularly toward Blake Lawson—the man who broke her heart years ago—evolved over the course of the story. The tension between them is palpable, and as they work together to solve the mystery, I found myself rooting for them despite their painful history.

The suspense is relentless, with arson, shootings, and break-ins piling up, all pointing to Blake. But Paradise, determined to find the truth, proves she has the strength and tenacity to uncover the real killer, even if it means confronting her own fears.

Colleen Coble does a fantastic job of blending mystery, romance, and deep emotional moments. The setting in the Alabama wilderness adds to the tension and atmosphere, making the mystery even more immersive. I’m excited to see where the series goes from here!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
This was a great Christian based book. You can feel the pain and struggle that Paradise is going through, but she still is willing to help others. She is mentally and physically at the end of her rope. One day event changes how she views her whole life and circumstance. You see and feel the change in her. Blake is the perfect person for her. The love he has for Paradise and his family is what makes him that way. Through everything going on at the sanctuary Blake doesn’t lose his faith in God.
You kinda see who maybe the culprit with some of that persons actions. But the twist with the villain I did not see it going.

Would highly recommend.

Paradise Alden hasn't had life easy. Now that she is grown and has a veterinarian career to move forward with, she decided to come back to the town of her childhood. At this point in life, she needs to find out who murdered her parents. She has taken a job at Sanctuary Wildlife Preserve even though she may have to be in contact with Blake Lawson. She will never forgive him for betraying her.
Six months ago, Blake returned home to help his widowed mother with his little brothers and the sanctuary full of exotic animals that she runs. He is trying to do everything possible to keep the place going so the family has an income and help them keep their home. He is astounded to learn that Paradise is the new vet that his mother Jenna Anderson has hired. She broke his heart years ago.
I received an advanced reader's copy of Ambush from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley and this is my own unsolicited opinion about the book. I really like it. I got caught up in the story right away. I love the faith that Blake and Jenna shows and understand the bitterness Paradise lives with. The story is a good demonstration of the painful life a child can go through with the loss of parents and being put in foster care. There is mystery, suspicious activity and danger. Blakes devotion to his sweet young brothers is touching. The animals and their characteristics lend a really interesting portion to the story. The hyenas are so creepy.
I love that this is the beginning of the series and look forward to more mystery being solved for the characters and the sanctuary. This is for all who enjoy reading clean mysteries with action and a spark of romance.

3.75/5 stars

The first in the Sanctuary series, this contemporary mystery is set in a commercial wildlife refuge and revolves around a cold case double murder.

While I did appreciate the spirit of the story, the exciting denouement, the surprising villain, and the location setting (which was well-researched and drawn), I really wanted more character development here. I felt like I was being told about the mains past connection rather than being shown enough and felt a bit at sea at times with their past history. They both seemed like lovable characters, but just didn't feel the deeper connection that I wanted to.

One other frustration was the amount of time that it took for the mains to begin fighting back against all the sabotage and danger going on around them. I felt like multiple (5+) instances of threats to their lives/livelihood would have spurred a quicker response and defense than it did.

Overall, I found it a good, easy read with wholesome good spiritual content (hard to find these days) and will look into future endeavors in this series.

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing the free early arc of Ambush for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

“But her only answers were here in this place, where shadows from the past still reached out to shape her life.”
Colleen Coble is one of the authors that is on my automatic read list, and this book demonstrates the reason perfectly. She does an amazing job creating suspense while peppering in details from the characters’ backstories. She sets the scene so well that it’s almost like I’m experiencing everything with them. The first book in the Sanctuary series focuses on forgiveness, second chances at love, and how God uses even the bad things that happen in our lives for good. I felt so bad for everything Paradise had been through. Even after everything she had faced, she managed to stay kind and gentle. I can’t imagine being suspected of the things Blake was being accused of and I loved how he and Paradise supported each other through everything. I did guess one of the conspirators but the twists made me doubt myself. The ending was so surprising and suspenseful and I absolutely cannot wait until book 2 comes out.

Thank you, Ms. Coble, for allowing me to be on your launch team. This story was wonderful and I was not ready for it to end.

Ambush by Colleen Coble

Paradise Alden was doing the one thing she swore she would not do, go home. Nova Cambridge held horrible memories for her, this was the place where her life blew up.
But when Jenna Anderson, who owned the animal sanctuary in town, called her and told her she needed a full time vet and that she knew that Paradise needed a change of scenery since her attack, Paradise agreed. But as she got closer to the sanctuary, she wondered how Blake, Jenna's son, would feel having her on site. She also wondered if she would be able to do the job.

Blake Lawson had loved Paradise with all of his heart but they did not part on good terms. Now his mother is telling him that she has agreed to be their vet for the next year, why hadn't his mom told him before now, before he was blind sided? The sanctuary did need a full time vet so who better? He knew that if nothing else, Paradise loved animals and would fight to keep them healthy and safe.

The day that Paradise arrives at her new job, a body of a woman is found on the property. She had no idea that her life was about to be turned upside down again.

This book is full of danger and action. Paradise returns home and immediately there's a murder. Mishap after mishap occurs and she and Blake are thrust together to try to figure things out. The differences and betrayal between them are dealt with relatively quickly which I was glad for. I hate to see misunderstandings and hurt linger through an entire book.

There are a lot of possible villains and just when you think it's moving in one direction, there's a big twist. I like reading about the animals although I think I'd get rid of the hyenas. such troublesome creatures. There are a lot of loose ends to be tied up in the coming books. I'll look forward to seeing how things resolve.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

My first book of 2025 and I loved it! There is an intensity to everything that is happening to Paradise and Blake. Both have returned to Pelican Bay because they have to, and now they wonder if they might have a second chance at love. First they have to survive everything going wrong at the sanctuary for exotic animals that Blake and his mom runs much is happening, but this redemptive story will keep you coming back for more. I highly recommend it!

Ambush by Colleen Coble is the first book in A Sanctuary Novel series. It is a well written, easy to read and imagine Christian suspenseful romance story. This is a very good story that I found very difficult to put down. This story is filled with suspense with things that keep happening at the wildlife refuge.

I enjoyed this story so much. I enjoyed the interaction between Blake’s family members. I especially enjoyed how Paradise and Blake went about rebuilding their friendship and trust in each other. I found how she got her name to be interesting. The background story of Blake’s family is very touching.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

Wow! This was a marathon for me. Intense is not even descriptive enough for this mystery. Gripping the arms of the chair and nail biting were involved as I blew through this book. The characters were fighting those with two legs and some with four legs at various times.

Paradise has seen the worse that life has to offer. Foster care and unsolved murder have scarred her life. She trusts no one, especially men. Now to top it all off, a jaguar attack has left her scarred both physically and mentally. She needs something new, which is how she ends up back home at The Sanctuary, which is a sanctuary for exotic animals.

Blake's mother, Jenna, is determined to make The Sanctuary a success. When Blake realizes that the vet his mother has hired is none other than Paradise, he is not happy. They have not seen each other in many years, and their last meeting was not a good one.

When a dead body is found the first day Paradise arrives, they realize they will have to work together and put their past behind them. This is just the beginning as so called accidents continue to happen and things get a little hairy at times. I accused everyone at some point and time, as the author just kept throwing in another twist.

Colleen Coble does a phenomenal job of building the characters so that you can know them, blemishes included. It was an emotional story as Paradise fights against the trauma that has held her captive. Blake is fighting a shadow from his past where he feels responsible for someone. Both need to find inner forgiveness. Jenna's faith was so strong. She was a determined prayer warrior whose faith kept her going. The current crisis has only strengthened their resolve. There were so many touching scenes that I cannot even begin to touch on them. Just be ready to dive into the world of exotic animals and all that entails.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

this was a really good book. and it was really different to any ive read recently. actually it stood alone as different from anything ive read. and that is stellar stuff. and made it so unique i enjoyed it all the more.
thats not to say it didnt follow all the right formats for a brilliant read.
it had all the parts we want and need. it was also so much more than one genre. the romance was there just enough to soften the edge of the content and also it was such a thoughtful and tender relationship that was based on past and futures healed. and also our MCF healing herself. and believing in trusting others which must be hard given her past.
paradise upbring has been a smidge away from horrific. to say shes still fighting on each day is a minor miracle if you ask me. her parents were murdered and there followed miserable years in the care system. of course a lost love didnt help things.
coming home after 15 years she determined to find out what happened to her parents. but when she gets there twisted events start happening. putting her in possible danger. with the help of her old friend(should be much more if you ask me) together they figure out whats going on.
the author bought the locations and characters to life. and i thoroughly enjoyed this book. i shall be looking for more from this author for sure.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by Netgalley and its publisher.
This book was good. I found that I could completely imagine this story being real, and it was written as if it was playing out in live time in front of me. It was suspenseful, and yet romantic in its own right.
Paradise returns back to the place she grew up to solve her parent’s murder that took place as a child. She ends up taking a veterinary job at the Animal Sanctuary that her first love’s mom owns. From there it quickly dives into various crimes happening, someone being murdered, break ins- all while trying to get over her past trauma with the big cats. Can she handle it, will she move on from her trauma and attempt to start fresh and accept the love from those who want to take her in or will she call it quits and walk away from the love she has of animals?
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this opportunity

** “Those struggles you’ve endured have made you strong. A warrior really. You’ve been able to stand on your own and forge your course. That’s remarkable when you think about the challenges you’ve overcome to do it. I believe God was loving you, steering you, even when you didn’t sense him there.” **

Colleen Coble begins another new series in a big way with “Ambush.”

After suffering a serious injury by a jaguar, veterinarian Paradise Alden returns to her hometown to work at the Sanctuary Wildlife Preserve — which just happens to be owned by the family of the boy her broke her heart 15 years ago.

But as more and more dangerous and potentially deadly occurrences happen on the Sanctuary, Paradise must help Blake in determining who is the actual target, and why. Can they overcome their past losses and traumas, as well as their personal history, to figure out what’s truly happening? And can they remain safe while saving the family business?

As always, Coble provides a story filled with twists and turns and many heart-thumping moments, both suspense-wise and romance-wise. She creates very real and relatable characters, as well as a couple of adorable little boys and some sweet animals, and visits from characters and places from her other series, like Pelican Harbor and Tupelo Grove.

The author also fills “Ambush” with several great themes, like we have to be willing to let people, as well as God, into our lives (“Allowing no one into your inner circle is a tough way to live. We all need other people. And God”); feeling like you fail the ones you love and how to overcome that; God can heal our hurting places; we need to learn to forgive ourselves as well as others; and struggles can make us stronger.

Fans of Lynette Eason, Kelly Irvin, Terri Blackstock and Irene Hannon will love this novel, which is due out March 4.

Five stars out of five.

Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Another knock it out of the park by this Author!! Her stories make you feel like you are right there with the characters too! Perfect blend of romance and danger!! Pulse pounding in every way!!

Paradise's parents were murdered when she was a child and she was abused in foster care. Upon returning to her hometown 15 years later, she hopes she can start over in a new veterinary job. This was a fast paced ride with arson, a dead body, and a shooting to name a few. This is my second Colleen Coble book and I do enjoy her writing.

There is an expression I've heard my own family use that God will never give you more than you can handle. Blake's family and Paradise certainly test that expression with one problem after another. There is plenty of action from wild animal near misses and explosives in beer cans. It honestly seems like this family can't catch a break. Add that to Paradise's reason for returning to down to find justice for her parents and she should be overwhelmed. In the midst of all the turmoil, she is forced to put her live second to save a child and through God get past the nightmares of her animal attack. Blake, who is good and strong and solid and family oriented, is the first she tells that she felt God's presence in that moment. I don't know exactly how I fell about strong religious overtones in books but in this book, it felt right. Blake and Paradise and his family had to heal and find strength and they did so through God. We truly get a front row seat for Paradise's journey including her once again feeling betrayed but it was cute how quickly she took stock of what mattered and the chasm closed.
The inner strength for both Blake and Paradise and his mother keep them going when others might throw in the towel. Through Blake's mother and much younger brothers, Paradise gets to experience a family and family can change how you see the world as it does for her.
This was a really good book with small religious overtones and a unique settings and unique action. It is well worth the read. If you are unsure as I am about God in the book, let me say it is tastefully done and feels authentic. We do have one loose thread that makes me wonder if we will return to this family and the magnificent animals they give sanctuary to.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction | Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I liked this novel, but unfortunately I ended up not being as invested in it as I had hoped. There are a lot of characters, a lot of action, a lot of suspects, a lot of suspense and a whole lot of melodrama. And honestly, I think that excess melodrama might be the main reason I didn't connect as much with it. Also, please note that this is a Christian novel, so it's definitely lighter on the romance side. The audiobook narrator did an excellent job, considering how many different male and female characters there were.

Ambush is the first installment in the Sanctuary series, and also marks the first book I’ve ever read from Colleen Coble. I can tell that it lightly connects to other series she’s penned, one completed and one ongoing: Pelican Harbor and Tupelo Grove, respectively. This book was mysterious, intense, emotional, and propulsive. I was intrigued by the characters at first meeting, and then I quickly became completely invested in their stories, from the pain of their pasts to the romance of their present. Ambush excites me because, not only am I incredibly interested to see where Sanctuary goes from here, I’ve been introduced to a new-to-me author whose writing I really enjoy and who had a huge backlist for me to dig into while I’m eagerly awaiting the second installment in this series.

Paradise Alden, our female main character, is a vet struggling through PTSD after suffering an attack by a jaguar. She’s facing her fears on multiple fronts by taking a job at a wildlife refuge, The Sanctuary, in her hometown—a place she ran from years ago. Blake Lawson is a former Marine paramedic who has come home to help his mom manage The Sanctuary after his stepfather’s death. He’s also Paradise’s ex-boyfriend, the one who broke her heart fifteen years ago. After this betrayal and the murder of her parents, she fled Nova Cambridge, Alabama, and lost her trust in men and God and even herself. This job at The Sanctuary is her chance to find some answers and lay some things to rest. But maybe, just maybe, it will also be a sanctuary for her. Maybe here, she can start to heal.

The Sanctuary specializes in providing refuge to exotic pets who have been mistreated and abandoned. From chimps and wolves to tigers and parrots, The Sanctuary is a safe place for them to recover from their mistreatment and live a happy, comfortable life for the rest of their days. It’s a fascinating setting, one that I found so fun and unique. It provided Coble with a lot of room for interesting tension and plot twists. The Sanctuary was the first element of the story with which I fell in love. But then there were the characters. Not only did I grow to love Paradise and Blake, I was also charmed by Blake’s mom and his two young half brothers. Coble did a great job capturing the voices of these five and seven year-old boys without making them overly cutesy or too well-spoken. She struck a balance with them that felt believable and sweet.

As is coming to be the case with so many Christian romantic suspense authors I’ve had the pleasure of reading recently, Coble does a wonderful joy weaving faith into her writing without every coming across as preachy. Paradise’s faith journey was an important component of this book, and it was handled beautifully. The faith here managed to be both vital to the story and understated; it added without ever taking anything away from the plot. I’m eager to see if Coble’s inclusion of faith is always this expertly handled.

The book has an ending that satisfies without wrapping up completely. There are still some deep mysteries to be addressed, and more growth and development to be seen in the characters and their relationships. My guess would be that further installments in the series would continue to largely follow Paradise and Blake.

Ambush is a phenomenal series starter. It’s well paced, well written, and well balanced. The setting is unique, the characters compelling, and the mysteries at its core intriguing. There wasn’t any element of this book that didn’t work for me. I’ll be counting down the months until I can see where the story takes Paradise, Blake, and the rest of the Sanctuary gang next!

Colleen Coble’s Ambush is a fast-paced romantic suspense novel that delivers action and intrigue. The Alaskan setting is beautifully described, adding an immersive atmosphere to the story. The mystery keeps you engaged, with unexpected twists that maintain suspense.

However, the characters, while likable, sometimes feel underdeveloped, and the romance aspect seems a bit rushed. Some plot points feel predictable, and the pacing fluctuates, making certain sections drag. While Ambush is an enjoyable read for fans of Christian romantic suspense, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Coble’s best works.

A solid read —perfect for those who enjoy light suspense with a touch of romance. ⭐⭐⭐

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ambush
By Colleen Coble
Ambush: Faith, Love, and Danger Collide in This Fast-Paced Mystery.

Colleen Coble kicks off her new Sanctuary Series with Ambush, a fast-paced blend of romance, suspense, and faith. With a wildlife refuge setting, a decades-old murder mystery, and a rekindled love story, this novel has plenty to keep readers engaged.

Paradise Alden returns to Nova Cambridge, Alabama, hoping to heal from past trauma and find answers about her parents’ murder. But her fresh start at The Sanctuary, a wildlife refuge, turns into a nightmare when another murder occurs. The prime suspect? Her first love, Blake Lawson—the man who once broke her heart. Despite her lingering distrust, she’s convinced of his innocence, and together they must uncover the real threat before it’s too late.

Coble does a great job balancing suspense with emotional depth. The parallel storylines—one involving sabotage at the refuge and the other a long-buried mystery—add layers of intrigue. The setting itself brings extra tension, with both human threats and unpredictable animals lurking in the background. The romance is sweet, if a little predictable, and the faith element is woven in naturally.

While Ambush is an enjoyable read, it does have a few drawbacks. The ending feels abrupt, and while the story is engaging, it has Hallmark-movie feel, making it less realistic at times. Still, it’s a light, entertaining read for fans of Christian romantic suspense.

I’ll be looking forward to the next book in the series, releasing in November 2025.
4 stars

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for review copies of the eBook and audio. The opinions are my own.