Wedding at Cardwell Ranch - B.J. Daniels (HI #1503 - July 2014)

Series: Cardwell Cousins (Book 2) Cardwell Ranch (Book 6)

Jackson Cardwell won't stop until she is safe.

In Montana for his brother's nuptials, Jackson Cardwell isn't looking to be anybody's hero. But the Texas single father knows a beautiful lady in distress when he meets her. Someone's hell-bent on making Allie Taylor think she's losing her mind. Jackson's determined to unmask the perp…and guard the widowed wedding planner and her little girl with his life.

Allie has no idea who wants to harm her and take her daughter away. The truth is even more shocking. For Allie's past has stalked her to Cardwell Ranch. And not even the sexy cowboy who awakens irresistible passion may be able to save her from a killer with a chilling agenda.

Excellent book with terrific romance and a mystery that kept me guessing. Jackson and his son have come to Montana for his brother's wedding. One of the first people he meets is Allie, the wedding planner, who is looking very scared. Being the gentleman that he is, he wants to help her, but is also wary of getting involved.

I loved Jackson. He is a terrific father to his five year old son, if perhaps a little overprotective. He was badly burned by his ex-wife, who turned out to be an extremely selfish piece of work. So he is now pretty cynical about women, and hasn't made up his mind whether his brother is in love or deluded. Fortunately he is won over by Lily pretty quickly, because all his attention ends up on Allie. He is drawn to her beauty immediately, but it's his protective instincts that have him wanting to help her. It's obvious to him that someone has it in for her and he wants to help her figure out who it is. He also knows he only has a few days before he's due to go back to Texas. I loved the fact that he was so clear sighted about what was happening to her. He knew she wasn't imagining things, in spite of what other people tried to tell him. I loved the way that he got his brothers involved in helping him, even though they weren't as sure as he was about what was happening. It didn't take him too long to realize that he was feeling more than protective, but he tried fighting the feelings. He's still dealing with the problems caused by his ex-wife and doesn't feel that he's prepared for a new relationship. Of course, the heart doesn't listen to the head, and it's his heart that has him showing up just in time to save her.

Allie is a widowed mother of a little girl. Her marriage had not been a happy one and she had been planning to leave her husband right before he disappeared. Now she is left to deal with a mother-in-law who blames her and a brother-in-law whose help and protectiveness is starting to feel smothering. Allie has no idea what is going on and fears that she is losing her mind. Since her husband's disappearance and presumed death eight months earlier, she has been having strange things happen to her. She smells his aftershave in her house, his clothing appears and disappears, she has bouts of apparent forgetfulness and strange behavior that she doesn't remember. When her latest meltdown is witnessed by Jackson, and he confirms that he saw what she did, she begins to realize that maybe she isn't going nuts after all. Jackson's support means a lot to her,  Having him believe in her makes her feel stronger, and it isn't long before her renewed confidence also has her noticing her growing feelings for him. Having been married to a man whose true nature didn't appear until after they were married, being able to trust Jackson is a huge step for her.

The mystery of what happened to Allie's husband and who is doing these things to her and why was very well done. The things that were happening to her were definitely creepy and I could really understand why she was questioning her sanity. There were so many possibilities on who could be behind it that each time something happened I thought of a different person. The in-laws were definitely at the top of my list, but her sister and best friend were also suspect. I have to admit that the identity of the killer was a surprise.

Rescue at Cardwell Ranch - B.J. Daniels (HI #1497 - June 2014)

Series: Cardwell Cousins (Book 1)

Saving her once was risky. Rescuing her again may be fatal.

When Hayes Cardwell arrived in Big Sky, Montana, for his brother's wedding, the Texas P.I. didn't expect to play hero. But ever since he saved her from a brutal abductor, he can't get McKenzie Sheldon out of his mind and heart. As passion blindsides him, Hayes vows to protect the beautiful business owner from once again becoming the target of a killer intent on finishing the job.

McKenzie was drawn to Hayes from the moment she awoke and saw the tall, dark cowboy who'd rushed to her rescue like some Western fantasy. With his lean, sexy looks and fierce protective instincts, the gun-shy bachelor is already lassoing her heart. But can he protect her from a danger that's much closer than they think...a killer hiding in plain sight who's about to spring a final trap?

I could not put this down. McKenzie is a strong, independent woman who is devoted to her job as a realtor. She works long hours, and found herself doing some grocery shopping late one evening. As she came out of the grocery store she was attacked and nearly abducted by a serial killer. The only thing that saves her is that Hayes came out of the same store right after she did. As a P.I. he is used to quick thinking and action and because of it was able to get her away from her attacker. 

Hayes is in Big Sky for his brother's wedding. He's also there to talk his brother out of trying to open a branch of their family's restaurants in Montana. Discovering that McKenzie is the real estate agent helping his brother reinforces that he hasn't been able to get her off his mind since the attack. When it appears that the killer is planning to finish what he started Hayes is determined to keep her safe. He doesn't have it easy because McKenzie is so independent she doesn't like accepting help from anyone. I liked that he didn't really give her the option of refusing. I also enjoyed seeing him try to understand what he was feeling. There's something about being with her that makes him happy in a way he's never felt before. I loved seeing him get closer to her as he tried to keep her safe at the Cardwell ranch. But he also can't see how anything can come of it with his work in Texas and hers in Montana. 

McKenzie is the youngest of nine kids and has always been very independent and very driven. She is very thankful for Hayes's quick action that saved her life. There is something about him that makes her feel very safe. She is also immensely attracted to him, but with the strain of being in danger doesn't want to make any impulsive decisions. I loved seeing her allow herself to lean on him while still trying to preserve her independence. 

The suspense of the story as McKenzie is being stalked is very intense. From the first chapter where we see him watching her to the final confrontation the danger just keeps building. I enjoyed the glimpses into his thoughts and actions as they added to the clues of trying to figure out who he was. There were several possibilities and it wasn't until just before the big reveal that I thought I had a handle on who it was. I loved the fact that McKenzie wasn't going to make it easy for him, which made it possible for Hayes to be in time. I do wonder if the visitor to McKenzie's hospital room is going to appear in a later book.

I always enjoy seeing previous characters show up in current books. I loved seeing Dana open her ranch and her heart to McKenzie when Hayes brought her there as a safe place to stay. It's easy to see how much her family means to her and how getting to know the cousins is important to her. I also liked seeing Tag from Christmas at Cardwell Ranch showing his brother how important love is. It was great to see the somewhat cynical Latimer is the one who straightens him out. I'm also looking forward to Jackson's story.