Targeting the Sheriff

by B.J. Daniels

He’d sacrificed himself to protect her…

Now she’s in real danger.

Because of his dark past, Sheriff Max Lander believed he was doing Goldie Shaw a favor by breaking up with her. But when Goldie puts her beloved café up for sale and starts showing interest in newcomer Donovan Cole, Max begins to regret his decision. Then he discovers that Donovan and the café’s purchaser are connected to a mob kingpin. And he’s convinced Goldie has put herself in danger. Goldie wants no part of Max, but he’s determined to keep her safe—no matter the cost.

From Harlequin  Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

Discover more action-packed stories in the  Dry Gulch, Montana  series. All books are stand-alone with uplifting endings but were published in the following

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2026

About the author

B.J. Daniels started her life in Houston, Texas, before her family moved to Montana at age five. She grew up in a cabin in the Gallatin Canyon near Big Sky and later on Hebgen Lake near West Yellowstone. Because of her love for Montana, most of her books are set there.
Born into a storytelling family, all she'd ever wanted to do was write stories. After a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist, she wrote and sold 37 short stories before she finally wrote her first book, ODD MAN OUT. Since then she has won numerous awards including a career achievement award for romantic suspense.
She lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, two Springer Spaniels. When she isn't writing, she quilts, boats and. makes rope/fabric baskets. She always reads, loving to lose herself in a good book.

Reviews

[Valri Western · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheriff Max Lander is such a clueless guy! He thinks because he had such a dark past that his girlfriend, Goldie, of 5 years would be better off without him so he breaks up with her even though he knows she is heartbroken! They live in a very small town, and she owns the popular cafe, so he sees her all the time. What does it help by breaking up with her? He's still going to see her all the time! Goldie takes drastic measures and puts her beloved cafe up for sale and hires some random guy to be her boyfriend in hopes that Max will get jealous and come back to her. Well, that doesn't work out so well as someone actually buys the cafe and the Max IS jealous but doesn't come back to her!
Although it was a serious book, I was just laughing at Max! He could solve all his problems by just expressing his feelings to Goldie and going back to her! Instead, he goes to other people and expresses them and wonders why Goldie is doing what she's doing! Fool man!
Meanwhile, all these "new" people are involved with the mob and something is going down in Dry Gulch so Max has his hands full and so does Goldie! This was a delightful book!

[DeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

TARGETING THE SHERIFF by BJ Daniels
Release date March 31, 2026

Goldie Shaw is a café owner.
Max Lander is the sheriff!

And this is their story.
Max and Goldie had been together for many years. Goldie wanted more and Max wanted to keep things as they were. He didn’t feel like he was the marring kind because of his past. So they broke up.
Goldie knew she still loved Max and she was pretty sure he still loved her so she took some drastic measures to prove it to him.

She hired a fake boyfriend to make him jealous. Well, that part worked! However, what she didn’t realize was that fake boyfriend had a history with mob criminals. And she unfortunately brought them to the little town of Dry Gulch.

BJ always writes a book that gets you from the very first page. This was no exception. Definitely a five star and one that you want to put on your TBR list.

[Karen Strang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheriff Max Landers still believes he’s protecting his former girlfriend, Goldie Shaw by breaking up with her, but when she goes online and hires a guy named Donovan Cole from Laramie, Wyoming to come to try to make Max jealous, things get out of hand. Not only does it backfire, she ends up selling her beloved cafe and then find out the guy she sold it to was a former prisoner now working for Malcolm Mandeville, a crime boss. Could Donovan also be working for Mandeville? What are they planning by changing the cafe so quickly? And is Donovan doing his “job” making Max jealous…what is his “real” job? Will Goldie be safe? Will Max find out what they are up to in time?
This book is full of twists, turns and characters. It is a must read!

[Phylis Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome book by B. J. Daniels. Once I started reading I just could not put it down.

Goldie and the Sheriff have dated for a long time, she decides she wants to make him jealous so that he will ask her to marry him. He breaks it off with her so she decides to hire someone to pretend they are her boyfriend thinking he would get jealous and would come back to her. She even goes so far as to put her diner up for sale.

Max thought he was doing what was best for Goldie by letting her go, he was afraid that he would end up breaking her heart.

Check out the story I think you will enjoy it as much as I do.

[Tammy Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Targeting The Sheriff is another favorite books by Bj Daniels. She has fantastic description of the book.

Goldie Shaw café owner
Sheriff Max Lander

Goldie wanted more than she was getting from Max. So she does things to make him jealous. Max made the mistake of breaking up with her. She hires a fake boyfriend puts cafe' her for sale thinking Max would stop her. The fake boyfriend was connected to the head mobster.
What happens to Max and Goldie?
What happens to Dry Gulch Montana?
BJ made me feel I was in the book too. The characters are great.
I recommend this book !

[Kea · Rating 4 out of 5]

He thought he had to sacrifice himself to protect her… But now she’s in real danger. Sheriff Max Lander becomes suspicious of new arrivals. There’s action-packed drama, a broken relationship, a dark past, mystery elements & suspicions . . . BJ Daniels fills TARGETING THE SHERIFF with a romantic suspense, a tightly plotted mystery with delicious twists and turns. I received this advance copy from the author, and this is my honest review.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Dry Gulch Montana series.Sheriff Max Lander breaks up with his girlfriend Goldie.She owned a cafe and puts it up for sale after he ends their relationship.Some unsavory people are interested in buying it.Does she sell the cafe and if so who does she sell it to? Read the book to find out!

[Tjitske · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the crime plot because until the end you're on the edge of your seat ! For the love story part, I think Max and Goldie don't talk enough about their relationship and I find it weird that Max is all to blame for this, during the second break-up yes but the years between Cordell leaving and returning are not only on Max....

[Charlotte L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Brother helps the sheriff

The sheriff of Dry Gulch, couldn’t let his emotions show for the one woman he wanted living in Dry Gulch. To protect her he pretended she wasn’t a part of his life anymore. He had to take care of some bad people so he could be free to make her dreams come true!

[Sheri Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard read for me. I didn't like how either character handled the situation. While I understand their reasoning, they let it go way too far. Is this realistic, yes, but it was still a hard story to get through even though I knew the outcome.

[Sharon]

Purchased in epub format from Barnes and Noble for my Nook.