Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Montana Rescue #0.5

If Ever I Would Leave You

Rate this book
If you harbored a devastating secret, had given your solemn promise of silence… what would make you to break it?

Ian Shaw can have anything he wants…

...except the woman he loves. After all, Sierra Rose is his amazing assistant, a woman who helps him hold his empire together, leaving him free to pursue his adventurous hobbies—his only distraction from his excruciating past… until now. But what if she is the one who can finally free him from his regrets?

Sierra Rose harbors a terrible secret…

...the fact that Ian’s favorite niece and ward, Esme, just might elope with her less-than-awesome boyfriend. Sierra’s made a promise to Esme—but her first loyalty belongs to her boss Ian, the man she's admired for years. But letting herself fall in love with him risks the best job she’s ever had.

When tragedy strikes, sparks ignite…

...because Esme has vanished. Ian fears the worst--has she run away with her boyfriend? Or, has something more sinister happened in the wilds of Glacier National Park? It's a race against time, with Sierra and Ian caught in the crossfire of secrets, regrets and what-ifs.

The exciting prequel to the Montana Rescue series! Get your copy today—and jumpstart your epic romantic adventure.

152 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2016

265 people are currently reading
932 people want to read

About the author

Susan May Warren

213 books3,623 followers
I can't help be amazed at the gifts God has delighted me with - a wonderful husband, four amazing children, and the opportunity to write for Him.

I've been writing as long as I can remember - I won my first book writing contest in first grade! Over the years, writing has become, for me, a way to praise God and see Him at work in my life.

Although I have a degree in Mass Communications from the University of MN, my real writing experience started when I penned the The Warren Report - a bi-monthly newsletter that detailed our ministry highlights.

Living in Russia meant I never lacked for great material - and those experiences naturally spilled out first into devotionals and magazine articles and finally into my first published story, "Measure of a Man," in the Tyndale/HeartQuest, Chance Encounters of the Heart anthology.

Susan and husbandI grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. My favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota - it's where I met my husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living. The north woods easily became the foundation for my first series, The Deep Haven series.based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. I have to admit - I'm terribly jealous of Mona, the heroine of my first full-length book, Happily Ever After, a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.

Our family moved home from the mission field in June 2004 -- and now we live in the beautiful town I'd always dreamed of! God has amazed me anew with His provision, and blessings -- and allowed me a season when I can write full time for Him.

I 'm delighted you've stopped in to visit. My hope is that you'll be blessed and encouraged by soul-stirring stories of regular people interacting with a God who loves them.

I'd love to hear from you! I love getting mail, especially from readers and I welcome your questions and comments. Write to me at susan@susanmaywarren.com. And, if you're interested, sign up for my newsletter, a quarterly sneak peek into upcoming releases and projects. Thank you for your interest and support.

God Bless and Happy Reading!

In His Grip,
Susan May Warren

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
356 (41%)
4 stars
276 (32%)
3 stars
161 (18%)
2 stars
43 (5%)
1 star
14 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
Profile Image for Hannah.
2,834 reviews1,437 followers
May 26, 2017
2.5 stars.

*mild spoilers*
So, pretty quickly off the bat this was a billionaire boss romance. Not my cup of tea. I started wondering what author wrote this book at about the halfway mark, and especially the the crazy "hot kiss" they gave each other, even before admitting they had any feelings for one another...with him sitting her on the counter and feeling her curves smashed against him...even a mention of his looks straight off the cover of GQ (wait a minute... I really did NOT expect to see those letters mentioned in a Christian novel!)

Well, at least it's clean in the sense of no cursing and no explicit sex, but it's pretty steamy.

I began to wonder about whether I really wanted to buy the next book by the halfway point. But then it seemed to switch gears. Someone disappears in the forest, and the main character starts witnessing spiritually to the other MC. The presentation of the beliefs raised the book about a half star, and the interest introduced by the missing person case raised it another half star.

Yes, I'll be reading the next book. But I probably won't be buying it, unless I find a great deal, until I know if it's going to make me blush. Except this tale end on a cliffhanger, and I really would like to hear if they find the missing person.
Profile Image for Melanie.
2,215 reviews598 followers
September 1, 2018
If Ever I Would Leave You was short, but it definitely held my attention and makes me eager to read the first book in this series, Wild Montana Skies, to see how the story continues. I liked the romance and the characters...and I'm curious where Esme is and whether or not she just ran away with that guy (I think that's what happened).

All in all, a great read and I recommend it.
Profile Image for Haley S.
385 reviews
September 14, 2017
Time to be honest here. This book drove me crazy. It ended on a cliff-hanger! WHAT! Why did she have to write this book before the actual book about them came out. I thought that this book would be a cute romance to “introduce” all the characters in the up and coming series. It did introduce the characters and it did have a good romance. But it also left me on at the edge of a cliff. Why, Susan, why?!
Don’t get me wrong. I did enjoy reading this book. From the beginning to end, I didn’t want to put it down. Well, maybe at the end of the story, I wanted to through my Kindle across the room because of how it ended. But, that doesn’t count. I would definitely recommend reading this book. However, I will tell you that you should probably wait until a book about Ian and Sierra comes out.
I am going to give the cover 3 stars. Don’t really have a big reason. It just isn’t my style.
The story I am going to give 4 stars. There were just a few basic things that docked it a star. Other than that, though, I would recommend this story to those who like a romance and an adventure. (Oh, and by the way, this is a novella. So it is not a full length novel.)

Title: If Ever I Would Leave You
Author: Susan May Warren
Author’s Website: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/

This review is written in my own opinions and words.
Profile Image for Gloria.
1,137 reviews162 followers
January 24, 2017
This is a prequel that kicks off the Montana Rescue series. Ian Shaw is a billionaire that grew up poor but developed a mechanism used in the oil industry that has brought him much wealth. He owns a huge estate in Mercy Falls, overlooking the mountains of Montana near Glacier National Park and is free to pursue hobbies that he enjoys, some of which can be dangerous. He rescued his niece from a down spiraling life with her mother, his sister. Esme is a very smart girl about to graduate from high school and has been accepted to many top universities.

Sierra Rose grew up in Mercy Falls and is the best assistant that anyone could ask for. She manages Ian's schedule and business to free him up to pursue his hobbies. One Saturday morning, Sierra is delivering a letter to Esme's room from one of the colleges that she has applied to when she stumbles upon Esme and her boyfriend, Dante, in her bed. She promised not to say anything to Ian about what she saw unless Esme doesn't tell Ian herself. Nothing happened but it was inappropriate behavior.

The next day on a church youth camping trip in the mountains, Ian discovered that there is something serious going on between Esme and Dante that could change her plans about attending college. Ian threatened to take Esme back east until college starts and told her to break off with Dante. The next morning, Esme and Dante are missing. Ian almost goes out of his mind searching for the two and involves the whole community and beyond in the search. Sierra tries to help Ian out deal with his pain and gently encourages Ian to remember that God can help him but Ian is not good at listening to anyone else's viewpoint.

It is shaping up to be a very exciting and emotional series. I highly recommend it as I would anything written by Ms. Warren.
Profile Image for Loraine.
3,447 reviews
March 9, 2017
This is the prequel to Susan May Warren's new series Montana Rescue. It lays the foundation for the premise of the series and introduces the main characters: billionaire Ian Shaw and his assistant, Sierra. They have feelings for one another, and amidst the disappearance of Ian's niece, Esme, are trying to find her and figure out their feelings. Very good intro for the series that leaves lots of threads hanging and definitely makes me want to read Book 1 in the series to find out what happens next.

There were a couple of scenes which I felt were a little too steamy especially for a couple that didn't know each other very well. Felt these could have been left out.

FAVORITE QUOTES: "God doesn't make deals--you don't have to make up for your sins in order to finagle God into loving you....Your worth to God has nothing to do with your actions. He loves you because He wants to. Because He chooses to."

"In between those moments of strength, those mountaintops, are the valleys. And of course, they're dark and they're frightening and shadowed, and sometimes so deep we can't see our way out of them. But there is a mountaintop on the other side of that valley--there must be for it to even be a valley. And God is in the valley, too...So the only thing we can do is keep walking through the valley and
believing in the mountaintop ahead."

** I received a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.
Profile Image for Aimee .
3,072 reviews298 followers
October 10, 2016
This prequel novel gives some insight into characters from the first full length novel in this series, Wild Montana Skies. I'm glad I read it first because now that I'm reading Wild Montana Skies, I feel like I know the characters better. :)

I loved this novella. It obviously left off unresolved because they continue on in the novel, but I still loved how I became so attached and invested in these characters so quickly. This author is one of my favorites, and I'm super excited about this new series!!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,905 reviews6 followers
February 27, 2019
1.5 stars.

I didn’t really enjoy this one. It’s a cliffhanger and you have to read the next one to figure out what happens with everyone. This story also featured MCs who can’t communicate with each other. One of them has a super sad past and can’t muster up the courage to try at happiness again. They both waffle back and forth between wanting to be more than boss and employee. And the final nail is the pairing of a believer with a non-believer. I don’t think I’m going to continue with this series or this author.
Profile Image for Megan.
1,736 reviews199 followers
May 1, 2019
This was an okay novella, but it's more of a setup to the first (I imagine) than a story to stand on its own. The way it ends leaves so many unanswered questions, which will hopefully be answered by continuing the series...though I'm not sure how soon I'll do that.
Profile Image for Agnieszka.
541 reviews
March 5, 2018
I have no idea why I expected it to be a romantic suspense story - it's not! In my opinions it's a chick-lit with a slight sprinkle of suspense centered around Sierra's and Ian's feeling for each other and the chaos they made of it - I really didn't care very much for it. The thing I was most dissapointed in was the cliffhanger ending and finding out their story will contiune over at least the first four book in series and will be main topic in book #4 Troubled Waters. I'm sure it would be different if I knew it from the beginning and didn't expect a short but complete story.
Since I wasn't very much impressed by this prequel and this author's books Amazon is not offering on sale in Germany (yet) I won't contiune the series - even if I would like to know how it will play out - I'm just not curious enough to spend more than 60 Euro on these books :-(
Profile Image for Abigail.
Author 2 books205 followers
January 12, 2018
Woah, hold your horses Susan. You cannot make me fall in love with these characters to then just end it like that!! It's inconceivable!!



Other then that, this novella will make you want to read the next book as quickly and soon as possible, it was a great story to just get to know the characters. I really recommend reading this novella before jumping into the series. I have not read any of the other books but from what I have read from reviews is that this novella helps introduce the story and characters.

Plus a great bonus is that this novella is free on amazon to read!! So go read and fall in love with the characters like I did!! <3
Profile Image for Beth | Faithfully Bookish .
932 reviews247 followers
February 6, 2017
Great story!

Makes me want to read more! Ian and Sierra's attraction is complicated by their working relationship and Esme (Ian's teenaged niece). I love all the outdoorsy activities, suspense, and of course romance!
Profile Image for Olivia Reads.
19 reviews1 follower
August 2, 2016
Please view on my blog: http://christianfictionforfun.blogspo...

Sierra is in love with her boss. The thrill-seeking, stubborn, risk-taking billionaire. And Ian Shaw loves her back. Sierra can never tell Ian how she feels because she doesn't want to lose her job as his assistant. She distances herself from him by calling him Mr. Shaw, which ticks off Ian to no end. Sierra also has a secret. She knows what's up between Ian's niece and ward Esme and her boyfriend Dante. Esme is smart and studious, just like her uncle. She can attend any university or college in the country, especially if she has Uncle Ian to help her out. Sierra promises not to tell Ian about discovering how deep their relationship has apparently gotten. Esme even wants to elope! Instead, she invites Ian on the youth group camping trip as another chaperone so he can see for himself. Ian, himself, isn't concerned. He had a little talk over a fancy dinner with Esme who told him that she was definitely going to further her education. One morning the camp awakens to find that Esme and Dante are gone. Right away searchers are sent out. But they aren't found. Weeks pass and Ian puts those billions to use. He's frantic to find Esme. He works out all the time, going crazy with worry, believing every call might be the one that says they're found her body. He buys equipment (including helicopters), hires people, and puts ads everywhere. But Esme and Dante are nowhere to be found.

The whole prequel is a cliff-hanger! The novella ends with the founding of PEAK Rescue and a completely unfulfilling agreement between Ian and Sierra. And I can't help but wonder over the times that Esme would say "It's not what it looks like" when she's with Dante. This is the best prequel novella I've ever read and it's the perfect set-up for a promising series. I can't wait for Wild Montana Skies in October - and the whole rest of the series. This prequel is full of loose ends and cliff-hangers that need to be wrapped up. I liked the little bits of each character that were introduced, especially Ben King, the hero of book one. Looking forward to finding out what happened to Esme and Dante and finding out how Ian and Sierra's relationship is going to unfold.
Profile Image for Natacha Ramos.
137 reviews16 followers
November 26, 2016
This is a very, very sweet story. I believe it's almost impossible not to love Sierra and Ian and their weird/romantic kind of relationship.

I could easily identify with them and the things they were going through.

Of course it's a bit disappointing to realize at the end that this is only the beginning of a greater story for these two, but if the purpose was for me to get hooked enough and read the whole series... yeah, I think that was accomplished.
Profile Image for Brittany .
2,877 reviews208 followers
August 26, 2016
Great writing with a wonderful set up for the future books in this series. It ends very abruptly and there are loose ends that I am fairly sure will be wrapped up in the Montana Rescue series. I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the lives of of Ian and Sierra as well as Dante and Esme in future books.

(3.5 stars)
Profile Image for June.
1,542 reviews17 followers
November 13, 2016
Wow! This series is going to be another painful to wait for the next book series. Sierra's dedication to Ian is amazing. It will be interesting to read more about some of the Jude County Smokejumpers. All these cross overs between series... Ms Warren needs to write us a chart so we can connect all these people to each other and remember who was in which books!
Profile Image for April.
965 reviews32 followers
July 18, 2016
4.5 Stars. This is a taste of what is to come in Warren's upcoming series, Montana Rescue. Really it is laying down a foundation.

Excited to catch up with these characters and see how the rest of this story plays out.

Really looking forward to the series!!!
Profile Image for Paula Shreckhise.
1,529 reviews137 followers
March 28, 2019
If Ever I Would Leave You by Susan May Warren is the prequel novella to the Montana Rescue series.
This novella sets up the reason Ian Shaw put together the SAR team that is the basis for the series.
Sierra is Ian Saw’s personal assistant. Ian is a billionaire. Having made his money with a vital software program, he bought a cattle ranch. But he is a hands-on person so he works the ranch.
This story has it all: A great set-up to an interesting series, a swoony start to a romance, and a mystery to be solved. Add to that the descriptions of the vasr Montana mountains and this is just the ticket for a great modern Western saga.
*I purchased this ebook from Amazon. All opinions are my own.*
Profile Image for Raechel Lenore.
Author 4 books28 followers
June 29, 2017
Probably more of a 2.5 rating. While the writing is great, and meeting the characters was very nice, the main focul point was the physical attraction between the two main characters, and that was annoying and overboard. There was a good scene at the end where God was talked about/shared, but I wanted more real depth to the characters than just their attraction to each other.

I'm still continuing this series, as already I'm finding more depth in the first book. This prequel was just not my favourite.
(And I love the author's "Josey" series so much - her writing style is great!)
Profile Image for Shelly.
482 reviews
December 2, 2017
This was somewhat of a waste of time. I knew this was a prequel to a series, but didn't realize it would be continued in another book. Anyway, not much happened in this one. I was probably generous giving it two stars, but the characters were generally well written and it was a pretty quick read.
Profile Image for Kristi.
739 reviews
September 9, 2018
Cliffhanger. That may have been noted at some point and I just missed it. But it's ok. I still enjoyed this short story and will definitely continue reading more books by this author and this series.

Rating: PG
Language: No profanity what's so ever! Love that!
Recommend: Yes!
Profile Image for Debbie.
3,629 reviews86 followers
February 6, 2017
I probably would have liked this short prequel better if I'd read some of the main stories and wanted the backstory on these characters. This started out as a "typical romance" where the two main characters think a lot about how hot the other looks and they love each other, except miscommunication prevents them from getting together. There was even a kissing scene that almost turned into a sex scene.

Then someone goes missing, and we get some depth to the characters as we learn their life stories. I was frustrated that Sierra knew what had likely happened with the missing person yet waited 3 days before suggesting that option to anyone, even if she thought Ian wouldn't listen. Talk about wasting time and effort. I was surprised that the story ended so abruptly with little resolved except that there would be a future romance between the two.

The Christian element was Sierra consoling Ian about how dark it is in the valleys of life but that God is with us and will take us back to strength/mountaintops again. There was no bad language or sex scenes.
Profile Image for Madison.
1,088 reviews71 followers
September 8, 2016
I actually read the first book in this series, Wild Montana Skies, before reading this prequel. As I was reading Wild Montana Skies I kept wanting more of Ian and Sierra. I loved their dynamic, the many challenges they face and the complexity of their story. So I was very happy to find, upon taking a closer look at the synopsis, that If Ever I Would Leave You was actually Ian and Sierra's story (or at least part of it).

If Ever I Would Leave You takes place roughly three years before the start of Wild Montana Skies. Sierra is Ian's assistant, helping him run his businesses and ranch and generally organising his daily life. Ian is starting to fall for his capable and beautiful assistant, but he's not sure how to take their relationship of boss and employee to something more. But then Ian's life explodes when his niece Esme disappears into the Montana wilderness with her boyfriend.

Just like in Wild Montana Skies there is a good combination of drama, tense action and, of course, romance. There is also a bit of the hero physically rescuing his girl (danger-filled first scene for example). But don't worry, while Sierra sometimes comes across a little damsel-in-distress-y, I found her to be very relatable as a character. She is clever, good at her job, determined, caring and faithful. Her backstory is one of an unusual upbringing and a broken heart. She has scars from the past she doesn't want to talk about and she certainly doesn't want to risk her job or her heart by revealing her growing feelings for Ian.

In this novella Ian is referred to as a Tony Stark type. Love that description! And though I'm more of a Captain America kind of girl, I could understand why Sierra is drawn to her handsome but hurting employer, who too has a past that haunts him.

So, do they ever get together? You'll need to keep reading the Montana Rescue series, starting with Wild Montana Skies, to find out. If Ever I Would Leave You is a fun lead-in to Susan May Warren's exciting new series.

The author provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Find more reviews on my blog Madison's Library.
Profile Image for Rissi.
453 reviews8 followers
December 13, 2016
A Sweet and Swoony Novella

The latest from the award-winning pen of Susan May Warren returns to the world of romantic suspense with this short and sweet novella. It’s a story that introduces us to an elite and complex search and rescue team.

In its pages we meet Ian Shaw, and his assistant Sierra Rose. A charismatic man with an independent wealth, Ian has loved Sierra ever sense he can remember. But the fear of losing her altogether has kept him quiet. Then his niece, Esme disappears which changes everything in his life...

Though short in page count, Warren packs a lot into this little prequel novella. Her name has become synonymous with the romance genre, and she again proves all the reasons why with this, Ian and Sierra’s story. Written as a precursor to her full-length novel, Wild Montana Skies, this story whets our appetite for the "Montana Rescue" launch.

I was easily pulled into this world and the plight of the characters, all of which promise to be interesting and endearing characters to get to know. If you liked Warren’s “Team Hope” series, you’ll adore this plot. If you've been curious about Warren's novels or like any romantic suspense stories, I 100% recommend this story. It gives you an inkling of what's to come in the exciting world of this SAR team without asking you to invest a great deal of time in their lives.

Plus, I’ll let you in on a little secret; there's plenty of swoony romance. <3
Profile Image for Amy.
685 reviews41 followers
August 7, 2016
Simple, easy read prequel novella to Susan's newest series Montana Skies. I really really want to love this series, it being set near and in my favourite National Park, Glacier. The problem I have, yet no one else seems to, is that it just stops without being complete... It's like reading the first half of a novel - or when you get a free sample of a book, but need to buy it in order to find out what happens.. Novellas may be short but at least they are complete. I'm really having to put a lot of faith in Susan Warren here, knowing the caliber of her writing, and trust she will complete Sierra & Ian's story. At least I hope so. They deserve their own book. Though if you look at the summary for book 2 - due out in January, Sierra seems to be pulled into the love triangle of that story. Oh I hope not! I like Ian, and my heart really goes out to him. His heart is in the right place and he desperately wants to do right by his niece, & Sierra. There just has to be a book for these guys, please oh please, I'll read it!!!

I was given a free download for email subscribers and this is my honest review.
Profile Image for TheModestMillennial.
489 reviews14 followers
January 4, 2018
So, after finishing all the existing books in this series last year, I had to revisit them in honor of the release of Troubled Waters today (Jan 2, 2018). I was bad last time and didn't write out a full review, so here it goes:

If you can't picture the perfect TDH, just read Susie's description of Ian Shaw *insert swoon here*. His dark past keeps threatening to overtake him - resurrected by his niece's actions - but the one hope he has to hold on to is beautiful, kind, faithful Sierra Rose. This short introduction to the saga that is Ian and Sierra is the perfect combination of suspense, steamy moments, and faith-building conversations, encouraging you to deepen your understanding of how God can love us and give us good things when we feel anything but worthy.
Profile Image for Karen Collier.
348 reviews17 followers
December 4, 2017
This novella precedes the first book in the Montana Rescue series and fleshes out the backstory of Ian and Sierra, characters who will appear as prominent secondary characters in Wild Montana Skies (Book 1), and as lead characters in Troubled Waters (Book 4). I actually read Wild Montana Skies before this novella and liked Ian and Sierra so much there, that I couldn’t wait for more from them, even if it meant going backward in time. So I immediately went and read this novella. Their story here does not disappoint, though the ending of the novella does still leave me wanting more.
Profile Image for Cynthia Marcano.
Author 22 books53 followers
September 20, 2016
From the first page, the chemistry between Sierra and Ian stole my attention.

I'm half in love with Ian already and not because he's a billionaire, although that doesn't hurt.

This was a great prequel and I am officially excited for Susan May Warrens new series featuring the Rescue team...swooning now.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.