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Sterling's Montana #2
Luck of the Draw
He may get a second chance at his one true love--if someone doesn't kill her firstWhen Garrett Sterling leaves for a horseback ride through his family's sprawling Montana property, he's expecting a relaxing break from the construction at the Sterling guest ranch. What he gets is something far more sinister. It all happened so fast that it's hard for Garrett to sort out the facts. But two things are certain: someone is dead and the killer knows there was a witness.When a woman from his past emerges as a key piece of the investigation, Garrett is determined to uncover what really happened that day, how she's involved--and why everything she's ever told him is a lie.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 21, 2019
294 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
B.J. Daniels
512 books1,257 followersB.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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
May 28, 2019
Luck of the Draw started off with a bang when Garrett Sterling, on a ride around his ranch, witnesses a fatal crime, too far away to do much about it.
Little does he know that this will put him into the path of the woman who left without a word, breaking his heart two years prior. He’s never been able to get over Joselyn and seeing her again is a punch to the gut, but she’s in trouble and even though he doesn’t quite trust her Garrett wants answers.
After that explosive start Luck of the Draw had a bit of a lull before it picked up again, with some back and forth mulling on Garrett’s part, inner thoughts on whether he should trust Joselyn again, and lectures by the sheriff about the same thing. After a few things were revealed the story picked up again with Garrett, Joselyn, and the sheriff trying to get to the bottom of the mysteries behind the attempts on Joselyn’s life. I was eager to find out as well. Garrett and Joselyn’s pursuit of the truth isn’t free of danger, and they try to stay one step ahead while staying alive.
Luck of the Draw was an entertaining combination of mystery, suspense and romance. This is the second book in the Sterling’s Montana series, but it’s not necessary to read the first book to enjoy this story. While Garrett and Joselyn’s story was wrapped up, there’s a burgeoning romance between the sheriff and the Sterling’s long time housekeeper, Dorothea, and the ending events with the sheriff is a mystery that I think will continue in the next book.
A copy was kindly provided by HQN Books in exchange for an honest review.
Little does he know that this will put him into the path of the woman who left without a word, breaking his heart two years prior. He’s never been able to get over Joselyn and seeing her again is a punch to the gut, but she’s in trouble and even though he doesn’t quite trust her Garrett wants answers.
After that explosive start Luck of the Draw had a bit of a lull before it picked up again, with some back and forth mulling on Garrett’s part, inner thoughts on whether he should trust Joselyn again, and lectures by the sheriff about the same thing. After a few things were revealed the story picked up again with Garrett, Joselyn, and the sheriff trying to get to the bottom of the mysteries behind the attempts on Joselyn’s life. I was eager to find out as well. Garrett and Joselyn’s pursuit of the truth isn’t free of danger, and they try to stay one step ahead while staying alive.
Luck of the Draw was an entertaining combination of mystery, suspense and romance. This is the second book in the Sterling’s Montana series, but it’s not necessary to read the first book to enjoy this story. While Garrett and Joselyn’s story was wrapped up, there’s a burgeoning romance between the sheriff and the Sterling’s long time housekeeper, Dorothea, and the ending events with the sheriff is a mystery that I think will continue in the next book.
A copy was kindly provided by HQN Books in exchange for an honest review.
July 14, 2019
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.
B.J. Daniels can write some of the most inventive plots I have ever read and "Luck of the Draw" is another. The story starts with a bang and then limps along like a car with a faulty carburetor until the middle when it starts firing on all cylinders. Unfortunately, the road this plot is traveling on is full of potholes, a lot of them big enough to lose this plot completely. That said, my oh my, what an intriguing Poor Little Rich Girl tale this is.
Garrett Sterling is taking a ride as a break from overseeing the renovations to the Sterling Family Guest Ranch when he spots movement across a deep ravine and stops to determine what it is. What he sees shocks and horrifies him and that is just the beginning. What he discovers about that afternoon brings him face to face with a woman from his past, one he remembers only to well, but she claims not to know him at all.
B.J. Daniels can write some of the most inventive plots I have ever read and "Luck of the Draw" is another. The story starts with a bang and then limps along like a car with a faulty carburetor until the middle when it starts firing on all cylinders. Unfortunately, the road this plot is traveling on is full of potholes, a lot of them big enough to lose this plot completely. That said, my oh my, what an intriguing Poor Little Rich Girl tale this is.
Garrett Sterling is taking a ride as a break from overseeing the renovations to the Sterling Family Guest Ranch when he spots movement across a deep ravine and stops to determine what it is. What he sees shocks and horrifies him and that is just the beginning. What he discovers about that afternoon brings him face to face with a woman from his past, one he remembers only to well, but she claims not to know him at all.
April 3, 2025
Luck of the Draw by BJ Daniels
Sterling’s Montana series #2. Romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Garrett Sterling takes a horseback ride through the family’s guest ranch that’s under construction. At the edge of a ravine, movement from the other side of the ravine catches his attention and he sees a man with a gun dragging a woman behind him. She’s struggling against his hold. Garrett can’t get down and across the ravine in time to interrupt so shoots his gun in the air and hears 4 quick shots in response. At that point the rain gets to heavy to see anything so Garrett races back to the ranch to call the sheriff. But instead of the woman, it the man found dead by the sheriff.
Someone wants Jocelyn dead. Maybe more than one person. She met Garrett several years ago and fell for him but had to disappear to save him. Now he may be the only one that can save her.
A large inheritance is certainly a reason for family to fight but the hard part is figuring out who is willing to go further.
Suspenseful. It was enthralling to try to figure out who was willing to kill her. Or how many. Quite a few layers within the story.
Sterling’s Montana series #2. Romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Garrett Sterling takes a horseback ride through the family’s guest ranch that’s under construction. At the edge of a ravine, movement from the other side of the ravine catches his attention and he sees a man with a gun dragging a woman behind him. She’s struggling against his hold. Garrett can’t get down and across the ravine in time to interrupt so shoots his gun in the air and hears 4 quick shots in response. At that point the rain gets to heavy to see anything so Garrett races back to the ranch to call the sheriff. But instead of the woman, it the man found dead by the sheriff.
Someone wants Jocelyn dead. Maybe more than one person. She met Garrett several years ago and fell for him but had to disappear to save him. Now he may be the only one that can save her.
A large inheritance is certainly a reason for family to fight but the hard part is figuring out who is willing to go further.
Suspenseful. It was enthralling to try to figure out who was willing to kill her. Or how many. Quite a few layers within the story.
June 6, 2019
Excellent action-filled suspense story mixed with a second chance romance. It started with a bang and kept me hooked from beginning to end. While Will and Poppy (Stroke of Luck) are on their honeymoon, Garrett is tasked with supervising the repairs to the guest ranch. While out riding, he witnesses what appears to be an abduction turned to murder. Too far away to stop it or see the details, he's shocked when he and the sheriff discover that the dead body turns out to be the gun-wielding abductor, not his female captive. In the meantime, the fleeing female ends up in the hospital after crashing the car. When the sheriff asks Garrett to identify the woman as the one he saw, Garrett is stunned to recognize her as the woman he'd loved and lost two years earlier when she disappeared from his life without a trace.
Joslyn is terrified to realize that, for the second time in her life, she has no memory of the events leading up to a murder. Unsure of who she can trust, she pretends complete amnesia to the sheriff who came to question her. She did not expect to have Garrett show up in her hospital room too.
Garrett is filled with questions and determined to get answers. He saw enough of the confrontation to be sure that Joslyn killed the man in self-defense. Even though she claims she has amnesia, he can see that she remembers him. He also senses that her fears are real and feels the need to protect her while he gets his answers. Joslyn knows she owes him the truth and has to hope that he will believe her.
I liked the rekindling of their relationship. It was clear that the feelings from two years earlier had never gone away, but Garrett is torn between his desire to believe her and wondering if anything she says can be believed. But his gut and his heart win out as the threats against her escalate, and he learns more about what drove her actions two years earlier. I ached for Joslyn who seems to have been running for her life for as long as she can remember. The happiest time of her life had been those months when she was with Garrett, and it had broken her heart to leave him. But more important than her happiness was keeping Garrett safe, and that was what brought her out of hiding. I liked how Garrett's confidence in her innocence grew, even as he had to fight off the well-intentioned advice of family and friends. His protectiveness was sweet, as was the support he gave her as she tried to wrench back control of her life. I loved seeing them come together at the end, ready for the future that had been denied to them two years earlier.
The suspense of the story was fantastic. From the moment that Joslyn reappeared in Garrett's life, it seemed like there was one thing after another trying to rip them apart. Joslyn's past was revealed slowly as though on a need-to-know basis. There seemed to be two competing threats to her health and well-being. First was the murder of her father and step-mother twenty-five years earlier, an event she witnessed but can't remember. Are the attempts on her life because the real murderer believes that she remembers what happened? Second is the large amount of money she is due to inherit in just a few days. There are plenty of suspects who have the motivation to see that she doesn't. I was on the edge of my seat as Garrett foiled one attempt, risking so much by trusting his instincts instead of trusting what he was told. I loved how Joslyn was determined to put an end to the threat and the plan that she and Garrett devised. The final confrontation was intense, and I wondered how Joslyn would survive long enough for her plan to work. I was glued to the pages until it was all over. There was a twist at the very end provided an unexpected surprise.
I had two favorite secondary characters in this book. First was the sheriff, Sid Anderson. I liked him in the first book, as a solid small-town law enforcement officer. His blossoming romance with the Sterlings' housekeeper, Dorothea, is a sweet addition. In this book, he had to tread a fine line between obeying the law and keeping Garrett out of trouble. It was a difficult edge to walk and I thought he handled it well. He's looking forward to his upcoming retirement but is also worried about who will replace him. There are a few hints as to how that will go, and I'm looking forward to the next book to see what happens. My other favorite was Garrett's friend and childhood playmate, PI Billy Mitchell. Billy's support, as he aided and abetted Garrett in his rescue of Joslyn, was crucial to that part of the story. He also had me laughing out loud a few times.
Joslyn is terrified to realize that, for the second time in her life, she has no memory of the events leading up to a murder. Unsure of who she can trust, she pretends complete amnesia to the sheriff who came to question her. She did not expect to have Garrett show up in her hospital room too.
Garrett is filled with questions and determined to get answers. He saw enough of the confrontation to be sure that Joslyn killed the man in self-defense. Even though she claims she has amnesia, he can see that she remembers him. He also senses that her fears are real and feels the need to protect her while he gets his answers. Joslyn knows she owes him the truth and has to hope that he will believe her.
I liked the rekindling of their relationship. It was clear that the feelings from two years earlier had never gone away, but Garrett is torn between his desire to believe her and wondering if anything she says can be believed. But his gut and his heart win out as the threats against her escalate, and he learns more about what drove her actions two years earlier. I ached for Joslyn who seems to have been running for her life for as long as she can remember. The happiest time of her life had been those months when she was with Garrett, and it had broken her heart to leave him. But more important than her happiness was keeping Garrett safe, and that was what brought her out of hiding. I liked how Garrett's confidence in her innocence grew, even as he had to fight off the well-intentioned advice of family and friends. His protectiveness was sweet, as was the support he gave her as she tried to wrench back control of her life. I loved seeing them come together at the end, ready for the future that had been denied to them two years earlier.
The suspense of the story was fantastic. From the moment that Joslyn reappeared in Garrett's life, it seemed like there was one thing after another trying to rip them apart. Joslyn's past was revealed slowly as though on a need-to-know basis. There seemed to be two competing threats to her health and well-being. First was the murder of her father and step-mother twenty-five years earlier, an event she witnessed but can't remember. Are the attempts on her life because the real murderer believes that she remembers what happened? Second is the large amount of money she is due to inherit in just a few days. There are plenty of suspects who have the motivation to see that she doesn't. I was on the edge of my seat as Garrett foiled one attempt, risking so much by trusting his instincts instead of trusting what he was told. I loved how Joslyn was determined to put an end to the threat and the plan that she and Garrett devised. The final confrontation was intense, and I wondered how Joslyn would survive long enough for her plan to work. I was glued to the pages until it was all over. There was a twist at the very end provided an unexpected surprise.
I had two favorite secondary characters in this book. First was the sheriff, Sid Anderson. I liked him in the first book, as a solid small-town law enforcement officer. His blossoming romance with the Sterlings' housekeeper, Dorothea, is a sweet addition. In this book, he had to tread a fine line between obeying the law and keeping Garrett out of trouble. It was a difficult edge to walk and I thought he handled it well. He's looking forward to his upcoming retirement but is also worried about who will replace him. There are a few hints as to how that will go, and I'm looking forward to the next book to see what happens. My other favorite was Garrett's friend and childhood playmate, PI Billy Mitchell. Billy's support, as he aided and abetted Garrett in his rescue of Joslyn, was crucial to that part of the story. He also had me laughing out loud a few times.
June 24, 2019
Steamy, twisty, and action-packed!
In this second novel of the Sterling’s Montana series, Luck of the Draw, we head back to the mountains of the northwest and into the life of the ruggedly handsome, dependable Garrett Sterling as he inadvertently finds himself a witness to murder and helping the one woman who stole his heart and previously left without a trace.
The writing is crisp and tight. The characters are mysterious, multilayered, and persistent. And the suspenseful plot unravels and intertwines into a fervent tale filled with twists, turns, secrets, lies, familial drama, greed, danger, romance, and murder.
Overall, Luck of the Draw is a passionate, sinister, entertaining tale by Daniels that has all the elements you look for in a romantic suspense series and yet is just as satisfying as a standalone novel.
Thank you to Harlequin Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
In this second novel of the Sterling’s Montana series, Luck of the Draw, we head back to the mountains of the northwest and into the life of the ruggedly handsome, dependable Garrett Sterling as he inadvertently finds himself a witness to murder and helping the one woman who stole his heart and previously left without a trace.
The writing is crisp and tight. The characters are mysterious, multilayered, and persistent. And the suspenseful plot unravels and intertwines into a fervent tale filled with twists, turns, secrets, lies, familial drama, greed, danger, romance, and murder.
Overall, Luck of the Draw is a passionate, sinister, entertaining tale by Daniels that has all the elements you look for in a romantic suspense series and yet is just as satisfying as a standalone novel.
Thank you to Harlequin Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 20, 2019
Chapter One – Garrett Sterling of the Montana Sterlings sees what he thinks is an abduction that turns into murder. Well, heck, you had me hooked right then and there. I dearly love a book that gets to the action from the get-go.
I received an Uncorrected Proof copy for free in return for an honest review. And I had to remember that it was uncorrected because Monica/Joslyn and Garrett’s past romance skipped between five years and 18 months – at first, it confused me enough to go back and check!
At any rate, someone is after Monica and we are given a host of possibilities from her guardian to her step-brother and step-sister, both of whom go through their inheritance like it’s bottomless. Garrett is determined to keep her safe, after all – he loves this woman enough to have planned to ask her to marry him before she up and disappeared.
I’ve read many, many BJ Daniels’ books and she always has great characters (ones you love and ones you don’t love) and equally great plots. I knew I’d be engaged the entire book and get loose ends wrapped up at the end of it, all the while setting the stage for the next book in the Sterling’s Montana series. I like that her romantic scenes aren’t too graphic or too simple.
I would recommend this book for anyone wanting some exciting reading with some romance, too. I’m all ready for the next installment, aren’t you?
I received an Uncorrected Proof copy for free in return for an honest review. And I had to remember that it was uncorrected because Monica/Joslyn and Garrett’s past romance skipped between five years and 18 months – at first, it confused me enough to go back and check!
At any rate, someone is after Monica and we are given a host of possibilities from her guardian to her step-brother and step-sister, both of whom go through their inheritance like it’s bottomless. Garrett is determined to keep her safe, after all – he loves this woman enough to have planned to ask her to marry him before she up and disappeared.
I’ve read many, many BJ Daniels’ books and she always has great characters (ones you love and ones you don’t love) and equally great plots. I knew I’d be engaged the entire book and get loose ends wrapped up at the end of it, all the while setting the stage for the next book in the Sterling’s Montana series. I like that her romantic scenes aren’t too graphic or too simple.
I would recommend this book for anyone wanting some exciting reading with some romance, too. I’m all ready for the next installment, aren’t you?
November 26, 2018
DNF
Far too much going on in the first couple of chapters. This was a very difficult story to follow with everything happening so quickly. I will say that my interest was grabbed from the beginning when Garrett witnesses a murder. My issue was how quickly everything happened after that. You lost me when we jumped to yet another point of view by, I think, the third chapter.
** ARC received from Netgalley **
Far too much going on in the first couple of chapters. This was a very difficult story to follow with everything happening so quickly. I will say that my interest was grabbed from the beginning when Garrett witnesses a murder. My issue was how quickly everything happened after that. You lost me when we jumped to yet another point of view by, I think, the third chapter.
** ARC received from Netgalley **
February 20, 2019
I received a free, advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
Like the previous book in the series, this is a second chance, murder mystery romance. This book continues where the previous one left off. While Will and Poppy are on their honeymoon, Garrett Sterling is supervising the repairs to the ranch guest house, after the fires that occurred in the previous book. While riding on the ranch, he sees movement across a deep ravine, and watches an armed man dragging a struggling woman behind him. He shoots into the air (never a good idea, because that bullet will come down) to let the man he is watching. He then hears 4 shots and sees running movement and a leg, not moving. With no cell reception, he must return to the lodge to call the sheriff. When he and the sheriff return to the scene of the crime, it is the man's body they find, but the fleeing woman ends up in an car crash and into the hospital. When Garrett goes to the hospital to see if it was the woman that he had spotted, he finds it is the woman who he had thought was the love of his life, the woman who he was going to ask to marry him eighteen months ago, before she suddenly just disappeared. She claims amnesia, but he doesn't believe her, but he also still cares enough to wants to keep her alive. Will he give her a second chance? Will she tell him the truth? Who is trying to kill her and why? Like the previous book, wonderful characters, a riveting plot and again I staying up much past my bed time to finished it.
Like the previous book in the series, this is a second chance, murder mystery romance. This book continues where the previous one left off. While Will and Poppy are on their honeymoon, Garrett Sterling is supervising the repairs to the ranch guest house, after the fires that occurred in the previous book. While riding on the ranch, he sees movement across a deep ravine, and watches an armed man dragging a struggling woman behind him. He shoots into the air (never a good idea, because that bullet will come down) to let the man he is watching. He then hears 4 shots and sees running movement and a leg, not moving. With no cell reception, he must return to the lodge to call the sheriff. When he and the sheriff return to the scene of the crime, it is the man's body they find, but the fleeing woman ends up in an car crash and into the hospital. When Garrett goes to the hospital to see if it was the woman that he had spotted, he finds it is the woman who he had thought was the love of his life, the woman who he was going to ask to marry him eighteen months ago, before she suddenly just disappeared. She claims amnesia, but he doesn't believe her, but he also still cares enough to wants to keep her alive. Will he give her a second chance? Will she tell him the truth? Who is trying to kill her and why? Like the previous book, wonderful characters, a riveting plot and again I staying up much past my bed time to finished it.
May 22, 2019
This is an action packed, second chance romantic suspense which starts with bang and keeps on speeding along!
Garrett Sterling hadn't anticipated witnessing a murder, nor had he expected to see the woman who he'd loved be the chief suspect! Actually he hadn't expected to see her at all after she disappeared from his life but she's keeping secrets, telling lies . . . including pretending not to recognise him. Can he uncover the truth and keep her safe?
This is another enthralling read from this fantastic author. She is so skilled at developing the characters - some you'll love but others you'll definitely not! In this story, the mystery centres around just who is trying to murder Garrett's love and why. There are plenty of suspects, a riveting plot full of twists and turns to keep you guessing as well as a heartwarming second-chance romance in this enthralling read. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading intriguing murder, mystery and romantic suspense.
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.
Garrett Sterling hadn't anticipated witnessing a murder, nor had he expected to see the woman who he'd loved be the chief suspect! Actually he hadn't expected to see her at all after she disappeared from his life but she's keeping secrets, telling lies . . . including pretending not to recognise him. Can he uncover the truth and keep her safe?
This is another enthralling read from this fantastic author. She is so skilled at developing the characters - some you'll love but others you'll definitely not! In this story, the mystery centres around just who is trying to murder Garrett's love and why. There are plenty of suspects, a riveting plot full of twists and turns to keep you guessing as well as a heartwarming second-chance romance in this enthralling read. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading intriguing murder, mystery and romantic suspense.
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.
July 13, 2019
I'm a fan of B.J. Daniels' novels and although I wasn't over the moon about the first novel in this series, Stroke of Luck, I was eager to read this second novel in the series, but I'm sad to say that I found this novel somewhat disappointing too, and I while I didn't dislike it, I didn't love it either and it gets 3 stars from this reader.
Luck of the Draw starts off like gangbusters, with the hero, Garrett Sterling, out on horseback riding along his property when he spots movement in the distance--a man with a gun pointed at what appears to be a terrified and unwilling woman being dragged off into the woods on the other side of a ravine. He fires one shot into the air to let the gunman know he's been seen, and by the time he holsters his weapon, he hears 4 quick and consecutive shots, and, when he grabs his binoculars, he sees one stationary, jeans-clad leg on the ground hidden my tall grass, and someone running away, climbing into an SUV and hightailing it out of there. He fears that the leg belongs to the terrified woman, but when he calls in the sheriff and takes him to the scene of the crime, a downpour begins, erasing possible evidence, and Garrett is shocked to learn that the leg belongs to the man and not his terrified captive. There's no gun in sight, and the search for the woman who killed her captor and ran is on. Told in alternating narration, we soon learn that the woman is terrified, has no idea where she is or where she's going and eventually crashes the SUV, sustaining a head injury. When Garrett goes to see her in the hospital he's shocked to see that the mystery woman is Joslyn, the woman he fell madly in love with and hoped to marry back when he was attending law school several years earlier, at least until the day she disappeared from his bed and his life without so much as a word or a note--but, once she regains consciousness, not only does she claim to not know her own name, she doesn't seem to know Garrett at all, and seems to have total amnesia about him, the event Garrett witnessed, her life, why she's in the hospital, who abducted her, why she was abducted, who wanted to kill her and why, how she got away, or how she managed to kill the man, but there is a moment of shocked recognition when their eyes meet, and Garrett isn't certain that she's not faking her amnesia, but considering the way their relationship ended, he's not inclined to believe anything she tells him. Since she had no identification on her, no money and no memory, Garrett convinces the sheriff to let him take her to his family's guest ranch high in the Montana mountains. It's been closed for some reconstruction, but it's a place where she'll be safe, hidden, able to recuperate, and hopefully regain her missing memory.
As I stated at the outset, the novel does grab you from the first page, but it's after Joslyn is ensconced at the Sterling guest ranch that the action slows down to a crawl, and we soon learn that Joslyn is not her name, but it was the alias she was using when she first became involved with Garrett, nor are several other names and identities she's used in the past. She admits that she does remember Garrett but not much else, the spark between these two is still there (or is it?), and the novel becomes a second chance at love, romantic suspense murder mystery, with a large cast of possible suspects, most of whom aren't who or what they seem, but the internal dialogue of the two main characters becomes redundant to the point of being boring.
Although Garrett and Joslyn (aka Monica, etc.) claim to have never gotten over their love for each another, one thing kept bothering me from that point in the novel to the HEA ending, and that is that although both Garrett and Joslyn repeatedly claim to love one another, and while Garrett is one stand-up, honest, open, kind, generous and handsome cowboy hero, I had a hard time accepting that after a one-to-two month relationship, he'd bought her an engagement ring and was going to marry this woman when he actually knew nothing about. She knew all about where he was from, his family members, the guest ranch, and more, but she always managed to deflect any personal questions he asked her about herself, and when he finally manages to find out who she is, where she's from, why she's spent most of her life hiding, and why someone or several someones want her dead, he still doesn't entirely trust her outside of their sexual fireworks, and yet he still wants to marry her because she's beautiful and their sexual chemistry was and still is off the charts, but that's not love to this reader, and it's not a valid reason to marry either, and Garrett's willingness to do just that stretched my willing suspension of disbelief to the breaking point.
While there's plenty of suspense, plenty of suspects, plenty of action, a subplot concerning the deputy who wants to be the next sheriff, a secondary subplot concerning the Sterling's long-time housekeeper and the sheriff, what I felt was sorely lacking in his standalone novel was depth and character development when it came to both Garrett and Joslyn, and I do hope Ms. Daniels takes the time to develop that aspect of her main characters in the upcoming novels in this series.
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
Luck of the Draw starts off like gangbusters, with the hero, Garrett Sterling, out on horseback riding along his property when he spots movement in the distance--a man with a gun pointed at what appears to be a terrified and unwilling woman being dragged off into the woods on the other side of a ravine. He fires one shot into the air to let the gunman know he's been seen, and by the time he holsters his weapon, he hears 4 quick and consecutive shots, and, when he grabs his binoculars, he sees one stationary, jeans-clad leg on the ground hidden my tall grass, and someone running away, climbing into an SUV and hightailing it out of there. He fears that the leg belongs to the terrified woman, but when he calls in the sheriff and takes him to the scene of the crime, a downpour begins, erasing possible evidence, and Garrett is shocked to learn that the leg belongs to the man and not his terrified captive. There's no gun in sight, and the search for the woman who killed her captor and ran is on. Told in alternating narration, we soon learn that the woman is terrified, has no idea where she is or where she's going and eventually crashes the SUV, sustaining a head injury. When Garrett goes to see her in the hospital he's shocked to see that the mystery woman is Joslyn, the woman he fell madly in love with and hoped to marry back when he was attending law school several years earlier, at least until the day she disappeared from his bed and his life without so much as a word or a note--but, once she regains consciousness, not only does she claim to not know her own name, she doesn't seem to know Garrett at all, and seems to have total amnesia about him, the event Garrett witnessed, her life, why she's in the hospital, who abducted her, why she was abducted, who wanted to kill her and why, how she got away, or how she managed to kill the man, but there is a moment of shocked recognition when their eyes meet, and Garrett isn't certain that she's not faking her amnesia, but considering the way their relationship ended, he's not inclined to believe anything she tells him. Since she had no identification on her, no money and no memory, Garrett convinces the sheriff to let him take her to his family's guest ranch high in the Montana mountains. It's been closed for some reconstruction, but it's a place where she'll be safe, hidden, able to recuperate, and hopefully regain her missing memory.
As I stated at the outset, the novel does grab you from the first page, but it's after Joslyn is ensconced at the Sterling guest ranch that the action slows down to a crawl, and we soon learn that Joslyn is not her name, but it was the alias she was using when she first became involved with Garrett, nor are several other names and identities she's used in the past. She admits that she does remember Garrett but not much else, the spark between these two is still there (or is it?), and the novel becomes a second chance at love, romantic suspense murder mystery, with a large cast of possible suspects, most of whom aren't who or what they seem, but the internal dialogue of the two main characters becomes redundant to the point of being boring.
Although Garrett and Joslyn (aka Monica, etc.) claim to have never gotten over their love for each another, one thing kept bothering me from that point in the novel to the HEA ending, and that is that although both Garrett and Joslyn repeatedly claim to love one another, and while Garrett is one stand-up, honest, open, kind, generous and handsome cowboy hero, I had a hard time accepting that after a one-to-two month relationship, he'd bought her an engagement ring and was going to marry this woman when he actually knew nothing about. She knew all about where he was from, his family members, the guest ranch, and more, but she always managed to deflect any personal questions he asked her about herself, and when he finally manages to find out who she is, where she's from, why she's spent most of her life hiding, and why someone or several someones want her dead, he still doesn't entirely trust her outside of their sexual fireworks, and yet he still wants to marry her because she's beautiful and their sexual chemistry was and still is off the charts, but that's not love to this reader, and it's not a valid reason to marry either, and Garrett's willingness to do just that stretched my willing suspension of disbelief to the breaking point.
While there's plenty of suspense, plenty of suspects, plenty of action, a subplot concerning the deputy who wants to be the next sheriff, a secondary subplot concerning the Sterling's long-time housekeeper and the sheriff, what I felt was sorely lacking in his standalone novel was depth and character development when it came to both Garrett and Joslyn, and I do hope Ms. Daniels takes the time to develop that aspect of her main characters in the upcoming novels in this series.
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
May 21, 2019
Great book. It was fast paced, which I liked very much. Interesting characters, intriguing story line. Held my interest from start to finish.
July 12, 2019
Character-driven and suspenseful! This is another great addition to this series. I loved Garrett and Joslyn. Readers who enjoy ranch settings, must give this series a try.
November 14, 2020
Another fabulous story from the master of romantic suspense. I loved the tension in this story. The tension of the escalating romance with the backdrop of the danger of a killer closing in was exhilarating. No one blends romance, mystery, and danger like BJ Daniels.
December 31, 2019
There's so much happening in this story and absolutely keeps you captivated.
B.J.Daniels is a pretty good writer and she does a fine job with "Luck Of The Draw",with Garret Sterling trying to figure out the mystery behind the one women he fell in love with, Joslyn Charles, or so she calls herself! With a couple of years separating their last meeting, Garret believes Josyln is in trouble and needs his protection. And Joslyn has a killer to out before she can really dream of a future with Garret.
A great read!
B.J.Daniels is a pretty good writer and she does a fine job with "Luck Of The Draw",with Garret Sterling trying to figure out the mystery behind the one women he fell in love with, Joslyn Charles, or so she calls herself! With a couple of years separating their last meeting, Garret believes Josyln is in trouble and needs his protection. And Joslyn has a killer to out before she can really dream of a future with Garret.
A great read!
May 9, 2019
He's a witness to a death. She's on the run and can't remember why. They knew each other and fell in love years ago. He's shocked and hurt that she disappeared with out a trace. She needs to tell the truth and earn is trust back. Can they find their way back to each other? Will two people who don't believe in luck find the Luck of the Draw and solve a 25 year old murders?
Garrett Sterling is out for a horseback ride, when he comes across a man and woman in a struggle. He realizes that she's in danger and he fires in his pistol as a distraction. When he looks through his binoculars again all he sees is part of a leg laying unmoving on the ground and someone running away. Since the family's resort ranch is isolated and has no modern conveniences like cell towers and internet, Garrett must go back to the ranch to call the sheriff. They meet up and head to the area where the body should be. Rain and tall grass hamper the investigation. They go up thinking that the body is a woman only to find her abductor dead. The sheriff receives a call about an accident involving the car that sped away from the scene. Garrett goes back to the working ranch house and relays the story to the housekeeper and his younger brother. A call from the sheriff brings Garrett to the hospital for a ID of the woman that he saw on the mountain. He arrives only to realize that its the same one who he fell in love with 2 years ago while attending law school and was planning to marry until she disappeared from his life. He's adamant about helping her with her problems and doesn't believe when the sheriff tells him she doesn't remember anything, because he realizes she recognizes him. He want answers. He tells the sheriff the whole story about their past together. Her family has tracked her down and is insisting that she be turned over to her guardian. Garrett and the woman he knows as Joslyn Charles are staying at the resort ranch and she loves it there. They realize that they still love each other and Joslyn realizes she needs to tell Garrett the truth about who she really is. As he's trying to deal with that information the sheriff comes to take her away saying she's mentally unstable and that she's being sent back to Seattle, Washington to a sanitarium for treatment. Garrett's gut is telling him she's in danger and he won't see her again if he let's her go. With the help of his best friend a PI they hatch a plan to save Joslyn. They catch up to the ambulance that is transporting her and abduct her. The sheriff buys them some time. Joslyn is tired of running from her past and decides she needs to find out the truth. A trip to the man who went to prison for killing her father and stepmother sends them looking at her so called family. A trip to another prison to confront the man who tried to kill Joslyn years ago has her making a plan to bring out the killer. She invites her family to the guest ranch for her 30th birthday. They all show up. The sheriff is going to be there only a last minute call and a hit and run put him out of commission.
While Garrett's family head to the hospital to look after the sheriff. Garrett and Joslyn are dealing with the members of her family. Garrett's best friend shows up to help out. Her step brother wasn't coming shows up at the last minute. Minutes before the deadline an attempt is made on Joslyn's life again. The suspects are revealed. A last minute rescue is made. Garrett and Joslyn learn about the the sheriff's accident. Joslyn decides on a name change. A member of the county sheriff's office is fired. A marriage proposal is made and a small wedding is attended where the mystery of the murder of her father and step mother is revealed.
B. J. Daniels writes a suspenseful who dun it that spans almost the whole life time of a woman who can't remember the event she witnessed, but can't forget the man she fell in love with. A threat sends her to warn him. He thought he'd gotten over what happened years ago only to find out its' always been there. The second book in the Sterling's Montana series has a man and the woman he loves reuniting to solve who's trying to kill them. I was left guessing on who the bad guys were. Can't wait to read the next in the series. Ms. Daniels is a master suspenseful story teller and keeps you guessing until the end.
Garrett Sterling is out for a horseback ride, when he comes across a man and woman in a struggle. He realizes that she's in danger and he fires in his pistol as a distraction. When he looks through his binoculars again all he sees is part of a leg laying unmoving on the ground and someone running away. Since the family's resort ranch is isolated and has no modern conveniences like cell towers and internet, Garrett must go back to the ranch to call the sheriff. They meet up and head to the area where the body should be. Rain and tall grass hamper the investigation. They go up thinking that the body is a woman only to find her abductor dead. The sheriff receives a call about an accident involving the car that sped away from the scene. Garrett goes back to the working ranch house and relays the story to the housekeeper and his younger brother. A call from the sheriff brings Garrett to the hospital for a ID of the woman that he saw on the mountain. He arrives only to realize that its the same one who he fell in love with 2 years ago while attending law school and was planning to marry until she disappeared from his life. He's adamant about helping her with her problems and doesn't believe when the sheriff tells him she doesn't remember anything, because he realizes she recognizes him. He want answers. He tells the sheriff the whole story about their past together. Her family has tracked her down and is insisting that she be turned over to her guardian. Garrett and the woman he knows as Joslyn Charles are staying at the resort ranch and she loves it there. They realize that they still love each other and Joslyn realizes she needs to tell Garrett the truth about who she really is. As he's trying to deal with that information the sheriff comes to take her away saying she's mentally unstable and that she's being sent back to Seattle, Washington to a sanitarium for treatment. Garrett's gut is telling him she's in danger and he won't see her again if he let's her go. With the help of his best friend a PI they hatch a plan to save Joslyn. They catch up to the ambulance that is transporting her and abduct her. The sheriff buys them some time. Joslyn is tired of running from her past and decides she needs to find out the truth. A trip to the man who went to prison for killing her father and stepmother sends them looking at her so called family. A trip to another prison to confront the man who tried to kill Joslyn years ago has her making a plan to bring out the killer. She invites her family to the guest ranch for her 30th birthday. They all show up. The sheriff is going to be there only a last minute call and a hit and run put him out of commission.
While Garrett's family head to the hospital to look after the sheriff. Garrett and Joslyn are dealing with the members of her family. Garrett's best friend shows up to help out. Her step brother wasn't coming shows up at the last minute. Minutes before the deadline an attempt is made on Joslyn's life again. The suspects are revealed. A last minute rescue is made. Garrett and Joslyn learn about the the sheriff's accident. Joslyn decides on a name change. A member of the county sheriff's office is fired. A marriage proposal is made and a small wedding is attended where the mystery of the murder of her father and step mother is revealed.
B. J. Daniels writes a suspenseful who dun it that spans almost the whole life time of a woman who can't remember the event she witnessed, but can't forget the man she fell in love with. A threat sends her to warn him. He thought he'd gotten over what happened years ago only to find out its' always been there. The second book in the Sterling's Montana series has a man and the woman he loves reuniting to solve who's trying to kill them. I was left guessing on who the bad guys were. Can't wait to read the next in the series. Ms. Daniels is a master suspenseful story teller and keeps you guessing until the end.
July 1, 2019
A second chance at love murder mystery!
“I really doubt it’s a stroke of luck that she’s turned up in your life again.”
Luck of the Draw by B.J. Daniels literally opens with a bang. While taking a break from overseeing renovations at the Sterling’s Montana Guest Ranch by taking a horseback ride, Garrett Sterling witnesses a woman being abducted and what appears to be her murder on the other side of a deep ravine. He reports it to the authorities who investigate and discover that there has indeed been a murder – but the body is that of her abductor. So, what happened to and where’s the woman?
Hours after the abductor’s body is found, an unidentified woman who had been in a car crash is taken to the local hospital. Garrett is summoned to the hospital to possibly identify her as the woman he had seen in the altercation. Instead, he comes face-to-face with the woman who had broken his heart. It quickly becomes clear that the woman is in danger and Garrett is determined to keep her safe.
This is the story of Garrett and Joslyn, a woman from his past with secrets. Garrett first met Joslyn when he was in law school. She was the love of his life and he had planned to marry her. But, then, she disappeared without a trace. Garrett searched for her to no avail. He was so broken up that he quit school and came back home.
This is the second installment in B.J.’s Sterling’s Montana series which revolves around the three Sterling brothers: Will, Garrett and Shade. If you haven’t read the first book, there is no need to worry. Luck of the Draw works perfectly well as a standalone. That said, the first book is fabulous and does a fine job of introducing the main characters. If you can spare the time, I’d recommend reading the series in order.
I loved Garrett. He’s strong, steady and responsible. Joslyn was harder to warm up to. It doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy their story. It’s just that Joslyn had some making up to do. Garrett’s family are understandably worried that Joslyn is only using him and will break his heart again.
A fun supporting character returns from the first book. Dorothea raised the boys after their mother died and still figures prominently in their lives. She sees conspiracy theories everywhere and is constantly casting spells against perceived evil.
Following please find a few of my favorite lines from Luck of the Draw:
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s what a woman can do to a man’s common sense. Admittedly, I never thought it would happen to you.”
---
“I have a huge favor, but I should warn you up front it’s not just dangerous. It’s illegal.”
His friend laughed. “Don’t sugarcoat it on my account.”
---
“I was in love with a ghost.”
Luck of the Draw is a second chance at love murder mystery with an original plot and wonderful characters. B.J.’s book are automatic-reads for me. They never fail to be page-turners that captivate and keep me on the edge of my seat. If you enjoy thrilling tales of suspense paired with a bit of romance set amid gorgeous, raw scenery, you will definitely want to check out this series!
“I really doubt it’s a stroke of luck that she’s turned up in your life again.”
Luck of the Draw by B.J. Daniels literally opens with a bang. While taking a break from overseeing renovations at the Sterling’s Montana Guest Ranch by taking a horseback ride, Garrett Sterling witnesses a woman being abducted and what appears to be her murder on the other side of a deep ravine. He reports it to the authorities who investigate and discover that there has indeed been a murder – but the body is that of her abductor. So, what happened to and where’s the woman?
Hours after the abductor’s body is found, an unidentified woman who had been in a car crash is taken to the local hospital. Garrett is summoned to the hospital to possibly identify her as the woman he had seen in the altercation. Instead, he comes face-to-face with the woman who had broken his heart. It quickly becomes clear that the woman is in danger and Garrett is determined to keep her safe.
This is the story of Garrett and Joslyn, a woman from his past with secrets. Garrett first met Joslyn when he was in law school. She was the love of his life and he had planned to marry her. But, then, she disappeared without a trace. Garrett searched for her to no avail. He was so broken up that he quit school and came back home.
This is the second installment in B.J.’s Sterling’s Montana series which revolves around the three Sterling brothers: Will, Garrett and Shade. If you haven’t read the first book, there is no need to worry. Luck of the Draw works perfectly well as a standalone. That said, the first book is fabulous and does a fine job of introducing the main characters. If you can spare the time, I’d recommend reading the series in order.
I loved Garrett. He’s strong, steady and responsible. Joslyn was harder to warm up to. It doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy their story. It’s just that Joslyn had some making up to do. Garrett’s family are understandably worried that Joslyn is only using him and will break his heart again.
A fun supporting character returns from the first book. Dorothea raised the boys after their mother died and still figures prominently in their lives. She sees conspiracy theories everywhere and is constantly casting spells against perceived evil.
Following please find a few of my favorite lines from Luck of the Draw:
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s what a woman can do to a man’s common sense. Admittedly, I never thought it would happen to you.”
---
“I have a huge favor, but I should warn you up front it’s not just dangerous. It’s illegal.”
His friend laughed. “Don’t sugarcoat it on my account.”
---
“I was in love with a ghost.”
Luck of the Draw is a second chance at love murder mystery with an original plot and wonderful characters. B.J.’s book are automatic-reads for me. They never fail to be page-turners that captivate and keep me on the edge of my seat. If you enjoy thrilling tales of suspense paired with a bit of romance set amid gorgeous, raw scenery, you will definitely want to check out this series!
May 5, 2019
LUCK OF THE DRAW begins with a bang- Garrett Sterling witnesses a murder. He sees a man and woman struggling and the man hitting her with a gun before he fires a warning shot. He then hears four rapid shots and sees someone fleeing the scene. He reports the murder to the Sheriff, but when they look, he is shocked to find a man's body. When the woman turns up in the hospital after a car accident without her memories, Garrett is able to identify her as the woman he saw.
However, he also recognizes her as the woman he was about to propose to until he disappeared on him two years ago. Joslyn Charles, as he knew her, was the love of his life. The scene he witnessed made it look like self-defense, and he is eager to help protect her and learn more about why she left him. As he takes her into custody after posting her bail, he learns that there is more to the story than he knew or suspected, and Joslyn is hiding many dangerous secrets.
Joslyn is actually Monica, a wealthy young woman who is about to receive a large inheritance and who has been on the run from her family for years. She supposedly witnessed her father and stepmother's murders when she was 5, but she has no memory of who did it. She also has a step-brother and step-sister who are collecting from their inheritances.
The mystery of who the man was that she killed plus who is after her keeps the pages turning quickly in this suspense/mystery. The romance really takes a backseat to the murder mystery plots with little more than a kiss or two until the end of the book. Although I expected more of a romance, I really enjoyed following the clues to figure out the murder from 25 years ago (when Monica was 5) as well as the plots against Monica/Joslyn now. There's a lot to keep the plot moving quickly and pull you into the story.
The secondary characters will be notable if you have read the first book in the series, and they add some fun quirks to the story, even though they take a backseat in this book. I liked seeing them again though in this book. This is a strong mystery/thriller with a very light touch of romance, and I enjoyed following the clues down with Garrett and Monica/Joslyn. I definitely recommend if you like fast-paced murder mysteries and/or suspense/thrillers.
Please note that I received a copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
However, he also recognizes her as the woman he was about to propose to until he disappeared on him two years ago. Joslyn Charles, as he knew her, was the love of his life. The scene he witnessed made it look like self-defense, and he is eager to help protect her and learn more about why she left him. As he takes her into custody after posting her bail, he learns that there is more to the story than he knew or suspected, and Joslyn is hiding many dangerous secrets.
Joslyn is actually Monica, a wealthy young woman who is about to receive a large inheritance and who has been on the run from her family for years. She supposedly witnessed her father and stepmother's murders when she was 5, but she has no memory of who did it. She also has a step-brother and step-sister who are collecting from their inheritances.
The mystery of who the man was that she killed plus who is after her keeps the pages turning quickly in this suspense/mystery. The romance really takes a backseat to the murder mystery plots with little more than a kiss or two until the end of the book. Although I expected more of a romance, I really enjoyed following the clues to figure out the murder from 25 years ago (when Monica was 5) as well as the plots against Monica/Joslyn now. There's a lot to keep the plot moving quickly and pull you into the story.
The secondary characters will be notable if you have read the first book in the series, and they add some fun quirks to the story, even though they take a backseat in this book. I liked seeing them again though in this book. This is a strong mystery/thriller with a very light touch of romance, and I enjoyed following the clues down with Garrett and Monica/Joslyn. I definitely recommend if you like fast-paced murder mysteries and/or suspense/thrillers.
Please note that I received a copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
May 30, 2019
3 1/2
The beginning of B.J. Daniels’ second installment of The Sterlings Montana, Luck of the Draw, literally opens with a bang when Garrett tries to stop a murder from occurring. The situation is not what he anticipates nor are the players.
While the beginning was exciting, the chapters from Joslyn’s POV drag and are repetitive and this, unfortunately, made the beginning plod along too much for my liking. Add into that the fact that what I initially saw of Joslyn, I didn’t like. As the book goes on we don’t really learn about her and the troubled past she’s had, while there are hints to it. Many people weigh in on her character. (This is, again, a novel told from many POVs, so take that into consideration if you find that not to your liking.) But as a reader, I didn’t come away from the novel thinking that I knew Joslyn, which you would always like in a romantic suspense.
Garrett, on the other hand, is a nice, stand-up guy, even when he does stupid (seemingly romantic) things.
This time around, I did find that the multiple POVs detracted from the story, especially because in instances where it became repetitive. If the reader already knows about something, we don’t need to be re-told because a minor character doesn’t know about it.
For me for the second quarter of the novel, the repetition and the telling, mostly in Joslyn’s chapters, were difficult to take. In romantic suspense and mystery, I like the action to keep going, not get weighed down with exposition.
Regardless, the last half of the book, the action picked up and this reader was swiftly turning pages. Even when I thought everything had been summed up, there was one last, unexpected surprise. So, even if you find the chapter after the initial exciting beginning plodding, keep reading!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The beginning of B.J. Daniels’ second installment of The Sterlings Montana, Luck of the Draw, literally opens with a bang when Garrett tries to stop a murder from occurring. The situation is not what he anticipates nor are the players.
While the beginning was exciting, the chapters from Joslyn’s POV drag and are repetitive and this, unfortunately, made the beginning plod along too much for my liking. Add into that the fact that what I initially saw of Joslyn, I didn’t like. As the book goes on we don’t really learn about her and the troubled past she’s had, while there are hints to it. Many people weigh in on her character. (This is, again, a novel told from many POVs, so take that into consideration if you find that not to your liking.) But as a reader, I didn’t come away from the novel thinking that I knew Joslyn, which you would always like in a romantic suspense.
Garrett, on the other hand, is a nice, stand-up guy, even when he does stupid (seemingly romantic) things.
This time around, I did find that the multiple POVs detracted from the story, especially because in instances where it became repetitive. If the reader already knows about something, we don’t need to be re-told because a minor character doesn’t know about it.
For me for the second quarter of the novel, the repetition and the telling, mostly in Joslyn’s chapters, were difficult to take. In romantic suspense and mystery, I like the action to keep going, not get weighed down with exposition.
Regardless, the last half of the book, the action picked up and this reader was swiftly turning pages. Even when I thought everything had been summed up, there was one last, unexpected surprise. So, even if you find the chapter after the initial exciting beginning plodding, keep reading!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 14, 2019
Garrett Sterling was in love with a lie. Well the woman he fell in love with in law school was nothing but a lie. She told him she was an undercover cop. He believed her. Then why did she disappear without a trace? Why did she suddenly reappear near the family's closed resort ranch with a guy holding a gun to her head?
Garrett Sterling fell in love with Joslyn Charles. Is that really her name? Now that "Joslyn" is in Whitehorse, Montana she claims she has amnesia after an accident. Garrett visits her in the hospital and sees that she remembers him. She seems to be in a lot of trouble. Despite all the lies, everything, he still feels the need to protect her. He realizes he is putting his life on the line to do so.
Luck of the Draw by B.J. Daniels is the second book in her Sterling's Montana series. This author is one of the top romantic suspense authors in Harlequin's lineup. B.J. Daniels always manages to keep her readers on the edge of their seat with her suspense stories. Luck of the Draw is no exception. Her characters are always strong, well-likeable ones. Again, no exception here. I really liked the backup Garrett receives from his friend, soon-to-be-retiring Sheriff Sid Anderson and boyhood friend and Private Investigator Bill Mitchell. They play pivitol roles in this story. Readers who enjoy cowboys and lots of action and suspense will want to grab a copy of Luck of the Draw.
Garrett Sterling fell in love with Joslyn Charles. Is that really her name? Now that "Joslyn" is in Whitehorse, Montana she claims she has amnesia after an accident. Garrett visits her in the hospital and sees that she remembers him. She seems to be in a lot of trouble. Despite all the lies, everything, he still feels the need to protect her. He realizes he is putting his life on the line to do so.
Luck of the Draw by B.J. Daniels is the second book in her Sterling's Montana series. This author is one of the top romantic suspense authors in Harlequin's lineup. B.J. Daniels always manages to keep her readers on the edge of their seat with her suspense stories. Luck of the Draw is no exception. Her characters are always strong, well-likeable ones. Again, no exception here. I really liked the backup Garrett receives from his friend, soon-to-be-retiring Sheriff Sid Anderson and boyhood friend and Private Investigator Bill Mitchell. They play pivitol roles in this story. Readers who enjoy cowboys and lots of action and suspense will want to grab a copy of Luck of the Draw.
May 28, 2019
I was hooked into this book right from the get-go. On page one, Garrett sees what he suspects is a murder while out for a ride on the ranch's property. From there, it only gets crazier. This was one heck of a ride from beginning to end.
Garrett Sterling is a pretty straight-forward character. What you see is what you get with him. So, when he discovers that the love of his life - a woman who disappeared on him two years ago - had been lying to him, it rocks his world. But as soon as he realizes she's truly in danger, he's all in to protect her, no matter what. This really endeared him to me in that, despite wanting answers, his first concern is for her safety.
Joslyn Charles - aka Monica Wilmington - is another story. She's so used to pretending to be someone else, you're never quite sure if she's being truthful or not. You want to believe her, simply because Garrett is obviously still smitten, but it's hard to trust her, too.
Luck of the Draw is an intense, engaging story that grabs you from the first page and carries you along right up until the end. There was even a little twist at the end - the one person I thought was going to turn out to be an okay person, wasn't. I love it when I can be surprised like that. Now, I'm eagerly awaiting the third book in this series so I can get to know Shade like I have Will and Garrett.
*Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.
Garrett Sterling is a pretty straight-forward character. What you see is what you get with him. So, when he discovers that the love of his life - a woman who disappeared on him two years ago - had been lying to him, it rocks his world. But as soon as he realizes she's truly in danger, he's all in to protect her, no matter what. This really endeared him to me in that, despite wanting answers, his first concern is for her safety.
Joslyn Charles - aka Monica Wilmington - is another story. She's so used to pretending to be someone else, you're never quite sure if she's being truthful or not. You want to believe her, simply because Garrett is obviously still smitten, but it's hard to trust her, too.
Luck of the Draw is an intense, engaging story that grabs you from the first page and carries you along right up until the end. There was even a little twist at the end - the one person I thought was going to turn out to be an okay person, wasn't. I love it when I can be surprised like that. Now, I'm eagerly awaiting the third book in this series so I can get to know Shade like I have Will and Garrett.
*Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.
March 22, 2019
Title: Luck Of The Draw
Series: Sterling's Montana #2
Author: B.J.Daniels
Twitter:bjdanielsauthor
Website:http://www.bjdaniels.com/
Genre: romance
Pages: 384
May 21, 2019
Edelweiss+ ARC
Book synopsis
He may get a second chance at his one true love--if someone doesn't kill her firstWhen Garrett Sterling leaves for a horseback ride through his family's sprawling Montana property, he's expecting a relaxing break from the construction at the Sterling guest ranch. What he gets is something far more sinister. It all happened so fast that it's hard for Garrett to sort out the facts. But two things are certain: someone is dead and the killer knows there was a witness.When a woman from his past emerges as a key piece of the investigation, Garrett is determined to uncover what really happened that day, how she's involved--and why everything she's ever told him is a lie.
Wow now I really need to pick up the first book to this series.As your reading you find out how Garrett and the mysterious woman past is interlinked ,but you also find out why someone is trying to kill. her and it's also linked to her past before she ever meet Garrett, there's romance, an secrets , a killer or two,and finding out the truth even if.the truth can kill you.With that said I want to thank Edelweiss for letting.me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion
Series: Sterling's Montana #2
Author: B.J.Daniels
Twitter:bjdanielsauthor
Website:http://www.bjdaniels.com/
Genre: romance
Pages: 384
May 21, 2019
Edelweiss+ ARC
Book synopsis
He may get a second chance at his one true love--if someone doesn't kill her firstWhen Garrett Sterling leaves for a horseback ride through his family's sprawling Montana property, he's expecting a relaxing break from the construction at the Sterling guest ranch. What he gets is something far more sinister. It all happened so fast that it's hard for Garrett to sort out the facts. But two things are certain: someone is dead and the killer knows there was a witness.When a woman from his past emerges as a key piece of the investigation, Garrett is determined to uncover what really happened that day, how she's involved--and why everything she's ever told him is a lie.
Wow now I really need to pick up the first book to this series.As your reading you find out how Garrett and the mysterious woman past is interlinked ,but you also find out why someone is trying to kill. her and it's also linked to her past before she ever meet Garrett, there's romance, an secrets , a killer or two,and finding out the truth even if.the truth can kill you.With that said I want to thank Edelweiss for letting.me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion
July 19, 2019
One of the Sterling's Montana series, in which Garrett Sterling, oldest of the brothers, thinks he's seen a murder across the valley from his guest ranch. But what he expects to find isn't what he sees: the man is dead, not the woman. Then when he's asked to confirm that she was who he saw, he finds himself looking into the eyes of the woman he fell in love with two years earlier--right before she left without even giving him a note as to why.
Mo or whatever her name is needs a place to hide out while the sheriff figures out what's going on, and Garrett insists on taking her in, but she's still not talking--until it becomes clear that someone is still out to kill her. But who? She doesn't remember who killed her father and stepmother when she was five.
Soon, however, both she and Garrett conclude that it's not the usual most obvious characters who are already in jail or dead. Both decide the person or persons intent on her death must be closer to her, like her family, although none of them are blood relatives. But it's her impending inheritance that must be the reason, so to flush out the guilty party, she invites them to the ranch to celebrate her upcoming birthday. The invitation works: all show up, but who finally is revealed as the murderer of her father and stepmother is a shock and not revealed until AFTER that fateful birthday. A spine-tingler.
Mo or whatever her name is needs a place to hide out while the sheriff figures out what's going on, and Garrett insists on taking her in, but she's still not talking--until it becomes clear that someone is still out to kill her. But who? She doesn't remember who killed her father and stepmother when she was five.
Soon, however, both she and Garrett conclude that it's not the usual most obvious characters who are already in jail or dead. Both decide the person or persons intent on her death must be closer to her, like her family, although none of them are blood relatives. But it's her impending inheritance that must be the reason, so to flush out the guilty party, she invites them to the ranch to celebrate her upcoming birthday. The invitation works: all show up, but who finally is revealed as the murderer of her father and stepmother is a shock and not revealed until AFTER that fateful birthday. A spine-tingler.
March 16, 2020
Out riding the family property, middle brother Garrett Sterling sees a man roughly handling a woman then holding a gun to her temple. Trying to stop the murder, Garrett fires his gun, startling the culprit but four shots are immediately heard from that specific area. Garrett and the sheriff are surprised the victim in the ditch is the man… not the woman.
When circumstances land the woman with the sheriff, Garrett is shocked. It’s woman that disappeared from his life 18months ago. The same woman he was so in love with he wanted to marry her. The exact same woman that left him in total confusion. Though his feelings for her are still strong, there is no trust. Now Garrett wants answers.
But before that can even become a reality, more information comes to light about her past. Not only does she have secrets from Garrett, there are secrets she’s completely unaware of and someone from her past doesn’t want those secrets to come to light. They’re willing to stop at nothing to keep buried.
This middle outing of a trilogy starts out with a thrill but meanders a bit before finding its rhythm. This piece can be read as a stand-alone and gives a good blend of mystery, suspense and romance with a bit of action. The secondary thread advances the sheriff and housekeeper romance.
Rating: 4stars
When circumstances land the woman with the sheriff, Garrett is shocked. It’s woman that disappeared from his life 18months ago. The same woman he was so in love with he wanted to marry her. The exact same woman that left him in total confusion. Though his feelings for her are still strong, there is no trust. Now Garrett wants answers.
But before that can even become a reality, more information comes to light about her past. Not only does she have secrets from Garrett, there are secrets she’s completely unaware of and someone from her past doesn’t want those secrets to come to light. They’re willing to stop at nothing to keep buried.
This middle outing of a trilogy starts out with a thrill but meanders a bit before finding its rhythm. This piece can be read as a stand-alone and gives a good blend of mystery, suspense and romance with a bit of action. The secondary thread advances the sheriff and housekeeper romance.
Rating: 4stars
October 4, 2021
Second in the Sterling's Montana series, this one focuses on Will's brother Garrett. Usually B.J. Daniels pulls me right in and I'm fully invested in the story right away. This one was more of a slow burn than the first book was. That didn't really detract from the story, it just made it a little more difficult to pick it back up when I had time to read. The different time frames were woven together well, although I had difficulty understanding the multiple names for Joslyn until the story was fully formed. I mean, she had three names and it didn't make sense. In the grand scheme of things, it still doesn't, really, but don't put too much thought into that because at the end it doesn't matter. There were a few things that didn't seem to go together, and a few editing issues like the wrong word in a few places...the biggest one was that it said someone was 22 years old two years ago and two pages later it says that now they're 29 years old. I'm not good with numbers, but I'm pretty sure that's not right.
All in all, if you enjoyed the first book in this series or are a fan of B.J. Daniels in general, definitely read this. If you like a little mystery and suspense with your romance, then you'll like this.
All in all, if you enjoyed the first book in this series or are a fan of B.J. Daniels in general, definitely read this. If you like a little mystery and suspense with your romance, then you'll like this.
May 12, 2019
Luck of the Draw by BJ Daniels was the second book in the series Sterling’s of Montana. In this installment of the series (which can be read as a stand alone) the main characters is Garrett. After checking out the construction at the Sterling Guest Ranch, Garrett is out riding when he sees a crime. Since the distance is too far to get to the victim in time, he shoots off his gun and startles the situation. Suprisingly, after calling the sheriff and investigating, Garrett realizes he has saved a women from his past. A woman who ran out on him without a word. How did Joslyn get to this place?
She is running and hiding. Someone is trying to kill her. The problem is she doesn’t know who, but she suspects why - the money she is set to inherit in a few days. Hiding under an assumed name has been going on for years, but now things are getting more intense. And now she has to reveal all to Garrett, a man she loved and left to keep him safe.
A fun story with lots of twists, Luck of the Draw by BJ Daniels is sure to catch and keep the reader’s attention.
She is running and hiding. Someone is trying to kill her. The problem is she doesn’t know who, but she suspects why - the money she is set to inherit in a few days. Hiding under an assumed name has been going on for years, but now things are getting more intense. And now she has to reveal all to Garrett, a man she loved and left to keep him safe.
A fun story with lots of twists, Luck of the Draw by BJ Daniels is sure to catch and keep the reader’s attention.
May 23, 2019
3.5/5 ⭐
[I received a physical copy for an honest review]
Luck of the Draw is the second standalone in B.J. Daniels Sterling's Montana series. If you are looking for a high suspense mystery with a side of romance than this is the book for you.
Since this is not my first B.J. Daniels, I read the first book in the series, I knew what to expect when I cracked open the spine. Luck of the Draw is a suspense mystery with a western setting with a small town sheriff and stetson wearing cowboys. The plot was a bit crazy but it was definitely entertaining. With a leading heroine on the run from an unknown killer and gaps in her memory that leave her unsure of exactly why someone wants her dead. The mystery will have you unsure of whom to trust and keep you guessing up until the end. The romance is a secondary story that we are reminded of throughout the story and has a satisfying conclusion.
Overall, Luck of the Draw was a great continuation of the Sterling's Montana series. I am looking forward to the last brother's book .
[I received a physical copy for an honest review]
Luck of the Draw is the second standalone in B.J. Daniels Sterling's Montana series. If you are looking for a high suspense mystery with a side of romance than this is the book for you.
Since this is not my first B.J. Daniels, I read the first book in the series, I knew what to expect when I cracked open the spine. Luck of the Draw is a suspense mystery with a western setting with a small town sheriff and stetson wearing cowboys. The plot was a bit crazy but it was definitely entertaining. With a leading heroine on the run from an unknown killer and gaps in her memory that leave her unsure of exactly why someone wants her dead. The mystery will have you unsure of whom to trust and keep you guessing up until the end. The romance is a secondary story that we are reminded of throughout the story and has a satisfying conclusion.
Overall, Luck of the Draw was a great continuation of the Sterling's Montana series. I am looking forward to the last brother's book .
May 20, 2019
Garrett Sterling is watching over the ranch when he witnesses what he believes is a murder of a young woman. He fires his gun to alert the man that he’s not alone and the story literally flies full speed ahead. He takes off in his truck following who he believes is the killer but then it all twists and turns like the road he went speeding down. Whose who and is the woman really the victim or a murder. The other problem is she’s the woman who Garrett fell in love with and then just disappeared. Could this all be a coincidence, or is she just laying a game that can end up getting them both murdered. This book is fast paced and full of characters that all seem to want Joslyn for no reason or another. Is she in real danger or is crazy and dragging Garrett into her web of lies ? This is another wild ride that will have you hanging on by the seat of your pants. “B.J. Style”. Advanced Reader Copy provided by the author and publisher my review is based solely on my own opinions.
May 23, 2019
While wandering his property, Garrett, never expected to witness a altercation so fast that left an attacker for dead and the victim now turned killer on the run. When the victim is revealed to be Joslyn a blast for the past for Garrett since he wanted to marry the women until she up and left without a trace. Now there's an investigation and Garrett is going to keep Joslyn under his care until everything comes to light.
This was such a great fast paced read, it will hook you from the very start. I loved there was so much going on to keep me wanting to read till the very end. There was so much mystery surrounding Joslyn and I had to know more about her. Then there was an investigation and seeing how things slowly got revealed to the eventual end. You know it? Its hard to talk about this book without giving away too much but trust me when I say if you love a good mystery your going to want to pick this book up.
This was such a great fast paced read, it will hook you from the very start. I loved there was so much going on to keep me wanting to read till the very end. There was so much mystery surrounding Joslyn and I had to know more about her. Then there was an investigation and seeing how things slowly got revealed to the eventual end. You know it? Its hard to talk about this book without giving away too much but trust me when I say if you love a good mystery your going to want to pick this book up.
April 10, 2019
Garret swore there was a murder across the way but it was pretty far, maybe he didn’t see the man drag a woman and hear four shots fired. Garret was surprised that the woman looked a lot like the woman he loved who left him without an explanation.
When Joslyn comes to in a hospital bed she can’t remember what happened but when she sees that handsome face of Garret Sterling she remembered why she came.
Before Joslyn or Garret can basically discuss anything they have to figure out who is trying to kill Joslyn if she could remember who she is.
This story keeps you hopping as the story is unfolding and your always on edge wondering whose going to die and who wants them dead. Garret is the perfect guy who just wants answers Joslyn leaves you unsure of what she is planning great whodunnit story.
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon an Alpha
When Joslyn comes to in a hospital bed she can’t remember what happened but when she sees that handsome face of Garret Sterling she remembered why she came.
Before Joslyn or Garret can basically discuss anything they have to figure out who is trying to kill Joslyn if she could remember who she is.
This story keeps you hopping as the story is unfolding and your always on edge wondering whose going to die and who wants them dead. Garret is the perfect guy who just wants answers Joslyn leaves you unsure of what she is planning great whodunnit story.
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon an Alpha
April 20, 2019
Garret swore there was a murder across the way but it was pretty far, maybe he didn’t see the man drag a woman and hear four shots fired. Garret was surprised that the woman looked a lot like the woman he loved who left him without an explanation.
When Joslyn comes to in a hospital bed she can’t remember what happened but when she sees that handsome face of Garret Sterling she remembered why she came.
Before Joslyn or Garret can basically discuss anything they have to figure out who is trying to kill Joslyn if she could remember who she is.
This story keeps you hopping as the story is unfolding and your always on edge wondering whose going to die and who wants them dead. Garret is the perfect guy who just wants answers Joslyn leaves you unsure of what she is planning great whodunnit story.
- Reviewed by Linda
When Joslyn comes to in a hospital bed she can’t remember what happened but when she sees that handsome face of Garret Sterling she remembered why she came.
Before Joslyn or Garret can basically discuss anything they have to figure out who is trying to kill Joslyn if she could remember who she is.
This story keeps you hopping as the story is unfolding and your always on edge wondering whose going to die and who wants them dead. Garret is the perfect guy who just wants answers Joslyn leaves you unsure of what she is planning great whodunnit story.
- Reviewed by Linda
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