Quickie Review (May Contain Spoilers)

Montana Sanctuary is the first book in a series that surrounding a ranch that is about healing and helping people and animals overcome trauma and abuse. This is where we just see the beginnings of this. Its run by a group of ex military friends and I am very curious to see how this series will grow and develop and eager to see what is ahead in future books. I really had a blast with this one here. It was superb in every way. The suspense elements were on point, the villian was truly evil and crafy and cunning and I really adored that and how the plot is developed especially in the third act was super intense. I really appreciated what we see delivered with this story. The heroine is very off putting at times, but when you see the abuse that she has suffered, you can see why acts the way that she does. The hero is so patient and understanding. You can see that he wants to help her and love his steadiness and what it gives to her.

Montana Sanctuary was a pure delight, even though it wasn't perfect, it was a solid story which left me even more curious for more! ( )

I loved the characters. Great connections and not just with the H and h. ( )

Fantastic start to a new series about a group of retired SEALs and the ranch they started to help others who also have PTSD. This collaboration between newcomer Josie Jade and veteran author Janie Crouch sucked me in from the first page and didn't let me go until I turned the last one. I've been looking forward to this book since Janie introduced the Resting Warrior Ranch in her latest book, Code Name: Virgo, and I was not disappointed.

Five years earlier, Evelyn was young and in love. She had no idea that the handsome, wealthy, and charming Nathan West was a psychopath until she ran afoul of his obsessive jealousy. After what he did to her, she was fortunate to escape when she did, but she has spent the last four years running. The book opens as Evelyn receives a delivery that shows he's found her again. Once more on the run, Evelyn ends up in Garnet Bend, Montana. When she shows up at the ranch holding a year-old advertisement for a job, Lucas immediately recognizes the fear and desperation in her eyes. He offers her a house on the ranch and finds her a job in town at Deja Brew, all while attempting to harness his protective instincts.

I loved watching the relationship between Lucas and Evelyn develop. They are immediately drawn to each other, but like the horses he gentles for the ranch's therapy use, Lucas realizes that Evelyn needs time, space, and patience to heal and believe in her safety. Those scenes as Evelyn slowly learns to trust Lucas are intensely moving. And when her past comes calling, that trust allows Evelyn to stop running and let Lucas and the others help her.

The twists and turns of this story kept me reading long into the night, unable to put it down until I swiped through the last page. Lucas's caring and support gave Evelyn the strength to stand her ground and trust the guys to stand between her and Nathan. The emotion ramped up as Nathan's actions escalated in intensity. The ending had me on the edge of my seat as Evelyn faced her worst nightmare, Lucas fought to prevent his greatest fear, and the men of Resting Warrior Ranch came together to help one of their own. A final twist provided an intense finale, and Evelyn and Lucas looked toward a brighter future.

The vivid descriptions of everything from Evelyn's injuries to the Montana landscape to the ranch and its activities gave the story an extra layer of realism. I also enjoyed meeting and getting to know Lucas's co-owners and Evelyn's new friends, Lena and Grace. I can't wait to read the next book and learn more about the source of the tension between Harlan and Grace.

#ARC ( )

Montana Sanctuary by Josie Jade-Janie Crouch
Resting Warrior Ranch #1

Woman on the run
Evil chasing her
Safe haven needed
A place to rest
But – not eternally

This was a great introduction to a series filled with good men giving back in their own way on a ranch dedicated to those in need. Coming in on the first book in the series was a delightful way to spend the day!

What I liked:
* Evelyn: running from a sadistic ex who always finds her, suffering PTSD, needs a safe place to land, loves animals and is good with them, doesn’t trust easily, rather taken with Lucas
* Lucas: retired Navy SEAL, good with animals, one of the men at Resting Warrior Ranch, father was abusive, has a bit of PTSD too, good with the skittish-human and animal, is taken with Evelyn and wants to keep her safe
* The men on the ranch…introduced to each with a hint about who some of them may end up with in future books of the series
* Meeting some of the women that may end up with the men at the ranch: Grace, Lena, and Mara
* Aspen: a special dog that makes a connection with Evelyn
* A horse that needed a name and the person who helped it
* The relationship that developed between Lucas and Evelyn – he was so good with her!
* The location in Montana
* That the bad guy was thwarted eventually – just wished that he had suffered a bit first

What I didn’t like:
* Nathan the abusive sadist and what he got away with for too long
* Those that allowed Nathan to get away with what he did
* What Evelyn went through and knowing that there are others being treated badly even as I type this

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yess

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars ( )