Cowboy's Legacy
(Cahill Ranch, Book 3)
B.J. Daniels
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
HQN
November 28, 2017
Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance,
Suspense, Thriller
Nothing will stop a Cahill cowboy from protecting what’s his
After
a rocky marriage and even rockier divorce, Sheriff Flint Cahill finally
has something good in his life again. Maggie Thompson’s down-to-earth
charm and beautiful smile hooked him from the start. When she disappears
on the day they plan to start their lives together, all signs point to
abduction—and his ex-wife.
Functioning on adrenaline and
instinct, Flint must call on his every resource to bring Maggie home
before it’s too late. His past and future are blurred. Maggie’s only
chance at surviving her abductor and a raging winter storm depends on an
old vendetta that could destroy it all. But the Cahills don’t give up
easily, and Flint’s love will have to be strong enough to conquer
anything, including the unimaginable.
Note
I received a complimentary copy of this
book from the publisher, which
in no way affected my
honestly enthusiastic review!!
This was actually my first foray into romantic suspense, and I really enjoyed it! In all honesty, I simply could NOT put this book down. Going in, it seemed that this was going to be a feel-good Christmas romance -- the type I enjoy reading at this time of year. Well, it DID feel good, but then there was also all that intrigue, mystery, and heart-pounding action! What a GREAT introduction to this author, whose other novels I now want to read! I especially want to find out more about the Cahill clan!
The romantic leads, Flint Cahill, the town sheriff, and his girlfriend, Maggie Thompson, who owned a hair styling salon, were very engaging characters. Both had issues from their past, and these were made an intrinsic part of the plot. Both characters dealt realistically with these issues, and yet, both really tried to be there for each other.
In Maggie's case, her past had a huge impact on the plot, although Flint's own past was another contributing factor. How these play out is part of the suspense, with amazing plot twists that kept me turning pages until the wee hours!
I loved that both of these characters were strong in spite of their emotional issues, and yet, they were also vulnerable. And both were supportive of each other precisely because of their vulnerabilities.
In Flint's case, he was badly hurt in his first marriage, so it's understandable that he would have some difficulty wanting to enter a new romantic relationship. Still, when he meets Maggie, he's irresistibly drawn to her, and becomes willing to try to trust a woman again. He's a decent, good man, and excels at his job. Furthermore, when he falls for Maggie, he wears his heart on his sleeve. Of course, I fell in love with him myself right away!
Maggie, on the other hand, has been a little secretive about her own past. Having been brought up by an aunt who resented having to be responsible for her, Maggie has a problem with feeling accepted by others. She's sweet, kind, and loves Flint as much as he loves her. Although she's a little hesitant to take the next step in their relationship, she never wavers in her love for him. It's precisely because of this love that she shows great courage at one point in the novel. So I really admired her for that!
This novel has two very well-written villains. One of them is mentioned in the synopsis, although not by name. She is Celeste, Flint's ex-wife. She is mean-spirited, vengeful, and spiteful. She's just full of rage at the fact that Flint is finally happy, that he's found someone he plans to marry, someone who totally fulfills him. So Celeste does everything she can to ruin this relationship. She's even been suspected of vandalizing Maggie's business.
The other villain was a totally unexpected one, and, of course, I won't say much about this person because I don't want to give out spoilers. Suffice it to say that this part of the novel kept me on the edge of my seat, and made me feel as if I were watching a suspense/thriller movie. And in fact, I do think this book should be made into a movie. I'm positive it would garner great reviews, and be a box-office success!
I also loved the secondary characters, and how they were woven into the plot.
Flint's assistant, Mark Ramirez, was such a great character! Thanks to his steadying hand, Flint was able to keep it together in the wake of Maggie's disappearance, and Mark did his utmost to help him discover just who was behind it.
The detective couple, Frank and Nettie, were terrific! I greatly enjoyed reading about how they followed up on clues, going from one location to another, talking with different people, and putting the pieces of the puzzle together. I also loved how well they worked together. Frank really listened to Nettie's input, and, in fact, she was right on the money on more than one occasion. It was also abundantly clear that they had a great marriage.
Deputy Harper Cole was a rather unpleasant character, although, paradoxically, he did do some excellent detective work himself, and actually helped the investigation. In spite of this, I couldn't help disliking him, even though he did have one redeeming epiphany. I actually found this part of the novel a bit unrealistic, although I still enjoyed the book enough to give it five well-deserved stars!
As for Flint's family, I loved them all! They obviously cared a lot for Flint, and welcomed Maggie into their midst right away. Flint's brothers, Hawk and Cyrus, were very funny, and Lillie, his sister, was always concerned about him, although she tried hard not to be some sort of surrogate mother to him.
Even though this novel is labeled as a Christmas romance, the emphasis is on the suspense, on the driving action. I didn't mind this at all; in fact, I totally enjoyed it! The whole plot was so well worked out, the clues, the twists and turns so unexpected (although I did see one coming pretty early on, but that didn't bother me at all), that I think I would have read the whole book in one sitting, if I could have!
Adding to the appeal of this novel is a bonus story, included at the back of the book. Titled "Cowboy's Reckoning", it, too, was quite enjoyable, with well-handled suspense, as well. It features Billie Dee, another member of the Cahill family.
In short, I totally recommend this book to readers who love suspense as well as romance, with a very skillful combination of the two. I guarantee that you will lose sleep over this one! I certainly did! And I LOVED every minute, too!
MY RATING: 
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Previous books in this exciting series!
NYT and USA Today Bestselling author B.J. Daniels was born in Texas
but moved with her family to Montana at the age of five. Her first home
was a cabin in the Gallatin Canyon and later a lake house on Hebgen Lake
outside of West Yellowstone.
Most of her books are set in Montana, a place she loves. She now lives in a unique part of the state with her husband and three Springer
Spaniels.
When she isn’t writing, she loves to play tennis, boat, camp, quilt
and snowboard. There is nothing she enjoys more than curling up with a
good book.
