Unforgiven (Beartooth, Montana, #1) By B.J. Daniels

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Love reading B.J. Daniels! She combines suspense and romance perfectly. This book was such a treat to read. I'm ready for the next one. Paperback Excellent book. Eleven years after his sister's murder and the end of his romance with Destry, Rylan has returned to Beartooth. He's tired of living on the road. When Destry's brother Carson, who was suspected of Ginny's murder, returns, Rylan is determined to find the proof to put him behind bars. This puts him in conflict with Destry yet again, as she is still certain of Carson's innocence. I liked both Rylan and Destry. Rylan had some real tunnel vision when it came to Carson, he was so sure that he was responsible. When he saw Destry again, he realized that he still loved her, but was just as convinced that there was no future for them. I liked the way that he actually started to listen to her when she told him that maybe he hadn't looked at all the facts. It didn't take long before he and Destry started working together to try to find out the truth. I liked the way that Destry was so comfortable in her role on the ranch. She knew that she was happy there. She also had a very rocky relationship with her father, the reason for which comes out later in the book. When her brother returns she is determined to prove him innocent. She also has to find a way to help him deal with his other problems. As she and Rylan work together she admits that she has never stopped loving him. They have to decide if their love can overcome all the obstacles. I liked the longer length of this book. It allowed for more characters and more depth of character. There were quite a few twists and turns that had me guessing as to the identity of the murderer. I'm really looking forward to the next book. Paperback Rylan West returns home after an 11-year absence following the murder of his sister. Destry Grant was the love of his life until her brother, Carson, was suspected to be the murderer. Now he's returned, too, and all the questions and suspicions resurface.

This reads more like mystery/suspense with romantic elements as the romance didn't develop until near the end. I had zero investment in Rylan and Destry's relationship because it was too far in the background. However, I enjoyed the story for the mystery aspect as it kept me intrigued even though there weren't many redeemable characters to hang my hat on.

I do plan to read the next book in the series. 3.5 stars. Paperback Once again Daniels brings her world and her characters to life in a way that dares you to try and ignore them. I was emotionally engaged from the first page, but not overwhelmingly so. The multiple mysteries that wind their way through the novel add to the overarching who-dun-it plot. The suspense was riveting and the rekindled romance was so genuine that I couldn’t help but wish for the same for myself.

The characters in this novel really made my day. Daniels took everyday individuals and placed them in situations that made them so much more. The well-developed main characters not only had a history between them, but situations to overcome that seemed so very daunting. Daniels’ diverse character development doesn’t stop there. I enjoyed getting to know various members of the town as if they were my own neighbours. I love the fact that some of the characters are the type of people that you instinctively want to get to know better, while others get on your nerves from the get-go. It makes it so much more real. Personally I found Nettie to be an irksome busybody. She does add a great deal to the story, but her personality grates on me.

I love Daniels' writing, and so far, this series is no exception. She had me hooked from the first page.
Paperback After reading the short story, Fallen, that introduces us to the characters and storyline I was very anxious to read this book and to find out what happened to poor Ginny. I also was eager to know what was happening with those she left behind.

Reading more like a mystery/suspense novel than a romantic suspense book I was a little disappointed with how the author chose to play things out. She pretty much casts everyone, with the exceptions of Rylan and Gentry, in an unflattering light and added suspicion where it didn't need to be. It was too much. This book had the potential to be so much more.

A few questions remain unanswered for me and a few scenerios and people were introduced to no purpose at the end of this tale. Will they prove purposeful in the next book? I will have to wait and see.

Rylan and Destry get their happily ever after but it came too late for me. There wasn't any relationship building in between all their amateur sleuthing. There weren't enough sparks for two people who have spent the last 11+ years longing for one another.

I hope now that the big mystery has been solved Redemption will prove to be more well rounded and less sinister.

Cherise Everhard, January 2013
Book provided by and reviewed for the Amazon Vine program Paperback

In Beartooth, Montana, land and family are everything. So when Destry Grant's brother is accused of killing Rylan West's sister, high school sweethearts Destry and Rylan leave their relationship behind in order to help their families recover from tragedy.

Years later, Destry is dedicated to her ranch and making plans for the future. Plans that just might include reuniting with the love of her life…until her brother returns to clear his name and the secrets of the past threaten her one chance at happiness.

Rylan is done denying his feelings for Destry. But when clues begin to link her brush with death to his sister's murder, will discovering the truth finally grant them their chance at love or turn them against one another for good? Unforgiven (Beartooth, Montana, #1)

4 Blue Ribbon Review courtesy of Romance Junkies. Full review also available at my blog, TBR Mountain Range. The Wests and the Grants have been at odds with one another since the murder of Ginny West and the suspicion that Carson Grant was the killer, eleven years ago. Will Destry Grant and Rylan West ever have another chance at love when the murder is solved? Or will the murders continue, endangering them all?

Ginny West's murder has hung over the town of Beartooth, Montana like a cloud, overshadowing hopes and dreams for eleven years. Rylan West had joined the rodeo to get away from the love he knew would never be his, when his sister's murder hadn't been solved, and his girlfriend's brother was the likely suspect. Carson Grant had been sent away by his father who feared he'd be arrested for the murder. Destry Grant had lost her first love, Rylan, and her older brother, Carson, at the same time, yet she stayed in Beartooth, making a life for herself on her family's ranch.

After eleven years, the young men have returned at the same time. One has tired of his wanderlust ‒ the other has been summoned by his father. When the murder case is reopened by the sheriff due to new evidence, none of them will rest well until the case is solved. Can they trust one another enough to work together to solve the mystery surrounding Ginny West's death? Or will the strain of distrust drive a permanent wedge between them all?

The multiple romantic entanglements within UNFORGIVEN suit the suspenseful plot perfectly, giving the reader time to develop suspicions and feel invested in the town's plight. There are quite a few very interesting secondary characters who kept me guessing as to who was lying and who was not. In truth, UNFORGIVEN read more like a thriller than a romantic suspense because it was edgier and more fast-paced, allowing the romance between Destry and Rylan to slowly progress. I was intrigued by the intertwining storylines that kept me from guessing “who done it”. I also felt that a faster pacing of the romance between Destry and Rylan would have been unrealistic, considering the circumstances of their previous relationship, in addition to the conflict happening eleven years later. This gives the reader a chance to get to know multiple characters within the town of Beartooth and hopefully, those secondary characters will make an appearance in future books. Also, there was at least one loose end that wasn't resolved that has me very curious for the next book, REDEMPTION.

I especially enjoyed the rapid-fire suspense toward the end of UNFORGIVEN. The mystery had been layered from the beginning, and although I had my suspicions of who the killer was, I was very surprised by the turn of events. The last one-third of the book was gripping, which made me race to the finish.

This is the first book by B.J. Daniels that I've read, but I'm sure I'll be adding a few more. Tightly woven, author B.J. Daniels' storytelling is the perfect pace for a modern western adventure. Readers who love stories about the rugged Montana landscape will surely enjoy the start of this series and look forward to what's next. Paperback kind of disappointed in this - it focused so much more on the mystery rather than the romance between the main couple and was just blah...(I had the mystery figured out about 1/3 of the way through) Paperback A beautifully crafted love story set in contemporary Montana and which tells the story of lovers who have been separated by tragedy and distance and time -- 11 years of time that has failed to dim the fire of their passion or their promise of a forever-kind of love. It is filled with the highs and lows of human emotion and also includes the web of friendship as well as the tenterhooks that bind people together--their human weaknesses, their foibles, their urges that take them in directions that can only mean personal disaster and relational destruction. The reader also comes away from the story with a deep awareness of the vast plains of Montana, the sense that calling it Big Sky Country is more than accurate and lots of reasons that those who have roots there can never really go anywhere else. A terrific book from a writer who has wowwed her readers with multiple fine pieces of romance literature. Not heavily erotic and the love scenes are very lightweight, but there is heavy emotion all through this book and it is one that will keep the reader on the tips of one's toes throughout.
Paperback Shey's review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

4 Stars

I am not a big reader of Harlequin books but I am of suspense and this book caught my eye right away. I don’t really know what the draw was but I think it had to do with the town being called Beartooth, Montana and set around the Crazy Mountains, but whatever it was I am glad that I read it. Also, I might add that I did read the first novella in the series FALLEN, it is very short and it does give you Ginny West’s point of view.

There were so many twist and turns that I had to almost keep notes as to where this book was going. You don’t only have the main story of who killed Ginny West but also stories of others in the town that somehow B.J. Daniels made work into the final outcome and when you think you have finally figured out who had done it, it changes.

Rylan West and Destry Grant were childhood sweethearts, when Rylans sister Ginny was killed eleven years ago and Carson Grant, Destrys brother is the number one suspect and they are torn apart. The grief and betrayal sends Rylan off to the Pro-Rodeo Circuit breaking his promise to always love Destry.

Destry is devastated not only does she lose Rylan but her father sends Carson away, since there is no evidence to actually convict him of the crime he isn’t charged.

Eleven years later Rylan and Carson both come home of course for very different reasons. Rylan misses his family and Montana. Carson is being summoned by his father to take over the ranch and new evidence has shown up in Ginny’s investigation. Everyone in Beartooth wants to see him pay for Ginny Wests murder, including Rylan. Things start to heat up when the town wants their own form of justice.

Still not convinced that her brother is guilty, even though she finds out he has lied to her about that night. However, when the same thing starts happening to another women in town, Destry and Rylan both know it’s more than just a coincidence and together they set out to find answers to what really happened.

This time it didn’t matter what the outcome is because Rylan had never stopped loving Destry and he wasn’t giving up on them. She felt the same Destry was tired of trying to save everybody. For eleven years she had done her best and now she wanted the man she had always loved and she was going to have him no matter the cost.

I really liked that you didn’t see one person’s point of view but you saw many. I felt it worked well that way. Although there was a little more description into the Montana landscape than I cared for and a storyline about Sherriff Curry and Nettie the general store owner that I wasn’t sure where it was going. I hope along the way to find out, Nettie is a busy body and gossip so she’s a lot of fun.

Overall, there was a lot of great suspense in this book and in trying to figure out who had killed Ginny. I didn’t stop reading this till the end and I tell you this I never expected it to be who it was.

Review copy provided for an honest review.
Paperback Suspense with some added romance.
Enough red herrings to make the plot interesting.
Ranch life in Montana.
Engaging writing. Paperback