THREE Book Reviews ~ KNOX, TATE, & FORD: The Montana Marshalls by Susan May Warren

KNOX, BOOK #1

Montana rancher Knox Marshall's danger years are behind him. A former bull-rider, he now runs the Marshall family ranch, raising champion bucking bulls for the National Professional Bullrider's Expo (NBR-X). Wealth and success are his, but life is stable, expected, and...ordinary. He can't help but wonder if his best years are behind him.

Kelsey Jones just wants a safe life, a family, a home. Onstage, the beautiful rising star of the Yankee Belles becomes the person she longs to be—vivacious and confident—burying the brokenness she carries from a violent assault. Becoming NBR-X's next country act is key to outrunning her past and achieving the success and security she craves.

Knox and Kelsey's paths collide when an explosion at an NBR-X event traps them in the rubble and leaves them reeling. Kelsey's crippling nightmares return, but for Knox, an obsession to find the bomber is ignited.

When Kelsey's past threatens Knox's family, he'll have to choose between saving the Marshall legacy or becoming the protector he's always longed to be.

The explosive beginning to the Montana Marshall series. 

My Review

4 STARS!!!

“You’ll never find your path by looking at yourself, Knox.”

Now I know what all the hype was about with this series of books. A friend loaned me Knox and I was hooked from the first page. A master at storytelling, Warren has impeccably set the scene for the Marshall family with plenty of action, drama, emotion, and humor. I was pleasantly surprised by the deep emotional pull one of the characters had on me. I could so clearly relate to the frustration felt when her world was turned upside down. I especially like that the book spends an almost equal amount of time on two siblings and their love interests. Warren gives multiple POVs from the characters and I love it! The second book will pick up where this first one leaves off like a season finale of a TV show. This is a contemporary romantic suspense and showcases the famous chemistry between characters that Warren is so good at writing. 

TATE, BOOK#2

Personal security guard, Tate Marshall, has always been the family troublemaker. Maybe it's his propensity to get entangled in other people's problems. Now, he's in over his head because he's desperately in love with the woman he's tasked to protect, the beautiful Gloria, "Glo" Jackson, daughter of US Senator and presidential hopeful Reba Jackson. A member of the country band, the Yankee Belles, Glo was targeted in a recent terrorist attack designed to deter her mother from running, and Tate will do anything to keep her safe. Even if it means letting her go.

Stubborn and brave, Glo isn't about to hide from threats, at least the kind that won't cost her heart. She's already paid a terrible price for the war on terror, and she refuses to fall for a man who might die, especially because of her.

As the presidential campaign heats up and the threats deepen, so does the attraction between Tate and Glo. But what will it cost Tate to keep her alive? And what will Glo do to keep from losing another man she loves?

My Review

4 STARS!!!

It’s hard to believe someone who is a former Army Ranger could doubt his courage and noble deeds but Tate Marshall is such a man. His past haunts him and is tangibly felt within the pages of his story. Gloria Jackson is his perfect counterpart, if only they can figure it all out. Another thrilling ride with the Marshall family, along with more great characters introduced. Warren is one of the best at creating a fascinating and compelling family on paper. You’ll feel like you know them by the time you’re finished and wish you could take a long vacation at their ranch in Montana, a safe place where family is everything. As with the first book, this second offering incorporates another Marshall brother, and long before I was finished with Tate, I was chomping at the bit to read Ford. Thank you, SGS, for loaning me the book! 

FORD, BOOK #3

Family…country…or the woman he loves…

Navy Seal Ford Marshall isn’t the kind to stand by and let a woman get hurt—especially when it involves his twin sister, RJ. So, when she makes the news, accused of sparking an international incident, he doesn’t care what it takes—he’s going to find her and bring her home.

But he might need a little help, so he calls on the woman who has had his back during the last three years—Petty Officer Scarlett Hathaway, former communications expert-turned Rescue Swimmer candidate. She’ll help him get into the country, watch his back, and…well, they might be able to have one last mission together before she leaves for a new life, a life he very much wants to be a part of now that she is off his team. Maybe he can convince her to give them a chance to kindle the spark that’s simmered between them for years.

Scarlett Hathaway isn’t sure what future she wants—not when she suddenly has to care for her little brother. Maybe she should quit the Navy and start a life with the man she can’t seem to get out of her heart. So yes, she’ll help Ford find his sister. And maybe, along the way, figure out if they have a future.

But finding RJ somewhere in the vastness of Russia with the FSB chasing them will push Scarlett beyond even her courage and make her question everything she thought she wanted…including Ford. What will it cost her to love a man who saves the world?

And when Ford is asked to choose between saving his sister, saving the world from a war, and rescuing the woman he loves…can he live with his decision?

My Review

4 STARS!!!

Ford is a fast-paced story with great family dynamics. That's one of my favorite aspects of the Marshall clan. Warren writes family better than any author I'm familiar with. This book was loaned to me by a friend and I'm so glad she got me started on this series!

There's probably a lot more I could have said about FORD but the synopsis does an excellent job. All I needed to add was that I enjoyed the book and how great Warren is at incorporating deep faith themes into her stories. 

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A dear friend loaned me all three books in September so I would be ready to read WYATT when it comes out this month, TODAY, in fact!!! Little did I know at the time I borrowed these books that I would apply for the upcoming launch team and actually get chosen! I have been a huge fan of Susan May Warren for years! If you enjoy action-packed, fast-paced, faith-filled fiction (both contemporary and historical, because Warren writes them both), then she is an author you need to read. 

Do you have any recommendations for other authors that cross genres and still do an amazing job at creating meaningful stories? I would love to hear from you in the comments!