New Release Review! DAWN OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart (A 1001 Dark Nights and MacKenzie Family novella)

From New York Times bestselling author Liliana Hart, comes a sexy, new contemporary romance novella in her MacKenzie Family Series, DAWN OF SURRENDER, brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights! Grab your copy of this amazing novella today!

About DAWN OF SURRENDER:

MacKenzie vs. MacKenzie…

Cole MacKenzie is content to be the sheriff of Surrender, Montana, but he’s needed for a greater purpose. The United States needs a U.S. Marshal with a certain kind of experience to track the leader of the notorious Silver Creek Bandits, as they leave a trail of bodies in their wake with every bank they rob. The leader is smart, cunning, and ruthless. And he’s also his brother.
Elizabeth MacKenzie never dreamed she’d marry Cole MacKenzie, but thanks to her father’s meddling, Cole was hers to have and to hold. Forever. She needed an equal, not a man to rule her life, and Cole fit the bill every in every way. If only he loved her.
One heart is broken and the other is bent on revenge, but love is a choice, and it’s one Cole and Elizabeth are determined to make.

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Excerpt:

“My place is here, with my wife and this town. My duty is to them first. The job you’re asking me to do is meant for a younger man without any ties. I’m not going to pick up and leave my wife for months at a time to track outlaws. There’s plenty of good I can do here, with the badge I already have.”

“A wife is just a wife,” Jesse said. “But this is your chance to go down in history.”

Cole laughed. There was nothing just about Elizabeth. “I never asked to go down in history. I’m just doing the best I can to make the world we live in the best it can be. I want a family, and I don’t want to let them inherit a world of wars and violence.”

“War is in the nature of man,” Jesse said. “It’s been that way since Cain and Abel. And here we are, a whole bunch of years later with the story of two brothers.”

Cole had been watching the street, subconsciously seeking out his wife. He was starting to get worried that she’d gotten stuck somewhere. She should’ve been there by now.

And then, almost as if he’d conjured her, she came through the window of visibility, the snow swirling around her. She’d left her head uncovered, and loose strands of dark hair had come out of the long braid that rested over her shoulder. Her long coat swirled around her legs, and her pistols were slung low on her hips. Unlike any other woman he’d ever met, she chose to wear men’s trousers in her day-to-day work at the ranch. He’d never actually seen her in a dress. But he definitely appreciated what she did to a pair of men’s pants.

Jesse saw her too, and his fork stopped halfway to his mouth.

“Good Lord,” Jesse rasped.

“She’s something, huh?”

Jesse blew out a breath and put his fork down. “Oh, good. You see her too. I was afraid maybe I’d died and she was an angel of death.”

“There are worse ways to go,” Cole said, smiling.

“That’s for damned sure.” Jesse picked up his fork again, but he’d forgotten what he was doing so he set it down again. “I’ve got to tell you, MacKenzie, I’ve seen a lot of things in my life, but I’ve never seen anything like her.”

She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. And she was all his.

Review:

A fairly short book that packs quite the punch!

So far I’ve only read a handful of the MacKenzie Family (mainly the ones that are also 1001 Dark Nights books, I think) but since this one is essentially the prequel to them all, it’s a perfect first or almost-first series book to read. It takes place in late 1800s Montana, and though the Cole and Elizabeth MacKenzie, the hero and heroine, are already married, an HEA doesn’t seem to be a guarantee as the story opens. Their marriage was an arrangement–or was it, really?–and they’ve both been dealing with so much since just before and after the ceremony took place that though they’re totally in sync in bed (of course!) neither is too sure of how the other feels about them otherwise. Throw in a whopper of a snowstorm and a murderous gang of bank robbers who seem to be coming for the town and might also be targeting Cole, and you’ve got a novella with a whole lot going on between its pages.

The suspense portion was all one could wish for–I loved how Cole and Elizabeth worked together to save the day. Their romance was satisfying as well–Cole might not have picked the ideal time to say a certain combination of three little words, but it made for some fun reading (though I thought his explanation for why she’d never heard him say it before was a bit of a stretch, it’s hard to argue with the results). The epilogue was all kinds of adorable at the end, but one gets the feeling that a whole lot could have happened in that year in between which might have been fun to witness…

Still, this was a quick and satisfying read–perfect to snuggle up with under a blanket while drinking your hot beverage of choice…whether a blizzard is raging outside or not. (For the record, it was just a little lake effect snow; no biggie. Plus tea and a cozy homemade quilt. Bliss.)

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

About Liliana Hart:

Liliana Hart is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author in both the mystery and romance genres. After starting her first novel her freshman year of college, she immediately became addicted to writing and knew she’d found what she was meant to do with her life. She has no idea why she majored in music.

Liliana is an avid reader and a believer in all things romance. Her books are filled with witty dialogue, steamy sex, and the all-important happily-ever-afters her romantic soul craves. Since self-publishing in June of 2011, she’s sold more than 1.2 million ebooks all over the world.