South Dakota Showdown

Badlands Cops #1

by Nicole Helm

He finally escaped his past…Then she appeared on his doorstep.

Sheriff Jamison Wyatt has spent his life helping his loved ones elude his father’s ruthless gang of thugs, the Sons of the Badlands. But he’s never forgotten Liza Dean, the one who got away. Now Liza’s sister, a child, is caught in the gang’s most horrifying crime yet—and only Jamison can help her retrieve the little girl from her captors. With only each other in the isolation of the unforgiving South Dakota landscape, can they infiltrate the crime syndicate before it’s too late?

Genres: Harlequin, Romance, Romantic Suspense

223 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2020

About the author

Nicole Helm is the national bestselling author of fast-paced romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue and down-to-earth contemporary romance. Her Intrigues routinely land on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list, and she’s received starred PW reviews for her contemporary romances. She’s written over 75 books, known for their emotional depth and happily ever afters.

Nicole also writes with Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews as Hazel Beck writing the Witchlore series, which began with SMALL TOWN, BIG MAGIC in 2022.

In her spare time, Nicole loves losing herself in genealogy research, watching Cardinals baseball, and hiking with her family. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons.

You can contact her via email: Nicole@nicolehelm.com
You can sign up for Nicole’s monthly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/V973n

Reviews

[Liina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

[Katie Mettner · Rating 5 out of 5]

South Dakota Showdown was action from beginning to end! I love Harlequin Intrigues because they are fast-paced and action-packed but also a quick read. South Dakota Showdown did not disappoint in any of those factors. When you first meet Jamison, a small-town cop, and Liza, you know instantly they're old flames. They might hate each other now, but somewhere in their past, they were lovers. Within a few chapters you come to realize that Jamison doesn't hate Liza, he regrets that he couldn't keep her from the clutches of her father and his, the two men who run a South Dakota Gang called the Sons. Jamison rescued all of the Wyatt brothers and Liza, but Liza didn't stay out, she went back, and he never knew why. Now, fifteen years later, he knows. She went back for her sisters. She went back to try and do the same thing he did for his brothers. She went back to save them, even if she died trying.

When a bullet comes out of nowhere, it's obvious she might, but Liza has a 4-year-old sister being held somewhere by the Sons and she wants her back. She can't find her and the only person she knows who can and WILL help her is Jamison. She's desperate and even accepts his distrust of her, the one man she always loved, to get help for her little sister.

What ensues is a tense, high-pressure game of cat and mouse as they try to outwit Ace Wyatt and his band of not so merry men. Surprises crop up constantly for the two old flames, but the last thing they expect to surprise them is the love they've held onto for each other all these years. Faced with a tough choice, Jamison and Liza have to put aside their wants for the future and focus on the present, saving Gigi and other girls from a sex trafficking ring.

When all is said and done, Jamison and Liza know they still aren't safe from the Sons but they're willing to live their lives together despite that knowledge. I loved Jamison, Liza, Grandma Pauline, Gigi, Cody, and Dev (two of the six Wyatt brothers). I can't wait for the next book in the series to find out about the mysterious Cody and Dev and what they get themselves involved in. If you're looking for a fast-paced, well-written, quick intrigue read, then you'll love South Dakota Showdown!

[Renae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this—as an action/suspense novel with light romantic elements. It's a second chance romance centering around a couple who grew up in a motorcycle gang / crime syndicate. And I think that perhaps because the couple already had an established love story in the past, Helm didn't go as deep into their connection as she might otherwise have. Keeping the romantic arc on the periphery of the action is the very reason I so often struggle with romantic suspense, and I was kind of bummed out by the way we barely see moments of emotional intimacy between the protagonists. But! That's for a very good reason, since the entire book takes place over a 24-hour time period in which (a) the heroine is shot; (b) they're hiking through "enemy terrain"; and (c) they're trying to extract a girl from the motorcycle club's latest enterprise: sex trafficking. There was a lot going on here, and it's well written. I just wanted more feelings and less shooting—but that's definitely a me thing.

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[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

South Dakota Showdown was a fast-paced read featuring an action-packed plot and a second chance romance.

Sheriff Jamison Wyatt has dedicated his life to taking down his father's ruthless gang, the Sons of the Badlands. First he got his brothers out before escaping himself with Liza Dean, the girl he loved who returned to the gang shortly after their escape. When Liza unexpectedly shows up asking for his help to rescue her baby sister from the gang, Jamison knows time is running out to save the girl before it's too late. As Jamison and Liza work together, their attraction resurfaces and soon they will have to choose. Love or vengeance?

Jamison and Liza's relationship does not start off in a good place in this book as back when Jamison originally escaped from the gang, he got Liza out with him only for her to go back. Liza's reasons for going back made sense but we, as well as Jamison, don't learn what they are until a good portion into the book. There were definitely some communication problems between Jamison and Liza throughout the book which did get frustrating at times but thankfully by the book's end, they were on the same page. The chemistry between these two though was great and I enjoyed the steamy scenes between them. I was happy with how they resolved their issues by the end of the book.

The plot to find Liza's sister was an intriguing one and went in a few directions I didn't see coming. Jamison and Liza's journey to find the Sons basecamp was interesting and the buildup to finding the camp was well done. The tension increases as they get closer and the pair run into a few bad guys along the way. The scene where Jamison and Liza find her sister was suspenseful and ultimately led to a great final showdown with the bad guys. That confrontation was action-packed with a few surprises thrown in. I enjoyed the ending of the book and I'm curious to see how the way they chose to handle everything will affect the events of future books in the series.

Overall South Dakota Showdown was a great start to a romantic suspense series and I will definitely be picking up the next book, Covert Complication, soon.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This is the first book in the Badlands Cops series by Nicole Helm in the Intrigue line by Harlequin Books.

This is one of those books where the girl is stubborn and the boy is stubborn and you begin to wonder if the twain shall ever meet. To say their relationship was a challenge was putting it lightly. Her father’s a pretty nasty bad guy. His father is a pretty nasty bigger bad guy.

Jamison and all his siblings are cops. How does that even happen? Your dad is a Big Bad and you end up being a police man? Wow. They must have had quite a core of right and wrong deep within their soul to do such work.

Liza is looking for her sister who has been kidnapped by her father’s gang. She ends up working with her old flame, Sheriff Jamison Wyatt and they struggle considering their former relationship and how dangerous their father’s both are.

As they get closer to their goal, they realize that there is more than just one girl at stake which makes this a pretty exciting read, quite a page-turner, for sure! Great book and I enjoyed it immensely. This is an Intrigue series I want to continue on with!

If you love a good romantic suspense, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

[Donna Repsher · Rating 3 out of 5]

South Dakota Showdown by Nicole Helm is the first book in her new Harlequin Intrigue series, Badland Cops, and while I liked its premise, I didn't love its execution for several reasons, and it gets 3 stars from this reader.

The first Badlands cop we meet is Jamison Wyatt, a sheriff's deputy in the small town of Bonesteel, South Dakota. He's the eldest son of the notorious Ace Wyatt, the leader of the ruthless, murderous biker gang, Sons of the Badlands. After his mother's untimely death/disappearance/possible murder, Jamison manages to escape from the gang, and eventually manages to rescue his three younger brothers over the course of several years. He even rescues Liza Dean, his teenage girlfriend, but after 4 years away from the gang, Liza suddenly and without warning, returns to the them, mystifying Jamison and breaking his heart in the process. He doesn't know why Liza left him, and he hasn't seen or heard from her in 15 years.

While Jamison is on patrol in town one night, he notices someone trying to break into the sheriff's office, and when he confronts the felon, it turns out to be Liza. Liza returned to Bonesteel to beg Jamison for his help. Her father, Tony Dean, is Ace Wyatt's second in command in the biker gang. She has reason to believe that he's already killed Callie Bright, her father's wife, as well as one of her sisters, and her remaining sister, 4-year-old Gigi, saw and described her dead body. Liza has also overheard camp rumors about the gang becoming involved in human trafficking, and she desperately wants to rescue the one sister she has left. Gigi was already missing when Liza looked for her. After having witnessed the murder or its aftermath, will the gang let her live?

Liza knows that she can't pull off a rescue by herself, and since Jamison has tried to keep close tabs on the gang and its activities over the years, he had no idea that they were now into human trafficking, and he finally agrees to help Liza after someone in a passing car shoots Liza in the leg. They both know it's gang-related payback for her escape. It's a pretty interesting premise for this novel, but what comes next is a bit of a letdown.

The middle third of this novel is about Jamison and Liza trying to get near enough to the nomadic gangs' location without being seen, captured, tortured and killed, and the length of that trek drags on and on, and on, much of it with Liza and Jamison on foot, after the truck they were in was discovered and torched while they were busy scouting the area on foot. Then, two of her father's scouts/henchmen get within killing range in the dark one night, and although they manage to overtake and hogtie them, they know that their presence in the area has been discovered. I think their long trek could have been shortened by half and still gotten the message across. I really didn't need to know every time they stopped for a drink of water or a protein bar. What saved this part of the book from the utter boredom of the slow pace was that although 15 years had passed since they'd last seen each other, Liza and Jamison finally start to reveal the feelings they still have for one another, despite their 15 years apart, and Jamison's mistrust of Liza.

The latter third of the novel is where the action really picks up, and it was fraught with danger for all concerned. It's good, solid, romantic suspense, and has you on the edge of your seat with tension and concern for Liza, Jamison, and little Gigi. If the middle third of this novel had been shorter, the final third and its HEA ending would have earned it 4 stars instead of 3. All-in-all, a relatively good read, but not a great one.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

South Dakota Showdown by Nicole Helm is the first book in the series Badland Cops. The series focuses on 5 brothers (Wyatt) who have escaped their father’s ruthless gang called Sons of Badland. Jamison is the oldest of the brothers. He was the one who helped the other brothers escape and when he left, he took Liza with him. However Liza went back to the gang, tearing out Jamison’s heart. Jamison went on to become a sheriff and move beyond his past. So imagine how surprised he was when he ran into her breaking into his office.

Liza never explained why she returned to the Sons of Badland and she is not doing a lot of explaining why she returned looking for Jamison. All he knows is that Liza needs his help to save her youngest sister. Suffice to say, he has to help her, but not all is clear about who is saving who.

Jamison and Liza were two strong characters. I liked their devotion to their siblings and to each other (even if they were clueless about it). South Dakota Showdown by Nicole Helm was a fun read.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liza and Jamisons life wasn't the best growing up with their fathers being leaders to a ruthless gang the Sons of Badlands. While both were able to get out of it Jamison made something of himself in spite of his father and became sheriff while Liza went missing. Now Liza is back around trying to get Jamison to help her get her younger sister out of trouble.

I love a good suspense novel. I loved seeing how they almost similar they grew up and chose different paths and it was interesting seeing how they got together once again after being away from eachother for so long. Then theres the who mission to retrieve Lizas little sister once they find out their cruel fathers are taking part of something even more sinister. There is so much that can go wrong but Liza will do everything she can to do whats right and save her sister. Overall it was a pretty great book I pretty much devoured it.

[Martin Meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman is shot, and a man once in love with her tries to help. He doesn't know if he can trust her again. A child witnessing her mother killed is in danger. Together, they must fight the Sons of the Badlands.
A gang that terrorizes south Dakota and hunts a family of brothers. Before tragedy strikes again.
I give this book four stars. It's a great start to a new series by Nicole Helm, a writer who knows how to mix danger with hot romance. My first venture into Nicole Helm Harlequin Intrigue line. My first venture was with her Anthology series Jasper Creek four books four short stories in each with Jackie Ashenden, Maisey Yates and Caitlin Crews three great writers in there own right.
If you've read the Jasper Creek Anthology series and like the writers, then give their single series a try. And if you like intriguing novels of romance and suspense, then dip your feet into this book by Nicole Helm.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheriff Jamison Wyatt is just finishing up his shift in his small hometown of Bonesteel, South Dakota when he notices someone by his office door. A breakin? Jamison will stop that. Turns out the person by Jamison's door is Liza Dean. Both Jamison and Liza grew up in the camps of the Sons of the Badlands biker group, a murderous, cruel group of criminals. Jamison managed to get his five younger brothers out and then he and Liza escaped. But Liza ended up going back. What is she doing here?

Liza Dean needs Jamison's help. Her four-year-old half-sister, Gigi is missing. Gigi told Liza that she saw the murder of her mother. The Sons never hesitate to brutalize and murder but surely they wouldn't kill a four-year-old girl whose father is the very powerful second in command of the Sons. Jamison doesn't trust Liza but fortunately he agrees to help her find and rescue Gigi. She knew he would. If only she could stifle her feelings for him. Could he still care about her as much as he did when they were younger? Will his mistrust snuff out his feelings? Doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is rescuing Gigi.

South Dakota Showdown by Nicole Helm begins this author's new series, Badland Cops. This series is about six brothers who have escaped from their brutal life with their Sons of the Badlands biker group leader father. In this first book the eldest brother, Jamison, who got his five younger brothers out of the camp and to their grandmother in Bonesteel to raise, is the main character along with Liza Dean. Four of the six brothers ended up in law enforcement roles, quite the counterpoint to their brutal outlaw father. I found the premise of this series quite interesting. The characters are intriguing. I look forward to the stories of all the brothers.

[Monae Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story in this book was good but there was NO romance in this book. There is a Sheriiff in the small town of Bonesteel, South Dakota who also has brothers who he helped rescue from his father’s ruthless biker gang called “the Sons of the Badlands” He also helped to rescue Liza Dean when she was young.

Because Liza wanted to help rescue her sister she runs away from Jamison and his brothers and the grandmother who looked after Jamison and his brothers. Years later Liza comes back wanting Jamison’s help. He has anger towards Liza for her running back to the gang. I didn’t feel the connection between them in this book except knowing each other when they were teenagers. There was no romance in this book even though I did like the story. It is a series that follows the other brothers that I will have to check out.

[Marcie Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The clock is ticking for Sheriff Jamison Wyatt and Liza Dean in “South Dakota Showdown” by Nicole Helm, book one in the Badlands Cops series.

Jamison hasn’t seen Liza in fifteen years and he hasn’t forgotten her. Nor has he forgiven her for returning to the place he helped her escape from.
Liza needs Jamison’s help in finding her little sister, Gigi, hidden by the biker gang Liza returned to in the guise of protecting her sisters. Failing once, she knows Jamison will help since he’s done it before.
While on the hunt for Gigi, Jamison and Liza come to terms with regrets from their past, as they stake a claim for their future.

Ms. Helm writes a compelling suspense with deep characterization as well as leaving hints to upcoming books in the series.

[Amanda Carle St-Jacques · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicole Helm is a new author to me and I was interested in this book after reading the synopsis. I have always enjoyed those books where the ex biker gang members trying to find a normal life outside of law brealing group.

Jameson's need to help others and especially those he loves is a characteristic I admire in a person. He is willing to go back to all the horrible things he left behind to help save an innocent child. The past relationship between Jamison and Liza I think made it impossible for him not to help.

Nicole does a great job at building suspense and tension. Whether it's danger of hiking through a forest surrounded by gang members or old romantic feelings that were supposed to be buried for good but now have come back even stronger, she puts right there in middle of it.

[Toth Jo-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a fascinating story. Its a neat story with twists in it that will have you turning the pages. Jamie Wyatt is a fascinating character to get to know. Its a great second chance romance. For Liza Dean is his first love. There is alot of action and mystery in this story. It also has some really good suspense in the story. One of the neat things about this story is that it has history and a future. Its villain is known but there is somethings that are unknown. I'm looking forward to seeing were this series will go. J

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book on a blog. I don't give away spoilers in my reviews.
I haven't read any of Harlequin's books in decades. I read this book and I have to say, it was a good story. It involves law enforcement, gangs, crimes, love, etc. I liked the characters - especially one of the brothers of the main character and am glad to see he has his own book/storyline.
I was surprised - Harlequin used to be all lovey dovey drippy stories when I first started reading and this wasn't the case at all. I like Nicole Helm's writing style and would like to read more of her books on the characters.

[Chennette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finding it really hard to get into this. I read quite a few other books by Nicole Helm in the other Harlequin lines and I liked them, hence his purchase. I liked her characters and stories, but I’m finding it hard to care about these characters. The story is there, the history (repeatedly) but I’ve taken so many breaks from this and never remember I’m reading it.

[charmaine White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great 👍Read

Starts off fast and furious and never slows down.I was sitting on the edge of my seat from the very first page until the last.I'll be looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Suspense, Thriller, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
A Badlands Cops Novel (Book #1)

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Suspense, Thriller, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
A Badlands Cops Novel (Book #1)

[Jan Norton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not too bad. Predictable.

[lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book equivalent of a telenovela

[Linda Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good series. I like how the author portrayed the characters good and bad. On to read the second book in the series.