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Whitehorse, Montana: The Corbetts #1
Shotgun Bride
Handsome as sin and wild as the Western wind
That's the Corbett brothers for you, and Shane's no exception. No way is he settling down just because of some ridiculous marriage pact—especially not with a cowgirl from small-town Whitehorse who seems so young and naive. At least that's what this hardened lawman keeps insisting.
But when Maddie Cavanaugh's kidnapped and drawn into a world of violent greed and despair, Shane jumps into action. While he has no trouble subduing her captors, resisting the force of Maddie's charm is harder than he could've imagined, and it seems as if stubborn Shane may be the first of the Corbett boys to surrender his bachelorhood.
That's the Corbett brothers for you, and Shane's no exception. No way is he settling down just because of some ridiculous marriage pact—especially not with a cowgirl from small-town Whitehorse who seems so young and naive. At least that's what this hardened lawman keeps insisting.
But when Maddie Cavanaugh's kidnapped and drawn into a world of violent greed and despair, Shane jumps into action. While he has no trouble subduing her captors, resisting the force of Maddie's charm is harder than he could've imagined, and it seems as if stubborn Shane may be the first of the Corbett boys to surrender his bachelorhood.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
285 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
About the author
B.J. Daniels
517 books1,261 followersB.J. Daniels started her life in Houston, Texas, before her family moved to Montana at age five. She grew up in a cabin in the Gallatin Canyon near Big Sky and later on Hebgen Lake near West Yellowstone. Because of her love for Montana, most of her books are set there.
Born into a storytelling family, all she'd ever wanted to do was write stories. After a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist, she wrote and sold 37 short stories before she finally wrote her first book, ODD MAN OUT. Since then she has won numerous awards including a career achievement award for romantic suspense.
She lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, two Springer Spaniels. When she isn't writing, she quilts, boats and. makes rope/fabric baskets. She always reads, loving to lose herself in a good book.
Born into a storytelling family, all she'd ever wanted to do was write stories. After a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist, she wrote and sold 37 short stories before she finally wrote her first book, ODD MAN OUT. Since then she has won numerous awards including a career achievement award for romantic suspense.
She lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, two Springer Spaniels. When she isn't writing, she quilts, boats and. makes rope/fabric baskets. She always reads, loving to lose herself in a good book.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 16, 2011
I had a hard time rating this one. It kept my interest and moved right along. The action sequences were very well done. The romance however was nonexistent. They met briefly like 3 times then she is kidnapped. She had basically gotten away twice when he finds her and they run to a cave to hide and have wild sex for no apparent reason. Any peril should have had the hero and heroine dealing with it together. That's what makes it romantic suspense not just suspense.
There was no character development and what there was involved vague hints at things that had happened to them previously. There were no scenes where she thinks about him and how attracted to him she is or anything like that and barely any from his POV.
I also felt gypped out of the scene where she meets his family. But the last chapter picks up when she has been living with him for a month. The author tells us that they spent some time getting to know each other and he proposes.
There were WAY too many scenes from the 3 bad guy's points of view and the POV of the hero's father and the POV of the hero's stepmother. All of this page time would have been better used showing the hero and heroine falling in love.
There was no character development and what there was involved vague hints at things that had happened to them previously. There were no scenes where she thinks about him and how attracted to him she is or anything like that and barely any from his POV.
I also felt gypped out of the scene where she meets his family. But the last chapter picks up when she has been living with him for a month. The author tells us that they spent some time getting to know each other and he proposes.
There were WAY too many scenes from the 3 bad guy's points of view and the POV of the hero's father and the POV of the hero's stepmother. All of this page time would have been better used showing the hero and heroine falling in love.
May 17, 2011
3 ¼ stars. Another book where I felt, with a bit of tweaking, it could have been four stars. I enjoyed this book and I will probably read this new-to-me author again. In truth, I already looked for the available ebooks in this series at my library and put them in my wish book bag there. It was a quick read, and the writing flowed nicely.
About the Characters—Heroine: Shotgun Bride Is there anything you particularly liked or disliked about the heroine in the book? Please be as specific as possible—include characters names!
I liked our heroine, Maddie. There was a nice little mystery as to whether or not she was the long lost adoptive daughter of Jerilyn, as two babies are born on the same night. I could understand why Maddie didn’t want to make a formal complaint against Bo, her ex-fiancé, as it might have escalated his temper. However, I get a little tired of a heroine that has people who love and care for her (in this case her family/cousins/cousins-in-law), know there is an abusive ex-fiancé now back in town, express their concerns and yet don't do a simple thing like make sure she is not locking up a restaurant alone at night. Where were those two strong cousins-in-law, Bridger and Deputy Nick Giovanni?
Is there anything you particularly liked or disliked about the hero in the book? Please be as specific as possible—include characters names!
Here again, Shane, our hero, is a seasoned Texas Ranger. I don’t think Shane would have done that. Not my Shane. (Yes, he’s mine!)
I did think Shane being clueless about his younger brother, Jud’s, was cute and sweet in a way that made me smile. I liked that he knew something was up with his new mother-in-law. I liked that I pictured him stoic by his actions and not the writer telling me he was. I enjoyed his feelings for Maddie; his coming to the realization he was falling for her was set at the right pace. Though the actual sex scenes were . I had to think about whether I would do the same thing with all that adrenaline surely pumping in my veins; I shrugged and went with it because the end of the book was coming!
And the ending comes fast! We’ve miss a whole month when the last chapter opens. Oh well, for 212 pages, it was a Good Read!
I received this book free from tellHarlequin.com in return for answering a survey. Receipt of the complimentary copy did not influence my rating of this book.
About the Characters—Heroine: Shotgun Bride Is there anything you particularly liked or disliked about the heroine in the book? Please be as specific as possible—include characters names!
I liked our heroine, Maddie. There was a nice little mystery as to whether or not she was the long lost adoptive daughter of Jerilyn, as two babies are born on the same night. I could understand why Maddie didn’t want to make a formal complaint against Bo, her ex-fiancé, as it might have escalated his temper. However, I get a little tired of a heroine that has people who love and care for her (in this case her family/cousins/cousins-in-law), know there is an abusive ex-fiancé now back in town, express their concerns and yet don't do a simple thing like make sure she is not locking up a restaurant alone at night. Where were those two strong cousins-in-law, Bridger and Deputy Nick Giovanni?
Is there anything you particularly liked or disliked about the hero in the book? Please be as specific as possible—include characters names!
Here again, Shane, our hero, is a seasoned Texas Ranger. I don’t think Shane would have done that. Not my Shane. (Yes, he’s mine!)
I did think Shane being clueless about his younger brother, Jud’s, was cute and sweet in a way that made me smile. I liked that he knew something was up with his new mother-in-law. I liked that I pictured him stoic by his actions and not the writer telling me he was. I enjoyed his feelings for Maddie; his coming to the realization he was falling for her was set at the right pace. Though the actual sex scenes were . I had to think about whether I would do the same thing with all that adrenaline surely pumping in my veins; I shrugged and went with it because the end of the book was coming!
And the ending comes fast! We’ve miss a whole month when the last chapter opens. Oh well, for 212 pages, it was a Good Read!
I received this book free from tellHarlequin.com in return for answering a survey. Receipt of the complimentary copy did not influence my rating of this book.
September 9, 2011
With almost no interaction with each other, this love grew through distance and an instant connection.
There were also multiple story lines going on, that would eventually collide.
With their father claiming it was their dying mother's last wish that all 5 of her sons be married before the age 35, that the Corbett brothers' find themselves drawing straws to determine which one will marry first.
Shane, the biggest disbeliever of the group, drew the longest one. Jud, the youngest drew the shortest. But Jud had a trick up his sleeve.
Jerilyn Larch has finally escaped from Earl Ray Pitts, not knowing that with her she took his all important black book. Now Earl Ray is after her and from reading a note in her purse, knows she looking for her daughter she gave away 26 years ago...and he knows where her daughter is located.
Maddie Cavanaugh has just come back to town. Although most are happy to see her again, her ex fiance Bo Evans has already started harassing her.
The minute Jud sees Maddie, he instantly knows she's perfect for his plan. Claiming to 'date' her, he highlights his brother's talents and is constantly throwing the pair together, claiming to get caught up at work.
When Earl Ray and Bo get together, Maddie is kidnapped and Jerilyn, who saw it happen, follows Bo.
When Shane is alerted that Maddie is missing, he's instantly on the case, but he hasn't yet realized the feeling that he feels towards her.
Multiple struggles ignite with only Bo, Earl Ray, and Maddie surviving. Running into the woods, Maddie is almost on her last burst of energy when Shane finally finds her. But before help can arrive, their found and they rush into the woods where Maddie locates a cave to hide in.
It's there, that they act on their feelings and also realize that although Jud drew the shortest straw, all he promised was a wedding, not his own.
Just when help arrives, Maddie must finally protect herself when Bo comes after her.
Now, back and safe, Shane embraces he's the first brother to answer the marriage pact and proposes using his mother's ring.
But just who is Maddie's actually birth mother? Could it be someone in the family?
There were also multiple story lines going on, that would eventually collide.
With their father claiming it was their dying mother's last wish that all 5 of her sons be married before the age 35, that the Corbett brothers' find themselves drawing straws to determine which one will marry first.
Shane, the biggest disbeliever of the group, drew the longest one. Jud, the youngest drew the shortest. But Jud had a trick up his sleeve.
Jerilyn Larch has finally escaped from Earl Ray Pitts, not knowing that with her she took his all important black book. Now Earl Ray is after her and from reading a note in her purse, knows she looking for her daughter she gave away 26 years ago...and he knows where her daughter is located.
Maddie Cavanaugh has just come back to town. Although most are happy to see her again, her ex fiance Bo Evans has already started harassing her.
The minute Jud sees Maddie, he instantly knows she's perfect for his plan. Claiming to 'date' her, he highlights his brother's talents and is constantly throwing the pair together, claiming to get caught up at work.
When Earl Ray and Bo get together, Maddie is kidnapped and Jerilyn, who saw it happen, follows Bo.
When Shane is alerted that Maddie is missing, he's instantly on the case, but he hasn't yet realized the feeling that he feels towards her.
Multiple struggles ignite with only Bo, Earl Ray, and Maddie surviving. Running into the woods, Maddie is almost on her last burst of energy when Shane finally finds her. But before help can arrive, their found and they rush into the woods where Maddie locates a cave to hide in.
It's there, that they act on their feelings and also realize that although Jud drew the shortest straw, all he promised was a wedding, not his own.
Just when help arrives, Maddie must finally protect herself when Bo comes after her.
Now, back and safe, Shane embraces he's the first brother to answer the marriage pact and proposes using his mother's ring.
But just who is Maddie's actually birth mother? Could it be someone in the family?
June 20, 2011
The story begins with the 5 Corbett brothers discussing their fathers wish for them to get married, and sooner rather than later. They draw straws to decide who should be the first to take the plunge. Shane, the hero, draws the longest straw meaning he will be the last. Soon he finds himself helping his youngest brother with looking out for his latest love interest Maddie, the heroine. Maddie has recently returned home after spending time away following family problems and a disastrous love affair. When she is kidnapped by her violent ex, Shane does everything he can in order to find her and then keep her safe from harm.
There are many interlocking stories going on in the book and while this takes some of the focus away from the central relationship, it really adds suspense to the story and kept me turning the pages! I really liked the changing point of views, so often in the romance genre the point of view is only given from the heroine and/or hero, having the point of view of many of the other characters really added an interesting layer to the book. I thought the central relationship was really well developed and certainly didn't suffer from the other stories going on around it.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and will be on the lookout for more of BJ Daniels books.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
There are many interlocking stories going on in the book and while this takes some of the focus away from the central relationship, it really adds suspense to the story and kept me turning the pages! I really liked the changing point of views, so often in the romance genre the point of view is only given from the heroine and/or hero, having the point of view of many of the other characters really added an interesting layer to the book. I thought the central relationship was really well developed and certainly didn't suffer from the other stories going on around it.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and will be on the lookout for more of BJ Daniels books.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
March 28, 2009
Fast-paced and fun! I loved the characters.
December 29, 2017
NO WAY was he ever going to go along with his brothers pact and get married. But when the local sweetheart is in trouble, needs rescuing and protected. Why is the First one to be volunteering?? Maddie Cavannaugh, just wants to get over her past, move on from her horrible ex, and try to move on. But when her birth mother shows up, her lover comes to town and connects with Maddie's ex. Maddie now needs protected from all three, but then the secy new guy, Shane comes across a vehicle and knows Maddie is in trouble. He comes to her rescue time and again and now she might just need to project her heart from this sexy cowboy! And how is it Shane is is the first to fall in love? He sure didn't mean to fall in love with Maddie and be the first to get married!
November 15, 2018
Even though this is the first of a series, it really continues on from the Whitehorse series. There are several characters from there that make appearances. I just loved to read this as Maddie finally gets her HEA. It was several books ago that had her engaged to Bo. He was mean and violent. Shane was wonderful.
This story just like all of Ms. Daniels' stories is filled with mystery and intrigue. It will capture your attention and keep you reading until it is over. Even though this story can be a stand-alone, I really would recommend starting at the beginning with The Secrets of Deadman's Coulee. You won't regret it as the characters reappear in all the books.
This story just like all of Ms. Daniels' stories is filled with mystery and intrigue. It will capture your attention and keep you reading until it is over. Even though this story can be a stand-alone, I really would recommend starting at the beginning with The Secrets of Deadman's Coulee. You won't regret it as the characters reappear in all the books.
November 28, 2024
The book was avg but fail short in a few areas. First, I do not like how it skips from one scene to another. I find this very annoying. Second the main characters only met like three times and all of sudden there in love. Not believable to anyone. The author seems to repeat these issues in every book he writes so for that reason i do not read to many of his books.
February 9, 2018
Fantastic
And the story of those crazy ladies of the sewing circle continues with the babies they helped come of age. The danger and suspense in this series is of the wall amazing. Love, love, love this series!
And the story of those crazy ladies of the sewing circle continues with the babies they helped come of age. The danger and suspense in this series is of the wall amazing. Love, love, love this series!
March 21, 2024
There were too many moving stories and too many bad guys. Oftentimes, it was hard to keep track of what they had to do with each other. The ending fell flat. I'll give the 2nd book in the series a shot to see if it can hold my attention any better.
June 12, 2024
great start
A series about cowboys who are asked to marry by their dead mother’s request. Loved how the youngest one sets up an older brother. Had lots of intrigue which will be continued in the next book.
A series about cowboys who are asked to marry by their dead mother’s request. Loved how the youngest one sets up an older brother. Had lots of intrigue which will be continued in the next book.
December 17, 2018
When Nattie Cavabaught is kidnapped Shane drops everything to find her.
July 25, 2021
What an exciting story. Poor Maddie is in terrible danger. Unfortunately, the bad guys try to keep her kidnapped, each for a different reason.
She learns some unsettling news.
She learns some unsettling news.
September 8, 2021
Great story
Good story telling and full of twists and turns. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series and more about this family
Good story telling and full of twists and turns. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series and more about this family
May 13, 2024
A really good story!
I liked this book a lot, lots of action, a few crazy people, and even a rodeo! Great ending too!
I liked this book a lot, lots of action, a few crazy people, and even a rodeo! Great ending too!
March 24, 2011
I received this ebook free for being part of Harlequin Ambassadors (check out their site here and find out what you can do to join!). I believe this book is only available in ebook format, at least at present time. After I read it I was asked to complete a survey regarding the book to see what I liked and what I didn't like about it. Surprisingly, I actually did enjoy this book! The reason I say "surprisingly" is that I didn't exactly love the cover and some of these western books can border on...well, cheesy. In this book Shane Corbett, a former Texas Ranger, and his brothers are in a bit of a predicament. One of their late mother's wishes was for all of her sons to be married to Montana women, and sooner rather than later! None of the Corbett brothers are the least bit interested in getting married right now, so they draw straws on who will be first. Shane's womanizing younger brother draws the short straw and announces he has the perfect woman that his dad and step-mom will adore: Maddie Cavanaugh. Maddie used to live in Whitehorse but escaped after a nasty break-up with her ex-fianc. Now she's back and "dating" Jud Corbett, the bad-boy Hollywood stunt man. Shane doesn't understand what Jud wants with Maddie; she's definitely not his type. But as he keeps getting thrust into situations with Maddie, he starts to see what an amazing woman she is. Unfortunately before he gets the chance to know her very well, she's kidnapped and it's up to Shane to track her down. With her life on the line and secrets lying behind every door, can Shane rescue her in time?
1) Character Development: The characters are pretty well developed in this novel. We get to learn about Maddie's past, from her cold-blooded mother to her crazy ex-fianc. We also learn a lot about the Corbett family, and what brought them to Montana. You don't get a lot of background about the other brother's individually, but we do learn some about Shane, mostly the fact that he used to be a Texas Ranger who was injured and is now on leave. It's pretty obvious that he loves and misses his job, but is also scared to return to it after what happened. We do find out that he shot and killed the man that shot him, but the book does not go into details about what exactly happened. I think the book gave just enough background to really connect with the characters (definitely with Maddie more than Shane).
2) The Good, The Bad, And Sometimes Ugly: First the good - I really liked the characters and I was so happy at the depth of the story line and the twists and turns that occured throughout the book. I was expecting a straight-forward country love story, but it was so much more than that. I love a good romance with suspense and this delivered! The bad: I felt like Shane was a main character, but he was almost pushed to the way-side throughout the book to focus on what was happening with Maddie (which was a lot). It made it hard to believe their love in the end, since they really hadn't had enough time to get to know each other. One scene really me think about an article I saw on Heroes and Heartbreakers, where they discussed a dislike for romantic suspense books - mainly when they're running from the bad guys but somehow decide that would be a perfect time to have sex. You could argue that they think they might not come out of it alive, so it's now or never. But still, it feels kind of unbelievable. The ugly: I didn't really find anything super wrong with this book (but feel free to refer back to "the bad"). Some of the dialogue came of as kind of corny to me though, but it wasn't throughout the whole book, just parts.
3) Romance Sizzle Or Fizzle: As much as I enjoyed this book, I'm going to have to say fizzle. Why? Well, like I said before, Shane and Maddie just didn't have enough time to really get to know each other and form that bond. Most of the book is spent trying to rescue her so them being in love wasn't really settling with me so well. But the book was well written enough I could overlook that! Still disappointing though.
4) Uniqueness Of Plot: I wouldn't really say this is a unique plot by any means; it's been done before. But B.J. Daniels does a great job of telling the story and sneaking in the twists and turns that gives this story it's edge. I went in not knowing what to expect and I actually had trouble putting the book down because I just had to know what happened next!
5) Final Thoughts: Very well written book. Few minor things I would change, but overall I really enjoyed this read. I knew as soon as I read that all of the Corbett brothers were supposed to get married that there would be sequels to be had...and I was right! I will most definitely be reading the rest of this series sometime in the future!
Rating: 4/5 stars
1) Character Development: The characters are pretty well developed in this novel. We get to learn about Maddie's past, from her cold-blooded mother to her crazy ex-fianc. We also learn a lot about the Corbett family, and what brought them to Montana. You don't get a lot of background about the other brother's individually, but we do learn some about Shane, mostly the fact that he used to be a Texas Ranger who was injured and is now on leave. It's pretty obvious that he loves and misses his job, but is also scared to return to it after what happened. We do find out that he shot and killed the man that shot him, but the book does not go into details about what exactly happened. I think the book gave just enough background to really connect with the characters (definitely with Maddie more than Shane).
2) The Good, The Bad, And Sometimes Ugly: First the good - I really liked the characters and I was so happy at the depth of the story line and the twists and turns that occured throughout the book. I was expecting a straight-forward country love story, but it was so much more than that. I love a good romance with suspense and this delivered! The bad: I felt like Shane was a main character, but he was almost pushed to the way-side throughout the book to focus on what was happening with Maddie (which was a lot). It made it hard to believe their love in the end, since they really hadn't had enough time to get to know each other. One scene really me think about an article I saw on Heroes and Heartbreakers, where they discussed a dislike for romantic suspense books - mainly when they're running from the bad guys but somehow decide that would be a perfect time to have sex. You could argue that they think they might not come out of it alive, so it's now or never. But still, it feels kind of unbelievable. The ugly: I didn't really find anything super wrong with this book (but feel free to refer back to "the bad"). Some of the dialogue came of as kind of corny to me though, but it wasn't throughout the whole book, just parts.
3) Romance Sizzle Or Fizzle: As much as I enjoyed this book, I'm going to have to say fizzle. Why? Well, like I said before, Shane and Maddie just didn't have enough time to really get to know each other and form that bond. Most of the book is spent trying to rescue her so them being in love wasn't really settling with me so well. But the book was well written enough I could overlook that! Still disappointing though.
4) Uniqueness Of Plot: I wouldn't really say this is a unique plot by any means; it's been done before. But B.J. Daniels does a great job of telling the story and sneaking in the twists and turns that gives this story it's edge. I went in not knowing what to expect and I actually had trouble putting the book down because I just had to know what happened next!
5) Final Thoughts: Very well written book. Few minor things I would change, but overall I really enjoyed this read. I knew as soon as I read that all of the Corbett brothers were supposed to get married that there would be sequels to be had...and I was right! I will most definitely be reading the rest of this series sometime in the future!
Rating: 4/5 stars
July 19, 2015
- My Description -
It starts off with this family of 5 brothers who make a pact for them to be married by the time they are all 35.
They draw straws to see what sequence they are to get married.
Jud, the youngest, draws the shortest straw.
He's determined and confident he'll find a wife.
Jud becomes transfixed with Maddie.
He is quickly pulled away by his job, so he asks his brother Shane to help her.
Shane becomes transfixed with Maddie.
- My Review -
There are twists at the end I liked.
If all Harlequin romances are like this one, I might have to jump on the bandwagon.
May 12, 2013
everything about the story was really well done except for the love story. the couple spent hardly any time together and through a few conversations about nothing of importance somehow fell in love. I never felt invested in the characters or their relationship. but the adventure and intrigue was very well done.
March 21, 2011
Shotgun Bride was just okay for me. Love the cover though. Anything with a cowboy gets me.
July 30, 2015
Another good book. Read out of order, so now I need to read the other one
August 3, 2010
I loved it! I so can't wait to read more of this series!~
March 18, 2011
reading for Tell Harlequin
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