🌅🛩️🏔️ “Sunrise” (Sky King Ranch #1) (2022) 🏔️🛩️🌅 – Book Review
MY REVIEW
Publisher: Revell (January 4, 2022)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800739825
ISBN-13: 978-0800739829
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“Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he's headed home to the destiny that awaits him.
That's not all that's waiting for Dodge. His childhood best friend and former flame, Echo Yazzie, is a true Alaskan--a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. Most of all, she's living a life Dodge knows could get her killed. One of these days she's going to get lost in the woods again, and his worst fear is that he won't be there to find her.
When one of Echo's fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold. Plus, there's more than just the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her . . .
Will Dodge be able to find her in time? And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart?”
Thank you in advance to the publisher, Revell (a division of Baker Books), for providing a complimentary review copy through the Revell Reads Blogger program. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.
Last year I was privileged enough to review the author’s first book of the GLOBAL SEARCH AND RESCUE series, The Way of the Brave, through Revell Reads. I subsequently won (and read) The Heart of a Hero and The Price of Valor through Library Thing.
That series is connected to her Montana Marshalls series with some of those characters ending up in the GLOBAL SEARCH AND RESCUE series. I ended up with a copy of the Montana Marshalls for my birthday last year (April 2021), though I have yet to read them. They are from a different publisher though, so fans won’t see them listed in the Revell released books.
Fans of those series won’t want to miss this series at all. Those who read to the end of this one will recognize a name – Hamilton.
That said …
After thoroughly enjoying the GLOBAL SEARCH AND RESCUE series, I wanted to read this one. The premise sounded interesting. And, to be honest, I had to find out what kind of a woman Echo Yazzie was. I also had to snicker at the name. Shameful, I know. But, it was a rather unique name.
Anyway …
The cover is absolutely stunning. The vivid sunrise/sunset colors contrasting with the snow-capped mountain, and the reflective lake bring to life the Alaskan landscape long before the reader opens the book. Nice touch on the “gold foil” for the title.
One reviewer noted being overwhelmed by a LOT of characters introduced in this book. And, I have to admit – I shared that sentiment as well. It was greatly overwhelming, and I felt as if I should’ve drawn a family tree. Some authors do include a “cast” list so readers can refer to it.
When an author is introducing a new series, and new characters, it can be a daunting task to establish everyone in the first few chapters so that the remainder of the story features on the central plot outlined on the back of the book. Given the huge, and eclectic cast, Warren does manage to work it all together. For me, keeping track of who is who definitely stretched the comprehension circuit in the brain. Usually I am good at that, but I will admit, I was a bit lost.
Dodge Kingston is ONE of a set of triplets. The other two? Ranger and Colt. Ranger and Colt are named after their parents’ vehicles (Ford Ranger and Dodge Colt). Dodge is named after his father’s “favorite” truck. Interesting note.
Echo (though we never learn the origins of her name) and Dodge were a young couple. Dodge proposed to her some 10 years earlier. Not feeling ready, she declined his offer. That wasn’t the end of it – she and Colt were “seen” by Dodge and thus started a family feud.
In addition to Dodge, his family, Echo, her family, there are also some sisters (Winter and Shasta), along with other close friends – far too many to name. There’s also a “Jane Doe” in this book as well; her story and roll in this is definitely interesting.
Speaking of characters, Echo’s father tends to drink heavily. That might be a tough subject for some readers. The author stops short of labeling him as an alcoholic. The author briefly touches on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) as well as it relates to a character’s relative.
In addition to the human group of characters, there is also Echo’s “team” of dogs. Fans of the movie Top Gun will no doubt recognize the names of the dogs: Maverick, Goose, Iceman, Viper, Jester to name a few. Despite owning the movie, loving the soundtrack, I have YET to see the movie.
What’s interesting is that in addition to Dodge and Echo’s POVs, there that Jane Doe’s POV. Her narrative starts halfway through chapter 8. At first I thought it was Peyton, the missing researcher. But, it is fairly obvious it isn’t.
The story starts off with Dodge at the hospital after his father’s crash. While it isn’t serious, it looks like Barry Kingston won’t fly again. There is a reason for the accident which isn’t disclosed until much later in the book.
Dodge has a history with his father which extends to the night he saw Echo and Colt together. Dodge will have to help his father at the ranch that he seemingly wants NOTHING to do with.
Meanwhile, Echo is trying to calm her father down after he suspects a man by the name of Idaho for being a poacher. Echo thinks she’s seeing a ghost (Dodge), but knows she isn’t.
Echo and Peyton set out to check the cameras for any poaching activity. But, it is in doing that activity one of Echo’s dogs is attacked by a wild bear. She thinks it might be the missing brother of Elsa. There is a connection readers will learn about between the two siblings and Echo’s father.
Dodge is there to rescue Echo, or rather her dog. Echo is concerned leaving Peyton behind, but the woman reassures Echo she can do it. After all, she was raised in the wilderness and knows it.
It is clear right off that Echo still has feelings for Dodge, he claims to be long past that. She doesn’t buy it. In confronting Dodge, she relives those short moments with Colt that led to the fracas leaving Dodge in jail and joining the military after.
Of course, the National Air Transportation Board (NATB) is investigating Barry Kingston’s accident which the result of can have devastating consequences for Sky King Ranch. Despite his feelings toward it, Dodge can’t help but want to save the ranch.
One by one the dogs start showing up leaving both Echo and Dodge to wonder why. It is roughly about halfway in before Echo realizes that Peyton is missing and when Echo sets out to find her, though Dodge joins in as well.
At the end of chapter 10, the two find the Jane Doe. There is a slight change in her condition towards the end of the novel, but that is left on a cliffhanger as to who she is, her connection to a character, and what happened.
As the story progress, it diverges into a few different plot-points:
🏔️ Echo’s Mother
🏔️ Saving Charlie (Echo’s dad)
🏔️ Finding Peyton
🏔️ Stopping the Poacher(s)
A lot to manage with 144 pages left in the novel. Warren does manage to wrap up “some” of it in a dramatic fashion, complete with a bear attack, and three cliffhangers (Jane Doe, Colt, poacher).
The author expertly weaves the family drama and dynamics into an intensely suspenseful book that keeps readers going until the very end … and beyond. In addition to family drama in the Kingston family, Echo also has some unresolved issues with her mother. These two plot points are resolved by the end of the book. Though I am very curious as to Echo’s parents’ future.
I have to admit I had my concerns about making it to the end of the book. To be fairly honest, I am the type that I HAVE to be hooked or drawn in by the first chapter, second at the latest. With this one, even by the end of chapter 3 the book wasn’t drawing me in. I think it had a lot to do with too many characters and too much build-up. It didn’t start picking up until around chapter 5 (page 92). There was a LOT of narrative in the beginning that caused my attention to drift away. The chapters were a bit long, averaging about 25 pages.
I did manage to read 100 pages in two (2) hours. Then, after the halfway (½) mark, I couldn’t stop reading it. The Jane Doe story line REALLY drew me in. Warren did an excellent job of bringing to life the Alaskan landscape with descriptions of its contrasting beautiful and brutal landscapes.
This, while listed as a contemporary romance, came across as more of a romantic suspense, with more suspense than romance.
As this is from Revell, a primarily Christian/faith-themed publisher, there are references to God along with central themes of Christian faith tenants – redemption, forgiveness, second chances. This book has numerous mentions of God throughout. Though it is not a central theme, it is clear the characters’ faith is prominent in their lives.
Since the author left this with a cliffhanger ending, a triple one no less, I am definitely going to have to read the second book, Sunburst, when it comes out in June. Obviously, anyone who reads this book will have to read it as well to figure out what is going on with at least ONE of the plots.
RATING:
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)
Next book in the series:
SUNBURST
Series: Sky King Ranch #2
Paperback: 368 Pages
Publisher: Revell (June 7, 2022)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800739833
ISBN-13: 978-0800739836
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“When former Navy Seal and lifelong bachelor Ranger Kingston is called upon to take part in a rescue mission to save his brother Colt, who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria, he is shocked to find among the hostages a woman he knows and could never forget.
Noemi Sutton was attempting to return a young girl to her family in Boko Haram territory when she and the girl found themselves taken hostage, along with several others.
And while Ranger Kingston may be able to get the hostages away from their captors, he'll need Noemi's help if he ever hopes to get out of Nigeria alive.
Her solution? Pose as husband and wife. But when her uncle discovers the union, he insists on a traditional Nigerian wedding--binding Noemi to a man destined to break her heart. Worse, she's discovered the real reason she was kidnapped, and anyone around her is bound to be caught in the crossfire. Including her so-called new husband.
She'll need to figure out a way to leave the man she loves if she wants to save his life.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 85 novels with more than 1 million books sold, including the Global Search and Rescue and the Montana Rescue series. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT Medallion and numerous Readers' Choice Awards, Susan makes her home in Minnesota. Find her online at www.susanmaywarren.com, on Facebook @SusanMayWarrenFiction, and on Twitter @susanmaywarren.
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