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beastreader's review
3.0
Tessa comes into town. The first thing she does is head over to Dillon and Ethan's ranch. Tessa is about to give birth to Ethan's baby any day. All she wants is for Ethan to sign his rights away. Dillon realizes that Tessa may have been one of the last people to see Ethan alive. He does not plan to let Tessa out of his sight until he learns the truth about Ethan's death.
It has been quite some time since I have read a book by this author. I enjoyed reading this book. I like westerns. Atonement is book four in the Beartooth, Montana series. You don't have to have read the prior three novels. However it did feel a little disconnected like the characters and the current events that they were facing had happened in a prior book. So I this did not help some in the department of me getting to really know the characters and sharing a bond with them.
In addition, in the beginning I thought that Dillon came off as very uncaring and rough. So I did not see him as the romantic love interest for Tessa. As the story progressed I did warm up to Dillon. Plus, it was easy to see him and Tessa together as I felt like I did not know who Ethan was. Other than a rambler. I more tended to like Tessa. She was strong-willed.
It has been quite some time since I have read a book by this author. I enjoyed reading this book. I like westerns. Atonement is book four in the Beartooth, Montana series. You don't have to have read the prior three novels. However it did feel a little disconnected like the characters and the current events that they were facing had happened in a prior book. So I this did not help some in the department of me getting to really know the characters and sharing a bond with them.
In addition, in the beginning I thought that Dillon came off as very uncaring and rough. So I did not see him as the romantic love interest for Tessa. As the story progressed I did warm up to Dillon. Plus, it was easy to see him and Tessa together as I felt like I did not know who Ethan was. Other than a rambler. I more tended to like Tessa. She was strong-willed.
rosepup77's review
5.0
A fabulous story. Dillon is coming up on the 1 year anniversary of his brother Ethan's death. He is still having a hard time dealing with it because he feels like he should have done more to save him. A vastly pregnant woman turns up at the ranch to accuse him of stealing her money. Tessa is a surprise to him because she is 8 months pregnant which means that Ethan is alive. It takes awhile to convince Tessa that Ethan is Dillon's identical twin brother. Since Dillon is a sheriff, he knows that he needs to investigate what really happened to Ethan and where he could be. Tessa doesn't love Ethan anymore but she just wanted to have him sign away his parental rights. Can Tessa and Dillon find Ethan and figure out what in the world is going on? Is there a chance for their relationship to develop? Great story and it sucks the reader right in.
bookloverchelle's review
4.0
I haven’t read many titles from B.J. Daniels before and I was a little nervous jumping in with Atonement since it’s book four in the Beartooth, Montana series. I was pleasantly surprised to find I had no problem understanding the town and characters that Ms. Daniels created. Any time that action from a previous book was brought up there was a nice explanation of what was going on that did not seem too narrative, very well wound in to the storyline to make it easy to understand. It has been a year since Sheriff Dillon lost his twin brother. But when Tessa shows up on his doorstep claiming to be pregnant with his brother’s baby, Dillon is excited at the prospect that his brother alive, dismayed that he’s in the middle of trouble again. As Dillon and Tessa track down the mystery of the missing brother they get closer and begin to develop deep feelings. But being pregnant with another man’s baby keeps them moving slow. I’ll admit, I was a little thrown off by the idea of Tessa falling for both brother’s but I felt Ms. Daniels did a good job of presenting Tessa’s feelings well and it made it easier for the reader to fall in love with Dillon right along with her. Fun read!
scoutmomskf's review
4.0
Good book with two interesting storylines. The main story is that of Dillon and Tessa. Dillon has been filling in as sheriff while Sheriff Frank Curry has been on a leave of absence. It's been an eventful year and Dillon is still feeling the loss of his twin brother - until a woman shows up claiming to be pregnant with Ethan's baby. Now Dillon wants to know why Ethan is pretending to be dead.
Since she didn't know that Ethan had a twin brother, at first Tessa thought Dillon was Ethan. Once that confusion is dealt with both Dillon and Tessa want to find Ethan. As they work together they discover that Ethan had gotten in over his head in a couple of ways and want to find him before he ends up dead for real. Dillon spent a lot of time when he was younger protecting Ethan from their father and getting Ethan out of the trouble he was constantly in. He wants Ethan to have the chance to do the right thing by Tessa. Meanwhile, Tessa is over Ethan, having put up with enough over his disappearance and his theft of her savings. She just wants him to sign over custody of their baby to her so she can move on with her life. Dillon quickly grows attached to Tessa, partly because of the baby she carries but mostly because of the way she makes him feel. But he feels guilty about those feelings because she is his brother's girl. Tessa realizes that Dillon is everything that Ethan is not, but doesn't think Dillon would ever see her as anything other than his niece's mother. I loved the growing relationship between the two of them. Dillon was such a nice guy that I wondered for a little while how long he would go before letting Tessa know how he felt. It wasn't too surprising that Tessa seemed to take more initiative, though Dillon wasn't backward once he realized she really did want him.
The mystery that revolves around Ethan, his "death", and the people he got mixed up with was very well done. There were multiple viewpoints from the various players as the danger to Ethan, Dillon and Tessa grew closer. There were a couple very interesting twists as the truth came out about who was after Ethan and why. I loved the final resolution and how Dillon handled it.
The second storyline involved Sheriff Frank Curry and his lady friend Nettie. In the previous book Forsaken Frank's ex-wife had attempted to kill both him and Nettie. She got away, and Frank took a leave of absence to try to find her. At the beginning of this one, he has returned to Beartooth having been unable to find her. He is ready to go back to work and pick up his romance with Nettie. Just as things are starting to look up for them, Pam's remains are found on Frank's land and he is suspected of murdering her. Nettie doesn't believe he had anything to do with it and takes it upon herself to do a little investigating of her own. Frank is worried about her safety and tries to convince her to stay out of it, but Nettie is just as stubborn as he is. Her efforts nearly get her killed by a character I never suspected. I loved seeing Frank and Nettie finally get their happy ending after so many years apart.
As always, I love the vivid descriptions of the Montana landscape. Sometimes I could swear I felt the cold of the snowstorms or smell the scent of the pines. Someday I will get there to see it for myself.
Since she didn't know that Ethan had a twin brother, at first Tessa thought Dillon was Ethan. Once that confusion is dealt with both Dillon and Tessa want to find Ethan. As they work together they discover that Ethan had gotten in over his head in a couple of ways and want to find him before he ends up dead for real. Dillon spent a lot of time when he was younger protecting Ethan from their father and getting Ethan out of the trouble he was constantly in. He wants Ethan to have the chance to do the right thing by Tessa. Meanwhile, Tessa is over Ethan, having put up with enough over his disappearance and his theft of her savings. She just wants him to sign over custody of their baby to her so she can move on with her life. Dillon quickly grows attached to Tessa, partly because of the baby she carries but mostly because of the way she makes him feel. But he feels guilty about those feelings because she is his brother's girl. Tessa realizes that Dillon is everything that Ethan is not, but doesn't think Dillon would ever see her as anything other than his niece's mother. I loved the growing relationship between the two of them. Dillon was such a nice guy that I wondered for a little while how long he would go before letting Tessa know how he felt. It wasn't too surprising that Tessa seemed to take more initiative, though Dillon wasn't backward once he realized she really did want him.
The mystery that revolves around Ethan, his "death", and the people he got mixed up with was very well done. There were multiple viewpoints from the various players as the danger to Ethan, Dillon and Tessa grew closer. There were a couple very interesting twists as the truth came out about who was after Ethan and why. I loved the final resolution and how Dillon handled it.
The second storyline involved Sheriff Frank Curry and his lady friend Nettie. In the previous book Forsaken Frank's ex-wife had attempted to kill both him and Nettie. She got away, and Frank took a leave of absence to try to find her. At the beginning of this one, he has returned to Beartooth having been unable to find her. He is ready to go back to work and pick up his romance with Nettie. Just as things are starting to look up for them, Pam's remains are found on Frank's land and he is suspected of murdering her. Nettie doesn't believe he had anything to do with it and takes it upon herself to do a little investigating of her own. Frank is worried about her safety and tries to convince her to stay out of it, but Nettie is just as stubborn as he is. Her efforts nearly get her killed by a character I never suspected. I loved seeing Frank and Nettie finally get their happy ending after so many years apart.
As always, I love the vivid descriptions of the Montana landscape. Sometimes I could swear I felt the cold of the snowstorms or smell the scent of the pines. Someday I will get there to see it for myself.
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review
5.0
This was my first B.J. Daniels read and I was completely blown away! This book is amazing. The story is expertly crafted and honed beautifully and I was immediately hooked from the first page.
What I really enjoyed about this book was the dual story lines. It was like having two books in one! Atonement is a perfect example of exceptional storytelling. The author really ran the gamut of emotions in the story which made it easy to relate to the characters.
What I also found interesting was the lack of love scenes and the seldom use of curse words. In Atonement, the author demonstrates that you can write an exceptional and intriguing story without vulgar language and graphic sex scenes. Nothing wrong with those things but I though the book was tastefully done and I really appreciated the author’s choice to refrain from it.
I struggled a little in writing this review because I just couldn’t seem to correctly articulate my thoughts on the book. I feel changed in some way after having read this wonderful story. I highly recommend this book to any reader who enjoys engaging, mystery-filled suspense stories sprinkled with romance and a touch of humor.
A solid 5 Star read!
Reviewed by Elizabeth for Cocktails and Books
What I really enjoyed about this book was the dual story lines. It was like having two books in one! Atonement is a perfect example of exceptional storytelling. The author really ran the gamut of emotions in the story which made it easy to relate to the characters.
What I also found interesting was the lack of love scenes and the seldom use of curse words. In Atonement, the author demonstrates that you can write an exceptional and intriguing story without vulgar language and graphic sex scenes. Nothing wrong with those things but I though the book was tastefully done and I really appreciated the author’s choice to refrain from it.
I struggled a little in writing this review because I just couldn’t seem to correctly articulate my thoughts on the book. I feel changed in some way after having read this wonderful story. I highly recommend this book to any reader who enjoys engaging, mystery-filled suspense stories sprinkled with romance and a touch of humor.
A solid 5 Star read!
Reviewed by Elizabeth for Cocktails and Books
thegeekyblogger's review
3.0
Read for Review (NetGalley)
Overall Rating: 3.50
Story Rating: 3.25
Character Rating: 3.75
First Thought when Finished: Atonment by B.J. Daniels would have made 2 great full length novels but there was a little too much going on for one!
Story Thoughts: Atonment was really 2 stories in one: One for Dillon/Tessa and one for the Sheriff. The problem was that I felt both would have made great full length novels on their own. I felt more could have been explored with Dillon/Ethan. I also would have liked a little more of Tessa/Dillon, their love story was a little rushed. I would have been happy with more about the Sheriff (though that might have been tackled in the previous books but I have not read them). I did love the pacing and writing. I guess I just wanted more of both stories which is what left me wanting...
Character Thoughts: I thought Dillon was a fascinating character. He wasn't too perfect but he was a great character study in good, solid men! Tessa was a great match for Dillon on paper but I would have liked to know more about her. Together they made for a good love story that I would have loved a little more of.
Final Thoughts: Despite wanting more from the stories, I still enjoyed Atonement! It was a great read for suspense fans.
Overall Rating: 3.50
Story Rating: 3.25
Character Rating: 3.75
First Thought when Finished: Atonment by B.J. Daniels would have made 2 great full length novels but there was a little too much going on for one!
Story Thoughts: Atonment was really 2 stories in one: One for Dillon/Tessa and one for the Sheriff. The problem was that I felt both would have made great full length novels on their own. I felt more could have been explored with Dillon/Ethan. I also would have liked a little more of Tessa/Dillon, their love story was a little rushed. I would have been happy with more about the Sheriff (though that might have been tackled in the previous books but I have not read them). I did love the pacing and writing. I guess I just wanted more of both stories which is what left me wanting...
Character Thoughts: I thought Dillon was a fascinating character. He wasn't too perfect but he was a great character study in good, solid men! Tessa was a great match for Dillon on paper but I would have liked to know more about her. Together they made for a good love story that I would have loved a little more of.
Final Thoughts: Despite wanting more from the stories, I still enjoyed Atonement! It was a great read for suspense fans.
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