Sky King Ranch (Book 1 of 2)

• Rating: ☆☆☆
• Genre:  Christian, Mystery, Suspense, Romance
• Length: 352 pages
• Publisher:  Revell
• Release Date: January 4, 2022

Description

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?

Sunrise is the first explosive volume in a new nail-biting series from USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren.

While this is an author that I usually enjoy, I had some concerns with her new series.

I was very excited about Alaska as the setting for this story. Snow, sled dogs, snowmobiles, and the overall atmosphere pulled me to the book.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed with how this snowy tale began. Almost from the first page, I was overwhelmed by the characters and names that accosted me. Even the sled dogs had names which added to my confusion. But I wasn’t done trying to keep things straight. As I read on there were some bears that had special meaning to the family. And, yes, they all had names.

But it wasn’t just about the names. Relationships and backstory were weaved throughout. Should I be taking notes?

To be honest, at least two times I turned to the front of the book to make sure Sunrise wasn’t a sequel. I thought perhaps it was recapping the characters and their histories. 

Not until page 55 did I begin to think I might be able to wade through the characters. I had decided to focus on two main characters and not worry about all the other names. And at that time the plot stepped up. It was more than the backstory and characters.

I was interested. The pages started to turn. I wanted to know what was going to happen.

I loved visualizing Alaska and learning many of the terms used with sled dogs and living in the wilderness. As I mentioned earlier, I think I’ve only read one or two other books with this setting. And Susan May Warren brought Alaska to life.

Where suspense was called for Warren delivered. Several times throughout the story she had me quickly flipping pages.

My Concerns

Most of my concerns have already been noted, but here is a list.

• Overload of characters and names for the first 55 pages.
• It took too long to capture my interest.
• Though the setting was fresh, the plot felt well used.
• The ending didn’t feel realistic.
• Series or not, I’m not a fan of cliffhangers.

Final Thoughts

I’ve read several of Warren’s books and loved them. But in this case, the plot and characters didn’t win me over. Even the ending didn’t work for me. It was tied into a tidy bow very abruptly and then a cliffhanger was tacked on.

While I think highly of Warren’s writing, this book didn’t really work for me.

My thanks to Revell for a copy of this book and the ability to offer my opinion of it.

Not quite my cuppa tea, but very well might be yours

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, as well as Sunrise. 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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