This book was so good! It had a lot of twists and turns that kept me gripped the entire time. With that cliff hanger I'll have to read the next book! I can't wait. I really appreciated the faith content. So, much from forgiveness, learning to trust and also to be still and wait on God. Great read!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I love Colleen Coble's romantic suspense novels. They always hold your attention and keep you wanting more! I'm so glad this is the start of a new series and that we will see more of Paradise and Blake. The setting is different since it's at a wildlife refuge in Alabama. There's lots of action going on and it keeps you turning those pages! Can't wait to read/listen to the next in this series and see more of Blake's family too!

Karen Peakes did a great job narrating!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 4 March 2025

Wow! This was TOTALLY ACTION packed!!!

Paradise is a Veterinarian. She is returning to her hometown after years of being away...and, for a very good reason. The last time she was home, both of her parents were murdered. And, she was sent to a Foster Home...and her life has never been the same since...

Also, she is returning to work at the Sanctuary. This is where her childhood boyfriend (Blake), his Mom and her two little boys live. She will be taking care of the animals in the wild here... She is so looking forward to it, and also, not looking forward to it at all....

Additionally, she has a lot of secrets that no one knows about...

BUT, on day one, just as she arrives, a dead body turns up in the Sanctuary...
And... this is only the beginning!

Strange things keep happening at the Animal Sanctuary, and there doesn't seem to be a shortage of these things continually happening. And no one knows why, or how anyone is able to get in...
But one thing is for sure, if they keep happening, someone is SURE to get hurt, if not killed.

🛑 I am going to stop right here! 🛑
If this is something you think you might like, please look 👀 for it on shelves starting *** TOMORROW, 3/4/25, as that is when it will be released!! ***

Also, nice to know see it’s Christian Based, and prayers are mentioned at times. Not overbearing, but sweet! 🙏🏼

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#AMBUSH (Book #1 in the Sanctuary Series) by #ColleenCoble and narrated beautifully by #KarenPeakes. Good News, as there will be more to follow!!!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsChristianPublishing and #ThomasNelsonFiction for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

Paradise is back in her hometown to recover from her injuries and to try to uncover her parents’s brutal death. Working in the animal sanctuary run by Blake the boy who broke her heart almost twenty years ago will be difficult. But when deadly event as murder, arson and so much more start to happen around the Sanctuary they may team to find out the truth before it can destroy Blake’s life. The audiobook with Karen Peakes is great. Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC copy. This is my honest review.

I listened to about 20% of this audiobook and decided not to continue. I’m sure some people will love it as it does have some exciting things going on, I just couldn’t get into the story. I will be on the lookout for another book from this author to try again!

Ambush by Colleen Coble
On one hand you have a hallmark channel second chance love story and on the other hand you have lifetime movie murder mystery. Mixed in those hands are faith-based values. I enjoyed this clean romance mystery Christian fiction. Thank you Colleen Coble, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and NetGalley for this advanced reader audiobook. Publication date: March 4, 2025

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
Ambush mixed mystery, romance, and an animal sanctuary to create this fast paced novel. I haven't read a mystery with a romance in a while and enjoyed this component. Paradise and Blake have a second chance after over a decade and life trauma. Blake's family owns a wildlife refuge, and Paradise is a big animal vet. This is an intricate story about a past mystery and present murder. There is also a religious element to this story due to Paradise returning to religion.

The audiobook was well done. The narrator did multiple characters and were distinguishable. I would recommend this audiobook.

I liked this fast paced story. I felt invested in the characters. I enjoyed this one, and I can't wait to read the next one in the series.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this audiobook.

A gripping thriller that takes place in an animal sanctuary, highlighting the importance of animal conversation, and the mystery of a double murder that took place over 20 years ago. This book is peppered with suspense, second chance love, and even faith.
The connection between Pradise and Blake is set up early, and I couldn’t help but root for them from the get go. This fascinating setting adds so much depths to the story.
For a first in a series, Ambush left me wanting more, on the edge of my seat and falling in love with the characters. I can’t wait for the next in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley, Colleen Coble and the publishers for this ARC.

“But her only answers were here in this place, where shadows from the past still reached out to shape her life.”
Colleen Coble is one of the authors that is on my automatic read list, and this book demonstrates the reason perfectly. She does an amazing job creating suspense while peppering in details from the characters’ backstories. She sets the scene so well that it’s almost like I’m experiencing everything with them. The first book in the Sanctuary series focuses on forgiveness, second chances at love, and how God uses even the bad things that happen in our lives for good. I felt so bad for everything Paradise had been through. Even after everything she had faced, she managed to stay kind and gentle. I can’t imagine being suspected of the things Blake was being accused of and I loved how he and Paradise supported each other through everything. I did guess one of the conspirators but the twists made me doubt myself. The ending was so surprising and suspenseful and I absolutely cannot wait until book 2 comes out.
I really enjoyed the narrator. She did a great job portraying the emotions in the story.

This book is full of danger and action. Paradise returns home and immediately there’s a murder. Mishap after mishap occurs and she and Blake are thrust together to try to figure things out. The differences and betrayal between them are dealt with relatively quickly which I was glad for. I hate to see misunderstandings and hurt linger through an entire book.

There are a lot of possible villains and just when you think it’s moving in one direction, there’s a big twist. I like reading about the animals although I think I’d get rid of the hyenas. such troublesome creatures. There are a lot of loose ends to be tied up in the coming books. I’ll look forward to seeing how things resolve.

I listened to this as an audiobook. The narrator was good and pleasant to listen to. It was easy to follow along while listening. It was enjoyable and held my interest.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free audio copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I am so glad I found the author Colleen Coble, it is a joy reading her stories. I loved this book. I enjoyed the narrator aswell. I loved all of the characters (well the ones that weren't a creepy cop 😂, that one gave me the absolute ick) I was a tad disappointed in myself not to have realised it is the first book in the series that meant of was left craving answers that will no doubt be revealed in the next books.

Thanks for letting me listen, can't wait for the next one!

Ambush
Colleen Coble
This is the first book in Colleen Coble’s new series. The focus of this series is second chance relationships and returning to the past out of fear and anxiety. The main character in this tale is Veterinarian Paradise Alden.
Life has not always been kind to Paradise; she grew up in Pelican Bay, Alabama. Her home life was destroyed by her parents’ murder. She was sent to Foster Care where she was abused, she was betrayed by her best friend and first love, Blake Lawson. She left Pelican Bay 15 years ago and never intended to return but when she was offered the position of veterinarian for an exotic animal/wildlife refuge. Paradise accepted the position because she needed the money, and she needs to heal both physically and emotionally. The Sanctuary was run by Blake, his mother, Jenna, and two young brothers. On the day she arrived at The Sanctuary a body was found. Odd, dangerous things begin happening at The Sanctuary, placing her life in danger and the lives of the people she comes to think of as family. Blake Lawson was Paradise’s first love, and she still loves him despite his betrayal. A deputy in the sheriff's office is determined to pin the crimes on Blake.
Author Colleen Coble does it again. Her books are beautifully written, they are clean romance and she subtlety adds faith and Christianity. In Ambush our heroine is Paradise. She is a strong female lead, one that has been through a lot in her short life. Paradise is a courageous young woman although she doesn’t realize how strong and courageous she is.
There are three points I would be remiss if I did not mention them:
The Bible is our North Star; it helps us navigate life.
We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond.
God never moves—we do.
I eagerly await the next book in this series.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC

Ambush is the first book in a new series by Colleen Coble. The series will be titled "A Sanctuary" and I liked the idea of the book a lot. The idea of a sanctuary for animals that have no place to go and of Paradise Alden returning to her hometown and getting a second chance at her high school romance is an interesting storyline. I tend to enjoy a mystery and not a romance genre but sadly this book had more of the romance than the solving of the mystery for my taste. It came across as a Hallmark-type movie and that is not my favorite. Colleen Coble is a Christian writer and I enjoy her work but this book was a little over the top even for me. Many of her other books have great Christian values and show the characters living their lives in a Christian way without coming across as preaching.
The book was narrated by Karen Peakes and she does an excellent job with the characters and keeping you listening.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing | Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Paradise's parents were murdered when she was a child and she was abused in foster care. Upon returning to her hometown 15 years later, she hopes she can start over in a new veterinary job. This was a fast paced ride with arson, a dead body, and a shooting to name a few. This is my second Colleen Coble book and I do enjoy her writing.

Ambush is the first installment in the Sanctuary series, and also marks the first book I’ve ever read from Colleen Coble. I can tell that it lightly connects to other series she’s penned, one completed and one ongoing: Pelican Harbor and Tupelo Grove, respectively. This book was mysterious, intense, emotional, and propulsive. I was intrigued by the characters at first meeting, and then I quickly became completely invested in their stories, from the pain of their pasts to the romance of their present. Ambush excites me because, not only am I incredibly interested to see where Sanctuary goes from here, I’ve been introduced to a new-to-me author whose writing I really enjoy and who had a huge backlist for me to dig into while I’m eagerly awaiting the second installment in this series.

Paradise Alden, our female main character, is a vet struggling through PTSD after suffering an attack by a jaguar. She’s facing her fears on multiple fronts by taking a job at a wildlife refuge, The Sanctuary, in her hometown—a place she ran from years ago. Blake Lawson is a former Marine paramedic who has come home to help his mom manage The Sanctuary after his stepfather’s death. He’s also Paradise’s ex-boyfriend, the one who broke her heart fifteen years ago. After this betrayal and the murder of her parents, she fled Nova Cambridge, Alabama, and lost her trust in men and God and even herself. This job at The Sanctuary is her chance to find some answers and lay some things to rest. But maybe, just maybe, it will also be a sanctuary for her. Maybe here, she can start to heal.

The Sanctuary specializes in providing refuge to exotic pets who have been mistreated and abandoned. From chimps and wolves to tigers and parrots, The Sanctuary is a safe place for them to recover from their mistreatment and live a happy, comfortable life for the rest of their days. It’s a fascinating setting, one that I found so fun and unique. It provided Coble with a lot of room for interesting tension and plot twists. The Sanctuary was the first element of the story with which I fell in love. But then there were the characters. Not only did I grow to love Paradise and Blake, I was also charmed by Blake’s mom and his two young half brothers. Coble did a great job capturing the voices of these five and seven year-old boys without making them overly cutesy or too well-spoken. She struck a balance with them that felt believable and sweet.

As is coming to be the case with so many Christian romantic suspense authors I’ve had the pleasure of reading recently, Coble does a wonderful joy weaving faith into her writing without every coming across as preachy. Paradise’s faith journey was an important component of this book, and it was handled beautifully. The faith here managed to be both vital to the story and understated; it added without ever taking anything away from the plot. I’m eager to see if Coble’s inclusion of faith is always this expertly handled.

The book has an ending that satisfies without wrapping up completely. There are still some deep mysteries to be addressed, and more growth and development to be seen in the characters and their relationships. My guess would be that further installments in the series would continue to largely follow Paradise and Blake.

Ambush is a phenomenal series starter. It’s well paced, well written, and well balanced. The setting is unique, the characters compelling, and the mysteries at its core intriguing. There wasn’t any element of this book that didn’t work for me. I’ll be counting down the months until I can see where the story takes Paradise, Blake, and the rest of the Sanctuary gang next!

(Side note: The audio narration was excellent. Peakes made a propulsive story even more gripping!)

Paradise Alden returns to her hometown after a not so idealistic upbringing to accept a new job after years of being a way. Upon her arrival, things start happening. With the help of a “friend”, she unlocks the mystery of who’s behind these events.

Colleen Coble kicks off her new Sanctuary Series with Ambush, a fast-paced blend of romance, suspense, and faith. With a wildlife refuge setting, a decades-old murder mystery, and a rekindled love story, this novel has plenty to keep readers engaged.

Paradise Alden returns to Nova Cambridge, Alabama, hoping to heal from past trauma and find answers about her parents’ murder. But her fresh start at The Sanctuary, a wildlife refuge, turns into a nightmare when another murder occurs. The prime suspect? Her first love, Blake Lawson—the man who once broke her heart. Despite her lingering distrust, she’s convinced of his innocence, and together they must uncover the real threat before it’s too late.

Coble does a great job balancing suspense with emotional depth. The parallel storylines—one involving sabotage at the refuge and the other a long-buried mystery—add layers of intrigue. The setting itself brings extra tension, with both human threats and unpredictable animals lurking in the background. The romance is sweet, if a little predictable, and the faith element is woven in naturally. For those who prefer audio, the narrator is excellent.

While Ambush is an enjoyable read, it does have a few drawbacks. The ending feels abrupt, and while the story is engaging, it has Hallmark-movie feel, making it less realistic at times. Still, it’s a light, entertaining read for fans of Christian romantic suspense.

I’ll be looking forward to the next book in the series, releasing in November 2025.
4 stars

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for review copies of the eBook and audio. The opinions are my own.

This book was an absolute joy to read! The setting in a wildlife rescue was beautifully immersive, with the lions and hyenas playing an integral role in the story. The author’s vivid descriptions made me feel like I was right there, experiencing the sights and sounds of the sanctuary.

Beyond the incredible setting, the narration was amazing, bringing the story to life with depth and emotion. The storyline itself was beautifully crafted, blending the wonders of wildlife conservation with a compelling and heartfelt plot. While the book includes Christian themes, they are naturally woven into the story and not heavy-handed.

If you're looking for a book that transports you into the wild while delivering a powerful and engaging story, this is definitely one to check out! Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

I really enjoyed this. It was well rounded with background details, growth, and a good murder mystery. I was surprised by who the culprit was and i liked that it kept me guessing.

My only complaints are that I wish i had a better understanding of why Greene was so awful to Blake, and where is Paradise’s brother/parents murderer? I imagine that may come in another story, but i wish it had been wrapped up here.

Thank you NetGaley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the opportunity to listen to this audio book.

I was hopefully I would fine my next series. This did not do it for me.
I will not continue, did not connect to the characters.

2.5 and voted up