Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Christian Publishing for the ALC (Advance Listening Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

At almost 10 hours of listening time, Ambush introduces us to Paradise Alden, a woman marked by tragedy and betrayal, in the first book of the Sanctuary Series. Returning to Nova Cambridge, Alabama, after fifteen years, Paradise is determined to find the truth about her parents' murder. Taking a veterinarian position at The Sanctuary, she’s thrust into a new mystery when a body is found on the grounds. As deadly events unfold, Paradise must confront her past and work alongside Blake Lawson—the man who once broke her heart—to uncover the lurking danger beneath the town's moss-draped trees.

While the Christian romance and mystery elements will appeal to fans of faith-based fiction, the genre isn't one I typically reach for. The faith discussions often felt overly saccharine and somewhat preachy, occasionally disrupting the flow of the narrative for me. The mystery was engaging, though the resolution felt a bit tacked on and lacked depth. Common tropes, like the detective's unwillingness to see evidence, made some parts predictable. However, I am curious about the fate of Paradise’s parents and might consider exploring the next instalment.

Perfect for fans of Allison Brennan and Dani Pettrey, Ambush offers a blend of suspense and spiritual reflection. Though I’m undecided on continuing the series, the story does provide an interesting starting point for those who enjoy Christian romantic suspense.

📅 Published: 4 March 2025
🔊 Listening Time: ~10 hours

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Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This novel is a strong start to The Sanctuary Series. I listened to the audiobook and found the narrator to be very enjoyable. I enjoyed learning a little bit about each of the characters and I think that it did a great job to set up the series.

I did find at times that there was a cheesy Hallmark movie type feel to this book that made me roll my eyes. I am not typically a fan of Christian books, or "happily ever after" plots.

Will I finish the series? Yes, I need to know what happened to Paradise's parents and will stick around to find out!

It's a cute second-chance romance mystery. Paradise has had a rough life; her parents were murdered, her first love violated her trust, and as an adult, she was attacked by a large cat at work, maiming her. She never planned to return home, but she decides it is finally time for closure and to find out what happened to her parents all those years ago. What she didn't anticipate was working for her first love as the vet at their exotic animal sanctuary.
Strange things are beginning to happen in the sanctuary. Pens left opened, fires, and so much more. Can Paradise truly trust Blake, or will he hurt her again? Is he behind the strange events, or is someone trying to frame him and his family? These questions must be answered, and along the way, Paradise must also learn to trust God again and believe in his plan for her life.

Having recently read (and really enjoyed) I Think I was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker, I jumped at Ambush, the first in a new series by Coble.

With a much different tone to I Think I was Murdered, I found the dialogue in this quite cheesy at times, and the faith based discussions often felt quite out of the blue. There was also a lot going on, with different characters, threads and attacks to follow.

However, overall this was a very fun read. The exotic wildlife park felt unique and exciting, and the building suspense is dotted with twists, turns and drama. The ending was satisfying and fast paced. Paradise and Blake’s characters were well developed with intriguing backstories, setting a solid foundation for the series. The writing style is engaging and entertaining.

I really enjoyed this both as an ebook and audiobook. The audio narration added a level of excitement and tension, and the narrator did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life.

I received a complimentary book from the publisher through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and the opinions are my own.

AMBUSH The Sanctuary Book 1 by Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
This is an unusual story with a wild exotic animal sanctuary, (a first that I have found that particular plot) but it is very enjoyable well written story. This is a murder mystery, romantic suspense, drama and great characters. It is also a Christian fiction book. This is 5 stars.

I listened to the audio version of this story. Karen Peakes does a great job with the narration.

First book in a connected series.

After a debilitating work accident, Paradise returns to her hometown for answers about her past while recuperating. Her parents were murdered and a foster father abused her, turning her life upside down. She is still bitter towards her high school love, as he is the one who told about the abuse in her foster family. She takes a job working at his family's sanctuary. As soon as she arrives, she has little time to look into her own past because the sanctuary seems to be under attack. A murder, a fire, gunshots, explosives. Who is trying to sabotage the sanctuary? And why?

A lot of Colleen Coble's books have interested me, but I've never jumped. Two reasons- first, I am not always a fan of Christian fiction. Personal preference on that front. Second, they are always what seem like long series and I just don't know if I want to commit due to the whole Christian fiction thing. I took a chance on Ambush- the synopsis intrigued me.

I liked the setting, I liked the characters. I found the plot interesting. But... as I feared... the Christian fiction aspect kept me from loving it. It isn't just the instant belief in God solving everything (just like I dislike insta-love books, I dislike insta-finding religion. Build up is important to me.) It is also the fact that a lot of things were over the top and unbelievable. The timeline, the sheer number of major events, and the police detective that ignores it all is just too much. Just to kind of explain me as a consumer of books/tv/movies- I also hate Hallmark movies. They are just too put together, too perfect, too predictable. I dislike these qualities in entertainment, which I often find in Christian fiction. Hence my usual hesitancy to read the genre.

Now... will I continue. Probably. I'm mainly curious to find out more about Paradise's past. Will I attempt to read Colleen Coble books outside of this series? Unlikely.

Karen Peakes narrates the audiobook.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Colleen Coble. I’ve seen a lot of recommendations so I was excited to get an ALC of Ambush from NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

Right away I was drawn in to the story. Paradise arrives back to the small town where she lived as a child, to help in the animal rescue reserve. Almost instantly she comes face to face with her childhood boyfriend, Blake, who also came back to help his mom run the reserve and help raise his young brothers.

Both Paradise and Blake find themselves in the middle of several murder cases. Past and present. Not to mention the twists and unexpected reveals!

2.75 rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an ok read. It was a little all over the place kind of playing out like a Hallmark movie where there's murder, investigating the murder, trouble from the past, investigating the murder again, romance, romance drama, more stuff from the past, magoo scenes, back to the investigating, romance, and more magoo.

I liked the idea of the main character being an exotic animal veterinarian and learning some about her past and how it tied in with the current plot. However, there are also a lot of Christian themes throughout the book which threw me off as there's no mention in the description of it being religious in any way and it became a little too much throughout the book as it made the plot shift more towards restoring her faith in Christianity and love rather than finding out who murdered her parents.

The ending was also very rushed and provided no build-up whatsoever and was pretty predictable. Overall, is this really an author that I would come back to to possibly give another try? Probably not, but it was an ok quick read that I could see how some people may like her writing. Give it a try if you find the plot interesting as you may like it.

Lions, hyenas, and fennec foxes—oh my!

This novel is a strong start to The Sanctuary Series. I experienced it as an audiobook and found the narrator particularly skilled, especially in bringing the children’s voices to life. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its emphasis on family bonds, which added depth to the story. The plot is filled with action, suspense, and mystery, particularly surrounding the murder of Paradise’s parents when she was a child. While I had an early suspicion about the villain’s identity, the journey was still engaging. Overall, this was an enjoyable introduction to the series, and I’m eagerly anticipating the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

First off, I would like to say thank you Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction audio for the chance to review this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a really cute book, it reminded me of the shows I would watch as a kid. The way the author described Alabama was spot on, it made me miss it out there. I must not have been paying attention when I requested this book, because I did not realize it was a Christian romance , which is not something I normally read. I appreciate that it was not too in your face Christian and the characters actually had to do the work to solve the mystery. It was a good mystery and the characters were well developed, I do feel like there was on unanswered question, but I"m guessing that will be answered in the next book.

This quick read reminded me of a Hallmark movie. I loved the descriptions of the animals at the wildlife refuge. There are religious themes with discussions about God, church and faith. While the book isn’t included under the category of Christian but it should be. Colleen Coble’s first book in the Sanctuary series was an enjoyable read. Karen Peakes did an excellent job with the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins Christian Publishing/Thomas Nelson Fiction for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a romantic mystery novel with some "Christian" undertones. The religious inclusion is done without a preachy emphasis but it did come out of the blue at times which stood out to me as an obvious nod to this inclusion. The story has a lot of twists and turn with a suspenseful present day crime happening and then the past of the FMC whose parents were killed. The romance is a little on the "light" side with the MMC having carried a torch for the FMC for over 15 years. Decent amount of thriller with some family feel good moments. This is the start of a series so parts of the mystery have yet to be solved. Audiobook narrator does a very good job switching between many different characters.

A good start to a new Coble series. A good layout and plenty of who is involved?

Paradise Alden's childhood in Nova Cambridge, Alabama, was idyllic until the night her parents were murdered. Since then life has left her scarred. The abuse she suffered in the foster care system, her first love's betrayal, and the jaguar attack that nearly destroyed her career have led to an unshakable distrust--in men, in God, and maybe in even in herself.

After fifteen years, returning to her hometown is a last resort to finding her life again. She's hoping the wildlife refuge where she's accepted a veterinarian job will be the perfect place to heal from her recent traumas and unlock her memories about the night her parents died. But on the day she arrives at The Sanctuary, a body is discovered on the grounds. And soon, a series of deadly events threatens not only her future but the man who, despite all odds, still makes her pulse stutter. Arson, a shooting, a break-in, and multiple instances of animals being freed from their enclosures all point back to him, but Paradise knows Blake Lawson isn't responsible. Not the man who has been helping his mother manage The Sanctuary these past six months and care for his stepbrothers in the wake of their father's death . . . even if his betrayal years ago cost her everything.

Someone dangerous is lurking beneath the town's moss-draped trees, and Paradise refuses to let another murderer disappear into the shadows.