Book Review / A Christmas Affair by Jodi Thomas

A shy soul and an adventurous heart. As the holidays approach, can they find happiness together?

Maria Anne Davis was on her way to an exciting career as a chef in Dallas, until a terrible car accident left her blind. Ever resilient, Maria has reinvented her life on her own terms, starting a business out of her home kitchen, selling her jams and jellies to the local grocery.

Maria loves romance novels, and despite her bold spirit, she fears she’ll never have a big love affair like ones her heroines experience. That is, until she realizes how much she cares about the quiet Wes Whitman, the owner of the grocery.

Wes can’t keep Maria’s wildly popular jam on his shelves—just like he can’t keep the fierce, beautiful Maria out of his thoughts. But how could a firecracker like Maria come to love a shy, nervous man like him? Maybe all they need is a grand affair. Wes needs to convince Maria that some affairs last forever, though—just in time for Christmas.


Published:    1st October 2017
Publisher:  HQN Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 6.5, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

This is a novella in the Ransom Canyon series.  Although I think most of the novels in this series can be read independently I would recommend that this one is read after reading Indigo Lake as this one follows the sister of Dakota who is a main character in the Indigo Lake.  We also see a bit of backstory of Maria in that story that will give a lot more depth to reading this novella.

What I loved and what I always enjoy with Jodi Thomas novels is the romance.  It is obvious with this story that feelings have been growing for some time before we start this story, so when we join Maria the romance that follows feels natural.

A lovely romantic story that I would recommend picking up after Indigo Lake. 

Book Review / Indigo Lake by Jodi Thomas (Book 6, Ransom Canyon)

Two families long divided by an ancient feud. Can a powerful love finally unite them? 
Blade Hamilton is the last of his line. He's never even heard of Crossroads, Texas, until he inherits land there. Riding in on his vintage Harley-Davidson, Blade finds a weathered ranch house, an empty prairie and a dark river that cuts a decisive path between the Hamiltons' land and that of their estranged neighbors.

When Dakota helps a stranger on the roadside, she isn't prepared for the charisma of the man on the motorbike—or for the last name he bears: Hamilton, of her family's sworn enemies, representing all she's been raised to loathe. The problem is, it looks like Blade is in town to stay, and there's something about his wolf-gray eyes she just can't ignore.

Lauren Brigman feels adrift. Unhappy in work and unlucky in love, she knows she ought to be striving for more, but she's never truly at peace unless she's at home in Crossroads. If the wider world can't satisfy her, is home truly where her heart is?

Published:     18th July 2017
Publisher:  HQN Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 6, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

This is a series that I am thoroughly enjoying the more and more I read of it.  You have Ransom Canyon which is where all of the novels in this series are based but this series is more following different characters who live in the Canyon in each novel.  Sometimes there are some crossovers and sometimes not.  You might get 'cameos' of other characters from previous novels crop up at some point.  This is a series that you can dip in and out of as and when you choose.

In this story we follow Blake Hamilton as he returns to town to inspect the land and house that he has inherited.  His family has a past here in Ransom Canyon that he is now about to figure out.  There is a long standing 'fued' between his family next door that started decades previously.   Even though we are following Blake's side of the story, we are following the story on the 'other side of the fence' also with Dakota who meets Blake for the first time when he comes to inspect his land.  

What I loved the most was the romance and conflict between the Hamiltons and the family on the other side of the 'feuding fence'.  Clearly, there is a past between the two families but also, clearly, there is a lot of chemistry between Blake and Dakota that only time will tell. 

This is not a story that I could binge read from book 1 to the very end.  I find the stories can be very 'samey' when you get to this book in the series.  That doesn't mean that it isn't good.  It is.  I have found that I need to pick up the next novel in the series, read that and then leave the series a bit before I dip into the next one.   

Book Review / Wild Horse Springs by Jodi Thomas (Book 5, Ransom Canyon)

In the heart of Ransom Canyon, sometimes the right match for a lonely soul is the one you least expect

Dan Brigman may not lead the most exciting life, but he's proud of what he's achieved: he's a respected lawman, and he's raised a bright, talented daughter on his own. But finding a lone, sparkly blue boot in the middle of a deserted highway gets him thinking maybe the cowgirl who lost it is exactly the shake-up he needs.

After losing her baby girl, Brandi Malone felt like her soul died along with her daughter. Now singing in small-town bars to make ends meet, she's fine being a drifter until a handsome sheriff makes her believe that parking her boots under his bed is a better option.

College grad Lauren Brigman has just struck out on her own in downtown Dallas when a troubling phone call leads her back home to Crossroads. Her hometown represents her family, friends and deepest hopes, but also her first love, Lucas Reyes. Will Lauren's homecoming be another heartbreak, or a second chance for her and Lucas?


Published:     24th Janaury 2017
Publisher:  HQN
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 5, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

In this story, we are following Dan Brigman who is the office lawman.  We have seen him as a side character in the previous novels in this series but this time we get to learn a bit more about him, his life and his family.  We follow him as he meets someone who could change his life.  We are also following his daughter Lauren as she returns to town.  One thing leads to another and she sees her ex-boyfriend...

As I have probably said in previous reviews for this series, this is a series that you can dip in and out of with whatever book you want but to honestly get the full picture and truly appreciate the story for all it has to give, I would highly recommend starting from book 1 and going from there.   Although reading this book as a stand alone would have been fine but as I had read the previous novels and like to think that I know the characters of Dan and Lauren a little bit more than I would normally, I felt more for the characters and were already routing for them even before the story began.

With every book in this series, it is taking me further and further into this world and into the lives of all the residents here.  I can't wait to pick up the next one to see where that takes me!

Book Review / Sunrise Crossing by Jodi Thomas (Book 4, Ransom Canyon)

Return to peaceful Crossroads, Texas, where community comes first and love thrives in the unlikeliest places… 

Yancy Grey is slowly putting his life back together after serving time for petty theft. As he rebuilds an old house, he finally has a sense of stability, but he can't stop thinking of himself as just an ex-con. Until one night, he finds a mysterious dark-haired beauty hiding in his loft. But who is she, and what secret is she protecting?

The art gallery Parker Lacey manages is her life—she has no time for friends, and certainly not lovers. But when her star artist begs Parker for help, she finds herself in a pickup truck, headed for the sleepy town of Crossroads. A truck driven by a strong, silent cowboy…

Gabe Snow has been a drifter since he left Crossroads at seventeen after a violent incident. When he accepts a job in his hometown, he'll have to decide whether he can put the worst night of his life behind him and build a future in the community that raised him.

Published:     30th August 2016
Publisher:  HQN
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 4, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

This is the story I have been waiting for in this series.  One of my absolute favourite characters, Yancy.   We first met Yancy in the first book in this series, Ransom Canyon.  He had wound up in the town having been in trouble in his past and wanting to escape.  He ended up being a 'care taker' for the older community.

In this story, we follow him after he had found out something really important about his history (and he still has a lot to learn in this story).  He is renovating a house that he wants to live in and in the process he meets a beauty who also has a complicated past.  We also follow and learn more about this new stranger and Parker Lacey who also come into town.

What I loved the most about this book is the romance.  Between not only one couple but more...

Book Review / Lone Heart Pass by Jodi Thomas (Book 3, Ransom Canyon)

Where family bonds are made and broken, and where young love sparks as old flames grow dim, Ransom Canyon is ready to welcome—and shelter—those who need it 

With a career and a relationship in ruins, Jubilee Hamilton is left reeling from a fast fall to the bottom. The run-down Texas farm she's inherited is a far cry from the second chance she hoped for, but it and the abrasive foreman she's forced to hire are all she's got.

Every time Charley Collins has let a woman get close, he's been burned. So Lone Heart ranch and the contrary woman who owns it are merely a means to an end, until Jubilee tempts him to take another risk—to stop resisting the attraction drawing them together despite all his hard-learned logic.

Desperation is all young Thatcher Jones knows. And when he finds himself mixed up in a murder investigation, his only protection is the shelter of a man and woman who—just like him—need someone to trust.

Published:     5th September 2017
Publisher:  Piatkus Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 45, In Death
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

MY REVIEW

This book was an interesting one for me as I did not recognise or remember reading about Jubilee, Charley and Thatcher previously.  I will be honest and say that this did throw me for a minute as the previous books were about characters that I had already read.  I thought I had missed something here (and maybe I have?) but that didn't mean I enjoyed this less.

We follow Jubilee as she returns to town having inherited a farm.  Being a city girl, it will certainly take her a lot of adjustment for her to run the farm but she was definately up for the challenge!  Thatcher Jones in this book was my favourite character and one of those characters were you see a lot of growth in his personality.

If I were to be picky I would have loved to have seen a lot more of the usual community in this story but nevertheless this was a great read!

Book Review / Rustler's Moon by Jodi Thomas (Book 2, Ransom Canyon)

On a dirt road marked by haunting secrets, three strangers caught at life's crossroads must decide what to sacrifice to protect their own agendas...and what they're each willing to risk for love.

If there's any place that can convince Angela Harrell to stop running, it's Ransom Canyon. And if there's any man who can reveal desires more deeply hidden than her every fear, it's Wilkes Wagner. Beneath the rancher's honorable exterior is something that just might keep her safe...or unwittingly put her in danger's path.

With his dreams of leaving this small Texas town swallowed up by hard, dusty reality, all Wilkes has to show for his life is the Devil's Fork Ranch. Though not one to let false hope seduce him, he can't deny the quiet and cautious beauty who slips into his world and changes everything.

Lauren Brigman finally has freedom at her fingertips. All she needs is Lucas Reyes's attention—a look, a touch, some sign that she's more to him than a girl he rescued one dangerous night. But now it's her turn to rescue someone, and the life-altering decision may cost her more than a chance with Lucas.

Published:     26th January 2016
Publisher:  HQN Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 2, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

After reading so many thrillers, it is refreshing to pick up and start a new series that is not a thriller!  I always switch between thrillers and what this book is, a romance. I am going to preface this review by saying that I am not going to be spoiling any part of the story for those of you who have not yet picked up this series, but to explain more this series does not follow a story narrative from book 1 to whatever book it ends up at.  This series has a different story, more or less, with each book with featuring main characters from Ransom Canyon that we have seen before.  Some characters may appear in more than one book but every character has their own story.

In this story, we follow Angela who is running away and ends up at Ransom Canyon.  It is there that she meets Wilkes, a rancher at the Canyon.  Angela hopes that she has managed to get away from who she is running from, but she might not be that lucky.  We also follow Lauren who is the Sheriff's daughter who has to make a very hard decision.  Should she help someone? 

I am really starting to feel 'at home' in Ransom Canyon.  I feel like the first book was the 'introduction' to the Canyon and now we are really getting into the lives of some of the characters in it.

Despite stories being different in each book in this series, I would strongly recommend starting from the beginning, at book 1, and reading in order.  Yes, there are different main stories in each one but there may be characters that feature in book 1 but their main story is not seen until book 3.  You don't have to do this, but I would recommend it.

Book Review / Winter's Camp by Jodi Thomas (Book 0.5 - Ransom Canyon)

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas has captivated readers around the world with her sweeping, heartfelt family sagas. To introduce her brand-new series, Jodi tells the story behind the unforgiving Texas landscape and how one man claims Ransom Canyon—and a timid beauty—for his legacy…

A wanderer’s life was all James Randall Kirkland had known since he was an orphaned boy in San Antonio. And while years of adventure had satisfied his younger self, now he’s longing to put down roots of his own and is prepared to go it alone. But when he sees the Apache slave woman with the startling blue eyes, the course of his journey is changed forever.

Ever since the Comanche raided her village and took her for their own, Millie hasn’t known any kind of freedom. After years of being outcast, beaten and traded from tribe to tribe, she’s unprepared for James’s patient tone and gentle ways. Still, as her handsome savior slowly earns her trust, Millie struggles between desire and fear, sure it’s just a matter of time before James tires of her and her burgeoning feelings are nothing but another wasted memory.

Published:     1st August 2015
Publisher:  HQN Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 0.5, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

Back at Ransom Canyon again with this novella.  In this story, we are taken back in history to the beginnings of Ransom Canyon.  We follow James Randall Kirkland (whose relative we see later on in the main story - Staten) wandering when he comes across an APache slave woman that catches his attention.  He decides to save her from a life of pretty certain death and 'buys' her from the camp and takes her with him but not as a slave but to give her some form of freedom.  

We slowly follow James and Millie as they get to know each other and both adapting to their new lives, learning who they are now and all about their past.  For me, this was what made this great for me seeing the natural progression of meeting someone, learning about them and forming some kind of relationship with them.

This novella is well worth picking up.  I would recommend picking this up after reading Ransom Canyon, the first book in the series.  That way, I think you will get more out of this book, Ransom Canyon and the entire series. 





 

Book Review / Ransom Canyon by Jodi Thomas (Book 1, Ransom Canyon Series)

From New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas comes the first book in a compelling, emotionally resonant series set in a remote west Texas town—where family can be made by blood or by choice…

Rancher Staten Kirkland, the last descendent of Ransom Canyon's founding father, is rugged and practical to the last. No one knows that when his troubling memories threaten to overwhelm him, he runs to lovely, reclusive Quinn O'Grady… or that she has her own secret that no one living knows.

Young Lucas Reyes has his eye on the prize—college, and the chance to become something more than a ranch hand's son. But one night, one wrong decision, will set his life on a course even he hadn't imagined.

Yancy Grey is running hard from his troubled past. He doesn't plan to stick around Ransom Canyon, just long enough to learn the town's weaknesses and how to use them for personal gain. Only Yancy, a common criminal since he was old enough to reach a car's pedals, isn't prepared for what he encounters.

In this dramatic new series, the lives, loves and ambitions of four families will converge, set against a landscape that can be as unforgiving as it is beautiful, where passion, property and pride are worth fighting—and even dying—for.

Published:     25th August 2015
Publisher:  HQN Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

I am delving back into this series again.  It was one that I started to read back in 2016 but was only able to get so far because of the books I could get hold of at that time.  Now there are a lot more in this series and I can't wait to carry on reading!  I would normally review the series as a whole rather than each individual book but with this series and with each book you come across there is a different story covering different characters, so I am going to do a review for each one.

In this story, we follow mainly Staten Kirkland and Quinn.  Staten's wife, who was also Quinn's best friend, died a while back.  Staten and Quinn remained friends and, after five years or so, they are getting closer.   Quinn has a secret past that is stopping her from moving forward with her life.  We watch as she gets closer to Staten and decides to trust him with her secret.

We also follow a few other smaller stories including Lucas Reyes and Lauren and a couple of other friends who decide to investigate an old house but when they do tragedy happens.  There is also Yancy Grey who is running from a very troubled past but somehow lands in Ransom Canyon and gets a job as a handyman for the older communication in the Canyon.

What I loved the most about this story are the characters.  There are so many but the story has been written so well that I certainly would not forget any of them and what is happening with them.  All the 'main' characters are certainly rememberable and have their own stories that we get a glimpse of in this story.  I am guessing that as this series goes on and one we get to follow each of these and learn more about them.

Such an addicting story and what I would call a dramatic romance - not sure if that is the correct term but that's the one I am giving it!  You you love a bit of romance mixed in with the drama, you need to check out this series!

Book Review / Sunrise Crossing by Jodi Thomas

Return to peaceful Crossroads, Texas, where community comes first and love thrives in the unlikeliest places… 

Yancy Grey is slowly putting his life back together after serving time for petty theft. As he rebuilds an old house, he finally has a sense of stability, but he can't stop thinking of himself as just an ex-con. Until one night, he finds a mysterious dark-haired beauty hiding in his loft. But who is she, and what secret is she protecting?

The art gallery Parker Lacey manages is her life—she has no time for friends, and certainly not lovers. But when her star artist begs Parker for help, she finds herself in a pickup truck, headed for the sleepy town of Crossroads. A truck driven by a strong, silent cowboy…

Gabe Snow has been a drifter since he left Crossroads at seventeen after a violent incident. When he accepts a job in his hometown, he'll have to decide whether he can put the worst night of his life behind him and build a future in the community that raised him.

Published:     30th August 2016
Publisher:  HQN Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 4, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this story...  I cannot believe this is the last book in the Ransom Canyon (that's all that is listed on Goodreads at the moment so I am not sure if there will be more in the future but I hope there will be.....).  I have loved this series so much I can't believe it has now come to an end :-(  As with the other books, this story follows three characters.

First there is Yancy Grey, who has featured in previous stories as mostly a side character but in this book he is a main character.  We follow him settling down and meeting a mysterious lady who is hiding in a loft behind a house he is renovating for himself.  Not only is this story about that encounter and what happens next but we discover more about Yancy's family in the past and, for me, that was the best part of this story.

Next we follow Parker Lacy who heads up an art gallery.  We follow her a she protects a certain person who is in danger by letting her stay at her country house, which so happens to be in Ransom Canyon.  To make sure this person is ok, she leaves the art gallery and travels to Ransom Canyon to help her friend.  Not only is Parker's story all about that but she also meets a cowboy who interests her...  Loved both aspects of Parker's story.

Finally we have Gabe Snow.  I won't go into too much detail of Gabe's story but let's just say that his story was the most interesting to me.

What a fantastic story and an amazing end to the Ransom Canyon series (as far as I know it).  If you love romance stories this is definitely a story to pick up and get swept away with.



 

Book Review / Lone Heart Pass by Jodi Thomas

Where family bonds are made and broken, and where young love sparks as old flames grow dim, Ransom Canyon is ready to welcome—and shelter—those who need it 

With a career and a relationship in ruins, Jubilee Hamilton is left reeling from a fast fall to the bottom. The run-down Texas farm she's inherited is a far cry from the second chance she hoped for, but it and the abrasive foreman she's forced to hire are all she's got.

Every time Charley Collins has let a woman get close, he's been burned. So Lone Heart ranch and the contrary woman who owns it are merely a means to an end, until Jubilee tempts him to take another risk—to stop resisting the attraction drawing them together despite all his hard-learned logic.

Desperation is all young Thatcher Jones knows. And when he finds himself mixed up in a murder investigation, his only protection is the shelter of a man and woman who—just like him—need someone to trust.

Published:     26th April 2016
Publisher:  HQN
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 3, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned

 

MY REVIEW

OK, so now I am officially addicted to this series and to this place, Ransom Canyon.  Can I live there please?  Now that I am in book 3 in the series, I feel like I know this place as much as if I would have visited them myself and all the characters I have known forever!  Please please please can this series go on forever?!

First off you have Jubilee who used to work in politics until a few failures had left her with no choice but to move to a ranch in Ransom Canyon that she had inherited and make a go of it.  Luckily for her she meets Charley Collins who moves onto the ranch, in his own house, and helps set up and run the ranch.  Of course, there is a will they won't they type of situation here with Jubilee and Charley.  That is something I am discovering the author knows how to write really well...

You then have Charley Collins with his own story of being left by his girlfriend so now he is a single father to a younger daughter and having to make hard life choices to do what is best for his family.

Next you have Thatcher Jones, who is a young kid (presumably a teenager) whose mother has abandoned him to go off with her new trucker boyfriend.  Charley takes him under his wing and teaches Thatcher hard work and gives him a safe place to come to if he needs it.

Lastly you have the mystery of a dead body being found in the canyon.  The Sheriff, with the help of Thatcher and others, have to investigate to find out who this person was and why he was killed.

The best story of the lot for me was the one between Jubilee and Charley.  I can't help loving the romance parts of books and and this one was just beautiful...

Book Review / Rustler's Moon by Jodi Thomas

On a dirt road marked by haunting secrets, three strangers caught at life's crossroads must decide what to sacrifice to protect their own agendas...and what they're each willing to risk for love.

If there's any place that can convince Angela Harrell to stop running, it's Ransom Canyon. And if there's any man who can reveal desires more deeply hidden than her every fear, it's Wilkes Wagner. Beneath the rancher's honorable exterior is something that just might keep her safe...or unwittingly put her in danger's path.

With his dreams of leaving this small Texas town swallowed up by hard, dusty reality, all Wilkes has to show for his life is the Devil's Fork Ranch. Though not one to let false hope seduce him, he can't deny the quiet and cautious beauty who slips into his world and changes everything.

Lauren Brigman finally has freedom at her fingertips. All she needs is her boyfriend's attention—a look, a touch, some sign that she's more to him than a girl he rescued one dangerous night. But now it's her turn to rescue someone, and the life-altering decision may cost her more than a chance with him.

Published:     26th January 2016
Publisher:  HQN Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 2, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

Another wonderful instalment of the lives of the people living in Ransom Canyon.  This time we follow a few characrters...

First you have Angela who is running away from her past but as we all know the past always has a way of coming back and biting us in the bottom!  Luckily she finds a friend in Wilkes Wagner, although I am pretty sure that is not all they want to be lol!    I really loved the interaction between Angela and Wilkes.  Its more of a teasing/loving/friendly relationship.

Next you have Lauren Brigman, who we saw in the first book and is the sheriff's daughter.  This time we see her point of view where she is now dating someone and is struggling to connect with them.  I won't go into too much detail with this part of the story as it will contain spoilers from the first book.

A really great book 2 in this series.  I am sensing a theme here where we stay in Ransom Canyon but follow a few specific characters but also have a lot of background characters who tend to pop up in most of the books.  That gives the stories a lot more depth and just makes me enjoy them so much more.

Now, onto book 3.......

Book Review / Winter's Camp by Jodi Thomas

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas has captivated readers around the world with her sweeping, heartfelt family sagas. To introduce her brand-new series, Jodi tells the story behind the unforgiving Texas landscape and how one man claims Ransom Canyon—and a timid beauty—for his legacy…

A wanderer’s life was all James Randall Kirkland had known since he was an orphaned boy in San Antonio. And while years of adventure had satisfied his younger self, now he’s longing to put down roots of his own and is prepared to go it alone. But when he sees the Apache slave woman with the startling blue eyes, the course of his journey is changed forever.

Ever since the Comanche raided her village and took her for their own, Millie hasn’t known any kind of freedom. After years of being outcast, beaten and traded from tribe to tribe, she’s unprepared for James’s patient tone and gentle ways. Still, as her handsome savior slowly earns her trust, Millie struggles between desire and fear, sure it’s just a matter of time before James tires of her and her burgeoning feelings are nothing but another wasted memory.

Published:     1st August 2015
Publisher:  HQN Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 0.5, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

I am so glad that I decided to read this book just after reading book 1 in this series, Ransom Canyon.  This book takes place in the past, well before Staten, Quinn and all the others in Ransom Canyon existed.  We follow James Kirkland who is travelling the land when he comes across a woman tied up and being beaten by tribes women.  For the price of a broken watch, he 'buys' the woman and decides to help her.    This story follows their story as they travel to a new village with James' vision of opening up a ranch.  

With quite a few twists and turns in this story, I jsut could not put it down.  It put a lot more perspective on book 1 in this series as this story is more of a 'this is where the story really begins'.  I found that reading this book straight after reading Ransom Canyon was definately the better way of reading it.  

Intrigued to find out what the story is going to be in book 2...

Book Review / Ransom Canyon by Jodi Thomas

From New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas comes the first book in a compelling, emotionally resonant series set in a remote west Texas town—where family can be made by blood or by choice…

Rancher Staten Kirkland, the last descendent of Ransom Canyon's founding father, is rugged and practical to the last. No one knows that when his troubling memories threaten to overwhelm him, he runs to lovely, reclusive Quinn O'Grady… or that she has her own secret that no one living knows.

Young Lucas Reyes has his eye on the prize—college, and the chance to become something more than a ranch hand's son. But one night, one wrong decision, will set his life on a course even he hadn't imagined.

Yancy Grey is running hard from his troubled past. He doesn't plan to stick around Ransom Canyon, just long enough to learn the town's weaknesses and how to use them for personal gain. Only Yancy, a common criminal since he was old enough to reach a car's pedals, isn't prepared for what he encounters.

In this dramatic new series, the lives, loves and ambitions of four families will converge, set against a landscape that can be as unforgiving as it is beautiful, where passion, property and pride are worth fighting—and even dying—for.

Published:     25th August 2015
Publisher:  HQN Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Owned
 

 MY REVIEW

This book just gets better and better the more I read it.  As I had bought the rest of the series so far and had the final book on my review pile I decided to start right from the beginning and read this one again.  I read this in September last year and loved it then.  

Just to be reunited with Staten and Quinn and watching them reconnect was my favourite part in this whole book.  You have Staten who has his own scars with both his wife and son dead and you have Quinn who is a recluse for some reason that she does not reveal until nearer the end of the book.

You then have Lucas and a bunch of friends, including Lauren the sheriff's daughter, who decide to investigate an old gypsy house but unfortunately there is an accident.  This part of the story was more of a will they won't they type of situation.  Definitely kept me at the edge of my seat.

Lastly, you have Yancey Grey who is definitely an interesting character to say the least.  With secrets from his past he arrives in Ransom Canyon and decides to set up camp there as a handyman to the retirement community.  He obviously has secrets he wants to keep quiet but that may not be possible in such a small town.  
  
Such a great start to what I hope will be a firm favourite series in my collection...  Can't wait to start the next book!!!

Book Review / Ransom Canyon by Jodi Thomas

From New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas comes the first book in a compelling, emotionally resonant series set in a remote west Texas town—where family can be made by blood or by choice…

Rancher Staten Kirkland, the last descendent of Ransom Canyon's founding father, is rugged and practical to the last. No one knows that when his troubling memories threaten to overwhelm him, he runs to lovely, reclusive Quinn O'Grady… or that she has her own secret that no one living knows.

Young Lucas Reyes has his eye on the prize—college, and the chance to become something more than a ranch hand's son. But one night, one wrong decision, will set his life on a course even he hadn't imagined.

Yancy Grey is running hard from his troubled past. He doesn't plan to stick around Ransom Canyon, just long enough to learn the town's weaknesses and how to use them for personal gain. Only Yancy, a common criminal since he was old enough to reach a car's pedals, isn't prepared for what he encounters.

In this dramatic new series, the lives, loves and ambitions of four families will converge, set against a landscape that can be as unforgiving as it is beautiful, where passion, property and pride are worth fighting—and even dying—for.

Published:     25th August 2015
Publisher:  HWN Books
Author Website:  Click here
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, Ransom Canyon
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

PLOT/STORYLINE:  Oh I love a good romance and this one definitely ticked all the boxes for me.  This is one of those stories that doesn't necessarily concentrate on a single storyline but has a few at the same time.  The great thing about this book was that it wasn't difficult to keep on top of who is who and what is happening with what character (I have had a lot of trouble with that in the past with other books).  You have the story of Staten Kirkland who is a rancher, has had a very difficult and painful past but things may be looking up with Quinn O'Grady who he has known for a very long time.  You then have Lucas Reyes who is down on his luck and has to work hard to prove himself.  You then have Yancy who arrives in town having left a troubled past and settles in Ransom Canyon and makes friends there.  He has to make some very difficult decisions throughout the story.  Even though these may seem like very separate stories based in one place, Ransom Canyon, They are weaved together in certain places as well, but not in a confusing way. 

CHARACTER(S):  The best part of the story were the characters Staten Kirkland and Quinn O'Grady.  I did find myself in this story reading other parts (such as following Yancy and his story but wanting to get back to Staten and Quinn.  Staten is such a broken man who seeks comfort in his friend of many years and the prospect of romance was something I was hoping for.  I have to admit that out of the two characters my favourite was Quinn.  At the beginning of the story we don't know that much about her and as the story goes on we find out more and more, especially a shocking secret that I was not expecting...

SUMMARY:  What a great dramatic romance.  If you like reading realistic romance style books this is definitely one to check out. Imagine my surprise when I discovered when writing this review that this was book 1 in a series!  I cannot wait to pick up the next one and see what happens next!  I love it when that happens...