Book Review: The Wrong Cowboy by Megan Ryder

 

The Wrong Cowboy is Megan Ryder’s first story in her new Granite Junction series.  She effectively pulls readers into the back stories and ordeals of the aspiring brides and grooms residing in fictitious Granite Junction based in the hills of Montana.  Her hero and heroine in this installment are Emma Holt, a school councilor during the school year and a waitress through the summer, and Gabe Buchanan, a successful mystery writer.  The two meet through their mutual connection, Cam Miller.  He is a prosperous rancher in Granite Junction.  Fortuitously, he is Buchanan's cousin and a good friend to Holt.  

While alluding to a love triangle, Ryder touches on such tropes as finding love after one's compass has gone awry, a string of one night stands with the friend of a childhood crush turns into happily ever after, and a small town romance turns into a life plan.  The characters relate to the reader on a personal level, dealing with struggles that many identify with and have experienced.  Such as, Holt creates a fantasy around her childhood crush Miller though Miller shows no romantic leanings for her.  Buchanan feels like an unwanted fruit cake at his family's gatherings, as his family treats him like a little boy indulging in a hobby or favorite pastime when it comes to his novels.  Miller is saddled with a ranch he inherited but being a rancher is not his forte or his desire.  He is struggling with failing his family while withdrawing from townsfolk that have ostracized him for his father's drunk driving accident.  The 3 main characters are a big ball of emotional turmoil and conflicting thoughts.

The witty conversations, colloquial anecdotes, and pearls of wisdom all enable the story to flow easily for the reader and offer precious insight into human nature.  Bouts of tension and drama are sprinkled with humor and charm.  A few moments in the tale are sluggish and could be focused more thoroughly but the multiple points of view between the 3 characters in the triangle give readers awareness of who the characters are.  This technique keeps readers involved in the characters plight and outcome. Discovering their outcomes is what, inevitably keeps the reader stringing along and engaged in the tale.

Visit:  https://www.meganryder.com

Book Review: Trouble Me by Eliza Peake

Trouble Me by Eliza Peake is a story that the reader needs to give it some time before gleaning enlightenment, clarity and satisfaction from the narration.  The final five chapters move quickly and really dig deep emotionally into the two protagonists, Emmaline Reynolds and Shane Kavanagh.  Before arriving at that destination of happily ever after, Peake slowly leads the reader through the development of Reynolds and Kavanagh's relationship, leaving the reader with questions about what binds the two together other than a steamy attraction.  All is answered by the ending.

At the heart of the story is the hardship and struggles that arise from dealing with an addiction and a partner who succumbs to addiction.  Reynolds is on the journey to overcoming an alcohol addiction, and Kavanagh is on the journey to self-realization that it was not within his power to stop his deceased wife's drug addiction.  Peake's insight into the human condition is enlightening and leaves a lasting impression on the reader

The story is well written with intense characters evolving through a slow plot progression that winds up the loose pieces together by the close of the read.  The secondary characters are also interesting and add dimension to the tale, especially Kavanagh's dying father whose words of wisdom resonate loudly in the reader's ears and Kavanagh's younger brother whom he misreads as his nemesis.

The struggles and conflicts that Reynolds and Kavanagh face are relatable to the reader.  The story intertwines four tropes, first, being a modern day small town romance, second, honing an office romance, third, having characters who seek redemption, and fourth, describing the tingles of love at first sight.  These are common tropes that Peake refreshes to make for a satisfying read.

Artist Site:  https://elizapeake.com/