" For two rival families, the only thing that matters more than land…is love.

There’s a lifetime of tension between the McKenna and Stafford ranching families, and Oakley Stafford has the bullet scar to prove it. Defying the bitter rivalry between their families, Oakley grew up thick as thieves with Duffy McKenna. But now the Staffords and the McKennas are competing to buy a neighboring property. Both need that land desperately—and the reasons are more dangerous than Oakley knows.

But there’s another unspoken rivalry, too, between Duffy and Pickett Hanson, the McKenna family’s ranch hand. Once upon a time, Oakley ignored the way the two handsome cowboys playfully flirted with her, but now she’s untangling complicated feelings that could upend years of friendship. And when a body is found on the contested ranch, their secrets will be forced into the open at last…

A Powder River Novel

Book 1: Dark Side of the River
Book 2: River Strong
Book 3: River Justice"

Quoted parts above are from the book's Amazon page. My main review is in "further comments."

People who like western contemporary romantic suspense stories, family drama, and / or Montana stories.

The ending was happy. Some of the characters were great. And she does make me wonder what is in store for the unmarried brothers on both of the main ranches in the novel.

Some things were just kind of ridiculous. Pickett's reason for leaving his family, The Sheriff continuing to put himself in danger from the woman who'd drugged him, stole his keys and snooped in his home and office (and not doing anything about it either). Things like that.

Read something different.

Definitely the suspense was there.

"
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author B.J. Daniels lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, and two springer spaniels. When not writing, she quilts, boats and always has a book or two to read. Contact her at www.bjdaniels.com, on Facebook at B.J. Daniels or through her reader group the B.J. Daniels' Big Sky Darlings, and on twitter at bjdanielsauthor." from the book's Amazon page.

Well, if you're reading the series, it is the next one and they do build on each other.

See above.

I thought the first two books in this series were much better than this one. Though maybe it's just been so long that I forgot? Not sure. But I know I was eager to read this one and my library finally had it so I put myself on the wait list. When I got my turn, I started to read it but it wasn't holding my attention. Because I was apparently last on the wait list, no one was after me, and I renewed it a couple times, figuring I'd be in the mood for it one of these days.

After weeks of reading a few pages here and there, yesterday I finally got into the story and then today I finished it. There was a lot of just ridiculously unbelievable stuff (like I mentioned in the what I didn't like section, above).

SPOILER ALERT -

Oakley's mom's turnaround was a bright spot in the book, but her totally deluded justifications of CJ's criminal behavior and blaming of Oakley for it didn't make her very likeable so that redemption wasn't as great as it could have been... there needed to be more than her just showing up at the wedding and the other things... I guess it felt incomplete but there are surely going to be more books in the series so I guess that's a growth arc that will continue.

Holden's nice guy ness usually works (Tilly & Duffy & other character's dad) but his giving Tilly and Oakley's mom everything she wanted when she was being such a mean, ugly person to him really went past nice into weakness. Though I guess if he really still loved her (after two other wives???) he would have weakness for her.

Oakley's penchant for pushing her brother, who she already knew tried to kill her, seemed reckless. It made it hard to relate to her. Still, I was happy she survived and found true love in the end.

And I felt really bad for Duffy so I imagine his will be the next book's featured romance.

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Created Mar 13, 2024 at 6:58pm • Submit your own review...