I’ve read several books by this author in the cowboy genre and she’s becoming a go to for this type of story for me.
This is part two of a series and I do definitely recommend reading book one which I neglected to do and that did impact my thoughts and reading experience. Continue on for my full review.
River Strong by B.J. Daniels
Publisher: Canary Street Press; Original edition (December 26, 2023)
ISBN-13: 978-1335508140
OVERVIEW
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…
River Strong by B.J. Daniels Review
Normally I can fill in the blanks when I pick up a book that is within a series. This story is book number two and I do recommend you read book number one for the full experience.
The author did a pretty good job tying in everything, but there were parts that seemed very jumpy to me and that didn’t flow very well because I lacked knowledge from book number one.
The plot of the story was very unique and interesting. We have a trio of best friends with one developing romance. We have some bad guys that truly have some evil behind them. Plus, we also have some family integrations that really make you feel for the characters. Some of these people are wicked!
The story leans more into the suspense line along with the building romance. We get a little intrigue with our emotional tension. The heat level in this one is rather low and while I wouldn’t call it a clean romance, there’s only one interaction that adds a little bit of spice.
Overall, River Strong was engaging and a page turner. However, I really missed the deeper physical connection between the characters as I felt the story needed that to balance out the intrigue and the romance more.
Daniels is a strong cowboy romance author who is dedicated to telling stories with deep ties to the Western culture and hometown Americana life. She always delivers a refreshing, feel-good story with the great happily ever after we love.
3 STARS!
Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free ebook so she could evaluate and use it for this post. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.
Hi! I’m Chris! Just a Midlife Wife sharing about life’s journey; screaming and kicking through it while supposedly aging gracefully…
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