Rach's Reading Club

BOOK 2

Ransom Canyon 4/30/2025 Jodi Thomas

Above is from my spreadsheet. I had to make sure I read it this year and not last year

This was originally the first in a series by Jodi Thomas, one of my favorite writers for heartwarming, emotional stories. It's been a while. What I remember is that I felt all the feelings throughout, and was glad I read it, even if my own personality was very different from the main characters' I was especially happy for all the happy endings at the end. I really ought to do reviews a lot closer to when I read them, but I will write some more about this one as I review the next.




BOOK 3
I read this one this month. "Silverleaf Rapids" by Jody Thomas.

So now this is book one/ the prequel novel. It took some getting used to, because Stanton and Quinn were the main couple in Ransom Canyon, and his first wife had died already and was billed as the love of his life and it took a lot of emotional work for him to have a relationship with Quinn in the first place... and now in this book, earlier in time, at least for the first 50%+, he and his first wife (they aren't married at this point - he's only 19 and they were both at college and he got called back to run the ranch and had to drop out) are having really strained relationship issues. It doesn't seem like the all fired great love described in book one. I guess she's trying to highlight the foundational friendship for him and Quinn, but anyway, that part doesn't work great for me, but I am still enjoying the book. There are two other couples who are quirky and interesting and I really like Peggy and Duke's romance.

I picked this book especially because I knew the first had been turned into a Netflix movie and thought this one might too, so it could satisfy my 3rd June book requirement here. Sure enough, this one was picked up for filming too.

I was surprised that this was the category that took me the longest to complete this year.

I did enjoy both books and plan to read the whole series.

They're both set in the west and have ranching elements, especially for Stanton's story. I think Ransom Canyon is the better book of the two, It had more action and adventure and laughs and tears, but this one was good too, in a quieter way.