Book Review: River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz

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River Road

by Jayne Ann Krentz

Romantic Suspense

Jayne Ann Krentz is one of my favorite authors, bar none. I have been reading her books since she wrote serial romances back in the 80's, but loved her writing even more when she made the jump to romantic suspense and the broader market. She never disappoints, ever.

River Road is a departure from her paranormal series that she has focused on for the past few years. A teenager, a hyper responsible young adult, and a serial rapist/killer create the nucleus of this story. The backliner of River Road reads like this:

It’s been thirteen years since Lucy Sheridan was in Summer River. The last time she visited her aunt Sara there, as a teenager, she’d been sent home suddenly after being dragged out of a wild party—by the guy she had a crush on, just to make it more embarrassing. Obviously Mason Fletcher—only a few years older but somehow a lot more of a grown-up—was the overprotective type who thought he had to come to her rescue. 

Now, returning after her aunt’s fatal car accident, Lucy is learning there was more to the story than she realized at the time. Mason had saved her from a very nasty crime that night—and soon afterward, Tristan, the cold-blooded rich kid who’d targeted her, disappeared mysteriously, his body never found.

A lot has changed in thirteen years. Lucy now works for a private investigation firm as a forensic genealogist, while Mason has quit the police force to run a successful security firm with his brother—though he still knows his way around a wrench when he fills in at his uncle’s local hardware store. Even Summer River has changed, from a sleepy farm town into a trendy upscale spot in California’s wine country. But Mason is still a protector at heart, a serious (and seriously attractive) man. And when he and Lucy make a shocking discovery inside Sara’s house, and some of Tristan’s old friends start acting suspicious, Mason’s quietly fierce instincts kick into gear. He saved Lucy once, and he’ll save her again. But this time, she insists on playing a role in her own rescue.

As always, Krentz's writing is crisp and the twists and turns in her stories keeps the pages turning. we have her standard alpha male, which I always admire, and the plucky heroine who is convinced she can take care of herself. Sometimes I think that type of character needs her head examined because she rarely wants to accept help, even when she needs it. Nonetheless, Jayne has delivered characters I invested in and a story that kept me up until 2:00 a.m. until I turned the last page.

Set in California's wine country, we have a glimpse into winemaking, running a hardware store, and forensic genealogy. Fun little asides are Jayne's trademark.

I loved River Road, and will continue to buy Jayne's books for both my bookshelf and my Kindle. I absolutely love having the same books on my Kindle, travel is so much easier now!

River Road Hardcover
River Road Kindle

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition first Printing edition (January 7, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399165126
• ISBN-13: 978-0399165122
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (210 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Copyright 2014. All rights reserved by Candace E. Salima.