Wow! I haven't read the first book in this series but I will definitely be reading it now! The characters were fantastic and the story line was unique! Joy is a strong, independent single mother who paints and tutors. Bo is an ex con who helps inmates adjust to life outside of prison. I liked how Joy and Bo took their relationship slow and genuinely took the time to get to know each other. The other characters were great and they each had interesting stories going on with them. The suspense aspect took me by complete surprise! The ending was unexpected! A definite must read! ( )

This story has everything a reader who loves intrigue and a bit of romance look for. The characters jump off the pages with realism and I became so glued to the book I didn’t put it down until I finished it. Joy is a great character who has a big heart. She loves to help others who don’t know how to read. I love how the author highlights illiteracy and how many people deal with this daily. I am happy that we have volunteers like Joy who give their time to help others. She does have a group of people she teaches to read who she feels needs that extra touch to show that they are important.

Bo is by far my favorite character in this book. With his background I can see why he is a little uncomfortable putting himself out there. Something about Joy catches Bo’s attention while at a coffee shop. You can feel his shyness as he approaches Joy and I thought it was cute to see this big strong intimidating man feel so shy around Joy. The author gives us history on Bo’s past which helps readers see that people can change and be a better person.

The story is filled with emotions that are raw that shows how important it is to open up to someone when you are in trouble. When Joy finds herself being stalked she starts to become anxious and withdraws a little from Bo. With an ex-husband to deal with she is not sure she can share her feelings and let Bo in. Can she trust him?

The author is very good at unraveling a mystery with gripping suspense. I wasn’t sure who was behind it but I never suspected the person that was revealed. When Joy’s daughter realizes that her mom could be in trouble she turns to her Amish friend Finn. His calm spirit helps them decide to call Bo. With an action packed ending, readers won’t have a chance to rest as tragedy is very near. Get ready for an intense story that puts this author on the front burner for one of the best books for 2023.

I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion. ( )

This is book 2 in the Ross County series by Shelley Shepard Gray. Joy Shepard is the divorced mother of a 16 year old daughter (who loves dance) who meets Samuel “Bo” Beauman at a coffee shop. Bo is an ex-con who works with other ex-cons as they re-enter life after prison. They are two people you wouldn’t expect to meet and talk with each other. As nearly all the characters in Shelley Shepard Gray’s books, they are believable and work toward making a better life for themselves and those around them.
I liked learning more about the characters as the story progressed, the development of their relationship with each other, and the outside factors at play. Joy spends her time tutoring adults who want to learn to read and drawing / painting. Joy also has an ex--husband with whom she tries to have a cordial relationship. There is also a stalker in the mix. Bo tries to lead and encourage recent ex-cons as they find their way after prison (some are challenging in their actions) as well support Joy recognizing the newness of their relationship.
As in Shelly Shepard Gray’s other books, I really like the characters. The people are kind at heart and really try to do their best. Sometimes they make questionable decisions or don’t communicate all the information they could, but that adds to the story and development of the plot. In this book, the mystery/ suspense of a stalker adds to the storyline as the reader tries to discover who that person could be. There is also a budding friendship / romantic interest between Chloe (Joy’s 16 year old daughter) and Finn (a young Amish man who is considering leaving the Amish life). I also appreciated learning about adult illiteracy as Joy explains and tutors as part of the story.
I liked this book better than the first, Edgewater Road, in the Rumors in Ross County series. I found the characters to be more even tempered in their approach to life. I enjoyed the book because of the character development, relationship development between the characters, and the mystery / suspense of the stalker identification as well as the stalker’s actions. This book was hard to put down.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did, and that you read other Shelley Shepard Gray books; she is one of my very favorite authors.
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own. ( )

This book was so interesting! It mixed the Amish genre with a very contemporary theme. This is a continuation of the storyline of Lincoln's work of rehabilitating ex-cons to be able to handle life on the outside. It had romance, danger, mystery and suspense and wonderful characters that you can't help but love. I have to admit, I found myself wondering how I would react to find myself as the interest of a man who had been incarcerated. How would I deal with the trust issue, etc.! Joy is a very conscientious divorcee and a mother of a teenage whose life is full of events, dance lessons, and her work as a tutor for those who can't read. As these two meet their story begins.
Joy receives threatening texts and life becomes very insecure for her and her daughter and it appears there is someone with evil intentions. This book is very good and I really enjoyed it and didn't know who the culprit was until it was revealed. It was great! Definitely want more of this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own. ( )