Book Review: Redemption Road

Last year I was introduced to Amanda McKinney when I was sent her novel, Rattlesnake Road to review. I loved the book and Amanda and I began following each other on social media. I’d been wanting to read some more of her books after loving Rattlesnake Road. I finally did with the second book in her Road series, Redemption Road.

Redemption Road follows Rory Flanagan, an antique shop owner and painter. After suffering tragedy with the death of both of her parents in the span of a few months, Rory is barely surviving. Her struggles dealing with her traumatic events are only exacerbated when she stumbles across the body of a teenage girl, badly assaulted and mutilated. Who in her small town could do such a thing?

Returning home after finding the body, she is again startled when she finds a stranger sleeping on her couch. Christian Locke, is a ruggedly handsome man who is an outsider of sorts in Berry Springs. An orphan who was adopted by a wealthy family and became estranged to them, he is somewhat of a mystery. Something about him draws Rory to him and something about the pendant she wears around her neck – a gift from her mother on the day she died – draws Christian to her.

I really liked this book. I loved the characters and their evolution. Amanda did another fantastic job of making very realistic and flawed characters so relatable.

The murder mystery was part of the novel as whole, but was sort of just in the background and Rory’s growth and healing as well as her relationship with Christian is what is front and center. I didn’t mind this, but just something to keep in mind if you’re reading this book more for the mystery than for the romance.

I recommend this book if you are interested in small town mystery romances. I can’t wait to read another one of Amanda’s books!