Series:
Powder River (Book 2)
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…
Terrific second installment in the Powder River series.
It can be read as a standalone, but you'll get more nuances if you first read
Dark Side of the River. That book ended with a cliffhanger, and this one picks
up where it left off.
Oakley Stafford has been friends with Duffy McKenna and
Pickett Hanson since they were teenagers, despite the feud between Holden McKenna
and Charlotte Stafford. The three friends have been secretly working together
to stop a gas company from drilling for methane gas in the Powder River Basin. Oakley's
vocal opposition to the drilling puts her at odds with her mother and her
oldest brother, CJ. Oakley is still trying to regain her memory from when CJ
"accidentally" shot her in the previous book.
There is a great deal happening in this book. Oakley and
the rest of the anti-drilling group are fighting hard against the drilling
company, which isn't going down without a fight. Oakley is convinced that there
was more to her shooting if she can only remember. CJ is up to his neck in
dirty dealings and secrets and will do anything to get his way. A private
investigator is nosing around about Charlotte's second husband, who disappeared
years ago. The sheriff is involved with a woman who isn't what she seems.
Pickett has been keeping a big secret that's about to come out, and he and
Duffy are looking at Oakley in a new way.
The twists and turns of this book kept me glued to the
pages from start to finish. I worried about Oakley's safety as her memories
began to return. I wondered what kind of havoc CJ was planning and discovered
that he was worse than I suspected. The tension around the drilling continued
until an intense final confrontation. A
questionable suicide from the first book gets stirred up again when new information
comes out.
There is some romance here, also. Oakley suddenly finds
herself looking at Pickett and Duffy differently, just as they are looking at
her. Oakley is confused at first because she isn't sure what she feels for each
of them. I liked the realism of her struggle because it was clear she cared for
both. I was rooting for Pickett because he understood her. There were some
sweet scenes between them as they explored those feelings. I like Duffy, but he
still has some growing up to do.
I liked catching up with Cooper and Tilly as they prepared
for their wedding. The Romeo and Juliet vibe is strong because of Charlotte's
fury at their relationship. I ached for Tilly because of Charlotte's cruelty. I
like the support that Tilly and Oakley give each other.
There are still some loose threads hanging. Treyton
McKenna is up to something. There are still questions about Charlotte's second
husband. A missing person/body is still missing. I also still wonder what the
story is about the teenager, Holly Jo, who Holden became the guardian of after
her mother's death. I can't wait for the next book to come out.
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