BETTING THE RAINBOW – Jodi Thomas
Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-425-26840-7
April 2014
Fiction

Harmony, Texas – 2013

Ronny Logan is back in her hometown of Harmony after traveling all over the world to ease the pain of losing her first love. Her life up until the time she met Marty Winslow consisted of being brow beaten by her overbearing mother and hiding out in the mail room at the post office to avoid having to deal with people in general. Then Marty arrived in town after being paralyzed in an accident, angry at the world, until he met Ronny. She understood him, and he understood her. When he died, part of Ronny died with him. But Marty left her with enough money to do whatever she wants to do, and he also left his driver to her, and Mr. Carleon is as devoted to Ronny as he was to Marty. So when Ronny said she wants to be away from everyone, he finds her a small lakeside cottage where she can recover.

Austin Hawk has also returned to Harmony to the odd house his grandfather built on the lake off Rainbow Lane. A military man who survived a disastrous situation where many of his friends were lost, Austin wants to be alone to build back his strength as well as deal with the guilt he feels. He's none too pleased to have someone staying in Walden cabin just through the trees from his house. It's fine having the Delaney sisters across the lake, they mind their own business, but now he has to watch himself as he trains in the woods.

The Delaney girls, Dusti and Abby, run their family's small farm, barely making ends meet. Abby had to leave nursing school with one semester remaining when her mother died and her help was needed on the farm. Dusti's dream of becoming a photographer was put on hold when she had to sell all of her cameras to pay bills. They both still hope that they will have a good pecan crop one year that will allow Abby to finish school and Dusti to follow her dream.

Reagan Truman has turned her late uncle's apple orchard into a viable business. Even at the tender age of twenty-three, she is proving herself a good businesswoman. If only boyfriend Noah McAllen, a rodeo bull rider, would settle down and stop following the circuit. When she flies to Las Vegas to watch him ride, she can't find him afterwards, and returns to Harmony with a heavy heart. And then a stranger drives up to Reagan's house and gives her something belonging to Noah that will change everything.

BETTING THE RAINBOW is an emotional return to Harmony for readers of this wonderful series. As always, reacquainting with the citizens of this small Texas town is almost like going home. They all have their own unique quirks, and readers also get to meet a few new characters who only add to the down home goodness of Harmony.

Poignant at times, humorous, and romantic, BETTING THE RAINBOW is Harmony at its best.

Jani Brooks