By Jodi Thomas
Berkley, 2014
English, 304 pgs
Amazon Product Description:
Sisters Abby and Dusti Delaney have spent their entire lives on Rainbow Lane, but they dream of something bigger. So when a poker tournament comes to town, Dusti is determined to win enough money to leave. Enlisting expert Kieran O’Toole to teach her the game, sparks begin to fly as they play their hands. But Kieran refuses to stand in the way of her dream, even if it means losing her forever...
After a year of traveling, Ronny Logan is settling into a home on Rainbow Lane, but that’s all the settling she’ll be doing. Ronny refuses to fall for anyone, regardless of the chemistry she has with her neighbor Austin Hawk. Yet something undeniable begins to grow between the two loners—if only they can let their barriers fall and open their hearts...
Author Biography:
New York Times and USA Today's bestselling author Jodi Thomas has published over 30 books in both the historical romance and contemporary genres, the majority of which are set in her home state of Texas. Publishers Weekly calls her novels "Distinctive...Memorable," and that in her stories "[tension] rides high, mixed with humor and kisses more passionate than most full-on love scenes." In 2006, Romance Writers of America (RITA) inducted Thomas into the RWA Hall of Fame for winning her third RITA for THE TEXAN'S REWARD. She also received the National Readers' Choice Award in 2009 for TWISTED CREEK (2008) and TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN (2008). While continuing to work as a novelist, Thomas also functions as Writer in Residence at the West Texas A&M University campus, where she inspires students and alumni in their own writing pursuits.
Publishers Weekly Review of Betting the Rainbow
Jodi Thomas. Berkley, $7.99 mass market (304p) ISBN 978-0-425-26840-7
Thomas knocks it out of the park again with her seventh contemporary set in Harmony, Tex. (after Can’t Stop Believing). Ronny Logan and Austin Hawk are looking for peace out by Rainbow Lane. They both have reasons to crave solitude—he’s recovering from injury, she from grief and a year’s travel—so they’re surprised to enjoy each others company. Ronny also becomes friends with neighbors Dusti and Abby Delaney, sisters who are counting on a poker tournament to make their dreams come true. As Dusti gets poker lessons from flirtatious Kieran O’Toole, tournament organizer Reagan Truman waits for rodeo rider Noah McAllen, her longtime love interest, to “grow up and man up.” Thomas is a master at creating damaged yet appealing characters, and their expressions of love—as siblings, as friends, as partners—are intense and beautiful. Their paths to happiness are interwoven in an intricate tapestry with the tournament as backdrop, combining in an epic tale of the kind of love that lasts forever. (Apr.)
Betting the Rainbow (Harmony) by Jodi
Thomas
Review by Vickie Denney at Reader To Reader
Review by Vickie Denney at Reader To Reader
Ronny Logan has returned to Harmony after traveling the world for
a year. This was one of the things that her late friend, Marty Winslow, wanted
her to do with some of the money he bequeathed her. Ronny will always love
Marty, but must start a new life; however, she doesn’t know what to do since
she has enough money to last her for forever. Marty’s butler and friend, Mr.
Carleon, has stayed in Harmony to help Ronny with any and every thing. While
she was away, he leased a cottage for her on Rainbow Lane and it sits on a
small lake. There are only three houses in that area. Across the lake the
Delaney sisters, Abby and Dusti, have a small farm and raise chickens. Hawk
House is on Ronny’s side of the lake and currently is housing Austin Hawk.
Abby had to quit nursing school with only a year to go due to finances after parent’s illnesses. Dusti has entered a local fund raising poker game that sends the winner to Las Vegas to play for a million dollar jack pot. Dusti asks Kiernan O’Toole to teach her the finer points of the game. She hopes to win locally and then win enough in Los Vegas to send Abby back to school. Kiernan will help her but warns her he is also a competitor and he will be hard to beat. The Irishman has loved Dusti forever, it seems, and she is totally unaware…but not for long.
Austin Hawk is also back in Harmony rehabbing from burns and injuries suffered during a fire. He just wants to be left alone, but Fate has other plans for him. The first night that Austin and Ronny meet had this reviewer hee-hawing. A connection is made between these two lost, wounded, and very sad souls, which evolves into a magnificent relationship.
Reagan Truman gives Noah McAllen an ultimatum – her or the rodeo. Noah can’t always run from his responsibilities.
Betting The Rainbow visits so many of the core characters and updates their status. Jodi Thomas has truly outdone herself with this fine, fine story. I know, personally, each and every character in Harmony, Texas and hope to meet many more. They are wonderful, kind, generous, real people with real problems. Be warned that having a box of tissues close by will come in handy. Beautiful stories like Betting The Rainbow don’t come around too often, and reading this tale is like finding a pot of gold.
Abby had to quit nursing school with only a year to go due to finances after parent’s illnesses. Dusti has entered a local fund raising poker game that sends the winner to Las Vegas to play for a million dollar jack pot. Dusti asks Kiernan O’Toole to teach her the finer points of the game. She hopes to win locally and then win enough in Los Vegas to send Abby back to school. Kiernan will help her but warns her he is also a competitor and he will be hard to beat. The Irishman has loved Dusti forever, it seems, and she is totally unaware…but not for long.
Austin Hawk is also back in Harmony rehabbing from burns and injuries suffered during a fire. He just wants to be left alone, but Fate has other plans for him. The first night that Austin and Ronny meet had this reviewer hee-hawing. A connection is made between these two lost, wounded, and very sad souls, which evolves into a magnificent relationship.
Reagan Truman gives Noah McAllen an ultimatum – her or the rodeo. Noah can’t always run from his responsibilities.
Betting The Rainbow visits so many of the core characters and updates their status. Jodi Thomas has truly outdone herself with this fine, fine story. I know, personally, each and every character in Harmony, Texas and hope to meet many more. They are wonderful, kind, generous, real people with real problems. Be warned that having a box of tissues close by will come in handy. Beautiful stories like Betting The Rainbow don’t come around too often, and reading this tale is like finding a pot of gold.
My Review:
This is far and away my favorite Harmony book. I love the stories in it and I am always happy to return to Harmony. Ronny has been a favorite character for several books now so I was really happy to see her get a story line in this one as well. A lot of our favorites are back: Martha Q, Reagan and Noah and of course the Biggs brothers. I feel like this one wraps a lot of loose threads from the former books.
The story is centered around two couples, Ronny and Austin and Dusti and Kieran. It takes place outside of the town, so we don't see a lot of the regulars and the usual places (the diner, the funeral home, etc). However, throughout the story, we get to see short snippets of the couples we've visited before.
There is a lot of teasing about the romances and it's really fun to watch Ronny develop as a character. The couples are electric together and totally dysfunctional at the same time! I ran a wide range of emotions as I read it. (And I read it in 3 evenings, did NOT want to put it down!)
There is a preview of the next Harmony book in the back, but it takes place in the past so I'm wondering (and guessing and hoping...) if we're going to go back and see how Harmony came to be in the first place.
I received a copy of the book from the author for the purpose of my review. No additional compensation has been received and I was not required to write a positive review. Many thanks to Ms. Thomas for continuing to include me on her blog tours.
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