In "Rattlesnake Road," Grey's life descends into chaos, marked by a miscarriage, a job loss due to a drunken incident, and a cheating husband. Taking charge of her destiny, Grey leaves her luxurious life, purchasing a dilapidated log cabin in Berry Springs. Amanda McKinney, a new author for me, impresses with her sharp prose, particularly in portraying Grey Dalton's sarcastic and humorous character. The narrative introduces two love interests, one offering familiarity and attraction to her past life and the other providing a chance for a new beginning amid inner turmoil. McKinney skillfully weaves an angsty romance, delving into poignant topics like domestic abuse, self-harm, alcoholism, and mental illness. The story takes a dark and disturbing turn at times, involving Grey in a 30-year-old murder mystery through a ghost with unfinished business. "Rattlesnake Road" kept me engaged with its entertaining banter, humorous snark, a thrilling twist, and a swoon-worthy male character. For readers who appreciate tales of new beginnings, this novel by McKinney is worth exploring.

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


- so many triggers in this book . So be aware .
Anyway the writing style was far from inferential . Romance is definitely there but lacking abit of mystery as it’s stated .
The characters in this is raw and you can feel the intensity.



❤️shaye.reads

After seeing all of the positive reviews, I really had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it was a let-down for me. I thought the plot itself was interesting and I love a good murder mystery and romantic suspense. But I just didn't like the writing with this one... First, the constant name-dropping of high-end products felt tedious and got in the way of the story. Yes, we get it -- Grey married into money and was used to having the best of everything. But author Amanda McKinney emphasizes it so much that it got annoying at times, especially early on in the book. We're also given a lot of character description for some people, but then others are introduced so abruptly that I thought I missed a chapter or two. I liked the chemistry between the characters, both platonic and romantic, but the writing was just confusing to me and felt like it jumped around. I struggled to understand the timeline, and the description of the book doesn't mention the other FMC whose POV we're given early on, so I was really confused. I'm sorry, I know this got a lot of positive reviews, but this one just wasn't for me.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Rattlesnake Road, the first novel in the Small-Town Mystery Romance series by Amanda McKinney, is a protracted, thrilling journey from beginning to end. The voyage of discovery and to a HEA that Grey and Declan take is entwined with the darkness and despair of a mystery and Grey's stumbles of shedding of her old life and embracing a new one. This tale leaves an impression and a desire for more from the series thanks to its classic quirky small town characters and charm.

Oh how I lament the fact I've allowed Rattlesnake Road to languish on my virtual shelf for so long. :( I was hooked from the first page and struggled to put it down to focus on anything else. And when I finished, I quickly went to check out AMcKinney's backlist. Yep. I was that impressed. Rattlesnake Road was emotional, riveting, and, at times, creepy. It all combined for excellent reading.

Grey Dalton thought she'd lost everything. And then she hit rock bottom and really lost it all. Of course, change was inevitable but not necessarily bad. That change included a move to Berry Springs, where she not only uncovers a mystery hidden in her newly purchased cabin, but also meets two men. These men both interest her for different reasons but only one can help her change her life in the ways Grey needs.

Declan Montgomery is Berry Springs' resident bad boy. He may have earned that reputation when he was younger but he's since proven his loyalty to at least some of the town locals. He should have known when the woman driving a smoking BMW into his garage, immediately serving up some serious attitude, was trouble with a capital T. Unfortunately, she was also temptation with that same capital letter and he couldn't resist the tug.

Lucas Covington is a man considered persona non grata in Berry Springs. He's determined to buy up land for a swanky resort that no one in town is keen on. When he knocks on Grey's front door, he see a challenge. One he's certain he can win. But while Grey finds him comfortable, Lucas can't see down to her soul the way a certain someone else can.

Rattlesnake Road isn't all about Grey finding her way up from rock bottom nor possibly finding her soulmate. It's also about solving a decades-long mystery that brings with it a little touch of paranormal. All these elements together created an engaging and thrilling, nearly impossible to put down, read. It had all the components I adore in women's fiction/romance/light suspense: characters I want to befriend, especially after their growth arc, friendships, family dynamics, and not a little dose of the healing power of nature and love.

Rattlesnake Road was my introduction to AMcKinney and it will NOT be the last. I'm already trying to fit in more from her into my reading schedule.

TW: animal abuse / abortion / violence

Look i don’t know what i just read. this is the first time a book leaves me wanting to pull my hair and wish i didn’t read it. And i realized that animal abuse is my limit.
I can’t say it’s a bad book, but nothing was handled in the right way in my opinion. I was also expecting an open door romance but they only kiss in the 90% mark and nothing else.
Not for me.

I finished it, but I didn't like it. This was dark and twisty, but not in my preferred way. Grey has a lot of issues and they made the book drag.

Was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this one. Certain parts had me crying and others had me tapping on my iPad trying to read it as fast as I could. Love a small town setting, enjoyed the mystery dynamic and the plot in general with that. It made the book truly stand out to me. Even the characters and romance were great the angst was there and overall I really would recommend this

Who buys a haunted house online without seeing it? Well Grey does. How disappointing it is far from what the pictures showed. She is running away from her life in the big city. She is drinking too much and drooling over 2 very different men. One wants to buy her property and the other finds her interesting. I cringe when she makes stupid choices. But we all make bad choices at times. I like the characters. The haunting is fun plus to the story. I liked the book.

Could not connect with the characters, it took too long in the beginning to catch my hold. The characters felt flat. Did not finish.

With it being a holiday weekend it's a great time for a fun book!! # Rattlesnake Road is just like it's cover..... Wonderful 💋. Named one of POPSUGARS's 12 Best Romance Books to have a spring fling with❣️From bestselling author # Amanda McKinney.
Welcome to 1314 Rattlesnake Road-the perfect hideaway to escape your past.....
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, #Amanda McKinney, and # H. H. Tisevich

I haven’t read the author’s books before so I went in blind with this book. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I enjoyed it more than I expected and the characters and romance side made it an interesting read.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

I received an e-copy of this story for my honest review.
This book was a good read, and informative for some people. It shows some of the problems that different kinds of mental, and emotional, abuse can cause for a person. It shows how a hurtful past can mess with a person’s mind. It shows how there is a lot of work needed to get through, and overcome, that past. And, how strong someone has to be, mentally and emotionally, to make their life become better.

DNF @ 14%

I’ve heard so many things about this book and was definitely excited to get into it but unfortunately, I had hard times getting into this book.

The writing wasn’t definitely for me and couldn’t really get the appeal on it.

I honestly wanted to finish the book but I just couldn’t get passed on 14%.


Anyway, thank you NetGalley for the review copy.

Unfortunately this one was a DNF for me. I just couldn’t force myself to read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eGalley. All opinions are my own.

Rattlesnake Road is my first read by this author and I'll definitely be looking to read more by her. This wasn't necessarily an easy read. Many of the topics it touches on are dark, rough, gritty and possibly triggering for some readers. The storyline basically follows the main character, Grey as she starts over. She literally hits rock bottom and finds the strength, support and caring needed to fight her way back.

In the early chapters, my heart breaks for Grey. She's had so many things going against her. It seems that she can't catch a break. As the story goes along, you see that some things "happened to her" while some negative things she helped along with her own behavior. Regardless, she is battling through some tough issues and trying to find her footing and a plan for the future.

Along with Grey's story of redemption, there is also a mystery that needs to be solved. It keeps Grey intrigued as she continues to find different "clues" around her new home. It also seems to reach into her and stir up her own demons.

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Grey is attempting to climb her way out of rock bottom after some devastating events in her life. The novel dealt with realistic issues and the author knows how to turn that into a story. I will definitely be seeking more of her work.
Many thanks to HH Tisevich and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

DNF at 33%. I got tired of forcing myself to read this book. Didn’t love the characters, the writing or the plot.

Before you read this please check trigger warnings1 they include substance abuse, miscarriage and mental illness to name a few.
As someone who is rarely triggered by books, I actually appreciated the inclusion of these topics as I felt it gave depth to the story.

I did enjoy it but the pacing felt off for me, with the first half dragging quite a bit. I would definitely give the author another shot so I think that is a great complement, It is not the most beautifully written, well laid out book, but it is enjoyable and that is what truly matters!

An "evocative and twisted small-town Mystery Romance..." That's what the blurb promises, and maybe it's just me, but I didn't find that in this book. Parts of the story do get graphic, and while it's jarring, that had nothing to do with my feelings about the book. There is also some witty dialogue, and the letters and a couple of elements were creepy, but it wasn't enough to hold me. The pace is very slow, and I didn't like the characters. None of them. Grey has her share of issues and some things are understandable. I can certainly sympathize with her, but she makes some terrible decisions. I feel like this story had so much potential to be a gritty romantic suspense. It just didn't get there. I realize I'm in the minority about this one, but for me, the blurb was much more intriguing than anything I found in the book.