Grey Dalton is the very definition of a hot mess. In an effort to take control of her life she finds herself in a quant cabin, that needs a lot of TLC, in the middle of nowhere. A stark contrast to her jet setting New York City life, but maybe this is the change she needs. Constantly second guessing herself, trying to be better and failing she finds herself in the arms of two different men. At the same time she uncovers a mystery in the small town, the answers to which she already has but just didn't know it yet.
This book is More romance than mystery, which typically is not what I enjoy. However this story is so well written and the characters are vibrant and rich, I couldn't help but get sucked into this one. Right from the start, the story pulls you in, it addresses some hard hitting subjects that allow you to ride the rollercoaster of emotions with the main character. The romance is steamy, the descriptions of the beauty in the landscape are striking. This is a definite must read for anyone who loves romance novels!

This is a story about a woman hitting rock bottom and finding her way back to the top.

RATTLESNAKE ROAD is about the life of Grey spiraling out of control after a series of horrific events. Her husband cheating on her, suffering a miscarriage two months in to a pregnancy, and turning to alcohol to dull the pain. Deciding to reevaluate her life, Grey chooses to leave behind her husband and her life of luxury in New York city for the small town of Berry Springs and a rundown log cabin nestled deep in the woods.

This book is a hard emotional read that may not appeal to all readers. But if one is able to stick with the often times troubling and dark themes the reader will not be disappointed. Amanda McKinney writes flawed, sarcastic, fantastic characters that readers will be cheering on until the end.

This is a great story of second. chance, losses and addictions.. great characters dialogue a gripping and compelling read.

The book starts with Grey's life falling apart-her husband is cheating on her, she has turned to alcohol for solace and she has flushed her career down the drain. As a means of starting over, she moves to a small town and buys a house on Rattlesnake road. Sadly the house resembles nothing like the beautiful cottage online, it's in literal shambles and while fixing the house she comes across mysterious letters that leaves her shocked and these very letters may hold answers about the mysterious man who tugs at her heartstrings.

I must say that the author nailed the mystery aspect. It gave a very spooky vibe to the story and let me tell you this book is on the darker side and there are some pretty descriptive scenes that even I had to just close the book for a moment. So fair warning before going in.

I was really hooked to the story and the pacing was really good, I loved the side characters, the description of the town, it was very easy to visualise the setting of the book and I loved the vibe of this book. But midway the story kind of lost the momentum and again picked up kind of after the 80% mark.

Coming to the men in this book, I was intrigued as in where this book was headed. I do not want to spoil anything in this regard. The storyline was pretty romantic as well.

Just go in this one blind. The blurb is pretty vague and I'm trying to keep it as minimal as possible too lol. I had a good time reading this one.

Everyone hits rock bottom, only the brave escape.

Welcome to 1314 Rattlesnake Road.

A quaint two-bedroom log cabin nestled deep in the woods of the small, southern town of Berry Springs—the perfect hideaway to escape your past.

Tucked inside thick, mahogany walls lay mysterious letters, forgotten and untouched for decades. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame breathtaking views of jagged cliffs, deep valleys, and endless lies. Mature oak trees, tall enough to touch the clouds, carry the whispers of the haunted, of stories untold.

Inside sits Grey Dalton, emotionally battered and bruised, her only wish to pick up the broken pieces of her life. But outside, await two men, one a tattooed cowboy, the other a dashing businessman.

One will steal her heart, the other, her soul.

Rattlesnake Road is a standalone mystery romance about love, loss, hitting rock bottom, and clawing your way to the other side.

Your escape awaits…


Wow! What can I say about this book in one word! Tremendous!!! Although I would recommend all books from this author, this book was definitely on another level! I can not recommend this book enough to anyone that enjoys a mystery romance!!

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book given to me via NetGalley. Rattlesnake Road is the 1st book in the Small time mystery series by Shelly Laurenston. I devoured it in less then 2 days. I love McKinney's writting.Don't hesitate get this book!

I really enjoyed Rattlesnake Road by Amanda McKinney. It started off good, but I will admit that it dragged for a little bit after all of the drama in the beginning of the book. The story eventually picked up again and it didn't disappoint. Often times when the heroine goes through so much drama, I don't care for them, but I found myself liking Grey. She was relatable and the things that she went through were relatable. I love the way that McKinney built up the relationship between the hero and heroine, it was so much more natural than a lot of books that I have read. Although I wasn't sure which guy she would choose for a little bit there. I am glad that she made the choice that she did and I think that I would have thought less of the character if she hadn't. As for the mystery part of the book, I kind of wish that there was more involved in the mystery, but I will say that what was there was well written and I was mostly surprised at the end when the mystery is solved. Overall, it was a really enjoyable book and I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a little bit of romance and a little bit of mystery.

4.5 stars

Grey Dalton is in an unhappy marriage in New York. Her husband is unfaithful, unsupportive, and doesn’t seem to care about her at all. She starts drinking heavily, and undergoes several traumatic events in her current life as well as in her past. Her acceptance speech after winning an award will have readers laughing out loud! That was an early highlight of this book. Anyway, she made a promise to her cousin years earlier, that if she ever left New York, she would move to Berry Springs. So sight unseen, she purchases a fixer-upper home in Berry Springs and moves there. Along the way she encounters two very different men. One is Lucas Covington, a businessman who wants to buy her land and put up a fancy resort. The other is Declan Montgomery, a cowboy/auto mechanic who loves the land and enjoys gardening and cooking. She meets a few other quirky neighbors along the way, and most of them have a heart of gold.

Grey has been damaged along the path of her life. She’s got baggage, and she’s avoided dealing with it by drinking. It causes her to go through some tough things. This story shows her courageous struggle to face those past hurts. She makes some missteps, but she finally figures it out. She gets help along the way.

The tension is moderate, and the pace is as well. Things happen, but not at a breakneck pace. There’s a decades-old mystery that becomes known during the course of the story, and a few unexplained noises that hint at a ghost. This story covers a couple of tough topics with sensitivity and care, and it seems as if this author has done some research on these topics. This book flowed smoothly and was well-written. This would make an excellent beach read!

Rattlesnake Road was a tough read for me. It had a good story & interesting characters but it was dark for me. I knew going into the book that it wasn't a light hearted read but I struggled with the depressing topics at times.

That being said- the story was solid & well written.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Rattlesnake Road follows Grey, a successful editor of a fashion magazine that feels utterly alone in her marriage. After losing her job due to a drunken mistake she decides to leave everything behind (including her cheating husband) and start anew in a small town.

Even though this book is labeled as a small town mystery romance, to me the biggest plot point was Grey’s journey to recovery. She’s a struggling alcoholic that has ultimately reached rock bottom. So seeing her gradually come to terms with her vice and accept help was such a beautiful journey. Even though she makes mistakes and some of her actions were irritating, Grey's character felt so raw. Her guilt and self loathing were written so well that it made me emotional while reading.

“The best things come out of nowhere, that I can promise you. Thing is, most people don’t see them."

As for the romance I loved that it wasn't obvious at first. The love interest didn't show up right away but when he did show up, I was immediately swooning over him! I loved that he saw Grey at her worst and was always there for her. Loved their romance!

This was my first book by this author but definitely not my last. Can't wait for Redemption Road!

TW: miscarriage, dubious consent, animal abuse, and alcohol abuse

I think this is a great book! Lots of angst with every single character! I feel it is very realistic and has many twists and turns that kept !y attention. This is not the genre I usually read but I am glad I made an exception this time. I recommend this book to everyone.
Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley, author Amanda McKinney, and HH Tisevich, LLC for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
TW: Miscarriage, cheating, alcohol abuse, unhealthy sexual encounters, Mental health issues such as talks about animal abuse, and cutting.
This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last.
This book is not your typical romance! This story is very raw in some places, but such a beautiful story.
Grey had everything she could ever ask for a wonderful husband, a great career, and a little one on the way. But all that changes with the loss of their unborn child due to a miscarriage, discovering her husband has been cheating on her. Without seeing anyway out, Grey decides to leave her husband and start fresh in a small town. Grey buys a fixer upper house that has a long history and not all of it good. Grey meets two men, whom she is draw to in different ways. One has all the reminders of her former husband, the other is a man with his own dark past and is willing to live by his own morality. I found myself drawn into the story, characters, and the mystery that surrounds Grey's house. This book had my feelings all over the place. Grey was such a well written character. Her reactions to some very hard situations were so realistic. She did not always make the right decisions that had me yelling at my kindle a time or two, but I loved how she was willing to ask for and accept help from Declan and Etta! Declan was such an amazing hero. He was so patient and caring towards Grey! He was always willing to do the right thing even when he had to fight the growing attraction towards Grey, while she was married. The author handled a lot of very sensitive and darker issues with care that had me wanting the best for Grey and Declan! Some of the story line elements seemed to happen conveniently like her divorce coming through so quickly and her business taking off so quickly, but those did not take away from the overall enjoyment of the book. The ending was well written and wrapped everything together satisfactory! I would recommend this book to those who are not looking for your typical romance, but is looking for a flawed yet strong heroine and a little dark hero romance!

I don't know if it was the story, the writing, or if it just came along at the right time and I was in the right mood, but I LOVED this book!

I loved the writing. I loved the characters - I totally wanted to live in that town and hang out with them. I loved the story.

So many contemporary romance novels are all sex, sex, sex. Sometimes I like a little story with my sex. And I got it with this book.
Another thing that we usually get with the contemporary romance is the perfect girl with a jerk guy but it's insta-love. Why? BUt not with this book! I don''t want to sound like one of "those girls" but I am going to for just a second. The H made me swoon! I would grab him up in a heartbeat.

I also loved how the main character was flawed (and boy was she). She was a self described "alcoholic wh%re". And I loved her and her struggles. I loved how she worked to turn herself around.

I looked at other books by this author after I finished this one. They are not typically up my alley, but I am going to try a couple. I liked this book so much that I am pretty sure I will love other books by this author.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review. I just really loved this book!

I received this ARC with the promise of a review. This book is delightful! The comedic situations made me laugh and the tragic results made me feel deeply for the characters. The story is engaging and filled with plenty of wild and crazy examples of what happens when the world changes and brings on unknown consequences. An added plus is a lingering, cold case mystery. I totally recommend this story to anyone who appreciates a compelling and twisty dive into the lives and relationships of memorable, small town characters.

In a painful reversal of fortune, Grey Dalton escapes to the sleepy southern town of Berry Springs where the beautiful landscape hides ugly secrets and personal crossroads. Grey encounters two very different men who threaten her equilibrium. She'll need to confront her past and present demons in order to make peace with the choices that haunt her before she can rebuild her life into a strong, healthy fresh start.

More women's fiction with a secondary mystery and romantic elements than conventional romance, especially in the first ten or so chapters, Rattlesnake Road is a tumultuous read that addresses the ripple effects of childhood trauma and variations on mental health themes. The slow build-up provides solid backstory and strong characterizations, but also drags a bit. It's difficult not to feel frustrated by Grey's frequent cluelessness. Readers who are sensitive to fertility challenges and related experiences may want to consider how tenderhearted they're feeling about exploring such topics in fiction.

I really tried to enjoy this, but there were several issues straight out the gate. The first chapter had me feeling very uncomfortable. This is my first book by this author as well. Unfortunately this is a DNF for me. I will not be reviewing this publicly on goodreads or my blog.

Real and raw. This is a story of truth, digging deeper, and coming out the darkness. This is what books aspire to be.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this amazing gem.

Loved the mystery of this romance book.
Kept me thinking the whole time what was going to happen.
I liked the characters and the storyline.
Enjoyed the journey of Grey Dalton.
I am now interested in other books by this author.

***5 Stars***

The title was the lure and the first line of the synopsis was the hook, but neither prepared me for that first chapter. I thought I read it all, but that...that was totally unexpected, but it kept me in that rabbit hole diligently turning those pages to see how Grey would pick herself up and find her happiness.

Grey. I admired this woman and in the end I really liked her. She’s determined, focused, open even with the walls she erected around herself but she was also her own worst enemy, so it made her real. It made her vulnerable, at times frustrating, but real. I, obviously, didn’t always agree with her choices ~ one in particular kind of baffled me ~ but I liked watching her evolve and find out who she really was regardless of her past and I really liked the woman she became.

As for the ‘romance’ side. Well, there are two choices here and I don’t want to give it all away, but I will say that I was very, very happy with who she ended up with because I kinda, sorta fell in adoration with him from the very beginning.

This is my first read by the author and I’m really happy I took a chance on this book. It had a lot of heavy in it, and it will trigger some readers, but it was balanced out by some amazing characters. Etta is my favorite of them all, but Kai and Cassidy are close seconds. They brought light and depth to the story and through them, brought that small town vibe big time. I did see that there is a Berry Springs series ~ along with a few others which look like they could be connected, so I will be adding them to my very extensive TBR pile when I can, all while keeping my eyes open for upcoming books by this author.

Rattlesnake Road tells the story of a woman who escapes from her life in New York to a tiny town in Arkansas. The novel gets points for a pretty standard romance plot that includes attraction to a local (adult) bad boy, struggle with addiction and discovering joys and trials of life in a very small town. It lost points for the unrealistic timeline. Seriously, how much can one woman get done in the short time span covered in this book—even with lots of help from new friends? The same goes for developing relationships in her new community. Not a particularly credible tale.