REVIEW: Betting the Rainbow by Jodi Thomas

In Betting the Rainbow by Jodi Thomas we meet numerous characters who live in Harmony.

Ronny is back in Harmony after a year of travelling the world following the death of the man she loved. She just wants to be alone in her lake side home and plans never to love again. Austin is her neighbor. Former military, in a fire that claimed the lives of his friends, he was severely injured, but he survived. He too just wants to be alone, but he is inexplicably drawn to Ronny as much as he doesn’t want to be. They are both injured, both of their hearts are bruised. As they work their way closer to each other, can the future be better than either of them hoped for? Is it worth the risk?

Dusti and Abby are sisters who have given up their own dreams to continue running the family farm. Unfortunately there is no money to spare, all of their time is spent working on the farm. No more dreams to chase. When a poker tournament comes to town, along with a handsome Scot, Dusti decides to give it her all to win, so that at least one of them can follow their dreams. With Kieran helping Dusti to learn poker, he might be hoping to win her heart too, even if they are in competition for the poker pot. Will she win really big in more ways than one?

Reagan has a successful business in her orchard. Her boyfriend Noah travels the rodeo a lot, and she misses him. But nothing prepares her for the package a woman drops off for him at her orchard. One that will make Reagan question everything she knows about Noah, one that will have her pushing him away no matter how much it hurts. Can Noah even begin to make amends or is it over for good between them?

Betting the Rainbow is part of a series set in Harmony. I would highly recommend reading the other books in this series, instead of jumping into this one like I did. At times I felt like I was jumping into the middle of something and someplace I didn’t know enough about which at times made it hard to keep reading. I believe reading the series in order will help understand the characters, and see their development more clearly.

Having said that, Jodi Thomas writes an emotionally intense story in Betting the Rainbow with multi-layered characters who come across as realistic people. They are complicated people at times, with the common characteristic being that they are all healing in some way, all of them trying to move on and better their lives.

Jodi writes with smooth flow, and despite the numerous characters and story lines, manages to transition well between them so there is clear definition.

If you enjoy romance series I would recommend the Harmony series to romance readers looking for mature characters and a lot of depth.

Book Info:

Published April 1st 2014 by Berkley

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas returns to the town of Harmony, Texas, where life has a way of making better plans than anyone ever imagined…
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 Kieron O’Brian to teach her the game, sparks begin to fly as they play their hands. But Kieron 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…