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.

Rock bottom like the blurb suggests doesn't include the traumatic miscarriage in the first chapter, the alcoholic mother that killed a child or a suicidal teenager.

This was a rough and slow start, I liked the characters here and that our mc was determined to not rely on her ex-husband as soon as he made it clear that he didn't care.
This wasn't really my cup of tea though the writing was good

I found myself picking this book back up at any opportunity! I found the story easy to follow with the heartbreak and hoping Grey built herself back up. I was glued to find out who the letters belonged to, I got it wrong. I do think some other characters could have been explored a bit more.

After Grey loses her job and a horrible marriage to a rich man, she moves to a small town of Berry Springs where she meets different men in her new life. Declan and Lucas, the two love interest. There is a mystery attached to this book. I would love to include the triggers if you do have them. Miscarriage, murderer perspective, alcoholism and an almost sexual assault. Overall this was a good book. The H was introduced later in the book than I would have liked. But over all this was an interesting read.

The author is new to me and I have to say that Rattlesnake Road-was an unusual read.

It is a rollercoaster and you need to be ready to experience different feelings and go to the dark side.

The characters are real and raw….

I think it should come with a warning due to the numerous triggers.

A good, easy to read, and enjoyable darker romance with a little action and suspense thrown in for good measure.

Lots of trigger warnings for this one, from pregnancy loss to alcoholism and even sexual assault. This one had a lot of issues thrown in that some may not want to read about or enjoy.

Grey, the MC, is a hot mess of a character. She drinks to numb the pain of the loss of her baby and her marriage. She moves to a small town to escape the world after destroying her own life and career. She is equally likeable for her pain and unlikable for her poor choices. She is reactive and impulsive.

The leading love interest, Declan, is surprisingly understanding and out up with a ton of her crap, far more than he deserved to.

Grey and Declan get embroiled in a mystery surrounding her house and the death of a young woman who lived there through her letters that she hid before she died. It was a well written mystery plot within the romance.

It was a good, well paced book.

DNF'd this book right away. The first chapter was enough for me. To handle such a triggering and upsetting subject matter so disrespectfully is ridiculous. 1 star. would be 0 stars

4.5/5 STARS

This mindfuck of a book had me wishing for more and more!
I love dark romances so this was nothing out of the ordinary for me and I'm so so pleased with this!

The arc was complimentary and my review is my own.

Lots of triggers going in so make sure to look them up before reading! With that said, I enjoyed this story of hitting rock bottom and climbing back up with lots of mystery and romance as well. All round good time!

Flove the cover and blurb! This was a first read by this author and it didn’t disappoint!

What did I like? So Grey acts like her name, bad marriage, miscarriage, and sobriety issues have her making some changes in life. A move to a small town later and she meets two different men in her quest to get her life back. I didn’t want to put it down. Five stars!

Would I recommend or buy? I definitely recommend this book and can’t wait to read more by this author! It was a unique mystery and a romance in one.

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review!

These kind of books... LOVE THEM.

I love the real characters, the ones who face struggles and own up to their faults. I love flawed characters, wanting to do better. I love good writing; writing that will transport you in the story from the get go. And I love a strong man wanting to take care of his woman. A cowboy is just a plus.

I love a good mystery, cuz it keeps you hooked. This book definitely did!

So... Mystery + Romance + Down to earth characters = Would 100% recommend!

The only reason why it's only got 4 stars instead of 5, is... ***SPOILER AHEAD***

***SPOILER AHEAD***

... the diagnosis with which I do not agree. Conduct disorder would have been the better diagnosis in my opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley, again, for an outstanding ARC. This story is multi-layered and riveting with complex characters and a fascinating plot. Grey, the protagonist, is a sympathetic character while also causing you to yell at the page, “No! Don’t do it!” Of course, as is quickly evident, she is an alcoholic and needs to hit rock bottom before she will acknowledge she cannot quit without help. Declan is a surprisingly compassionate and lovable partner, and I adored the plot twist when they realized they had always been meant for one another. And of course, there’s this gem: “It’s the path. Loss makes us stronger, makes us see things we might not have otherwise. Sometimes loss leads us to what we really need.”

Meanwhile, I feel I must mention that there are some letters from an anonymous source that are truly disturbing. They are written like journal entries, then sealed into envelopes and each time Grey finds one, it is worse than the last. Never mind that it’s unlikely someone would happen to open them in order. That seems irrelevant in light of the contents. I found myself completely creeped out and struggling to get one particular image out of my head. I kept reminding myself it was fiction. Meanwhile, when the writer of the letters was finally revealed… Well, I don’t want to say too much, but I had to pick my jaw up off of the floor.

I am very impressed by the writing in this book and I’ve signed on to Amanda McKinney’s mailing list because I’d like to read more from her. Highly recommended (unless you’re really squeamish).

***Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am so grateful as this was one amazing story.

Raw, gripping, real, this romantic suspense is a must-read. This book exceeded all my expectations. It's my first read by this author and let me tell you that Amanda McKinney sure knows how to tell a story. The characters are amazing, well developed and real. The writing style is compelling, with bits of mystery, witty sarcasm and Southern charm. And the title is very telling as to the conclusion of this story.
The story is told by 30 year old Grey. This is a woman lost, an alcoholic at the end of her rope, raised by an extreme alcoholic mother and that never knew her father. She rose above her condition only to lose her marriage and her job in a blink of an eye. "What brought me here? A cheating bastard and two back-to-back losses."
Grey is struggling. She knows she needs to cope with her alcoholism but that's easier said than done. Her fight to find herself again, to start over, to stop drinking, it's beautifully told. It is overwhelming, real, painful, heartbreaking, even frustrating at times.
After a miscarriage, losing her job and deciding to get a divorce, she finds herself in the small Southern town of Berry Springs, in an old house she bought off of the internet in a spur of the moment decision. She has limited savings, no life plan and her struggle with alcohol. As she starts navigating her new life, she then gets caught between 2 men but I didn't really feel there was a love triangle here, more like a good versus bad fight..
Lucas is rich, ruthless, selfish and ambitious. He triggers Grey's bad behavior and with it an onslaught of shame, guilt and pain. Lucas is the one who makes her forget, the easy way out.
Declan is serious, brave, supportive, selfless. He is Grey's polar opposite, he challenges and understands her and helps her stay on track. He is the one that makes her face her issues, the hard way out.
There are also some elements of mystery as Grey finds some letters in the house written by a very disturbed teenager. Also, a ghost seems to be haunting her house from time to time. But all is revealed in due time, in the grand suspenseful finale.

This fabulous book is the kind that will leave an impression long after you finish it. It will make you think. It will make you feel. It will make you cry. And it will make you hope.
Trigger warnings for alcoholism, miscarriage, sadism, depression.

First I want to say thank you for allowing me to review this book.

I have to be honest, I struggled to get through finishing this book and thought of not even finishing it half way through. I did pick up for me towards to end so I’m glad I stuck it out. There is several triggers including animal abuse that readers should be aware about. It was filled with different turns and full of suspension but a bit drawn out.

I’m not sure how to review this book. The writing was beautiful and the topics were dark and gut wrenching. The only problem with this, is that it featured animal abuse - and this is quite literally the only trigger I generally stay away from. I really wish the trigger warnings were listed better instead of this generic blurb:

“Fair Warning: Due to serious subject matter and mature content, please be aware that this book might be an emotional trigger for some readers.”

Specificity is key when writing a darker romance novel and this caused it to not hit the mark. I will not be recommending.

I liked Grey immediately. She’s Real, has baggage, not prefect, but strong, driven and has a say what she’s thinking attitude.Her world is falling apart and she’s not handling it very well, but after a miscarriage, losing her dream job and leaving cheating husband. She escapes to a small country town to rebuild her life.The details given throughout the book really set the seen and makes you feel in the moment of what the characters are experiencing.

We didn’t get to meet the Hero until about 38 percent into the book, but was interested enough in how the book was playing out that I didn’t mind. And I loved the connection to Brianna tied into the store but Chapter 22 could have gone with out reading the details there. I understand where it led and why but not what I need details of in my head. tho i do like the Dark cold-case element and how it was place throughout the book.

I liked that I could see what was going to happen but still managed to surprise me. I did feel the second half of the book was a bit rushed and faster paced then the first half but still enjoyable.

A huge thanks to NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, wow. I've been reading dark romance books for a while now, and Amanda McKinney's "Rattlesnake Road" has been one of the best written books I have come across. Before reading this, however, be very aware of the TRIGGER WARNINGS this contains. That aside, "Rattlesnake Road", to me, was dark in such a different way. As in, it was REAL. We meet our female MC, Grey, when she's hit rockbottom. The things she has to go through on her own in just the few first chapters is gruesome and terribly sad, and THAT'S how the author gets you to understand her mindset. I am very picky about being told that a character has gone through traumatic experiences in books as an explanation as to why they are the way that they are, but we aren't exactly SHOWN how those characters actual cope, or what's beneath their choices. Amanda McKinney doesn't do that for Grey; no, in this, we feel all of the MCs pain, anger, and fear. We sympathize and we want her to live. To find joy again.

This is where Declan, our male MC, enters.

Honestly, I truly appreciated their relationship. Something about it felt perfectly believable. And almost pure in such a dark setting, but that's the point. Second chances. New Beginnings.

“Mystery romance” presumably means “romantic suspense,” but with the proportions flipped. Sounded like fun to me, especially in combination with the city girl “exiled” to a small town. I’m also a sucker for any book that uses home renovation as a plot device.

Unfortunately this is a badly written snooze fest. I truly fell asleep every time I tried to read it. I never got far enough to get to the mystery, since I’m giving up at 27% read.

Also, the prologue/intro chapters are totally depressing and triggering. So, TW: alcoholism, infidelity, pregnancy loss. YIKES.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Grey Dalton's marriage is over and she needs to get away. Fighting a problem with alcohol and low self-esteem and trying to recover from a devastating miscarriage she buys a house in need of repair and sets to regaining back her independence. The house is full of secrets and may be haunted, and when Grey finds something in the walls that might put her life in danger, she turns to her neighbours for help.

This book took a while to get going and I couldn't really get into it until about a third of the way through. Whilst the plot was interesting, I didn't really connect with any of the characters and so the story didn't grab me.

I found myself skimming until the end - there was an exciting finish and the mystery was solved. It was a pretty long book as well and I felt it could have been resolved sooner.

I am not a contemporary reader, but this was a book I could not put down!

I am normally all fantasy all the way but when I received this book through NetGalley and saw the address as "1314," the same apartment number I am moving into, I decided to give it a try.

Let me tell you, it is gritty, and definitely not for the faint of heart. Our main character, Grey, is not only dealing with divorce from a cheating husband, but also alcoholism, miscarriage, and major unresolved trauma, and it hits hard right from the beginning. If you or a family member has any issue with these things, this book may be a little hard to read at time. However, it has a wonderful discussion about therapy and the small steps to helping yourself that I think everyone needs to hear.

The story goes that Grey is running away from her past and right into the small town of Berry Springs and the dilapidated house she bought off the internet. She meets people, good and bad, and uncovers an unsolved mystery that has haunted the town, all the while trying to solve her own issues.

It is sweet, it is gritty, and at points I teared up! The only issue I had was that at one point the mystery was left on the back burner to the love story, only to be wrapped up pretty quickly at the end. I wanted a little more build up. Overall, a great read and I am excited to read Redemption Road.