Releasing The Reins

I still can’t believe this is a debut novel! Days later, I’m still thinking about Bunny as we sail towards Alaska.

Matthews paints a wonderful picture of the Alaskan wilderness and ranching, but it’s the character development that steals the show. Turning over the final page in the book, I feel that I’ve spent time at the Midnight Sun Ranch and developed some great friendships. In fact, if I walked down the street in Anchorage, I feel that I’d instantly know if Bunny was walking towards me.

Desperately wishing to disentangle from the knot of dysfunctional family and stand on her own, Benjamina (Benny) O’Kelly leaves home and heads 1200 miles north to a ranch, six hours out of Anchorage. Her grueling journey to prove her worth as a ranch hand at Buck Miller’s ranch had me glued to the pages.

Equestrians will tell you that ‘releasing the reins’ requires trust and Benny definitely learns to release the reins and work hard to earn trust. She’s confident in her abilities and sets out to prove herself to those with whom she works. Releasing the reins with her family is easy as they don’t trust her ability or worth. Buck Miller, her new boss, struggles with releasing the reins and in observing Benny’s determination, he slowly learns to trust again. For Benny, trust has been a refuge. For Buck, trust has been a threat. Regardless, secrets are the root of all the misplaced, broken, denied, undeserved and refused trust in this tight-knit Alaskan town.

I appreciated a taut, well-paced read highlighting the courage to stand up for oneself, the determination to move in the direction of one’s dreams, the cost of responsibility, and the danger of underestimating someone. Abandonment was a central theme, as was demanding respect, proving oneself, and wallowing in the failure to protect.

Reminiscent of the struggles between the Capulets and Montegues of Shakespeare’s world, Matthew’s characters face the fallout of forbidden love between the rival Cooper and Miller families. Benny is caught in the feud between the Midnight Sun and Double J ranches and is driven to uncover the secrets they are so intent on hiding.

I can’t wait for the sequel!

What a book! I can’t wait to share my thoughts in Bunny’s adventure and Katie’s justice. This has all the makings of an in red book! Suspense, drama, determination…this list goes on and on. I couldn’t stop flying through the pages and I absolutely cannot wait to share much more on this beautiful book.

A debut novel you will love from the first chapter. Bunny is a feminist icon that knows taking the easy road isn’t always easy what you are meant to do. Bunny and the rest of the characters are so relatable and the details of Alaska are so vivid you’ll feel like you’re there. Overall I loved this book only gave it four stars because I wanted more from the ending at least a few more fictional days or weeks.

Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book, even more so once I got the swing of the alternating story lines. One story line takes place in 1984 and focuses on Bunny (aka Benny), a strong willed girl as she leaves her home and family's dairy farm in Washington to become a ranch hand on the Midnight Sun horse ranch in Alaska, where she wasn't really welcome and she fought very hard to prove herself the equal of any male ranch hand in order to stay working there. The other story line takes place in 1982 and focuses on Katie, the daughter of Benny's boss Buck at the ranch. Benny becomes intrigued by what really happened to Katie and tries to uncover the truth of her death. This fast-paced read kept me going and I couldn't wait to see how it all played out.

This book gives such cozy mystery vibes, I FLEW through it. This book has a dual timeline, which I LOVE! This is a book where the main character Benny/Bunny has come to Midnight Sun to work as a farm hand after her dad does not leave her part of the ranch (years are 1982/84). Shortly after arrival, Bunny learns that the Farmer’s Daughter, Kate, died two years earlier in a car accident. Bunny cannot leave resting dogs lie, so as you follow Benny in her life on the ranch, you also follow her as she puts the pieces together about what really happened with Kate.


I received this as an ARC from Net Galley, but this is a true and honest review. I rated this book a 4.5 (rounded up since Goodreads does not have half stars).

This novel is a well-paced, enjoyable, and rewarding read. It features an appealing blend of mystery and psychological/women's fiction elements, and the setting, while unfamiliar to me, wound up being my favorite part. The author captures the rural Alaskan landscape and makes the horse ranching milieu accessible to readers through vivid description and emotional relevance.