Next Of Kin (Rebel Ridge #1 ) by Sharon Sala
Romantic Suspense
January 31, 2012
Mira

Reviewed by Tori

As a teenager, Beth Venable was dragged from her home and the man she loved when her family decided to flee for reasons unknown. Beth wrote Ryal for years , begging him to come get her, but never received a reply. When her parents died suddenly, Beth decided to stay in LA and continue to build her life there. When she accidentally witnesses a murder, she becomes the target of a ruthless mob boss who will do anything to silence the only witness to his crime. After her 3rd safe house is compromised and she barely escapes with her life, Beth knows of only one place she may be safe-Rebel Ridge, Kentucky. Beth knows no matter what happened in the past, her kin will hide and protect her. Her uncle, a truck driver, uses his contacts to bring her across country and Beth finds herself once more wrapped in the loving care of her clan.

Ryal Walker was devastated when Beth’s family disappeared without a word. He always believed that his relationship with Beth is what caused them to run. He wrote to Beth everyday until the letters began to arrive back unopened. He decided then to let her go and never looked back. When he is called upon by Beth’s grandmother to help hide Beth from the mob, Ryal never thinks twice and offers his and his kin’s help. Seeing Beth again reopens old wounds and feelings and soon Ryal finds himself falling in love all over again with her.

As Ryal and Beth slowly find their way back into each others arms, the mob has discovered her hiding place and through deception and trickery, are slowing advancing towards the mountains. But blood is thicker then water and soon the mob learns that the mountain takes care of it’s own.

Next Of Kin is the first Sharon Sala’s newest romantic suspense trilogy- Rebel Ridge. Set in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, Ms. Sala takes the theme of coming home again and surrounds it with a mixture of mystery, suspense, and romance. An engaging storyline coupled with a cast of energetic characters keeps the story moving briskly. Beth and Ryal weren’t quite as fleshed out as I hoped. Both were rather bland when compared to the rest of the characters. Beth starts out feisty and intelligent with a strong independent streak but once she calls her uncle and starts home it’s as if she loses pieces of herself along the way and I barely recognized her once she reunites with Ryal. Then the crying starts. Everything makes her cry. It became irritating towards the end. The chemistry between them was lukewarm and their reunion and subsequent romance didn’t even make a blip on my radar. It had a Christian Walton’s feel to it. Even the reasons for their being separated was settled quickly and without any fan fare.

What saved the book for me was the secondary storyline and the plot involving the villain. Realistic dialogue and action packed scenes made watching these players deceive and betray each other an exciting addition to the story. These characters were more personable and connected better with the storyline then our protagonists. Ms. Sala keeps us on our toes as we watch the villain slowly hang himself with a rope of his own making-especially when he realizes that who holds the end of that rope. The ending is satisfactory if not predictable.

Overall Rating: C-

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