Just Down The Road (Harmony #4) by Jodi Thomas
Romantic Contemporary
April 3, 2012
Berkley

Favorite Quote: “Your right, Sheriff, Noah’s got loose lips. It goes with his shifty eyes. “

Reviewed by Tori

Tinch Turner’s wife died after a long battle with cancer. Unable to handle her leaving him, he unconsciously begins a campaign to kill himself with alcohol and fighting. He meets the new ER doctor, Addison Spencer, when one particular bar fight leaves him lands him in the hospital. A beautiful woman who leaves Tinch cold with her brittle prickly personality. Addison has secrets of her own though. After spending her whole life trapped under her fathers thumb, she has come to hide in Harmony and try to discover who Addison Spencer really is. As Tinch and Addison circle around each other, each veterans to the pain human beings can inflict upon one another, they find themselves having to trust each other when a young child enters their lives and brings danger with him.

Regan Truman’s uncle is dying and that that leaves Regan feeling lost and abandoned. When Noah comes back to town with intentions of picking up where they left off, Regan realizes that she will forever love him but doesn’t really like who he has become. She begins to lean more upon the town and the people who have silently stood by her through thick and then, leaving Noah to face his own demons and wonder if his running cost him the only woman he ever loved.

Taylor Wright and his major have made a life together but Taylor wants the whole package and his major is dragging her feet. When the major is called away for one last mission, Taylor finds himself at a loss for this mission that may cost her life. As Taylor tries to contain his worries, Amber, his cook, brings a miracle into his life and soon Taylor finds the courage to seize his dreams with both hands.

In the 4th book of Jodi Thomas’s wonderful small town oriented series, Just Down The Road, we once again are submerged into the intricate relationships and the bonds that ties them together that make up the town of Harmony, Texas. Romance, friendship, and change all intertwine and revolve around one another as old and new friends try to live their lives in the best way they know how. Four main story lines unfold in here, each a study in the strength of the human heart and its capacity to love, learn, and forgive. While Regan still plays a dominate role in this heavy character driven series, other characters have wormed their way in to top spots and I find myself deeply vested in each and every one of them.

A heavy dose of mystery, suspense, and danger features more predominately in this installment then the previous ones, creating an addictive read that fills you with some strong emotions as you watch those you have come to love fight through the pitfalls of life. I love how human Ms. Thomas’s characters are. Not perfect or even pleasant at times, each one is a vibrant personality that takes command and dominates the scenes they are in. Each relationship is carefully cultivated and allowed to grow and bloom naturally. As with any garden, you may not see anything the first year, or maybe it will bloom hard and heavy only to die in the first frost. Either way, Ms. Thomas shows remarkable insight when she cultivates her garden and the results are a joy for all who are lucky enough to visit it.

Though I was disappointed that Ronnie’s and Marty’s story is still on hold, I enjoyed seeing she is still growing and breaking the bonds that her mother shackled her with. Bigg and his brother Bran are branching out and becoming more then the town ever envisioned for them. Bits and pieces of all the town residents make their way into the story, which rounds it out beautifully and leaves me satisfied yet still wanting book 5 now. Martha Q, one of my favorite characters in the book, is still around, butting into everyone’s business, and coming up with some pretty good advice every now and then.

“Next time you meet a girl, look into her eyes. Don’t walk away without knowing the color of her eyes, and don’t look down once you start talking to her. Second, if your lucky enough to have another female come on to you, you’ve got to spend at least five hours talking to her and listening to her before you touch her. That means no hand holding, or kissing. Five solid hours of talking and if she says one thing that bugs you, walk away. No, run. If she does anything that bothers you, run. I’ve got enough experience that it’s those little things people overlook the first hundred times will drive you crazy when you marry someone.”

I love this series and recommend it to everyone who wants a small town contemporary series with realistic characters whose romances, friendships, and lives will have you waiting anxiously for each new visit. Even though this could be read as a stand alone, I recommend reading the first in the series, Welcome To Harmony. This is a continuation and is written as such.

Overall Rating: A

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