Along the Rio Grande

Author: Tracie Peterson
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Love on the Santa Fe #1
Release Date: March 1, 2022

Is her compassion doing more harm than good?

Recently widowed Susanna Jenkins has decided to follow her family to the booming town of San Marcial, New Mexico, for a fresh start and to aid in her family's sudden change in fortune. They are tasked with managing her uncle's new Grand Hotel, and it takes all her patience to try to help her parents see the good of their circumstances and relinquish their sense of entitlement.

She's hopeful when her brother becomes determined to get a job and make his own way, and she feels drawn to his kind boss, Owen Turner, who works as a boilermaker for the Santa Fe's train shops in town. But the hard work only seems to fuel her brother's anger, and his rough new friends give her pause.

When misguided choices put Susanna's family in an even more precarious situation, she worries her help has only made things worse. Leaving her family to fend for themselves seems like the best option, but how can she walk away from the true friendships--and love--that she's found?

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Reviewer: Joy Hannabass

This is my first book reading about the Rio Grande. It was fun to journey along with these amazing characters as they traveled through a challenging time in their lives.

Susanna Jenkins' uncle was fed up with the poor choices made by her dad, so he sent them to San Marcial, New Mexico, to run one of his hotels. But the Jenkins family didn't work. They had servants to do that. But not at this hotel. Join in the fun with this dysfunctional family with the most childish parents you will ever meet.  

I love, love this story. Tracie Peterson does a fabulous job with every part of this story. Though some are not so loveable, the characters are perfect for the story and developed so well. The deep research was apparent in the many vivid historical scenes throughout the story. I was so engaged in reading the historical details of the setting that I found myself going back, reading scenes and pages over to savor its goodness.

I was impressed with Suzanna and her brother being so willing to work for a living. I was really annoyed at the parents' holier-than-thou attitude. The one thing I always appreciate with Tracie Peterson's books is how she shows the love of Jesus in such a subtle way. In Along the Rio Grande, Ms. Peterson shows life is bearable, even when we think it's not when we let God in. Second chances are strongly established in the story as well. This book is chunked full of fun and interesting facts and fiction, and it deserves Five Stars from me. I want to encourage you to give this book a try. You will love it as much as I do. I promise you!

I received a copy of this book from Revell through Netgalley.

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Reviewer: Sarah Speck

I enjoyed my time with the characters in Along the Rio Grande. From the first sentences, we are plunged into the conflict of this family. Their backstory is revealed in snippets along the way and definitely kept me turning pages. How did they land themselves is such a mess?

It’s easy to wonder if this family’s dynamics are true to life. Can people really feel this entitled? The picture Tracie Peterson paints helped me feel Susanna’s deep sense of hopelessness. That hopelessness leads to enabling, which in turn fuels the dysfunction. The cycle is so hard to break, and the author did a great job of helping me experience Susanna’s exhaustion. Maybe we, too, wonder if there is any reason to hope her family will change (and perhaps we think about someone in our life as well). Maybe we cheer Susanna on to wash her hands of the craziness and go find her own happiness. But God…His story is one of redemption. 

We may not see how. We may not see it in the way we want or in our lifetime, but He always pursues the sick and the broken. Our job is to pursue them with Him and not be led by our hopelessness. How strange in our world, but how right in the Kingdom of Heaven. And that is where the author leads us - to hope in Him. He is the solid foundation that the kingdom is built on. He really does change lives. And suddenly, our hopelessness is no more!

An advanced copy of this book was provided by Revell through NetGalley for an honest review.

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Reviewer: Lori Parrish

This story is my very favorite by Tracie Peterson! 

Along the Rio Grande has some powerful and challenging lessons in it. I appreciated how this author has shown us how it is possible for second chances at anything we set our minds to. Anything is possible with Christ at our side. We just need not be so hard-headed!

I was starting to feel worried about how this book would turn out because of some hard-hearted souls in this book. We can often get so spoiled and set in our ways that change can become difficult. I felt like banging some heads together for sure!

I took my time and savored this book because I didn't want it to end. I loved making friends with the people of San Marcial. It was a new place that I very much enjoyed visiting. I hope to see more of these characters in future stories. I want to call this little town home.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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