Tracie Peterson is back with new series, Love on the Santa Fe's, debut novel Along the Rio Grande. Fans of Peterson will find many familiar elements on these pages and a relatively easy read almost to the point of being forgettable.
Susanna Jenkins is a typical lead female for the genre. She's determined, levelheaded, kind, and had kept her faith through great loss. She's agreed to help her family learn how to survive after great losses financially and socially. All great elements but she really doesn't stand out among other female leads for good reasons, I was confused how she was lauded for her common sense but pours out her family's problems to the first handsome stranger. Much of the time she felt more a passenger in her life than a primary lead.
Gary's storyline has interesting potential in the young man trying to find his place in life but, like many of the plots in this novel, it felt spread too thin and not enough substance. While their parents did show more of their own motivations and struggles they were very unlikeable until the book's climax, so I personally didn't find that engaging either.
I guess I'm a little at a loss. I can see where Peterson has touched upon solid themes of starting over, redemption, and love in ways that have so much potential. But I also felt uncomfortable with her one secondary characters only memorable line being a self directed racial insult and disconnected from storylines that felt like they could have mixed and matched any Peterson characters and still come out with a similar story.
I think Peterson fans will still enjoy Susanna's tale as the writing and themes are what you expect from Peterson. I just think, for me, I felt frustrated at the glimpses of depth I saw that never delivered.
3 out of 5 stars
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