Review: Texas Thunder by Kimberly Raye (Rebel Moonshine #1)


Note: This ARC was provided by St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

The Tuckers and the Sawyers have been sworn enemies from the time former best friends and business partners Archibald Tucker and Elijah G. Sawyer went their separate ways. The famous moonshine they created together, known as Texas Thunder, was legendary, but after the friendship and partnership ended, the recipe for the moonshine was split in half. Though many attempts have been made to replicate Texas Thunder, no one has succeeded. But now, with mounting payables after the death of her grandfather, Callie Tucker needs to strike a deal with the guy who broke her heart ten years ago, Brett Sawyer, in order to bring both parts of the recipe together and get paid with money they both really need. Will re-creating the moonshine that ripped their families apart be able to bring these two back together?

Texas Thunder is the first novel in the new Western contemporary romance from author Kimberly Raye entitled Rebel Moonshine, which is set in Rebel, Texas and is about modern-day moonshiners. This series starter has Callie Tucker and Brett Sawyer, the two eldest in their respective families that have a legacy connected with making moonshine. Callie and Brett first got together when they were in seniors in high school only to have Brett abandon Callie on the side of the road after their prom night, an occasion that leads to Callie's parents having to pick her up that later results in a car accident that makes Callie and her two younger sisters orphans. She's a strong female lead character, though I do think that she used her situation as the caretaker of her sisters and grandfather as a ready excuse to not fully pursue her dreams.

Brett's reason for pushing Callie away and leaving Rebel was a tad petty, if you ask me, and his admission that he basically forgot about Callie during their years apart and that she'd creep into his thoughts from time to time didn't couldn't be reconciled with his musings about always having loved her. What they had in high school was more of a non-relationship that was focused on a lot of flirting. Yes, they made out that prom night, but I doubt that Brett felt anything deeper than lust and like for Callie, considering he upped and left after what he happened. He's a pretty likable male lead character but there were times that he came off as a jackass, though I did like that the tables were turned later in the story because I think he deserved to see how it felt and it helped him make some realizations when it came to his feelings for Callie.

While this was an overall pretty good read, I'm still finding myself confused about the death of Callie's grandfather, which I saw as more as a murder. There wasn't really any resolution to what happened to him, unless I missed it entirely. But, like I said, the book was pretty good and I did enjoy it and found myself curious as to where Brandy Tucker's story was going to lead since the teaser included in the book is just for the first chapter. I wonder if the series will be about the three Tucker sisters, but I do hope that Karen Sawyer, Brett's younger sister, also gets her turn at bat because there were a couple of hints at a possible relationship with Mark Edwards, co-owner of Foggy Bottom Distillers. There's potential for the series to be even better and I look forward to reading future installments. Texas Thunder gets four stars. ♥

Release Date: 01 September 2015

Date Read: 31 August 2015

Learn more about Kimberly Raye here.

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