Tracy’s review of Just Down the Road (Harmony series #4) by Jodi Thomas
When Tinch Turner lost his wife, he gave up on living. Now he spends his nights brooding, boozing, and brawling. When one of his escapades lands him in the ER, he finds himself staring up at the beautiful new doctor in town. For the first time in years, he feels a spark, but Addison Spencer wants nothing to do with the unruly rancher—or any man for that matter. She’s only in Harmony four months, long enough for the trouble she left behind to be over. But then a vulnerable little boy barrels into both their lives, forcing them out of the past—and into a future where love is just down the road…
In the meantime, as Reagan Truman grieves her beloved uncle, she finds comfort in the makeshift family she’s made in Harmony—and in a new baby, the first born in the Wright Funeral Home in 45 years, proving to everyone that life does go on…
If you’ve been reading the Harmony series then your very familiar with the main characters in this series. With each novel we get to see a little more of their lives and get involved on a level that makes it seem like you’re greeting an old friend when you pick up the next book. As much as I love that I love that we’re also, usually, introduced to new characters around the town of Harmony, Texas which always makes each book unique.
This story introduced us to Tinch Turner and Addison Spencer – two very different people from two very different walks of life.
Tinch was born and raised in Harmony and fell in love with his future wife when he was in middle school. Tinch and Lori Anne had a good life together but Lori Anne was taken from him early in their lives and Tinch has been grieving for the past 3 years. He just wants someone to send him to his death so that he can be with Lori Anne. One night he’s in a bar brawl and taken the local hospital for stitches.
Enter Addison Spencer, M.D. She’s on temporary assignment in Harmony and she’s not sure what she’ll do once her time is through there. Her controlling father back in L.A. has more than enough ideas about where she should work and who she should marry. But Addison really doesn’t want either of the options her father is pushing.
Addison and Tinch are brought together when Tinch’s 4 year old nephew, Jamie, is brought to live with him. He must protect and care for the boy and Tinch discovers that there’s many, many more things to live for and he starts to re-think his death wish – along with coming to terms about his grief. Addison is incredibly protective of Jamie as well and ends up almost living with Tinch and Jamie for a while which brings the couple together and their feelings for each other start to grow.
In the meantime we get to see Reagan Truman again. Her uncle Jeremiah dies and Reagan is dealing with her grief as well as seeing to his final wishes. Her friends are around her – all but Noah who is the one person she needs above all. But when Noah returns Reagan’s not sure that he’s the man she knows any longer. The pair work through their issues and find out what they are to each other.
We also get to visit with Tyler Wright from the funeral home who is madly in love with Kate. Kate is still working though and when she goes on assignment Tyler is beside himself with worry. He also has insecurities about whether Kate will be happy in Harmony. Tyler is also waiting, impatiently I might add, for his housekeepers baby to arrive. Autumn is a character that we met in the previous book – a woman that Tyler took under his wing and watched her flourish from a scared woman to one who was loyal with many friends.
I loved revisiting Harmony! I really have enjoyed this series immensely and have looked forward to each book with great anticipation. This story contained all of the things I love in a good novel: romance, family love & friendship. It also had a great little suspense story that involved 4 year old Jamie. (He was just adorable!)
Tinch and Addison’s love story was different from the average romance. They’re brought together in strange circumstances and didn’t even particularly like each other at first. It took a 4 year old boy for them to be nice to each other and then they realized that they actually liked the other person. It didn’t have the typical romantic elements but it was a good love story none-the-less.
Jeremiah Truman is a man who I’ve come to know and very much admire throughout the series. He wasn’t always smiling but he had a huge heart. When he dies it’s incredibly moving and I cried to see him go (yes, cried – big ole tears!). Jeremiah had raised Reagan for the last 5 years and made a huge difference in her life. Seeing her trying to handle life after his death was difficult but I thought that Thomas wrote it so very well and made her deal with issues in her life that she hadn’t faced previously.
Overall I really liked the book a lot. As I write this I’m not sure if there will be more books in this series but I certainly hope there is as I would love to read more about this wonderful town and it’s inhabitants.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The series:
You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place
This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
Great review, Tracy! I’m really looking forward to get my hands on this book!! I read a bit of the excerpt at the back of The Comforts of Home and was curious about Tinch and Addison.
My only concern is Noah and Reagan. Reading your review, I can’t feel but think “Again?” They really had to decide… are they together or not? and while I’m thinking “again,” i sure hope it’ll be a happy ending for the two of them ^_^; Yeah, I’m contradictory.
Any words of Ronnie and Matt? (or was it Mark or Martin?)
Nath – A little bit of me was saying the same thing about Noah and Reagan. Because they’re so young though I understand them trying to find their footing and it worked out for both in the end.
We get to hear a bit about Ronny but not much. I WANT them together! lol