Rumors in Ross County Sycamore Circle, Book 2, (Paperback)

Hooked me from beginning, kept me guessing throughout on who was harassing Joy. I love Shelley's novels because you really get to know the characters and feel a personal connection to them. I can't wait to see this series continue to see which characters journey she pursues next!

This is book 2 in the Ross County series by Shelley Shepard Gray. Joy Shepard is the divorced mother of a 16 year old daughter (who loves dance) who meets Samuel “Bo” Beauman at a coffee shop. Bo is an ex-con who works with other ex-cons as they re-enter life after prison. They are two people you wouldn't expect to meet and talk with each other. As nearly all the characters in Shelley Shepard Gray's books, they are believable and work toward making a better life for themselves and those around them. I liked learning more about the characters as the story progressed, the development of their relationship with each other, and the outside factors at play. Joy spends her time tutoring adults who want to learn to read and drawing / painting. Joy also has an ex--husband with whom she tries to have a cordial relationship. There is also a stalker in the mix. Bo tries to lead and encourage recent ex-cons as they find their way after prison (some are challenging in their actions) as well support Joy recognizing the newness of their relationship. As in Shelly Shepard Gray's other books, I really like the characters. The people are kind at heart and really try to do their best. Sometimes they make questionable decisions or don't communicate all the information they could, but that adds to the story and development of the plot. In this book, the mystery/ suspense of a stalker adds to the storyline as the reader tries to discover who that person could be. There is also a budding friendship / romantic interest between Chloe (Joy's 16 year old daughter) and Finn (a young Amish man who is considering leaving the Amish life). I also appreciated learning about adult illiteracy as Joy explains and tutors as part of the story. I liked this book better than the first, Edgewater Road, in the Rumors in Ross County series. I found the characters to be more even tempered in their approach to life. I enjoyed the book because of the character development, relationship development between the characters, and the mystery / suspense of the stalker identification as well as the stalker's actions. This book was hard to put down. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did, and that you read other Shelley Shepard Gray books; she is one of my very favorite authors. Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.