Just Down the Road

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Authors: Jodi Thomas

Tags: #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Fiction

BOOK: Just Down the Road
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P
RAISE FOR

S
OMEWHERE
A
LONG THE
W
AY

 

“Filled with amazing people that many of us can relate to … I love the characters and I love the caring, sharing, squabbles, and oddball individuals who live there.”


Romance Reviews Today

 

“A delightful story with as much love and warmth as there is terror and fear … This is terrific reading from page one to the end. Jodi Thomas is a passionate writer who puts real feeling into her characters.”


Fresh Fiction

 

“Thomas once again brings to life this fascinating little Texas town and its numerous characters. The reader is expertly drawn into their lives and left eager to know what happens next.”


RT Book Reviews

 

“Extremely powerful and gripping writing. It’s full of passionate moments, hidden secrets, and likable characters.”


Roundtable Reviews

 

“Distinctive … Memorable.”


Publishers Weekly
(online review)

 

W
ELCOME TO
H
ARMONY

 

“The characters are delightful, and a subplot about mysterious fires balances the sweet stories about being and becoming family.”


Publishers Weekly

 

“A fast-moving, engaging tale that keeps you turning pages … Thomas’s characters become as familiar as family or friends.”


Fresh Fiction

 

“A heartwarming tale, with plenty of excitement,
Welcome to Harmony
is Jodi Thomas all the way—super characters, lots of riveting subplots, and the background of a realistic Texas town. Don’t miss this terrific novel.”


Romance Reviews Today

 

“A wonderful novel of three interwoven stories, peopled with characters you will care for deeply.”


RT Book Reviews

 

R
EWRITING
M
ONDAY

 

“Jodi Thomas again delivers a delightful, character-driven tale of modern Texas…. Heartwarming, heart-tugging, and just plain good reading.”


Romance Reviews Today

 

“Thomas seamlessly weaves past and present into a gripping novel of contemporary romantic suspense, as Pepper begins to appreciate the accomplishments of previous generations and to enjoy true friendship and a sense of belonging for the first time in her life.”


Booklist

 

“[Jodi Thomas] paints beautiful pictures with her words, creates characters that are so real you feel as though they’re standing next to you, and she has a deliciously wry sense of humor…. I enjoyed this book from page one until the end—and thoroughly recommend it.”


Romance Novel TV

 

“If reading a new book is like opening a box of chocolates, then I got the one with cherry inside—my favorite—when I read
Rewriting Monday
…. This is quite a rich story with touching characters that seem real and behave like real people…. I loved it.”


The Book Smugglers

 

T
WISTED
C
REEK

 


Twisted Creek
will weave its way around the reader’s heart. Compelling and beautifully written, it is exactly the kind of heart-wrenching, emotional story one has come to expect from Jodi Thomas.”

—Debbie Macomber, #1
New York Times
best-selling author

 

“Jodi Thomas is a masterful storyteller. She grabs your attention on the first page, captures your heart, and then makes you sad when it is time to bid her wonderful characters farewell. You can count on Jodi Thomas to give you a satisfying and memorable read.
Twisted Creek
is absolutely delightful.”

—Catherine Anderson,
New York Times
best-selling author

 

“Thomas sketches a slow, sweet surrender, keeping the tension building to a rewarding resolution in this unsentimental, homespun romance.”


Publishers Weekly

 


Twisted Creek
is a wonderful, character-driven tale that tells just what a family can be, even if it’s made up of a bunch of lonely friends…. Romance blooms slowly, but for two nearly lost souls, it’s rewarding when it does…. As usual, Jodi Thomas kept me up way later than normal!
Twisted Creek
could be anywhere, but Ms. Thomas makes it uniquely Texan with her wonderful characters and great dialogue. This is another thought-provoking novel to add to your Jodi Thomas collection.”


Romance Reviews Today

 

“Romantic suspense and sweet women’s fiction are an unlikely combination, but in
Twisted Creek
, veteran storyteller Jodi Thomas makes the pairing work quite well. Allie’s love for her aging grandmother is sensitively portrayed, while her blossoming relationship with Luke simmers unforgettably in the background. This is a moving story about overcoming hardship and bitterness and about being brave enough to make a happy ending—no matter what it takes.”


Romance Junkies

 

Titles by Jodi Thomas

JUST DOWN THE ROAD

THE COMFORTS OF HOME

SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY

WELCOME TO HARMONY

REWRITING MONDAY

TWISTED CREEK

***

TEXAS BLUE

THE LONE TEXAN

TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN

TEXAS PRINCESS

TEXAS RAIN

THE TEXAN’S REWARD

A TEXAN’S LUCK

WHEN A TEXAN GAMBLES

THE TEXAN’S WAGER

TO WED IN TEXAS

TO KISS A TEXAN

THE TENDER TEXAN

PRAIRIE SONG

THE TEXAN AND THE LADY

TO TAME A TEXAN’S HEART

FOREVER IN TEXAS

TEXAS LOVE SONG

TWO TEXAS HEARTS

THE TEXAN’S TOUCH

TWILIGHT IN TEXAS

THE TEXAN’S DREAM

Just Down
the Road

J
ODI
T
HOMAS

 

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

JUST DOWN THE ROAD

A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with the author

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley mass-market edition / April 2012

Copyright © 2012 by Jodi Koumalats.

Excerpt from
Welcome to Harmony
by Jodi Thomas copyright © 2010 by Jodi Koumalats.

Cover art by Jim Griffin. Hand lettering by Ron Zinn. Cover design by George Long.

Interior text design by Kristin del Rosario.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 978-1-101-56148-5

BERKLEY
®

Berkley Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEY
®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

ALWAYS LEARNING

PEARSON

Table of Contents
 

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

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