Book Review

Happy Trail by Daisy Prescott – 5 Stars

I have loved Penny Reid’s for years and have talked about them numerous times here on my blog but I have never ventured into her Smartypants Romance books. These books are by other romance authors but take place in the universe that Penny has created. I don’t know all of them but I know there are the park rangers, the library, the security company and I think the Nut House. I picked a few up when they go on sale and this week I needed something that I thought might hold my interest so I picked up the first one in Park Ranger series.

I freaking love the covers on both Penny’s books and the spinoffs, they all have the bearded man silhouette.

Happy Trails is the first in the Park Ranger series and we are following Ranger Jay Daniels who is presently tasked with making sure that the thru-hikers for the Appalachian Trail are safely off the trail before an early snow storm hits in October. He finds all the hikers except for Snowbird who is traveling solo. Deciding to turn around and head back down to the station he unexpectedly comes across someone in the bushes, turns out its Snowbird. Snowbird is actually Olive Perry who a few months earlier turned down a proposal on instagram live and then was promptly left by her ex. Not wanting to go home, Olive decides to continue on the AT and head back south to where the Trail ends in Georgia. Just shy o her goal, Olive is rescued by Ranger Daniels and the two have to find shelter from the snow storm.

I loved the dynamic between Jay and Olive, they were both holding onto some ideals about themselves that they needed to work through. Jay was of mixed heritage and struggled with the fact that he could pass as white while his sister could not. Olive came from money and had never real had a job of her own and dealt with societal ideals on image. I loved the journey that they both went on together and by themselves.

My other favorite part of this book was the bird references. In my spare time when I am not reading and dealing with kids schedules, I like to go birding. It’s something I have been doing for years and enjoy whenever we go on vacations. During the early part of Olive’s solo journey she picks up a copy of Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds and decides to start checking them off. She is actually looking for the Black Throated Blue Warbler when Ranger Daniels thinks she is going to the bathroom. I loved all the bird talk and it made me love a great story even more.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book.

“Watch out fancy dinner parties, I’m going to blow your socks off with ornithological facts.” Page 49

“To all the haters who think I’ll never get married and am going to die alone as a cat lady, I say ha! I’ll be the crazy bird woman with binoculars and a camouflage poncho, silently hiding out in reeds or woods.” Page 49

“You can keep the mayo, AKA the devil’s mucus.” Page 120 (my husband hates mayo and I love it, so this made me laugh)

“There are two types of people in the world: those who use bookmarks, and monsters.” Page 126 (psst…I’m a monster!)

Have you read any Penny Reid or Smarty Pants Romance books? If so which one’s are your favorite?

Until Next Time, Happy Reading!