Shannon Richard Books In Order

Publication Order of Country Roads Books

Publication Order of Taking the Shot Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Shannon Richard was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida and still resides there. She reveals little information about her life aside from the fact that she grew up alongside two loving and protective older brothers. She inherited her love for literature from her mother who was herself an ardent reader and orator. She has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Florida State University. Her hobbies are writing and reading which may explain how she manages to release at least a couple of novels every year. She has been a great fan of romance novels her entire life, and describes herself as a “big fan of the whimsy.”

The book Undone debuted Shannon’s famous Country Roads novel series, which has been responsible for putting her on the literary map. The book was written in 2013 and follows the intrigues of Paige Morrison, a girl whose life turns upside down after losing her job and has to return move in with her elderly parents in a small town of Mirabelle in the Florida countryside. She finds the adaptation from city life to country life quite challenging but it gets much more interesting when she meets a local handsome mechanic called Brendan King. Brendan helps her find a job and introduces her into a new social circle where she finds long lost happiness again. As Paige’s life falls back together, she falls hard for Brendan, whose charming smile and adventurous demeanor are hard to resist. She is at first reluctant to let loose, held back by her assumptions that the town people would not accept her in their midst, but Brendan sees beyond her prickly reluctance. Predictably, a steaming romance develops between them but past secrets blown by the winds of gossip falls smack in the middle of the couple’s path threatening to end not only their love but also the new life that Paige has built for herself. Undone is right up there with small town romance novels. She uses an intelligent sprinkling of humor to spice up the narration, which coupled with her aptitude in character construction immerses the reader into the world described in the story to an uncomparable level.

The second book in Shannon’s Country Road series, “Undeniable” has the same degree of suspense and excitement as the preceding novel. Set in the backwater town of Mirabelle, Florida, this novel was published a few months after “Undone” and is a typical small town romance. Grace King finds life in the town pretty satisfying and has everything she needs working at her grandmother’s café. The only desire she has is for the handsome town sheriff Jaxson Anderson to take notice of her as more than just the girl who makes his treats. She takes special care of his orders, all the while fantasizing that he will finally allow her to take care of more than just his midday snacks. Time after time, he seems oblivious of her openly seductive small talk but within him, the same fire is burning for Grace. However, Jax, who is best friends with Grace’s elder sister, has to reluctantly keep the stunning beauty out of his life for fear of exposing her to his painful past. A passionate kiss opens the floodgates and Jax’s defenses crumble leading to a raunchy romance. As he had feared, his most dangerous secrets are floating around, putting more than his relationship to Grace in jeopardy. Shannon’s storytelling abilities shine through in this novel, aided by her nonchalant for slow moving action alternating with fast-paced events that all bind into a satisfactory ending.

Unstoppable is Richard’s third book from the series Country Roads and it is also set in Mirabelle, Florida. The story covers the romantic exploits between high school teacher Melanie O’Bryan and former army pilot Bennett Hart. Hart who is back home after surviving a helicopter crash in Afghanistan has nothing more on his mind but the quiet and peace away from the war. While helping the stunningly beautiful high school teacher with a class project, an unmistakable sexual tension develops between them. Although Mel has given all of herself to Hart, the latter holds back his advances, which bewilders Mel. Even after an animated kiss that gives way to raucous lovemaking, the handsome airman is reluctant to commit fully as he is haunted by past trauma and memories. Eventually, these old wounds begin to reopen and he is faced with a dilemma on whether to keep his secrets under wraps or save his budding union with Mel. This precipitates an avalanche of fast-paced series of events full of twists and intrigues that many readers will find irresistible to leave hanging. With every installment of the Country Road, Shannon visibly refines her ability to deliver suspenseful narration and more vivid character description. Her style is based on realistic emotionality of the characters and nowhere is this more apparent than in Melanie and O’Bryan’s love tale. The book features some dramatic twists, taking the reader through a full cycle of intense emotions.

There is no shortage of outright depressing events for the reader, but these balance out with humorous and happy anecdotes strewn throughout the novels. Shannon manages to deliver an extremely close connection between the readers and the characters and it is very easy to feel each of the character’s emotions as they experience it. The homogeneity of the novels, with the stories all assuming a familiar pattern, may be a drawback for some of the readers. However, the use of the Mirabelle setting throughout the novels helps readers to understand the setting much better with each subsequent installment. The literary prowess that Shannon possesses is evident throughout the books. She has earned praise for her ability to excite and provoke in equal measure while using extremely relatable characters and events. Shannon’s works are hard to put down once tried and they are a worthy read for bookworms everywhere. The target audience is self-evident from the cover illustrations and even the very genre of the books. However, with the balanced representation of gender in the novels, it would not be surprising if they were the diving board for multiple macho men plunging into romance novels.