In The Rumble and the Glory, there is Always Another Secret

For her new series, “The Rumble and the Glory,” JA Huss takes her readers to three small West Virginia towns that time forgot. The population, albeit very small, lives in the 21st century but they deliberately leave the town to be a mix of colonial Williamsburg with a throwback 1960s and 1920s revival vibe all thrown into one.

The characters in the story are characters themselves. There’s Lowyn McBride, a college dropout turned entrepreneur who owns a very successful vintage store. There is Collin Creed, a former soldier who was dishonorably discharged and currently owns a security company. They were high school sweethearts but broke up when Creed joined the military. That was 12 years ago. Now that he is back in Disciple, WV, a second-chance romance is brewing.

It might sound like a trope, but it’s not. JA Huss does not do straightforward tropes. There are always so many twists and turns in her story that we question ourselves if we pegged the plot correctly. There are always surprises and for “The Rumble and the Glory,” it’s the secrets that the town holds. Some secrets are bigger than the town itself but there are also small ones that will only affect one or two people if it became known.

This might sound ominous, especially with the book cover. Again, expect to be surprised! Between Lowyn and Creed, whose story is already engaging, the supporting characters – Amon and Rosie, Clover and Bryn, even Mayor Jim Bob add color to the story. The book is unputdownable.

And as always, the audiobook is perfectly cast. JA Huss always knows who the best narrators for her books are, and this time, CJ Mission and Jill Redfield nailed Creed and Lowyn, respectively. Narrated as a duet, the banter between Creed and Lowyn feels so real. Both narrators easily changed voices for the other characters. And best of all, Jill Redfield got the Southern accent down pat. Listening to her brings me to Dixieland.

I’ve been reading JA Huss for some time, and I have always thought that her Rook and Ronin books and The Company are her best world building. I’m happy to say that “The Rumble and the Glory” just exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait for the next books in the series. I want to know more about the towns of Bishop, Disciple and Revenant. I also want to learn the story of the other characters that were featured prominently in this book.