First Sons and Last Daughters (A standalone novel of The Pioneer Ranch Saga, Book 2)


Fiction - Literary
Kindle Edition
Reviewed on 12/31/2023
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Samar Reine crafts character-driven family dramas exploring complex psychology, with richly layered inner and outer worlds, mystery, overcoming, awakenings, and self-discovery, all infused with a touch of romance.

An acclaimed economics professor, Reine was raised on the Mediterranean coastline, a stone’s throw away from where Jesus turned water into wine. English is Reine’s third language. She started teaching economics in higher education at twenty-three.

Reine’s worldview was profoundly influenced by her education under Jesuit and Marists French priests during a period of civil war. This experience forever transformed her understanding of love, resilience, overcoming, compassion, and healing, instilling in her a unique perspective on these fundamental aspects of life.

During her formative years, Samar Reine won every cultural competition she entered, which eventually led to her passion for writing novels.

She's been an intrepid traveler since the age of seventeen, venturing out alone, and is a devoted lover of nature and animals.
Reine believes in meraki, a transcendental existence for a meaningful life.

For a life painted vermilion mountains, oceans of sky, and the call of the wild, she lives with her family between the mountains of the Southwest and the Pacific coast.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite

An extraordinary literary novel driven by incredible characters, First Sons and Last Daughters by Samar Reine intimately explores the intricacies of family relationships and marriage. As her biological son, Gideon, comes up with new ways of destroying the family, Peyton Chase feels torn between protecting the rest of her family and including him in their lives. Gideon’s malice drives a wedge between Peyton and her husband, Adler. As the gap between the couple widens, Peyton’s first love reappears in her life, offering her a different, less complicated path. The feelings she had for Ashton threaten to re-emerge. Still, she remembers the earlier joys of her marriage and is not ready to let go. Different events continue to rock Adler and Peyton’s marriage and she must decide which course to follow.

Reine charts the characters’ lives with remarkable skill, drawing them together through their family ties. Peyton’s internal struggles, which are deepened by her difficult relationship with Gideon and her struggling marriage, are skillfully unveiled. The breathtaking landscapes of New Mexico and California are described in lush detail that left me feeling as if I had traveled to these places. The novel brims with romance, conflict, joy, friendship, and love, deftly blending the lives of its characters and creating a cohesive and memorable story. Set against stunning backgrounds and told through a rich set of characters, First Sons and Last Daughters by Samar Reine is a splendid novel that will remain in readers’ minds and hearts long after reading it.