Reviewed by Lynette Fowlston for Readers' Favorite

Utopia Texas by Betty Byrd is a sequel to her first book Trinity’s Daughter. It is the story of a dysfunctional family in the West Texas oil fields that deals with greed, jealousy, mental abuse, treachery and family dark secrets. When Byra marries Cole Harrison, she marries into money and high society and brings her daughter, Olivia, into the mix. With a relationship that has always been on shaky ground, Byra tries to raise her daughter in the life of the rich and famous no matter what the cost. As Olivia grows up, the relationship goes from bad to worse. When Olivia becomes pregnant, Brya pays off the father to just give the baby a name and then disappear. With an unstable mother, Olivia becomes just as unstable, a religious recluse and a child abuser. Now the granddaughter is the innocent victim between an unfit mother and a grandmother who will go to any lengths for power and wealth.

I have not read the author's first book; but had I, I would have had a better understanding of what Brya Harrison went through and why it was such a rocky road with her daughter. This is a deeply written novel with excellent main characters that will keep the reader spellbound to find out what will happen next. It’s a book that some may read a few chapters and put down, as they cannot get into it or they do not like the writing style; but if they keep reading, the book will grab them, and they will understand the deep meaning throughout the plot.