I received an Advance Readers e-copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Three women’s paths cross one night at a convenience store in small-town Texas. Lianna is a New York businesswoman in town for an important meeting, who already hates the whole state even before she is suddenly locked in gas station bathroom with Gillian. Gillian is the consummate Texas housewife – polished and beautiful, hospitable to a fault, and quick to believe the man behind the convenience store counter when he tells her she’s in danger and needs to hide. Sweet and mild Aimee might be the perfect employee, working hard to prove herself while hiding her own dark past.
Buck’s Pantry leans fairly heavy on the stereotypes but it does have some surprises. It genuinely took me a bit to figure out how Aimee and her history connected to what was happening to Gillian and Lianna and while all three of the women fit a type, there did turn out to be more to each than initially seemed. Gillian in particular had a lot more depth than I first thought.
More than I expected, the story drew me in and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next. There are some interesting cross-cultural moments, especially between Gillian and Lianna, that highlight just how different two women from the same country can be. While I didn’t get why Lianna was so shocked to learn Gillian was a Republican (I kind of assume most people in Texas are gun-toting Republicans), I thought Wierman did do a decent job of showing how people’s attitudes can become entrenched without them ever really thinking their opinions over.
The story was also a lot more thoughtful than I expected when handling Aimee’s history. The character of her mother was pretty over-the-top but overall (and without giving too much away) I thought the way the long-term effects of an upbringing like Aimee’s was showcased was thoughtful and added a different dimension to the story.
This was an easy read with some thoughtful background and depth added so that even where the characters might have faltered, there was plenty to keep me reading.
Karissa Reads Books 
Hmm interesting read – how did you come about this one? Doesn’t seem like your normal fare…
You’re right, it’s not. The publicist is one I’ve worked with before and they approached me and it sounded interesting enough so I gave it a shot.
NICE – reading out of our comfort zones! LOL
Wait, how are you going to skip over the part where it sounds like they’re all locked in a gas station bathroom together? 🤣
To be honest, that wasn’t the most interesting part of the book for me. And there were only 2 of them locked in the bathroom together though most of the characters end up at the convenience store by the end of that scene.