Jessica Peterson’s Cash is the first novel in the Lucky River Ranch series, which follows the romantic lives of the five orphaned Rivers brothers in the Texas Hill Country. This structure, known as an interconnected standalone series, is a popular and commercially successful model in contemporary romance publishing. Each book focuses on a different couple while advancing a larger, overarching narrative concerning the family or community. This format allows authors to build a rich, immersive world and a loyal readership invested in the recurring cast of characters. Successful examples of this model include Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, which chronicles the romantic pursuits of each sibling in the Bridgerton family, and Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series, which explores various relationships within a small town.

As the inaugural installment, Cash establishes the central setting, the core family dynamics, and the foundational conflicts. Subsequent books in the series explore the romantic lives of his younger brothers. Wyatt (the second book in the series) focuses on the romantic relationship between Wyatt Rivers and his childhood friend, Sally, who is introduced as a character in Cash (she works as one of the veterinarians on the ranch).