Title: Riverbend
Author: Andrea Goodson
Series: The Riverbend Trilogy #1
Published: October 5th 2012 by Andrea Goodson Books
Page Count: 100
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: ★★★★★
Syopsis from Goodreads:
Nestled deep in Northwest Pennsylvania, amongst the thick forest of the Allegheny Mountains, is a quiet community named Kennerdell. The area is rich in Native American and European settlement history with few inhabitants and a charming culture. Growing up there was simple for 22 year old Lena Woodruff, full of happy memories and long, playful summer days spent by the nearby Allegheny River. Being the daughter of an Archaeology Professor, she was enamored with the beauty, peace, and history that surrounded her. Lena could have grown up to be an average, well-adjusted woman. But there has been a darkness within her for the past seven years, since her father’s tragic death. After managing to escape far away to Thomasville, Georgia for the past two years, Lena is forced to return home to visit her family. Upon her arrival, Lena had hoped to come clean to her mother, have a short visit and return to her secluded life, apart from her family, in Georgia. However, she is greeted by much more than she expects. She is haunted by the memories of her father's death as well as her self-destructive behavior in the years following. She struggles with guilt and regret for the pain she feels she has caused her family and loved ones. Her mother is loving and supportive and, although Lena appreciates those qualities, the pressure of living up to a standard and the recollections of her previous life prove unsettling and are too much for her to bear. Lena is quickly thrown into a web of mystery, inner conflict, grief, self-worth, love, and trust. Riverbend, book one in the three part series, exposes the beginning of a shocking mystery for Lena that could ultimately change written history. She teams up with one of her neighbors, longtime friend Will Sundback, and they begin an adventure together. But someone else is lurking about, following Lena, and keeping tabs on her every move. Who is this person and what do they know? Will Lena be able to allow herself happiness, solve the mystery surrounding her father’s work, and be able to free herself from the pain that plagues her?
My Review:
Ok, so I definitely did not leave my chair once while reading this novel. It was brilliant. I fully admit that I spent the 1st chapter wondering “what the hell happened in the past” but the rest of the book kept me captivated within its pages. Goodson has a way with words and manages to work mystery and intrigue into her work without it becoming apparent.
The descriptions and settings in this novel are great. They are real places that you feel like you could visit, or have visited. She uses her descriptions in a way that you can picture the setting for the novel very clearly. At the same time, she never gets longwinded or boring.
I think what really got me with this novel was the fact that the historical, anthropological, and archaeological facts present in the book are based in reality. Goodson took the time to research this before writing. It is not simply made up information that she tries to pass off as fact. She weaves an amazing tale around these facts, but what they are is still fact (with a twist or two, of course).
The characters are also heartwarming. You have a main character that is afraid to love because she lost her father coupled with her high school sweetheart who will still do anything for her. You can’t beat that, especially when Goodson takes the time to develop her characters into real people. I was, of course, left with the question “what is Richard’s deal?” Is he up to something or is he simply a skeazebag?
Buy your copy online here today!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment