Riverbend Reunion by Carolyn Brown
Publication Date: 14th June 2022
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
4 stars
One Liner: Heartwarming story about friendships and second chances
- Jessica- army vet; restless and tensed
- Risa- mom of twin teen girls (in the middle of a divorce)
- Mary Nell- kicked out by a loser boyfriend
- Haley- dealing with a family secret and unexpected change
- Wade- army vet; struggling to come to terms with his brother’s death
Jessica, Risa, Mary Nell, and Haley are cheerleaders and buddies from school. Wade was their senior, but it’s these four that share a deep bond with each other. They are back home in Texas after twenty years and find their lives at crossroads.
Jessica inherits an old church (that hasn’t been in use for years) and has no idea what to do with it. A chance meeting with her friends and Wade gives her a new project and a reason to put down her roots. They decide to turn the unused church into a grill and bar.
Of course, it’s not an easy job. Apart from the physical work involved, the friends have to deal with their personal lives and the opposition from the religious folk in the town. It’s up to them to stand with each other, make tough decisions, and rebuild their lives with love and friendship.
My Observations:
First things first. I wasn’t entirely sure about the idea of converting a church into a bar. But a quick search assured me that this has happened a few times before. I realized it wouldn’t be appropriate to compare different cultures (mine to others) and get things too tangled up for no reason.
This is my second book by the author and is slightly heavier than the first. But it is just as heartwarming with well-etched characters and good touches of humor.
There’s loads of food- pancakes, flavored waffles, ice creams, lemon pound cake, half a dozen types of cookies, and sigh! I’m drooling.
The relationship between the friends was the best part of the book. Even though the story didn’t seem to progress much in some places, the interactions make it worth reading.
The twin girls, Lily and Daisy, are such sweethearts. If only we had teens like them around! Despite the stress and family issues, the girls are not bitter, cranky, or grumpy. They are lively, confident, assertive, sassy, and sweet. I love them.
There’s slow-burn romance too, but the central plot is about the friends and their lives. I like Wade’s character. He is friendly, supportive, understanding, and compassionate.
There are some not-so-loving characters too. Grandma Martha and Grandma Stella compete for the most disliked character. They are similar as well- two people using religion and God as tools to control and dominate their own family members.
Oscar is such a fun person and the complete opposite of these ladies. This book doesn’t have the main lead. Instead, it has eight people trying to work things out for the best.
There are no major obstacles or hurdles for the group. Things pretty much go as per the plan (which rarely happens), but I wasn’t looking for realistic fiction. I enjoyed the story as it is.
The pace dips in the middle but picks up in the third part. The ending is sweet and, of course, has a HEA, which is all I want after reading 300 pages. The epilogue ties up things neatly (a little too neat, but who cares).
To sum up, Riverbend Reunion is a slightly heavy but heartwarming story about a group of friends looking to find a place to call home.
Thank you, NetGalley and Montlake, for the eARC.
#NetGalley #RiverbendReunion
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