A difficult past. A strange letter. An unsolved mystery.Someone is following Lena, mapping her every move.Where strength can be weakness and vulnerability-an asset, the greatest danger that threatens Lena may just be herself.After the death of her father years ago, Lena ran from the quiet community of Kennerdell, but she’s back, forced to face a past she’d rather forget.To make things more … forget.
To make things more difficult, awkward, and terrifying, her old friend, Will, is back in her life. Even worse, she needs him there if she hopes to figure out what the letter she found in her father’s study means. They’re on a mission to find answers before her stalker does.
The River Beautiful mingles history and legend in a fast-paced ride through the deceptively peaceful Allegheny Mountains on a quest for answers amid loss, strength in the face of love, a whirlwind of self-discovery, and learning to use faith to illuminate even the darkest places.
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I really enjoyed this story! Will is the type of boy-next-door you’d love to meet! Lena is a pain in the rear, and I spent most of the story wanting to smack some sense into her. She thinks she’s strong, but she’s actually weak and afraid of her own shadow. She’s let fear rule her life, and robbed herself of love, friendship, and being a person people would want to know. Will has been there, waiting for her to finally grow up and see that she loves him, and they can build a life together. It takes almost losing herself totally to wake Lena up to the truth. The truth about herself, God, and Will. Finally, she’s growing up and able to step of the fear she’s surrounded herself with. She finally realizes that God isn’t the way she thought He was, and that He is always with us, ready to take us back when we ask forgiveness and turn fully to Him.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, was not required to leave a review, and the opinion expressed is my own.
Imagine being an adult and believing your father died in an accident. Then imagine several years pass and you have to go home to tell your mother that you have dropped out of college.
This book really illustrates the strength and power of God’s love for us, His children, through the love and forgiveness that Lena’s mother shows for her time and time again.
Another part I enjoyed about this story comes from how Lena and Will, her best friend growing up, move from friendship to love. I also appreciated how the book ends on a solid note that left me feeling as though the book was complete.
Complete with danger and suspense this book kept me involved until I read the last page. I felt the characters were well-developed and interesting. Plus, the storyline moved at a good pace.
If you have ever made mistakes in your life, this book is a good one to read. So check it out for yourself.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from CelebrateLit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
First. The setting of this novel. It’s gorgeous. I can see myself there and I really want to visit now. I’ve always had a penchant for loving the mountains and now they’re calling to me.
Second. This is the first novel I’ve read by this author. It will definitely not be my last. She’s good now and can only get better as she writes more.
This is a historical fiction meets contemporary fiction novel. You have history and crime and then you have present involved in history. If that makes sense at all. It involves the crown jewels and a man searching for them.
I’m a history buff. I love all things history. This book has a history but it doesn’t really flesh it out. I want to know all the details, they why and how and because of it all. Because this book doesn’t give it all to me I did look up the history of the crown jewels and how it could have been used within the novel.
This is a book that I can recommend. It has a few slow spots and you immediately know who the bad guy is, but it’s good. I can see this author being an up and coming favorite.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear – C.S.Lewis
This debut novel will draw you in, making you suspect almost everyone. Returning home after a long absence, Lena finds herself still struggling with coming to terms with her father’s death. She is angry with God for her father’s death, feeling guilty about unfulfilled expectations and unwilling to trust anyone. The fact that she is being stalked by someone only compounds that feeling that she is not is control.
Stories of lost treasures abound, but perhaps none so fascinating as the one that William Penn gave the Lenni Lenape people or Delaware Indians. Her father’s fascination with learning more about this treasure led Lena to her interest in history and archeology. Will her continued interest end in another death? Perhaps the cabbie is right – ‘whatever’s troubling ya’, miss, just remember, God’s always there to help’.
This digital copy was received through CelebrateLit Publishing. The impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.
The River Beautiful by Andrea Carmen
Mystery, suspense and romance readers will enjoy this story. Well developed characters make this book
an enjoyable read. The historical aspects added to the story. Add mystery and romance and you have a
good story. The inspirational story contained in the pages makes this worth the read.
This book is so rich in history , romance and faith that I am having a hard time coming back to the present. It is easy to get so involved in a story that nothing around you exists. Lena is a woman that is like a time bomb of emotion ready to burst at any moment. She is not a complicated person, just someone who has bottled up her anger for too long. I could feel her tense up every time her dad was mentioned. Losing him was devastating for the family but Lena can’t let go of how she feels. Her mind is swirling around with thoughts that God did this to her. He took away someone precious to her so how can she have faith? I loved how vulnerable she was even though she thinks she hides her feelings well.
Will is the kind of man that any woman would be blessed to have in their life. His faith is steady and he loves with his whole heart. Having Lena back in his life has renewed his hope that he can finally let her know how he feels. I was upset at Lena through most of the story because she pushed Will away every chance she could. Oh if only she could see how much Will loved her and wanted to protect her. I felt a little upset with myself because the reason Lena couldn’t commit was simple. She didn’t want to go through the pain of losing someone again. I think we have all experienced that in our lives. It is easy to see why Lena has put walls up around her heart. I have done the same thing for years. Being alone doesn’t really solve the issue, it only allows the enemy to continue to isolate you from the One who can turn bitterness into joy.
The other part of the story involves a mystery that Lena’s dad was working on before he died. Lena and Will work together to try to find the missing pieces that will lead them to the truth. I loved the suspense and how Will became this person who was willing to sacrifice himself in order to protect Lena. The story behind the mystery was intriguing but I think I would have liked a bit more focus on it rather than the relationship between Lena and Will. It wasn’t hard for me to figure out who was behind the continued threats on Lena’s life. The author does try to deflate the clues of who it is, but there was obvious directions she took that pointed to the culprit.
I did enjoy the story and was pleased with the faith scattered in the mix but I really wanted Lena to have a more meaningful God moment where she breaks down on her own. Let’s face it, when we are staring at death we are certain to cry out to God to save us and forgive us. It doesn’t mean you are not sincere, just that why did you wait so long? Lena has been in turmoil through the entire book and I think I was disappointed in how she suddenly needs Will back. The ending was a little abrupt and wrapped up way too fast. The mystery got lost in the middle and gets solved so quickly that it was almost an afterthought at the end.
I hope that my critiques don’t discourage you from reading what I believe is a good story. Not everyone sees a story the same way. I ended up liking Lena at the end and realized that I was a little like her. Maybe for me it was hard to feel like I was looking in a mirror as I experienced Lena’s emotional daily meltdown. There is the key for why I think this author is worth watching. Her ability to take a character with flaws, have readers relate to them and show them how to heal is nothing short of brilliant. She uses faith in a way that took me into Lena’s world and shows me where I need to work on things in order to feel His unconditional love.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
I found this story a bit confusing at first, but eventually the tale melded together into an intriguing mystery involving early American history and hidden treasure. Lena Woodruff comes back to her small hometown after abandoning college, only to return to the pain of the loss of her father and her confusing relationship with her longtime friend, Will Sundbuck. Family drama and personal relationships play a big part in this tale. Lena struggles within herself and whether there is really a God. Her search is for more than physical things, but for love and spiritual truth too. Can lessons from the past help transform the future? Lena is unsure of whom she can trust and if she can face life with her family anymore. The compelling novel makes you want to get going to discover all the answers Lena seeks. I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.
3.5 stars
The River Beautiful has an intriguing concept with a bit of history amid the contemporary romantic suspense plot. Lena is a layered character who still struggles with the death of her father, an emotional tangle that affects her relationships with those closest to her as well as God. As Lena helps her mom by (reluctantly) cleaning out her dad’s study, these emotions intensify along with an ever-present sense of danger, especially as she begins to piece together what her dad was working on just before his death. The bits of history mixed up in the suspense element piqued my interest enough to do my own research, too, and were my favorite aspects of the story.
This debut novel has a few problem spots, however. It relies more on telling than showing in many cases, and while I can tell that the plot is trying to be multi-dimensional, all of those layers are still pretty shallow. For instance, as far as the suspense thread, there’s really only one choice for the identity of the culprit – and it’s pretty obvious right from the beginning, as is the answer to the mystery they’re all trying to solve (i.e. no real red herrings in either element). Additionally, the story could have benefited from a better developmental edit to strengthen several instances where it seems a bit over the top (like Lena’s outbursts and extreme decisions) or seems to have no bearing on the story (like her sister’s escapades).
Bottom Line: While The River Beautiful has a few weak areas, overall this debut novel presents an intriguing story with some breathless moments of suspense & a long-unsolved historical mystery that will grab your attention right away. Lena’s character development is solid for the most part, and the reminder of what true Love looks like is something our current world needs to hear right now! Andrea Carmen tells a good story & and I’ll definitely be watching to see what she writes next.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)