Mateo Alvarez knew only darkness in his childhood and youth. He finally gets a break working at Rydell Rides because his boss, Shane Rydell, gives him the job opportunity, despite his prison record. But Shane also warns Mateo to go nowhere near his daughter, Iris. The problem is, that’s not the daughter that has caught Mateo’s eye. Rose has.Rose Rydell is home in River’s End with her education … education and job training done to start working with her mom as a dyslexia specialist and tutor. She avoids the world her dad and sister inhabit as car mechanics. But most especially she avoids Mateo. With his violent past, prison record and neck-tattoo… she’s more than unnerved by him but completely distrustful of what he thinks or might do.
Until one day… he changes everything between them.
It shocks her. And… also, changes everything she notices and thinks about him. And she will never again go back to ignoring or fearing him. He finally has her attention but he has no idea what to do with it. She starts to see things he’s hidden from everyone his entire life. Things that aren’t dark or violent, but talents and interests far beyond what’s ever been noticed before.
But when violence touches River’s End… Mateo is the first suspect. The natural suspect in everyone’s eyes. The exact thing Mateo always expected to happen. As their relationship finally comes out to all of River’s End, they have to find a way to keep Mateo free and their love together…
*Warning: This book contains profanity, sex and mature content matter. Mature audiences ONLY.
Recommended Reading Order For The River’s End Series:
River’s End
River’s Escape
River’s Return
River Road
River on Fire
River’s Lost
River of Change
River’s Destiny
River’s Rescue
River’s Winter
River in Darkness
River in Light
River in the Mountains
more
This was a great addition to the series! Mateo has a criminal past that he is trying to move away from. Rose is the daughter of his boss at the garage where he works. Initially Rose was afraid of him because of his past and the fact that he has tattoos. Slowly he chips away at her iciness. Their story was an emotional one. While it is a love story, the relationship that develops between them is everything. He challenges her to loosen up and enjoy life. She challenges him to be better than his upbringing and to set the bar high. I loved that she wouldn’t back down to him. I am looking forward to reading the next offering from this author.
Thank you for the privilege of reading this book! Well done
River in Light
(River End Series #12)
Leanne Davis
River in Light is book 12 in the River’s End series written by Leanne Davis. This story was an easy read and hard to put down once I started reading it.
I absolutely loved reading Rose & Mateo’s story. I loved how this pair of opposites met. Through out the story Rose showed Mateo what it meant to love and trust someone with all their heart and soul, no matter what. With a whole lot of support and guidance from Rose. Mateo was able to make something of himself and follow his dreams that he never knew existed. Not everything came easy for this pair, no matter what happened or stood Rose had Mateo’s back. In the end Mateo got the family he always wanted. I loved seeing this couple get the happy ending they desired.
I enjoy reading Leanne Davis’s books. She writes in such depth that the stories hook you in, making you feel like your there in the story. I have book 13 in this series. I am looking forward to reading it in the very near future.
I can’t remember how I first found Leanne Davis’ books. I started with the first one in the River’s End series and I binge read all of them. I read a lot of books. I’ve read some really great books but the number of books that can really grab me and run my emotions through the gamut is few and far between. 12 of those books are in the River’s End series. Leanne Davis has this uncanny ability to make me feel as if I know the characters in her books and I’m right there with them.
In River In Light, we get to know Rose and Mateo.
Rose grew up in the shadow of her sister Iris. Her dad, Shane, is a big, tatted up biker who owns a mechanic business. He has customers that come from far and wide. Iris works with him and Rose has always felt kind of invisible. She is the antithesis of her sister. Long red hair, pale skin and a teacher.
Mateo got a job working with Shane when he got out of prison. Covered in tattos, including one on his neck, he is very reserved but uses his looks to intimidate people so they leave him alone. Mateo grew up with a gangster father and brother and a mean mother, who loved his brother more. Mateo was forced to steal for his father and wound up in prison for a botched robbery where a man was shot.
Rose and Mateo seemingly have nothing in common. Rose is a little scared of Mateo but can’t seem to help feeling some connection. Mateo is hot for Rose but knows he could never be with someone like her. Besides, she’s the bosses daughter. But sometimes things change.
I read this book in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. It can definitely be read as a stand alone but the other books are so great and explain a lot of back story. You definitely should read them.
Mateo is an ex-con who works for Rose’s dad Shane Rydell. He grew up with a gangster father who forced him to steal and a mother who was mean and cared more for his brother than she did for him. Rose has always felt inferior to her sister Iris. She has noticed Mateo but is afraid of him because of his past. Mateo has feelings for Rose but feels he’s not good enough for her. Will these two be able to overcome their feelings of doubt to get their HEA?
I really loved Mateo and Rose’s story. It was well written with great characters and an interesting storyline that had plenty of emotions, chemistry, great interaction between the two main characters and love.
I received an advanced readers copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a honest review.
Another great addition to the series. Two people seemingly from very different worlds fight through all the emotional baggage and accusations to make it to the HEA. This is a standalone story but I recommend reading the previous books for the back stories.
Amazing! As is all of Leanne’s books. Rose is pure perfection, educated, fair-skinned, sweet and beautiful. Everything Mateo is not, he’s an uneducated, ex-con, covered in tattoos. But the worse part, she’s his bosses daughter. And no one messes with Shane Rydell or his daughters. But Mateo can’t help himself, he’s drawn to Rose. And she see’s the real Mateo, not the one he, his tattoos or his past portrays.
River in Light (River’s End Series Book 12)
Leanne Davis
If you have read Leanne Davis before, you know her books always have meaning and you learn a lot about something. This one I believe you learn that you should not judge others by how they look. This is Mateo and Rose’s story. Rose is one of Shane Rydell’s daughters, but she takes more after her mother than her dad. Mateo works for Shane in his auto repair shop alongside Iris. Mateo and Iris are besties. Mateo has always had the hots for Rose even though he knows he scares her. He starts hanging out at the beach he knows she frequents so he can spend time with her. Rose is not too happy about Mateo being there at first, but being the person she is, she goes rafting with him. When she realizes how terrified he is, she helps him, and before the next time, she buys him a life jacket and raft so she can pull him easier. No one has ever given Mateo anything, and it surprises him and he really doesn’t know how to express it. This is the start of the two of them getting to know each other. Well it’s the start of something or possibly the end, but Rose needs answers, so she confronts Mateo. This starts them hanging out, and learning so many things from each other. Rose teaches Mateo about love, trust and that he is so much more than a felon. But Mateo has some secrets of his own to divulge to Rose. Rose ends up being his biggest champion – she gets him to try things he loves but would never do on his own. She pushes him to be a better person, and he pushes her to live a little and be a little less judgemental and regimented. I absolutely loved the dynamic of the two of them, and honestly learning about Mateo’s childhood was heartbreaking as well as eye opening. I thought the one about Iris and Quinn was pretty spectacular, but I believe Mateo and Rose surpasses that one (I do still need to go back and read the beginning of the series, so even though it is a series, you can read as a standalone, but you will get more out of it by reading more than one. I look forward to reading #13 and catching up. If you like an opposites attract and strong women and men, then this would be an excellent book for you to pick up and read.
Oh my this series get better and better ..love Mateo and Rose .. I love to see Mateo soft side with rose . He know she scare but he care deeply of her and want to get to know her so much . Rose his scare of Mateo but she let him in by small way starting at the river then by showing him her fav spot at the family lac . Then come the kiss and holy chemistry.. then she tell him if he want more he need to get to knew her more it won’t just be sex …Mateo never done that before ..will they be able to be get to know each other and built a relationship or will it destroy.. this is a most read book .. this was one of my fav couple in series .
So I’ve been looking forward to this story especially after reading book 11. I knew Mateo had a story to tell and boy was it a sad one. He’s had a bad past, one he thought he’d never leave behind. He thought he was always going to be held back by his felony and with Rose’s help he learned so much. Yes she was scared of him at first the more time she spent with him, she realized a)he was smart and b) he was afraid to open up. What started out as just a physical thing, turned into so much more with these two. Rose wasn’t afraid to push him to leave the past behind, which included the toxic family he had, and to not be afraid of letting it define him. He had a love for reading and Shakespeare. He knew he was smart but he had nobody to push him to greatness. He had a life and it was all he knew until the Rydells took a chance on him. I liked that this story was about the Rose and Mateo and not surrounded with all the Rydells, like the other books were. You get a little of them but the focus is on the main characters. I would have loved to have Mateo’s point of view in this especially during certain scenes. This was a great book and i was glad we got to know more about Mateo.
Wow,, just WOW!!! My heart broke so much reading this book! Mateo has been through so much in his life!! He has never felt love or been loved, untill Rose comes into his life. Mateo goes through Hell, but comes out on top. With the love of Rose by his side, she pushes him to go for his dreams!! There’s no limit to what Mateo can do!
I absolutely loved this book!! By far my favorite in the series!!
As always, Leanne does not let you down. Mateo and Rose hook up and look for the best in each other. Mateo challenges Rose to loosen up and enjoy life, which is hard for her. With different backgrounds, the book challenges you to read the book all the way through. I don’t want to divulge any info, but again I love her books. I have read the entire River set and give this book a five.
I really liked this book. For me it was the story that pulled me in. The characters and chemistry was iceing on the cake.
This is one of my favorite series! I was so excited for Rose’s story and I was not disappointed! I was so enamored by Mateo’s past. I couldn’t stop reading!
Wow book 12 in the River End series. We get to meet Mateo. He has been in another book but not to much is told about him. If you have read on eof the books you know he has a criminal background and Shane Rydell gives him a job at his shot. Rose is Shanes daughter. She is quiet and is afraid of Mateo and his past. Another great book for the series. I love how we get to see everyone how everyone turns out that is mentioned in the books.
This book was great because it showed you how you should never judge a books by its cover, meaning because of the way it looks on the outside doesn’t really mean what it is in the inside. The story line was truly second chances, but in life , yes the romance is there but it really digs deep into how growing up in different life situations can really change who you become. Whether its fears or just shutting down because you weren’t taken seriously. I loved how the author unfolded all the story and how everything made sense with how things turned out. Please read it this author never fails to really make reading enjoyable.
I like that Rose & Mateo’s relationship wasn’t easy. They almost seemed like enemies. I liked that they had to give it a little work and time for there to be trust. I liked that there was more to them that was on the surface. I appreciated that Rose saw Mateo for not only who he was, but who he could be and helped give that to him to give him some of his happiness. It was sweet how she stood up for him when others turned their backs. It was sweet, but a hard road to travel. Sometimes a person just needs to be understood and just loved unconditionally. This was Rose to Mateo.
Rose and Mateo are polar opposites. She is the uptight teacher of dyslexic children and adults and he is the heavily tattooed, ex-con, mechanic working for her father. When they start getting to know each other, they find their preconceived notions may not be accurate.
This series by Leann Davis does not disappoint. Even though this is the twelfth book in the series, each book has a completely different plot and cast of characters. I think reading all of the books is a great way to enjoy the series, it is not necessary; however, reading Shane’s story (book three) and Iris’ story (book eleven) will really add to the story. Plus starting with book one (River’s End) will introduce the family and is still my favorite.
Outstanding
Shane gives Mateo a job at his shop and tells him to stay away from his daughter.Iris also works at his shop and his daughter Rose feats Mateo.When a incident at the shop happens all eyes are on Mateo but Rose knows different as the two have become close.Rose see’s things in Mateo that others don’t and helps him expand on that.This is another awesome read by Leanne
This is the 12th in the series complete standalone but you should read the others well worth it! Mateo is a ex convict he was hired on by Shane and Rose is Shane’s daughter these are 2 different backgrounds could they be perfect for each other?
Mateo watched Rose from afar and dreamed what it would be like to be with her but being a convict and working for her father made it just that a dream.
Rose was terrified of Mateo with his neck tattooed and the scary stare he has but one day on the river changed that.
I loved how accepting Rose was of life around her and how she really tried to understand the scary guy with the neck tattoo to see the person inside even if he didn’t want her to.