“Island settings have a special kind of nostalgic magic, and CJ Hunt has imbued River’s End with a mix of small town charm and sexy fun that pulls readers in and makes them want to stay for more.” ~Laurel Greer, author of From Exes to Expecting”Isaac MacAllister’s life revolves around building his business and doing his best to give his daughter Sara a strong sense of family. Over the years he’s … family. Over the years he’s had to learn how to keep their little family together on his own, but this Christmas Isaac is going to have some unexpected help.
Christmas blogger Jenna Murphy has one goal for the holidays this year: to get far away from anything to do with Christmas. Her website sale is done, and after 1,825 posts about the big C, it’s one “season” she never wants to celebrate again. She’s ready to start a new life, and the Big River Lodge seems like the perfect place for her to figure out the details. The lodge is isolated, she has her own private cabin, and no one in her family will know where she is.
But she didn’t plan on the highly distracting presence of Isaac MacAllister. Is Jenna going to let one sexy dad and his sweet kindergartener derail her plans for her holiday … and her life?
Come home to Rivers End…
While all the Rivers End stories can be read as standalones, you may want to read each mini-series in order to preserve any plot surprises and get the full picture of how the characters lives weave together! The following is the suggested reading order:
The MacAllisters of Rivers End
#1 – Silver Bells (Isaac + Jenna, Beginnings) available for FREE!
#2 – Tipsy (Shannon + Lucas)
#3 – Reindeer Games (Ginger + Eli)
#4 – Wedding Bells (Isaac + Jenna, Happily Ever After)
The O’Donnells of Rivers End
#1 – The List (Selina + Connor)
The Martinez Family of Rivers End
#1 – Maybe (Lucie + Daniel)
The Witches of Rivers End *Rivers End romances with a touch of Magic!
#0 – Trick or Treat (Mona + Garrett) available for FREE only for newsletter subscribers!
#1 – Merry (Merry + Dillon) available for FREE!
#2 – Oona (Oona + Sam)
more
I found myself laughing at some of the things that happened in this story. It is a sweet romance with two lovable main characters.
I enjoyed reading this lovable romance book. Very entertaining, good characters
It was a short read that went very fast.
Big River Lodge is the ideal location for a much-deserved getaway for Jenna, a successful young entrepreneur who needs a break from too many years of all work and no play. The remote lodge (with its seriously sexy owner, Isaac, and his sweet little daughter, Sara) is also the ideal getaway for a reader! Ms. Hunt weaves a wonderful story that left me smiling as if I’d been on a wintry vacation. Can’t wait for my next vacation with hopefully Isaac’s brother-in-law, Lucas.
Cute adorable story about a broken dad, Isaac and Jenna who swore off Christmas. I love the instant connection between Jenna and Isaac, and his daughter. I loved the interaction with his daughter, they were so sweet. This book is a great read even though there is a few loose ends at the end. I loved it!
A short, sweet holiday romance that begins with a quiet winter cabin retreat, then takes a dip with an injury and a power outage, But unfortunate events have a way of turning into good fortune when holiday magic pairs a disenchanted Christmas aficionado with a single father and his charming and crafty young daughter.
Lovely, short and sweet holiday romance novella, despite the leg cast!
Really enjoyable small-town romance featuring single dad hotelier Isaac, his energetic, craft-obsessed daughter Sara and Jenna, a paying guest who would rather avoid the Christmas trappings and trimmings, thank you very much! That is her plan anyway until Sara has her way and brings the holiday spirit into every nook and cranny. One villain in the piece actually does some good by giving Jenna plenty of time with Isaac and ….
The story is short but gets the work done; it’s cute, hopeful, with mild heat, plenty of cuteness from Sara and a happy conclusion for the three and the town’s business prospects too.
Oh my gosh! This story is just so cute and so much fun. I spent pretty much the whole book giggling. I loved Jenna’s attitude about Christmas – she’s not really a grinch she just needs a break from Christmas 24/7/365, all day, everyday. Isaac is an absolute sweetheart. A devoted single dad who’s also ready and willing to step up and help a damsel in distress. And Sara pretty much steals the show. You now what Hollywood says about working with children and animals… I’m just so glad I have the next book and can immediately dive in to read more about Rivers End and the MacAllister family.
Great Story
Jenna comes to the cabin to decompress. She has sold her website and decided time without Christmas would be perfect until she dislocated her knee following deer tracks on her walk. Isaac is raising his little girl Sara alone and running the lodge & cabins. He rescues Jenna but something clicks between them and it makes Sara happy.
Super cute, a bit rushed and ended abruptly but still, cute.
Holiday vibe.
This was a cute, festive read. The FMC is out for an “unChristmas” as she calls it, but despite that, it still completely drops me into the holiday season,
Early in there was a minor continuity issue and I almost put it down, annoyed. But I realized I was invested, even if I did figure out every single thing that would happen from the first chapter. It’s a cute, cozy, dramatic read, with a dash of suspense and a hint of romance.
A cute, quick listen, perfect for keeping me company during a workout.
(Ended abruptly and felt a bit rushed but getting a taste of this little down left me wanting more … and that’s impressive since I’m not usually a big romance fan.)
3.5 stars.
Note:
The narrator was great, 4-star performance.
I’m not sure how I acquired this but must’ve redeemed a code at some point, as I found it in my Authors-direct library. So thank you CJ Hunt, or whoever gave me the code!
I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet Christmas novella. It perfectly fit the season, with a heroine who has made her living promoting Christmas 365 days a year for five years, and now just wants one day without thinking about it. But a sexy single dad with a sweet daughter changes all her plans. It was well-written and easy to read with a few laugh out loud moments and lots of “the feels.”
River’s End is well presented and comes across as a community full of heart. The characters blend very well and are compassionate and I think these two are a little lonely for adult companionship. Their attraction is instant. Both of their past brings emotion and seals their bond. His daughter is so sweet. I am happy with their happy for now and look forward to reading what will happen next in this town. I listened to an audio version and was well pleased with narrator.
C. J. Hunt has written a series of books set in Rivers End. Although there are different names for each series, the characters are shared throughout the stories. Most of the characters do not share today’s typical stupid formula of not communicating when there’s trouble or imagined trouble; instead are likable and realistic. All the books are well written, fast paced, interesting and have humor. Some of the books are clean; some have cursing or vulgar language; and/ have sex. Personally, I don’t think the sex and vulgar language actually fit in with the sweetness and love that these romances share. I think the sexual tension is more important than what technique so-and-so used; plus written sex is boring. These are quickly read books and are perfect for a couple hours of relaxation.
The MacAllisters Series:
Silver Bells #1 – Heartwarming and fun, and a magical Christmas time frame. A well written, funny, interesting small town romance. There’s plenty of sexual tension, but the story is clean and fast paced. The characters are interesting, realistic and didn’t do stupid dialog or actions. This should be an entertaining small town series. 4*
Tipsy #2 – Picks up the same week as Silver Bells ends, on New Year’s eve. Well written and interesting with humor and set at a fast pace, along with likable characters. I didn’t care that there was a lack of communication instead of a different form of creating a problem between the main characters. I didn’t care for the sex and bad language and think clean works better for this story. That aside I like the story and with the addition of Oona, how The MacAllisters is connected to A Touch of Magic. 4*
Reindeer Games #3 – This cover is too cute.This book starts on Christmas day, where Silver Bells ended. Well written and interesting with the truth about a bad brother from another book. The pace is fast and the characters are believable and there’s a dark side to some of them. I didn’t care for the vulgar language, but the storylines are good. 4*
Wedding Bells #4 – This book picks up in May and adds to the story of the main characters from Silver Bells. Well written, likable characters and a fast pace make this a quick read. There’s a little bit of suspense concerning one character, but it adds to the other storylines. I didn’t care for the vulgar language; find it out of place. 4*
The Witches of River Bend Series:
Merry #1 – We’re still in Rivers End, but now there’s a touch of magic in this story. This is a well written, funny and heartwarming romance set in a small town. The characters were interesting and had realistic dialog. The cousins are a lot of fun and give good gifts. I didn’t care for the infrequent vulgar language, that started with mild cussing; it felt out of place in this type of story. Same with the explicit sex; it was awkward and boring, as is all written sex to me, boorrring. Sexual tension is so much more interesting. I did enjoy the magical potion and think it was a good mix of romance with witches. Since this is my third book by this author and first of the “touch of magic”, I hope there’s more. 4*
Oona #2 – Another well written romance concerning a witch, with a bakery, and an architect. Interesting and fast pace with likable characters, and lots of happenings. 4*
Romantic Christmas Novella
This is mostly sweet and clean novella. This is the entry episode of both the MacAllisters series and the River’s End Christmas. It is a fast and pleasant read. There is just enough cute, romance and angst to make a nice and believable story. I will read more of this author’s work.
In this story Jenna is stopping off in Rivers End for a non Christmas vacation, before the start of her new life without her blog in the city. She is determined to rest and relax and not spend one thought on the Christmas holiday around the corner. Upon her stay Jenna falls and hurts herself during a hike. She is rescued by the resorts owner Lucas.
Lucas is the proud owner a cabin resort in Rivers End. Lucas runs the resort left to him by his father and he raises his little girl Sara on his own. When a beautiful guest falls and gets hurt, he has to take care of her. As time goes on the two develop feelings for one another but try to fight them. But Jenna has a secret that will put them all in danger. Will Jenna move on when her time is up? Will Lucas have a hard time saying goodbye?
I loved the story, but felt it could have had more depth to it. I felt that the ending was kind of abrupt, cutting the story short per say. I felt it was a little rushed. The story had such a great plot to it. I did feel though as if the author could have added more to the story. It was almost like it was missing something.
The characters were amazing. They pull you into their world of romance and you can’t help but fall in love with them. A quick cozy read. I can’t wait to see what is in store for Lucas in the next book Tipsy.
*ARC provided by Booksprout and CJ Hunt