A Cold River Novel (Book One) by Annie England Noblin, William Morrow, October 2016.
* An e-galley was provided by William Morrow and Edelweiss for an honest review.
Just Fine with Caroline by Annie England Noblin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In JUST FINE WITH CAROLINE, by Annie England Noblin, Caroline O'Connor returns to Cold River, MO to help care for her mom, Maureen, who has Alzheimers. She shares caretaking responsibilities with her retired physician dad, Max, and helps run her family's bait and tackle shop. Now that she's home, she views her town and it's residents through more mature eyes, making her question what she once believed about her past. Ex-veteran Noah Cranwell comes to Cold River to reclaim his family's rundown Cranwell Station. While he rehabilitates the building, he struggles with problems of his own. As Caroline and Noah's romance blooms, they uncover secrets about the town and their families that will bring them closer together.
This story is a good contemporary women's romance filled with laughter, sadness and tears. It contains strongly developed main characters supported by interesting, fun secondary characters. The plot and subplots interweave well, and the characters' actions are believable.
I took away one star, because it could've been edited a little better. First, there were too many names that began with the letter "c"--Caroline O'Connor, Court, Cranwell, Crow, Cranwell Corner, Cranwell Station, Cold River--to the point where it almost became a parody. I realize a town with a prominent family will have several businesses named after that family, but all the "c" names became a little too much. The book also could have benefitted from more dialogue. There was too much "tell" and not enough "show". And finally, the story's flow suffered from repeating some of what was said in previous chapters. Luckily the strength of the story and the characters' interactions overrode these concerns, and I gave JUST FINE WITH CAROLINE four stars.
This book is perfect for fans of contemporary women's stories and those who like character-driven romances. So enjoy it at the beach or during a relaxing weekend at home. It's a pleasant way to pass the time.
If You Like This, You May Like : SIT, STAY, SPEAK by Annie England Noblin, THE LIFE SHE WANTS and SWEPT AWAY by Robyn Carr, THE SECRETS OF ROSCARBURY HALL by Ann O'Loughlin, THE LAKESHORE CHRONICLES SERIES by Susan Wiggs, FOOL'S GOLD SERIES and MISCHIEF BAY SERIES by Susan Mallery, HERE'S TO US by Elin Hilderbrand, THE LAKE SEASON and MYSTIC SUMMER by Hannah McKinnon
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