River's Journey by Ryan Jo Summers

River’s Journey by Ryan Jo Summers

Release: March 8th 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Source: RABT Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon , Barnes and Noble , Kobo , iBooks

River Gallagher loves three things–her family, Frank Finn, and her hometown. Her property management career is going great, or at least it was until Calder Finn arrives in town. His rash plans threaten her and the future of everyone in Sweetwater Harbor, NC. Calder Finn returns home to settle his father’s estate. But not only is his father still alive he has a wild and beautiful guardian. River not only threatens Finn’s intention for a quick escape, she also questions his beliefs. Something very few people have ever done before. Tempers flare and personalities clash until an uneasy alliance is forged–at least temporarily.

About the Author:

Ryan Jo Summers lives in Western North Carolina. Her first published non-fiction came in 2007 with articles for local, and eventually national, and on-line magazines. In 2012 she released her first fiction novel with a small press publisher. Since then, she has released countless articles and over a dozen novels and novellas with assorted publishers. She also released two self-published books.

Ryan Jo comes from a family of wordsmiths. Her dad is a songwriter, and his aunt wrote poetry. Ryan’s style in fiction writing would broadly be labeled as clean, sweet romance, but she stretches fingers out into the assorted sub-genres. On several occasions she weaves threads from different sub-genres into one book. Wholesome, sweet titles would include “Beside Still Waters”, “Cinnamon’s Courageous Heart”, and “Rainbows in the Moonlight”. Her multiple-genre threaded titles comprise of “Chasing the Painted Skies”, “September’s Song”, and “Wild Whispers”.

Ryan Jo’s other passion beyond writing is animals. She has worked as a veterinary technician, director in a non-profit rescue shelter, provided foster care, and more recently she worked as a dog walker and boarding service.

Ryan Jo bought a century-old mountain cottage and when she’s not writing or working, she enjoys restoring the Victorian echoes inside and creating flower and vegetable gardens outside

River’s Journey Review:

“River’s Journey” is a lovely romance with intrigue and drama and a charming start to the series.

The author writes the romance wonderfully, and I enjoyed River and Calder in the lead. I always liked romance novels where the characters go from a hate-to-love relationship. The author did not disappoint in the way she gradually progressed River and Calder’s journey. The way they meet is classic when she thinks he is an intruder. But as the story goes, you see how they start to get past their differences and bond with each other. I enjoyed reading many of these special moments, like when they spend time at the beach party when they dance with one another.

The author also makes the characters shine in the novel. I loved River and her frank attitude. She is not afraid to speak her mind with Calder, like when she mentions Penelope. Moreover, I enjoyed the backdrop of the real estate at Sweetwater Harbor, where part of the storyline takes place. It was interesting to see how far River would go to protect her career and balance her feelings for Calder. On a side note, I also liked the family conversations that River has with her sister Raine.

Similarly, Calder is also charming in the lead. The author added the mystery aspect nicely, as Calder gets arrested falsely by the police or when someone targets Calder and River. Moreover, I liked the scenes where he gets shocked when River dismisses him or reads his father’s letter.

The author ends the story nicely, making you look forward to the next book in the series, which I guess would focus on Brody and Storm. Overall, “River’s Journey” is a lovely start to the “Winds of Destiny” series.