From the TBR Pile: At the River’s Edge by Mariah Stewart

Monday, February 17, 2014

At the River’s Edge by Mariah Stewart

Giveaway Details: We are giving away 1 copy of At the River's Edge. Just fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter. (US only please)

Author: Mariah Stewart
Publisher: Ballantine (Random House)
Date of publication: January 2014

After taking stock of her life, Sophie Enright has decided it’s time for a break. Between a law career that’s become criminally dull and a two-timing boyfriend she’s done with once and for all, Sophie desperately needs some time to think and some space to breathe. The perfect place to do both is easygoing St. Dennis, Maryland, where Sophie can visit with her brother while she figures out her options. Once in St. Dennis, she discovers a shuttered restaurant and makes a bold move that is also a leap of faith. Sophie buys the fixer-upper in order to finally pursue her dream career.

At the River's Edge is the 7th in the Chesapeake Diaries series, but only the second one that I have read. I felt a little more like I wish I had caught up in the series than I did when I read the 6th book, The Long Way Home (my review). I felt like there was a lot of back story that I was missing and a lot of characters to keep straight. Despite that, I did enjoy the book.

After finding her boyfriend cheating on her, Sophie flees to St. Dennis to visit her brother and grandfather. While there, she realizes that while she likes being a lawyer, she doesn't love it. What she really wants is to open her own restaurant. She also feels an attraction to a local landscaper, Jason. I really liked Sophie. I had to give her credit for making such a life changing decision as quickly as she did. She was a strong character with a lot of guts. I was also happy when she kicked Chris to the curb so fast after finding him cheating. I applauded her for that!

For me, I liked the interactions of Sophie with the town's people and with her family more than the romance between her and Jason. I felt like there wasn't enough of it. They didn't really interact enough in the story and I really wanted more. I did love how Jason would throw a lawyer joke at her. That was really cute. As in the other books, there are excerpts from Grace's diary that summarize what's going on in the town. I thought that added some extra color to the book. Some day I hope to catch up with the series. Each time I have visited St. Dennis, I have felt right at home. Why not spend sometime with the residents of the town? You won't be sorry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Mariah Stewart is the award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. A native of Hightstown, New Jersey, she lives with her husband and their dogs amid the rolling hills and Amish farms of southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she gardens, reads, and enjoys country life.