Riverbend Reunion
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- Create Date：2022-06-15 08:21:39
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Carolyn Brown
- ISBN：B09HTPM8W9
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Summary
Back home is the best place to start over in a heart-stirring Texas romance about friendship， second chances， and small-town scandals by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown。
Riverbend， Texas， doesn’t look like the crossroads of anywhere。 But for four high school besties reuniting after twenty years， it’s a place to unpack a lot of baggage。
Risa’s headed for divorce， Mary Nell’s been kicked to the curb by her leech of a boyfriend， and Haley was just blindsided by a shocking family secret。 But restless army veteran Jessica Callaway， looking to plant roots， has an idea: corral her fellow former cheerleaders and renovate an abandoned church smack-dab in the middle of three dry counties into a bar。 Throw in a grill and Wade Granger—a onetime nerd turned surprisingly crush-worthy investor—and their lives are on tap for a turnaround。 Amen to that。
Except for one hitch: the white-clapboard dream is causing a ruckus。 With a renewed bond， hard work， and the promise of romance， Jessica and her friends aren’t backing down。 For Riverbend， this is going to be a homecoming—and a scandal—to remember。
Riverbend， Texas， doesn’t look like the crossroads of anywhere。 But for four high school besties reuniting after twenty years， it’s a place to unpack a lot of baggage。
Risa’s headed for divorce， Mary Nell’s been kicked to the curb by her leech of a boyfriend， and Haley was just blindsided by a shocking family secret。 But restless army veteran Jessica Callaway， looking to plant roots， has an idea: corral her fellow former cheerleaders and renovate an abandoned church smack-dab in the middle of three dry counties into a bar。 Throw in a grill and Wade Granger—a onetime nerd turned surprisingly crush-worthy investor—and their lives are on tap for a turnaround。 Amen to that。
Except for one hitch: the white-clapboard dream is causing a ruckus。 With a renewed bond， hard work， and the promise of romance， Jessica and her friends aren’t backing down。 For Riverbend， this is going to be a homecoming—and a scandal—to remember。
Reviews
Elizabeth
，
Four highschool friends return to Riverbend after their lives have all taken separate paths for 20 years。 As they return， they journey on a joint effort to renovate an old Church into a bar。 Carolyn Brown captures the reader with likeable and relatable characters， whom you don't want to stop rooting for！ There is also the small town Texas community that drew me in and was a great addition to the story！ I did not want this story to end but loved how it played out。 Thank you to Carolyn Brown and M Four highschool friends return to Riverbend after their lives have all taken separate paths for 20 years。 As they return， they journey on a joint effort to renovate an old Church into a bar。 Carolyn Brown captures the reader with likeable and relatable characters， whom you don't want to stop rooting for！ There is also the small town Texas community that drew me in and was a great addition to the story！ I did not want this story to end but loved how it played out。 Thank you to Carolyn Brown and Montlake for an advanced copy！ All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Gena Holley
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Riverbend Reunion is classic southern women's fiction！ Four high school high school best friends and former cheerleaders reunite in their Texas hometown 20 years later in need of a fresh start。 It is sweet story of friendship and family。 The plot is a little predictable， but I still really connected with all the characters。 This book is a real "palette cleanse" and makes for some great， light summer reading！Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an eARC。 Riverbend Reunion is classic southern women's fiction！ Four high school high school best friends and former cheerleaders reunite in their Texas hometown 20 years later in need of a fresh start。 It is sweet story of friendship and family。 The plot is a little predictable， but I still really connected with all the characters。 This book is a real "palette cleanse" and makes for some great， light summer reading！Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an eARC。 。。。more
Lynn
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Jessica Callaway is home after her time in the army and can not wait to reunite with her three friends。 She has inherited a church her late uncle built， and she has no idea what to do with the abandoned building。 Maybe her friends can help her figure out what to do。 Risa who is getting divorced， Mary Nell who got kicked out of a long-term relationship and Haley who just uncovered a long-buried family secret gather along side Jessica to decide what they should do。 Could this abandoned church be t Jessica Callaway is home after her time in the army and can not wait to reunite with her three friends。 She has inherited a church her late uncle built， and she has no idea what to do with the abandoned building。 Maybe her friends can help her figure out what to do。 Risa who is getting divorced， Mary Nell who got kicked out of a long-term relationship and Haley who just uncovered a long-buried family secret gather along side Jessica to decide what they should do。 Could this abandoned church be the answer to all their problems？ Maybe Wade Granger another army vet who is finding his way can help the ladies realize that coming home again is just what they all need。This novel by Carolyn Brown was just what the world needed right now。 The book takes you on a journey of friends who become family。 It was a joy to read a novel where the pages are full of light and love。 The characters were beautifully written， and I love the addition of the twin girls who brought many moments of laughter into the story。 The added fun was looking up all the songs mentioned in the story and now I have some new music on my playlist。 This was a feel good， beautiful story and I would like to thank not only Montlake Publishing， but the author Carolyn Brown for whisking me away on an unforgettable journey。 I voluntarily read and reviewed the book， and friends this is one you do not want to miss。 。。。more
Ruth
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I only started reading books from Carolyn Brown in recent months， but she is quickly becoming an author I turn to for a "feel-good" read。 Riverbend Reunion features a great group of friends who have all returned to their hometown for various reasons。 It doesn't take long to renew their close relationships and form a supportive family unit。 This book concentrated mostly on the budding relationship between Jessica and Wade， so I wouldn't mind reading some follow-up books about their other friends。 I only started reading books from Carolyn Brown in recent months， but she is quickly becoming an author I turn to for a "feel-good" read。 Riverbend Reunion features a great group of friends who have all returned to their hometown for various reasons。 It doesn't take long to renew their close relationships and form a supportive family unit。 This book concentrated mostly on the budding relationship between Jessica and Wade， so I wouldn't mind reading some follow-up books about their other friends。 Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the advance copy to read and review。 。。。more
Kaya
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A small-town read with great Southern vibesRATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐STEAM: ⭐This read was a nice change of pace。 There is a slow-burn romance between two lovers， but the main focus is on the love and resilience of five friends who have come back to their hometown of Riverbend， TX。Haley， Jessica， Mary-Nell， Risa， and Wade went to high school together， and after twenty years， they are back in their hometown， dealing with some life struggles。 Divorce， eviction， grief， family secrets -- this group had to deal wi A small-town read with great Southern vibesRATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐STEAM: ⭐This read was a nice change of pace。 There is a slow-burn romance between two lovers， but the main focus is on the love and resilience of five friends who have come back to their hometown of Riverbend， TX。Haley， Jessica， Mary-Nell， Risa， and Wade went to high school together， and after twenty years， they are back in their hometown， dealing with some life struggles。 Divorce， eviction， grief， family secrets -- this group had to deal with those and more。 When one of them gets an old church from her inheritance， they decide to work together and convert the space into a bar and grill。As Stefan from SNL would say， this book had everything: angst， conflict， love， humor， and lots and lots of food。 At the core of the book， however， is the friendship， and it was wonderful to see them pull each other up and rise above their individual and collective adversities together。If you love a small-town read with strong Southern vibes， you will enjoy this book。** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book。 Thank you to Carolyn Brown， Montlake， and NetGalley for providing an ARC。 ** 。。。more
Jane Pettitt
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Another great read。 Four friends return home after twenty years going there separate ways， building their life’s back up， and Jessica also inherited a abandon church from her deceased Uncle。 I truly loved this read，
Pam Brown
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What a reunion for four friends coming home for different reasons。 They easily reconnect and support each other。 Jesica， Risa， Haley and Mary Nell ate friends who are family。 Wade and Oliver and Lily and Daisy were great。 There is friendship， family， laughter， tears and quotes that brought back so many memories。 You will want to find a glass of tea， a shady spot and enjoy this book。 Another wonderful book by Carolyn Brown！ I received an ARC for an honest review。 5+stars！！
Jane
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Riverbend Reunion is a heartwarming story about friendship and new beginnings。 Carolyn Brown shines her spotlight on small town living， small town prejudices and small minds as longtime friends decide to repurpose an abandoned church into a bar and grill。 Each main character is dealing with their own personal problems， but find needed support is never lacking whether in private or public。 The instances of public support are especially endearing as their “All for one” philosophy often butts heads Riverbend Reunion is a heartwarming story about friendship and new beginnings。 Carolyn Brown shines her spotlight on small town living， small town prejudices and small minds as longtime friends decide to repurpose an abandoned church into a bar and grill。 Each main character is dealing with their own personal problems， but find needed support is never lacking whether in private or public。 The instances of public support are especially endearing as their “All for one” philosophy often butts heads with the critical elements of Riverbend。 This reader loved everything about this story， and voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley。 Most highly recommend。 。。。more
Karen Hackett
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RIVERBEND REUNION by Carolyn Brown。 Risa， her two teenage daughters， Mary Nell， Haley， and Jessica Callaway—four women， four best friends， now reunited after returning home。 Wade Granger and Oscar， Mary Nell’s father join their circle of friendship。 RIVERBEND REUNION is a beautiful story how these women resume their friendships years later， giving each other the love， the support， and the encouragement to fulfill their dreams against the adversity in their little town They’re sassy， bold， and de RIVERBEND REUNION by Carolyn Brown。 Risa， her two teenage daughters， Mary Nell， Haley， and Jessica Callaway—four women， four best friends， now reunited after returning home。 Wade Granger and Oscar， Mary Nell’s father join their circle of friendship。 RIVERBEND REUNION is a beautiful story how these women resume their friendships years later， giving each other the love， the support， and the encouragement to fulfill their dreams against the adversity in their little town They’re sassy， bold， and determined。 One of my favorite quotes: “You can’t fix stupid。” Carolyn Brown always gives what her readers want: sass， humor， and well-drawn characters of strength， courage， and determination， and little bit of romance。 I received this copy from the author， and this is my honest review。 tt 。。。more
Cynthia
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High school friends come reunite to bring life to what once was an old church into a new form。 of gathering。 Each friend has chosen a different path in life each with their own struggles， experiences and joy。 As these friends gather their resources and talents， a unit forms in what is called a FAMILY。
Rachel
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I would love to see this turned into a Hallmark movie。 It's a good clean down home southern story about friendship， family relationships， love， and loss。 I truly loved this book from start to finish。 I loved Lily and Daisy， spunky teenagers that tell it like it is no matter what。 Stella & Martha are the those busy bodies that will make your blood boil， but man how ole Oscar is perfection with his antics。 Small towns are perfect in one way， but at the same time those from small towns put up with I would love to see this turned into a Hallmark movie。 It's a good clean down home southern story about friendship， family relationships， love， and loss。 I truly loved this book from start to finish。 I loved Lily and Daisy， spunky teenagers that tell it like it is no matter what。 Stella & Martha are the those busy bodies that will make your blood boil， but man how ole Oscar is perfection with his antics。 Small towns are perfect in one way， but at the same time those from small towns put up with a lot of crap from the busy bodies that don't know how to mind their business。 Jessica， Haley， Mary Nell， Risa， Wade， Oscar， & Zach make my heart happy for fictional characters。Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Heidi
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This book follows a group of old high school friends who have been reunited and plan on turning an old church that one of them has inherited into a bar while navigating various hardships in their lives （deaths， break-ups， PTSD）。 I enjoyed their friendship and all four main women's stories （along with Wade）。 I was expecially rooting for Risa and her twin girls to succeed， since their family members were all terrible。 While this book is mainly about friendship， there was some romance in it， but it This book follows a group of old high school friends who have been reunited and plan on turning an old church that one of them has inherited into a bar while navigating various hardships in their lives （deaths， break-ups， PTSD）。 I enjoyed their friendship and all four main women's stories （along with Wade）。 I was expecially rooting for Risa and her twin girls to succeed， since their family members were all terrible。 While this book is mainly about friendship， there was some romance in it， but it's a slow-burn。 One thing that annoyed me was how various characters talked out loud to themselves or deceased loved ones。 I could have accepted it as one character's quirk， but multiple characters did it throughout the book！ I also wished we could have spent a little more time with the bar opened， since the whole book is devoted to starting the business。 Instead， we only get one chapter about the Grand Opening。 Overall， a sweet book that I would recommend if you like strong female friendships， slow-burn romances， small towns， and lots of country music references。 Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nancy
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Thank you NetGalley， Carolyn Brown and Montlake for the ARC of Riverbend Reunion。 This is my personal review。Going home can mean so many different things for so many people。 This is a story of going home to Riverbend Texas for four high school best friends and what they each have brought back with them。The story had my attention， but it did not pull me totally in to the story and make me really care about the characters。The story was filled with a lot of emotions and the promise of what was to c Thank you NetGalley， Carolyn Brown and Montlake for the ARC of Riverbend Reunion。 This is my personal review。Going home can mean so many different things for so many people。 This is a story of going home to Riverbend Texas for four high school best friends and what they each have brought back with them。The story had my attention， but it did not pull me totally in to the story and make me really care about the characters。The story was filled with a lot of emotions and the promise of what was to come fell a bit flat for me。 。。。more
Nancy
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Thank you NetGalley， Carolyn Brown and Montlake for the ARC of Riverbend Reunion。 This is my personal review。Going home can mean so many different things for so many people。 This is a story of going home to Riverbend Texas for four high school best friends and what they each have brought back with them。The story had my attention， but it did not pull me totally in to the story and make me really care about the characters。The story was filled with a lot of emotions and the promise of what was to c Thank you NetGalley， Carolyn Brown and Montlake for the ARC of Riverbend Reunion。 This is my personal review。Going home can mean so many different things for so many people。 This is a story of going home to Riverbend Texas for four high school best friends and what they each have brought back with them。The story had my attention， but it did not pull me totally in to the story and make me really care about the characters。The story was filled with a lot of emotions and the promise of what was to come fell a bit flat for me。 。。。more
Lisa Wetzel
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Riverbend Reunion by Carolyn Brown is another wonderful story by a very gifted author。 This is a heartwarming story about real friendships and second chances。 Ms。 Brown adds so much more to this Womens Contemporary Fiction！ There is love， secrets， new beginnings， a new business and of course some very sweet romance。 Her stories always grab you from the the very beginning and do not let go until until the very end！ The characters in this one are so real and well developed that you will will love Riverbend Reunion by Carolyn Brown is another wonderful story by a very gifted author。 This is a heartwarming story about real friendships and second chances。 Ms。 Brown adds so much more to this Womens Contemporary Fiction！ There is love， secrets， new beginnings， a new business and of course some very sweet romance。 Her stories always grab you from the the very beginning and do not let go until until the very end！ The characters in this one are so real and well developed that you will will love them all， even the ones that are not so lovable。 I loved the journey of each and everyone of them…。you feel like you are right there with them all！！ This story will make you laugh and also cry， and often both together！！ I highly recommend this wonderfully written story， Carolyn Brown will always warm you heart！Many thanks to Carolyn Brown and Montlake Publishing for the honor to receive an advanced copy of this sweet book in exchange for my honest review。#riverbendreunion #carolynbrown #montlake#arc #contemporarywomensfiction。 。。。more
Elaine
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Fabulous Read By Carolyn brown Riverbend Reunion 🔻🔻Always well written books by Carolyn brown。 Thank you。 Absolutely loved this story。 Riverbend Texas So long ago 4 friends Each went there own way， Best friend's in school cheerleaders，Jessica， Mary Neil， Risa， and Haley， 20 years have gone by but still best friends。 Even though they haven't seen each other for that time。It's like no time has passed once they meet up again。 Each having had some times， they would like to leave behind。 This Reunio Fabulous Read By Carolyn brown Riverbend Reunion 🔻🔻Always well written books by Carolyn brown。 Thank you。 Absolutely loved this story。 Riverbend Texas So long ago 4 friends Each went there own way， Best friend's in school cheerleaders，Jessica， Mary Neil， Risa， and Haley， 20 years have gone by but still best friends。 Even though they haven't seen each other for that time。It's like no time has passed once they meet up again。 Each having had some times， they would like to leave behind。 This Reunion brings them back together for more than anyone would have thought。 Jessica inherited a old Church ， With the help of old friends New life will take place。 For all。 Love small town stories。 This is another Fabulous Read。Thank you Carolyn Brown。 。。。more
Tammi Kendall
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Excellent story of 4 friends and how their life is going as they have gotten older
Mia
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A beautiful story of bonding and second chances。 True homecoming。This made for a very warm read in spite of few heavy topics。I loved the way the story was built and all the development of the characters and their bonding。Note: Received an ARC in exchange of honest review。
Brenda
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This book was GREAT！ Once I started it， I couldn't put it down。 I loved the characters and the second chances that they were all experiencing。 This book made me very happy！！ This book was GREAT！ Once I started it， I couldn't put it down。 I loved the characters and the second chances that they were all experiencing。 This book made me very happy！！ 。。。more
Shelleen Toland
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Second Chance Romance later in life。 I was hooked from the first page。 Jessica pulled up to the old church parking lot。 Her uncle had left this and his fortune to her， in his will。 What was she going to do with an old church？ As she is contemplating this， Wade Granger pulls up and they start talking and before to long her best friends show up。 Risa is getting divorced and has teenage twin daughters。 She has been pretty much bossed around her whole life。 Mary Nell was dumped by her loser boyfrien Second Chance Romance later in life。 I was hooked from the first page。 Jessica pulled up to the old church parking lot。 Her uncle had left this and his fortune to her， in his will。 What was she going to do with an old church？ As she is contemplating this， Wade Granger pulls up and they start talking and before to long her best friends show up。 Risa is getting divorced and has teenage twin daughters。 She has been pretty much bossed around her whole life。 Mary Nell was dumped by her loser boyfriend of 20 years。 Haley's mom died and she is dealing with that and found out about a family secret。 These friends were cheerleaders in high school and all need each other right now。 Wade was the nerd in high school and wasn't in their social circle。Now all of them are drawn together and decide what the town needs is a bar and grill and they are all going to work together。 With 1 woman in town who is so against this that she is going to make this dream very hard for them but they don't give up。 I loved all of these characters and how they stick together like family with a little bit of romance thrown in。Thanks to NetGalley and #Montlake for this book to review。 。。。more
Susan
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Terrific story of friendship， family， love， and new beginnings。 I love this author's books， and this one kept me hooked until I finished reading it at three o'clock this morning。 Her characters are relatable and have believable personalities with good and bad traits。Though they've stayed in touch over the past twenty years， these four best friends scattered to the winds after high school graduation。 Now circumstances have brought them all home again。 Jessica retired from the military and return Terrific story of friendship， family， love， and new beginnings。 I love this author's books， and this one kept me hooked until I finished reading it at three o'clock this morning。 Her characters are relatable and have believable personalities with good and bad traits。Though they've stayed in touch over the past twenty years， these four best friends scattered to the winds after high school graduation。 Now circumstances have brought them all home again。 Jessica retired from the military and returned to decide what to do with the church building she inherited from her Uncle Eli。 Risa returned home with her twin daughters after leaving her controlling husband。 Mary Nell was kicked out by her selfish man-child of a boyfriend， and Haley returned to bury her mother and uncovered a shocking secret。The story opens as Jessica sits in front of the old church， waiting for her friends to arrive。 There are several pages of her thinking about her life and what comes next。 After twenty years of living on the move， she wants to put down roots。 While she's thinking about that， an unexpected visitor arrives。 Wade was a few years ahead of them in school， while his brother Danny was in their class。 Both joined the military。 Danny recently died overseas， and Wade is still dealing with his grief。 He and Jessica spend a little time catching up before the others arrive。 He's invited to join them， and we get a quick look at what's happening in everyone's lives。 The question of the night is， what should Jessica do with the church？ Someone floats the idea of turning it into a bar， though they all agree it would raise a ruckus if they did。But that thought sticks in Jessica's mind， encouraged by Wade's confession that he and Danny would open a bar together。 I loved the next get-together as the idea gathered steam among them。 Wade offered to become a partner， Risa would be the cook， Mary Nell would run the business end， Haley would help when she wasn't working， and Jessica would wait tables and tend the bar。 Wade would also tend bar。 Even Mary Nell's father， Oscar， gets into the act。 He makes his own wine and moonshine （legally） and would sell them to the bar and help with the renovations。You just know， listening to Risa talk about her mama， Stella， that she will make everyone's life difficult。 Wade and Jessica barely finish talking to the lawyer about their plans before Stella hears about it。 Uptight and super-religious， Stella wastes no time kicking Risa and the girls out of her house for being part of it and swears that she'll do everything in her power to stop them。 She also gets Risa's soon-to-be-former mother-in-law involved long distance。 There are several virulent confrontations as Stella does her best to get her way。 There's a hilarious scene where the twins， Lily and Daisy， come up with the perfect response to the demonstration Stella sets up at the church/bar。I loved seeing everyone grow closer as they worked together to make the bar a reality。 Everyone has brought baggage to the party， but there's plenty of support as each person deals with theirs。 After being controlled by her husband and his mother for years， Risa finds the strength to stand up to them and Stella。 She finds much of that strength in cooking for her friends and knowing they have her back。 Mary Nell finds herself again after giving up everything to help her boyfriend follow his dream。 He was a user， and I was happy to see her call his bluff when he tried to get her back。 I loved her relationship with her father， Oscar， who is there for her but doesn't hesitate to say， "I told you so。" Haley's trip home gives her a chance to reevaluate her life after a relationship goes wrong。 Besides dealing with the shocking family secret， she's facing other unexpected changes。 Having her besties there for support makes it easier。Then there are Jessica and Wade。 Each of them had a crush on the other in high school but never did anything about it。 As adults， the sparks of attraction are there， but they initially try to resist。 Neither wants to ruin their partnership if something goes wrong。 They find comfort in talking about their shared experiences in the military， which helps them grow closer。 I loved their relationship's slow， realistic development as they got to know each other before giving in to their growing feelings。 I especially enjoyed Wade's gentle， compassionate nature as he cared for Jessica when she needed it and watched over the others。 I ached for him and his grief over the loss of his brother and loved how making Danny's dream come true helped him heal。I had a lot of fun watching the aspiring bar owners deal with the antics of those opposed to them。 Stella is a holier-than-thou， self-righteous prig， and I laughed every time the gang got the better of her。 The crowning touch was at the bar's grand opening as Oscar found the perfect way to deal with her once and for all。I loved Risa's daughters， Lily and Daisy。 They are sweet and sassy and have a great sense of humor。 They are amazingly well-adjusted considering their bats**t crazy grandmothers。 I loved how observant they were and quick to comment on the things they saw。 I frequently laughed out loud at their words and actions。 They were never truly rude， but they could be blunt when they needed to be。 I especially loved their support of their mother。I loved seeing everything that went into turning the church into a bar。 From using reclaimed wood from the pews to build the bar to all the other large and small steps， I felt as though I was right there with them。 I loved being there for their grand opening and witnessing their well-deserved success。 The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up， and I liked seeing where they were a few months down the road。#netgalley 。。。more
Kathryn
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Riverbend Reunion by Carolyn Brown is all about a group of friends all coming back together after leaving school twenty or more years ago。 Along with them come the delightful sixteen year old twins belonging to Risa one of the women。 Each of the women have had challenges to face and now they are ready to take on a new life。As it happens Jessica's being left an old church gives them the opportunity to do something entirely new。 Plus Wade another ex military person is along for the ride as well。 Riverbend Reunion by Carolyn Brown is all about a group of friends all coming back together after leaving school twenty or more years ago。 Along with them come the delightful sixteen year old twins belonging to Risa one of the women。 Each of the women have had challenges to face and now they are ready to take on a new life。As it happens Jessica's being left an old church gives them the opportunity to do something entirely new。 Plus Wade another ex military person is along for the ride as well。 This story is about found family， friendship and good will。 It also has something to say about religion when it goes completely daft and ridiculous。It's a low-key， warm hearted read， with of course everything working out well and hearts that were hurt now mending and moving on。 。。。more
Diane Saul
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Four high school friends at a cross roads in their lives reunite after twenty years。 They come together to support each other。 I liked the characters in this book and their relationships with each other。 This is a story about friendship and love。 DNA isn’t the only way to form a family， sometimes friends who support each other is all that is needed。 Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy。
Moira
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This is a feel good story of 4 high school friends who return to their small town and reconnect。 Haley inherits her mom's house and discovers she was adopted and the woman she thought was her sister was in fact her birth mother。 Jessica inherited her Uncle's bar。 They put their heads together， along with Wade， who was a couple years older， and decide to renovate the Church into a bar and grill， much to the dismay of Risa's mom Stella。 Add Mary Lynn， who's been in a 20 year relationship with a si This is a feel good story of 4 high school friends who return to their small town and reconnect。 Haley inherits her mom's house and discovers she was adopted and the woman she thought was her sister was in fact her birth mother。 Jessica inherited her Uncle's bar。 They put their heads together， along with Wade， who was a couple years older， and decide to renovate the Church into a bar and grill， much to the dismay of Risa's mom Stella。 Add Mary Lynn， who's been in a 20 year relationship with a singer wannabe， that she left to return home and her father， Oscar， to the band of friends who discover family is not always determined by birth。They deal with doubts about the lives they left behind along with their new venture， all while developing new connections。 They support each other and it was refreshing to read a positive story。 The relationship that develops between Wade and Jessica is delightful to see。 They build a friendship and talk about their feelings and the future， before embarking on a physical relationship。 A wonderful book by Carolyn Brown that's a delight to read 。I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions。 。。。more
Gloria
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Very enjoyable read。 Four friends reunite and decide to renovate an old church and turn it into a bar。 Each one of them is having problems in their personal life but with the of each other they will overcome them。
HappyBookWorm2020
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I really enjoyed this book。 Carolyn Brown excels at writing heartwarming stories about family and friendship。 The dialogue did seem to be a little too staccato at first， but it evened out after a chapter or two。 Four best friends who were cheerleaders in high school reunite in their home town after 20 years。 Jessica had spent that time in the military， and is in Riverbend for her uncle's funeral。 She inherited a church from him that had been shut up for a long time and now has to decide what to I really enjoyed this book。 Carolyn Brown excels at writing heartwarming stories about family and friendship。 The dialogue did seem to be a little too staccato at first， but it evened out after a chapter or two。 Four best friends who were cheerleaders in high school reunite in their home town after 20 years。 Jessica had spent that time in the military， and is in Riverbend for her uncle's funeral。 She inherited a church from him that had been shut up for a long time and now has to decide what to do with the property。 Her three high school friends are also going through some tough times。 Risa is divorcing her husband， and is back in town with her twin daughters。 She is staying with her extremely religious mother， who is making her life a misery。 Mary Nell had wasted years supporting her husband in his failing singing career。 He had just started having some success， and kicked Mary Nell to the curb。 Haley had just discovered a shocking family secret - and that was followed by another surprise。 The best part of this book was in seeing these people form their family of choice。 Wade Grainger also went to their high school and is in town visiting。 Wade wants to buy the church but ends up going into financial partnership with Jessica。 They create a plan to make the old church a bar and grill with pool tables， a mechanical bull， and live music。 Each of the five friends has a talent to contribute to the business - cooking， accounting， financing， etc。 The villain of the story is Risa's mother， who objects to using a church building as a bar and goes to great lengths to cause trouble。 I want to thank the publisher Montlake and NetGalley for the advance reader copy。 It was my pleasure to read and review this book。 。。。more
Story
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Religion is a very central theme in this book and while that may not be to everyone’s taste， it didn’t put me off。 I loved the idea of old friends getting together to collectively have a fresh start and supporting each other through difficult times。 There is definitely a message here about friends being the family we chose for ourselves and how we are stronger together。 The bits about Danny really made me tear up， but I also laughed at the twins’ antics。 For me this is an emotional but feel good Religion is a very central theme in this book and while that may not be to everyone’s taste， it didn’t put me off。 I loved the idea of old friends getting together to collectively have a fresh start and supporting each other through difficult times。 There is definitely a message here about friends being the family we chose for ourselves and how we are stronger together。 The bits about Danny really made me tear up， but I also laughed at the twins’ antics。 For me this is an emotional but feel good book that is a perfect Summer read。 。。。more
Margie
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Jessica， Risa， Mary Nell and Haley。 Four women who were cheerleaders together in high school and still remain the best of friends even though after high school they went their separate ways。 Twenty years later they reunite back home in Riverbend， Texas。 Jessica has put in her twenty years in the army and needs to figure out what to do now。 Risa and her twin daughters Daisy and Lily have been kicked out of their Kentucky home by Risa's husband prior to him divorcing her so it was back to Riverben Jessica， Risa， Mary Nell and Haley。 Four women who were cheerleaders together in high school and still remain the best of friends even though after high school they went their separate ways。 Twenty years later they reunite back home in Riverbend， Texas。 Jessica has put in her twenty years in the army and needs to figure out what to do now。 Risa and her twin daughters Daisy and Lily have been kicked out of their Kentucky home by Risa's husband prior to him divorcing her so it was back to Riverbend for them。 Mary Nell worked three jobs in Nashville to support her significant other where he was sure he become a star。 When he thought he finally had a contract he kicked Mary Nell out so she went home to Riverbend。 Haley is a counselor at a school in Alabama and home in Riverbend for the summer。These four fast friends who kept in touch with each other for all those twenty years sure are a messed up bunch。 Now Jess has inherited a falling down former church after the death of her uncle and the ladies and Wade Granger chat outside the old church one evening and they end up agreeing to turn the building into a bar。 Whoa Nellie！ That doesn't go over well with some of the Riverbend population， especially Risa's holier-than-thou mother。 Too bad！I love Carolyn Brown's stories。 She always manages to write characters I'd love to know and become their friend。 Her stories， and especially this one， are emotionally satisfying reads that in the end make your heart happy。 I'm ready to head out to Danny's Place for the great food and drinks served there。 I received an ARC and this is my honest review。 。。。more
Mich
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𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 follows four friends， Jessica， Risa， Mary Nell and Haley who all get together in their hometown of Texas along with Wade， their senior， and with the power and support of love and family on their side， unpack years worth of baggage。 - ~ - No offence but with all the sexism despite the emphasis on culture and values， reading this felt like a fever dream。 I was not planning on saying this but the book just isn't my type。 Yes， it's got all the themes I usually like （found family， r 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 follows four friends， Jessica， Risa， Mary Nell and Haley who all get together in their hometown of Texas along with Wade， their senior， and with the power and support of love and family on their side， unpack years worth of baggage。 - ~ - No offence but with all the sexism despite the emphasis on culture and values， reading this felt like a fever dream。 I was not planning on saying this but the book just isn't my type。 Yes， it's got all the themes I usually like （found family， reunions and moving on after setbacks， etc。）。 But sadly， the execution of those topics wasn't it for me and there were too many discussions on religion， church and the likes for me to enjoy the story。 On another note， Lily and Daisy were sweet kids but they talked a lot like half the dialogues were probably theirs。 And the practical cruelty of the place they were raised in was appalling。Also， since the majority of the plot centred on religion and related topics， there was barely any romance which inturn left me unsatisfied。 - ~ - Overall: I don't want to discourage anyone from giving the book a fair chance but personally， I don't see myself ever reading anything by the author again in the future。 1。89 / 5✩ 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬， 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥。 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯。 。。。more
Srivalli Rekha
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Publication Date: 14th June 20224 stars One Liner: Heartwarming story about friendships and second chances •tJessica- army vet; restless and tensed •tRisa- mom of twin teen girls （in the middle of a divorce）•tMary Nell- kicked out by a loser boyfriend •tHaley- dealing with a family secret and unexpected change •tWade- army vet; struggling to come to terms with his brother’s death Jessica， Risa， Mary Nell， and Haley are cheerleaders and buddies from school。 Wade was their senior， but it’s these f Publication Date: 14th June 20224 stars One Liner: Heartwarming story about friendships and second chances •tJessica- army vet; restless and tensed •tRisa- mom of twin teen girls （in the middle of a divorce）•tMary Nell- kicked out by a loser boyfriend •tHaley- dealing with a family secret and unexpected change •tWade- army vet; struggling to come to terms with his brother’s death Jessica， Risa， Mary Nell， and Haley are cheerleaders and buddies from school。 Wade was their senior， but it’s these four that share a deep bond with each other。 They are back home in Texas after twenty years and find their lives at crossroads。 Jessica inherits an old church （that hasn’t been in use for years） and has no idea what to do with it。 A chance meeting with her friends and Wade gives her a new project and a reason to put down her roots。 They decide to turn the unused church into a grill and bar。 Of course， it’s not an easy job。 Apart from the physical work involved， the friends have to deal with their personal lives and the opposition from the religious folk in the town。 It’s up to them to stand with each other， make tough decisions， and rebuild their lives with love and friendship。 My Observations: First things first。 I wasn’t entirely sure about the idea of converting a church into a bar。 But a quick search assured me that this has happened a few times before。 I realized it wouldn’t be appropriate to compare different cultures （mine to others） and get things too tangled up for no reason。 This is my second book by the author and is slightly heavier than the first。 But it is just as heartwarming with well-etched characters and good touches of humor。 There’s loads of food- pancakes， flavored waffles， ice creams， lemon pound cake， half a dozen types of cookies， and sigh！ I’m drooling。 The relationship between the friends was the best part of the book。 Even though the story didn’t seem to progress much in some places， the interactions make it worth reading。 The twin girls， Lily and Daisy， are such sweethearts。 If only we had teens like them around！ Despite the stress and family issues， the girls are not bitter， cranky， or grumpy。 They are lively， confident， assertive， sassy， and sweet。 I love them。 There’s slow-burn romance too， but the central plot is about the friends and their lives。 I like Wade’s character。 He is friendly， supportive， understanding， and compassionate。 There are some not-so-loving characters too。 Grandma Martha and Grandma Stella compete for the most disliked character。 They are similar as well- two people using religion and God as tools to control and dominate their own family members。 Oscar is such a fun person and the complete opposite of these ladies。 This book doesn’t have the main lead。 Instead， it has eight people trying to work things out for the best。 There are no major obstacles or hurdles for the group。 Things pretty much go as per the plan （which rarely happens）， but I wasn’t looking for realistic fiction。 I enjoyed the story as it is。 The pace dips in the middle but picks up in the third part。 The ending is sweet and， of course， has a HEA， which is all I want after reading 300 pages。 The epilogue ties up things neatly （a little too neat， but who cares）。 To sum up， Riverbend Reunion is a slightly heavy but heartwarming story about a group of friends looking to find a place to call home。 Thank you， NetGalley and Montlake， for the eARC。 This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book。 #NetGalley #RiverbendReunion 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Riverbend Reunion
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Riverbend Reunion&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Riverbend Reunion&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0