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.
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.
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