Thursday, September 5, 2013

Series Review & Giveaway ~ THE RIVER VALLEY COLLECTION by Tess Thompson







River Valley Series
RIVERSONG, RIVERBEND, RIVERSTAR
By: Tess Thompson


Blurb
Riversong (The River Valley Collection #1)
When Lee Tucker's husband commits suicide, he leaves her pregnant and one million dollars in debt to a loan shark. Out of options, she escapes to her deceased mother's dilapidated house located in a small Oregon town that, like her, is financially ruined, heartbroken and in desperate need of a fresh start. Lee's resilience leads to a plan for a destination restaurant named Riversong, to new chances for passion and love, and to danger from her dead husband's debt as her business blooms.

A surprising mix of romance, humor, friendship, intrigue and gourmet food - Riversong entertains while reminding you of life's greatest gifts.


Riverbend (The River Valley Collection #2)
"Tag. I found you."

Just as Annie Bell's reputation as one of the best chefs in the Pacific Northwest grows to new heights, she receives a threatening phone call from her abusive ex-boyfriend. Marco is out on parole and hungry for revenge, blaming her for his ten-year imprisonment. Fearing for her life and that of her young son, Annie reluctantly accepts help from Drake Webber, a cold and wealthy recluse hiding a dark history of his own. Supported by the gang of misfits from their restaurant Riversong, Annie forges ahead despite her growing terror that Marco will appear at any moment and make good on his threats.
Author Tess Thompson (formerly known as Tess Hardwick) reunites the colorful cast of endearing small-town characters from her bestselling novel Riversong and takes you on a journey that will renew your faith in love, friendship and the power of community - even in the face of seemingly insurmountable grief and fear. You'll find yourself once again cheering for the residents of River Valley, especially the big-hearted and compassionate Annie Bell.


Riverstar (The River Valley Collection #3)
After ending an affair with a married movie producer, feisty Hollywood makeup artist Bella Webber finds herself back in the quaint Oregon town of River Valley, the location of a famous director’s latest film. Despite trying to distract herself with work, Bella is unnerved by the proximity of Benjamin Fleck – a man who once so expertly made love to her she’d temporarily forgotten everything painful about her life. But now Ben sees her as nothing more than a heartbreak waiting to happen.

When an actress is found murdered after she’s seen leaving the restaurant Riversong with Ben, he is accused of the crime and arrested. Convinced of his innocence, the River Valley ‘gang of misfits’ band together to find the real killer, and Bella must face her biggest fear to ensure the truth is revealed.


Link to Follow the Tour:


Buy Links
Riversong - AmazonBarnes and NobleiTunes, Kobo
Riverbend - AmazoniTunesKoboBarnes and Noble
Riverstar - Amazon (other links won't be available until release)


Author Info
Tess Thompson is a novelist and playwright with a BFA in Drama from the University of Southern California. In 2011, she released her first novel, Riversong, which subsequently became a bestseller.
Like the characters in the River Valley collection, Tess is from a small town in Oregon. She currently lives in a suburb of Seattle, Washington with her two young daughters, Emerson and Ella. She is inspired daily by the view of the Cascade Mountains from her home office window.
Tess is working on her next novel and regularly blogs about her journey as a mother, author and friend at www.tesswrites.com.



Author Links
http://pinterest.com/tesswrites/


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MY SERIES REVIEW~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People are always talking about how you have to have a balanced diet to be healthy. They tell you how too much of just one thing can be unhealthy. It is all about finding the right mix and making sure you get all those wonderful vitamins.

What does this have to do with my reviewing this books? I have been gorging myself on naughty romances and paranormals for quite some time. So, long in fact that I forgot how wonderful a nice down home story could be! It took ma awhile to get around to reading this series because like a kid with veggies I did not want to be healthy! I wanted my easy reads that did not tax my brain. 

However, once I started this series I was hooked!! How can you resist well written characters and beautiful storytelling? Ms. Thomson creates delicious images with words that are like a fine dessert for your imagination. All of the books were heart-warming and heart-wrenching at the same time. Such vivid characters in true to life situations. They are just the kind of folks who might be your neighbors or friends. It is so easy to root for them to succeed and overcome those hiccups life throws at them.

All of the characters are delightful and crawl right into your heart! My personal favorite is Lee because she is a survivor of all her hardships but never lets them harden her. She always has that soft quality even when faced with loan sharks thugs. And the band of quirky friends she puts together is a testament to that indelible spirit!

Theses are not quick reads. The pace is slow and leisurely but never dull. It is a sweet stroll on a Sunday morning along the riverbanks not a sprint! This is the kind of series you need to savor and take your time enjoying every bite! 

They do have romance in them but that is not the major plot. And ladies they are not about the steam. But it was a nice escape from my normal reading. This series is not a fast paced thrill ride but once you get into it you fall in love. It did not have that I must read in one shot quality but it was always a joy to pick it up and start reading again. Definitely a perfect hammock read. It easily reminded me every now and again I need to throw in a book that will nourish me as well as entertain.

A sweet five star read any day of the week!

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