At the River's Edge by Mariah Stewart - TLC Book Tour

Series: Chesapeake Diaries
Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (January 28, 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.

But Sophie’s labor of love becomes a bone of contention for her new neighbor Jason Bowers. The local landscaper has big plans for growing his business—until Sophie scoops up the property he’s got his eye on. And no amount of buyout offers or badgering from him will get her to budge. It’s hardly the start of a beautiful friendship. But when they’re paired up to work on a community project, they agree to put their differences aside, and sparks begin to fly. Then Sophie’s cheating ex suddenly shows up, looking for a second chance—and threatening to make Jason a third wheel just when his hotheaded feelings about Sophie were turning decidedly warmhearted. All Sophie wants is a new life and a true love. But what are the odds of having both?

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My thoughts:

Oh Mariah Stewart, how I love thee!!!

You know when you find a book author that you could just read over and over and over and know that the books are always good?

If I had to pick a good romance writer, it would Mariah Stewart.

So this story is called At the River's Edge and it's about Sophie who has been dealt a bad hand.  Feeling like she needs a change of life, she heads to Maryland to stay with her brother and to figure out what is next in her life.  She's always had a dream of owning her own restaurant, and when the opportunity presents itself she jumps in without a second doubt.

What this new venture does is bring about a will to fight for her dream and a handsome love prospect in the body of Jason Bowers.

You know exactly how this is going to go right?  Annoyed, irritated with each other at first as the relationship slowly grows, but the problem is that just when things seemed to be going right, here comes Sophie's ex, her cheating boyfriend.

I loved this book so very much, it's a feel good, sweet love story with believable characters and written so vividly that you really do feel like you're there in the moment with them.  That is one of the things that captivates me in a book, not only a great character, but the way the author can make you feel as if you're really seeing, smelling, tasting what they're talking about.

Huge huge huge thumbs up for this one and I can not wait to read the rest of the books in this series.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me with a review copy.