Cold River...Review

About the book:
Mandy Steenburg thinks her doctorate in education has prepared her to run any school district - until she tangles with the moonshine-making, coon-dog-owning denizens of a tiny district in Pacific Northwest timber country. She's determined to make a difference, but the local populace still looks to the former superintendent for leadership. When Mandy lands in the middle of an old feud and someone keeps trying to kill her, instinct tells her to run. And though she has to literally swim through perilous waters, she finds a reason to stay and chance the odds.

Mandy leaves Albuquerque for the Pacific Northwest and a school superintendent position.  When she arrives, she finds a classic small town with southern roots and a tight community that doesn't welcome outsiders and doesn't welcome her.  As she discovers the reasons why her arrival was not eagerly anticipated, she wonders how she'll ever break through the barriers. Determined, she decides to stay and finds unexpected friendship and romance, even as an unknown assailant wants her dead.

Cold River was an entertaining read, but something was just missing for me and I had a hard time taking the premise seriously.  I liked it, I didn't love it. There are some great, quirky characters, but I would have liked to see more depth and back story.  Liz Adair has created some terrific characters and they deserved to have more fleshed out details in their stories.

I haven't read Liz Adair before, but I would definitely read more of her books in the future.  Even with my frustrations with the story, this is a light, entertaining, wholesome read and a nice diversion and one I can easily recommend.

Thanks to Tristi Pinkston Book Tours for the opportunity to review this book.  You can learn more about Liz Adair here. You can see other reviews and tour stops below:

December 1:
http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.shesgotthewritestuff.blogspot.com/

December 2:
http://lynndeniseparsons.blogspot.com/

December 3:
http://www.laurielclewis.blogspot.com/
http://danicapage.blogspot.com/

December 5:
http://www.queenofchaosandjoy.blogspot.com/

December 6:
http://imsofunny.blogspot.com/

December 7:
http://www.ifonlylifecouldbethatsimple.blogspot.com/
http://www.lalasbooks.blogspot.com/"

December 8:
http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.mindingspot.blogspot.com/

December 9:
http://coopedup.blogspot.com/
http://susandayley.wordpress.com/

December 10:
http://www.terirodeman.blogspot.com/
http://www.margothovley.com/

December 12:
http://vampirekiss1967.blogspot.com/

December 13:
http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/

December 14:
http://www.ldswbr.com/

December 16:
http://fromthetbrpile.blogspot.com/

December 17:
http://cmichellejefferies.blogspot.com/

December 19:
http://debbiesinkspectations.blogspot.com/

December 20:
http://mariahoagland.blogspot.com/

December 27:
http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/

December 28:
http://totallytinascott.blogspot.com/

December 29:
http://www.readingforsanity.blogspot.com/
http://www.renaeswritespot.blogspot.com/

December 30:
http://www.karenadair.com/

Read 12/11

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3/5 Stars

Comments

  1. Hi, Holly. Thanks for reviewing Cold River, and for listing the rest of the blog tour. That's a great idea. You do a good service to writers trying to reach their audience. Good going!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really loved this book. I figured everyone would love it too.

    It's so weird to me how we all have different experiences with the same exact book. I thought this book was almost perfection.

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