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RiverTime

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Casey Lord needs a break. Her great-on-paper boyfriend, Reed, is pressuring her to marry him—but she's not sure if he sees her merely as an asset to help his political career. A river-rafting trip in the remote wilderness provides the perfect opportunity to clear her head. Until a flash flood sweeps Casey away from her group—and straight into the arms of Jack, a mysterious man also stranded by the flooding river.

Jack won't tell Casey his last name, and her innocent questions about his life are met with evasive answers. Yet they have to trust each other to survive, and as the pair await rescue, their uneasy truce slowly blossoms into friendship—and love. They agree to keep secret whatever differences may separate them in the real world.

When rescue finally arrives, will it spell an end to their budding relationship or can they find a way to stay in RiverTime?

84,200 words

Kindle Edition

First published January 21, 2011

1 person is currently reading
150 people want to read

About the author

Rae Renzi

4 books4 followers
Rae Renzi's career in romance fiction began on the path of science when she
recognized two things: first, there is an amazing overlap between science and romance, and, second, that romance is an essential condition of having a human brain—if you have one,you want it.

She lives in the state of Texas surrounded by interesting and unusual people. When she’s not writing novels, she does research on human behavior and her favorite organ (the brain), which, although icky from a sensory perspective (grayish pink, spongy), is nonetheless fascinating.

She has a full complement of fabulous family, friends, and pets, and likes horseback riding, swimming, papermaking, and, new in the panoply of activities, raising her own food in an urban garden (which hasn’t been surpassingly successful yet, but she is sure it will be.)

Rae is crazy about writing romance because it lets her weave into words the many inspirational men and women she has known, and to recast them as suits her as heroes or villains. Although she has numerous publications in science, RiverTime is her debut work of fiction. She is tickled to hear from readers, and can be emailed at raerenzi@gmail.com.

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5 stars
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15 (36%)
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11 (26%)
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for chanceofbooks.
214 reviews25 followers
February 23, 2011
If you are fan of "desert isle" books and movies--think Castaway, Swiss Family Robinson, Survivor--you absolutely won't want to miss this. I love a good stranded story, and this is one of the best I have read. Debut Author Renzi takes a giant risk with RiverTime as she could have ended the story around the 110 page mark and had an excellent novella of Casey and Jack stranded together, quick conflict back in the real world, happy epilogue, but instead she crafts a story of enormous complexity that will have fans of Susan Wiggs, Patrica Rice, Susan Kay Law's contemporaries, and Catherine Anderson cheering this welcome addition to the contemporary women's fiction genre.

Make no mistake, this is absolutely a romance, but it is also really about Casey's journey--she's newly graduated with a PhD and is unsure about her career decisions and whether to marry her long-time boyfriend. She takes a river rafting trip to get some perspective, but ends up stranded with the mysterious Jack following a flash flood. I loved that Renzi chose to have them stranded a good long time and that she showed the passage of time and the gradual warming up to each other--I don't like it when characters go from "wow, I'm really unhappy to be stranded with YOU" to "wow, I really want to do you" to HEA in the space of a few hours or a day or two trapped together. No, instead, Casey and Jack have to figure out how to survive long-term together, and this leads to deep, undeniable bond.

Renzi captures the grand canyon imagery really nicely, and you get a sense of them being alone in this vast cavern together, contrasted with the urban, hectic lives hey lead when they are finally rescued. And once they are rescued, they have to spend the rest of the book figuring out how to mesh what happened with their "real" lives, and it's messy and fraught with false steps and wrong choices and complicated no-win scenarios. Casey makes a number of choices that I wouldn't, but it felt believable to her. Immediately upon return, she makes one decision that really impacts the rest of the book, and Renzi doesn't give her an easy way out.

We don't spend nearly as much time in Jack's head, so while I did want to shake some sense into him at points, it was really Casey's story to tell. In fact, one of my only quibbles is that I really enjoyed the characterization of Jack, and I would have liked to have spent more time in his head. I think Renzi limited our time with him to maintain his aura of mystery, but his few POV scenes had tremendous emotional impact. I also would have liked a bit more time with the secondary characters--Casey's best friend seemed to come out of nowhere 3/4 of the book. However, she was nice comic relief and I enjoyed her and Jack's friends as well.

The ending is just as complex as these characters, but all the sweeter for it with a very nice twist. If you like your romance heavy on the fairytale, this book may not be for you, but if you enjoy stories that really capture the complexity of modern love, then you will not want to miss this book. This book should have broad appeal--it's a fast read, and the few love scenes are more sweet than graphic and the complicated emotional plot should appeal to readers who don't like formula romance.
Profile Image for KarenH.
189 reviews194 followers
February 26, 2011
*Sigh* This (audio) book had so much potential in the beginning...kind of like the TV show "Lost" before it spun out of orbit. Unfortunately, RiverTime started sprouting its own antennas about 1/4 of the way into the story; and, although I stuck it out until the end -hoping the author would bring it back to its roots- my persistence gained me nothing but a clean house (though getting me through that distasteful project was worth a third star).

The story begins as Casey Lord is barreling down the river in a raft supercharged by a flash flood. The craft slams into the side of the riverbank and becomes wedged in a sandbar...allowing Casey to escape the near-fatal ride with just a few minor cuts. Torn away from the rest of the rafting expedition when the flood hit, Casey is totally lost but manages to set-up camp rather admirably and "survive" while she waits to be rescued. Coming across an unconscious man who was also a victim of the flood, she saves his life.

As they wait several weeks to be rescued, Casey and Jack (the guy she saved who happens to be a tattooed hunk with a gorgeous face, killer body and piss-poor attitude) gradually move from wary distrust to respect, then from friendship to falling in love. They called it their "river time" - idyllic and surreal - where just the two of them existed. This was the best part of the book, and I was hoping their love story that was unfolding within the little paradise they created for themselves would be the heart of the story. But no, this isn't "Blue Lagoon" and they are rescued early.

Real life brought so much clutter to the table that the love story was smothered underneath it all. Both Jack and Casey are weighed down with some serious baggage, and the few times they are "together" (and I don't mean sexually because that doesn't fit in their real-life story) are brief and for the most part disappointing. They simply didn't have enough "river time" for their relationship to be strong enough to withstand all the curve balls they are thrown.

Eventually Jack and Casey claw their way out from under the mountain of chaos to get to a HEA, but the sizzling chemistry they had in the beginning - a spark that threatened to ignite a forest fire - had simply fizzled by the end.


Profile Image for D.
349 reviews
January 30, 2011
I honestly was expecting this book to be really bad. I started reading before bed, thinking it would be one to put down easily if I was ready to fall asleep, but that was not the case. I was sucked in right away. River Time begins with Casey struggling to stay alive in a raft in a flash flood in the Colorado River. She eventually is stuck where she can escape to the shore. Shortly after, she discovers something odd stuck in the river, which ends up being a man in a life vest. She saves his life, and they are then stuck together with no way out of their canyon. There are a few sparks, but she's pretty suspicious of him. They eventually become friends, then fall in love in their 10 days there. They agree to just know each other in "River Time" without any baggage from their previous lives, and let whatever happen as it does. When they are eventually rescued, Jack turns out to be extremely well-known, with plenty of complications. Casey goes home and decides to marry the man she didn't really want to after discovering Jack's secrets. Others had secrets too, and Casey's life is threatened. Jack and Casey try to work out the myriad of juicy complications. Great book full of secrets, lies, betrayals, and love.
Profile Image for Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews.
5,495 reviews174 followers
April 25, 2011
From cover to cover, RiverTime is riveting. Whether in ‘river time’ or real time, when Casey and Jack are together, it is magic time. Survivers from a flash flood on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Casey and Jack ignore baggage of the past, realize the tenuousness of the future, and concentrate on surviving in the present. Casey’s innate open curiosity as a social scientist and Jack’s secretiveness create a unique atmosphere that makes the reader feel ‘in-on-the-know’ with each new tidbit of information gleaned from the actions, conversations, and inner thoughts.

The imagery, metaphors, and delectable candy comparisons add richness to the story that feeds the imagination, heightens the senses, and often tickles the funny bone. The adrenaline-pumping beginning is a foreshadowing of the strength and underlying fortitude of both Casey and Jack, truly heroine and hero. Even with their flaws and fears, each withstands the slings and arrows of real time when the magical river time is no more.

RiverTime is packed with a fun cast of secondary characters like Casey’s true friend, the politically incorrect Ditsy, that looks like a “goddess of fire” to Nocona, Jack’s brother and security guard. Justin, Nocona’s twin who is also a security guard, plays a subtle role that charms women. Both Nocona and Justin share a past with Jack that makes them never-failing friends with a super understanding of the foibles of human beings.

Reed, with his controlling ways and deceitful acts is a secondary character that creates a firestorm as he tries to bend every thing and every body to suit his own, self-centered wants. Ramona runs him a close second as she runs roughshod over whomever she needs to in order to get what she wants. But neither of them can hold a light to Senator Patricia Carr and her machinations.

The glorious, enormous, cathedral-like canyon where Casey and Jack stay during their ‘river time’ nurtures their undeniable soul mate connect that seems impossible to make work in real time. As love finds a way through thorny, emotional, and often heartbreaking conflicts, the reader is engulfed in the maelstrom of events almost as scary and swift as the flash flood that set in motion the awesome RiverTime love story that looks at the worst and the best of what people can be.

Rae Renzi’s RiverTime is a gripping, breathtaking, beautifully told tale. Thanks to this new author for a spellbinding, vicarious adventure.

originally posted at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
Profile Image for I ♥ Bookie Nookie (bookienookiereviews.blogspot.com).
1,028 reviews2,906 followers
January 30, 2011
Casey's life may look great through a strangers eyes, but in reality, it is less than perfect. Needing to escape the pressures of her world and desperately needing to evaluate her future, she joins a group of strangers on a river rafting trip. When a flash flood sweeps her away from her group, she stumbles up a mysterious, unconscious stranger. Over a 2 week period, she and the stranger she knows as "John" become quite close. In an effort to relieve some of the tension, they vow to let down their defenses in an effort to get to know one another better--they pretend they are in an alternate reality called "Rivertime"--so basically "what happens in Rivertime, stays in Rivertime". That is where the story that had only been mildly entertaining--I might go so far as to classify as boring-- became a little hokey for me. There is a whole series of predicaments they find themselves in over the 2 week period, none that were all that riveting. John's secretive nature became a little annoying--especially once we found out the nature of his big secret.

After being rescued, they return to their daily life, now that is when the story started to heat up...the lies, love and betrayal began to unfold at a rapid pace. A big mystery surfaces about 50% into the book and I found myself speculating on every other page about what might be happening. The 2nd half of the book elevated this story significantly in my mind. Though I doubt I will be running out when the next book hits the stands, I wouldn't be opposed to reading it!

One suggestion for future novels...cut back on all the comparisons of the characters and sweets--it was annoying. Once or twice would have been fine, but the frequency at which this type of comparison was made was distracting from the story. There was a disconnect there--if she were a confectioner or a chocolatier it wouldn't have bothered me nearly as much.

**Advance Reader Copy courtesy of the book's publisher and NetGalley.com
Profile Image for Heather in FL.
2,063 reviews
March 7, 2011
This was a sweet story. As long as I suspend reality, lol. Which I did! It's unrealistic that a beautiful scientist would completely ignore pop culture, especially when her focus is in film. Granted, it was older film, but still. I loved how Jack and Casey's relationship built. All her ideas about what he did for a living (professional gigolo, ha!) were hilarious, and I completely understand him not wanting to come out and say it. If she didn't know who he was, and he wanted to escape for a while, it was the perfect scenario for Jack. Their Rivertime wedding was so sweet. My heart broke for them when Rivertime was over and she finally realized who he was and believed their lives couldn't possibly mesh as a result. I wanted to smack her for marrying Reed. Regardless of what she thought about Jack and his messy relationship, she never should have married Reed. Again, I have a hard time believing that a scientist would just somehow agree that a partnership (not a love match) would be a good idea. But whatever. I loved how Jack pursued her and how he tried to be aware of how his life would affect her. Man, Jack was patient!! I wanted to scream at all the roadblocks that came up in their relationship. I wanted to throttle Reed for how he played the "don't be like your father" card and how HE called the press to her house because he thought she'd run right back to him for help. Jackass. But I loved the bigamy slant at the end -- gotta love lawyers sometimes, lol. I also loved that Casey was able to overcome her fear of the press. A lot of this was contrived, and it wasn't steamy in the least, but it was still such a sweet love story. I'm a sucker for HEAs and this had a good one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Spencer.
516 reviews152 followers
March 4, 2011
When Casey Lord embarks on a river-rafting trip to escape the pressure of marriage from her politically power-driven boyfriend, the last thing she expects is for it to turn into a two-week ordeal in the wilderness. After barely making it through a flash flood alive, Casey washes onto a remote beach, all alone. But shortly after the flood, she spots a man floating in the water and pulls him to safety. The man introduces himself as just Jack, and though Casey can tell he's hiding something, she instantly feels a connection with him.

As the days pass, Jack and Casey grow close, sharing a life where nothing else matters but their love for each other. When the two are finally rescued, Casey and Jack are separated and return to their polar-opposite lives, but can they ever come together like they did during their adventure?

Renzi's debut, RiverTime, is filled with vivid descriptions and complex characters. Renzi’s words paint colorful scenes, making each canyon and river rapid come alive. Casey and Jack are both perfectly flawed, and easy to relate to in their own way. Although there could have been more initial dialogue, the romantic spark between the pair quickly ignites a flaming wildfire. An intricate web of obstacles and mystery keep the story moving quickly and provides suspenseful conflict that complements the romance between Casey and Jack.

*Originally written for RT Book Reviews. Note: Goodreads rating is adjusted to match RT rating equivalent.
Profile Image for Jess Candela.
624 reviews37 followers
August 25, 2013
A few oddities or inconsistencies (like placing food as a requirement for survival above water), or this same scientist thinking that every "neuron" in her body hurts. Granted, her PhD is in Film, but they keep referring to her as a scientist - in itself, another oddity. Though I guess maybe she is technically a Social Scientist? She apparently has a research PhD, so at least there's that.

Other than the niggling inconsistencies, emotionally it was gripping and rang mostly true. I thought Casey was waaaay too dismissive of , but I guess I could see that as being in character for someone who wants to see only the good.

Overall I really enjoyed it, but definitely had some niggles. Like the villains being so totally villanous. I think they could so easily have been multi-faceted, sympathetic characters in their own right even while working at cross-purposes to the protagonists. I could already see reasons why they might be/act as they did, so with just a little more effort the author could have reallyl brought them to three-dimensional life. As it was, they were annoyingly simplistic and evil. Bleh.
Profile Image for Cleffairy Cleffairy.
Author 1 book16 followers
April 5, 2011
Published at: Over A Cuppa Tea

Date published: 26th Jan 2011

Review link: http://cleffairy.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/river-time/

River Time by Rae Renzi is yet another contemporary romance from Carina Press that I decided to read and review. Honestly, I was attracted to the warm look of the book cover. Gosh, talk about judging the book by it’s cover. But the book cover did not lie, by the way. The story itself sizzles and and really heartwarming. The characters will definitely drawn you into their world and you’d find yourself symphatizing with both the hero and the herione of River Time.

I like this story a lot. It’s captivating and not to mention moving as well. And I would definitely look more books by this author to read soon.

Overall, I would rate this book 4 stars out of stars, and would recommend this book to those who loves to read contemporary romance.
Profile Image for Jana at ThatArtsyReaderGirl.com.
609 reviews510 followers
December 26, 2014
(Read my full review on the the blog .)

I have a major thing for books with survival elements, and I absolutely ADORE the Grand Canyon (which I was not even sure was the setting for this book until I started reading it), so this book sounded perfect for me. I even ended up buying it without reading many reviews (which I forget), because I thought is sounded amazingly romantic and exciting. Sadly, I wasn't really impressed.

Profile Image for Deborah.
50 reviews3 followers
June 17, 2011
This book really surprised me (and with books, that doesn't occur often!). I liked the synopsis of the book, so I thought I knew which direction it would take. Wrong! First, the hero was really obnoxious! So much so (for me), that I thought I would give up on this book. I am so glad that I didn't. It is truly a terrific book! Such a great romance. It stayed with me for days after I finished. I highly recommend this book!
Profile Image for QueenB.
61 reviews68 followers
February 8, 2011
This book was flippin' trippy. There were parts I loved (Ditz!) and things I loved about the characters, but there were also GLARING issues. I give the author credit for doing things outside the box, but...yeah, I'm not sure how much "romance" I actually felt was it in. More in-depth review to come on my blog.
Profile Image for Michelegg.
1,159 reviews140 followers
March 17, 2011
I loved River Time. The scenes on the river, after the flood that left Casey and Jack stranded, were so well written. I can still see their cave and camp in my mind. The romance was sighworthy which makes it a winner for me.
Profile Image for Tracy .
786 reviews8 followers
October 18, 2011
I really liked this book! Great characters, some hot romance and a bit of suspense makes for a great read!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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