What do you think?
Rate this book
Riverbend: The Collection
459 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2013
75 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 6, 2013
~*~ Riverbend ~*~
Ok, so I definitely did not leave my chair once while reading this novel. It was brilliant. I fully admit that I spent the 1st chapter wondering “what the hell happened in the past” but the rest of the book kept me captivated within its pages. Goodson has a way with words and manages to work mystery and intrigue into her work without it becoming apparent.
The descriptions and settings in this novel are great. They are real places that you feel like you could visit, or have visited. She uses her descriptions in a way that you can picture the setting for the novel very clearly. At the same time, she never gets longwinded or boring.
I think what really got me with this novel was the fact that the historical, anthropological, and archaeological facts present in the book are based in reality. Goodson took the time to research this before writing. It is not simply made up information that she tries to pass off as fact. She weaves an amazing tale around these facts, but what they are is still fact (with a twist or two, of course).
The characters are also heartwarming. You have a main character that is afraid to love because she lost her father coupled with her high school sweetheart who will still do anything for her. You can’t beat that, especially when Goodson takes the time to develop her characters into real people. I was, of course, left with the question “what is Richard’s deal?” Is he up to something or is he simply a skeazebag?
~*~Rapid Water~*~
Holy intrigue with the scumbag – and now I think I know who the scum bag is. And no, I’m not telling.
I love how the archaeological and anthropological aspect of the first story continues on to this installment. You learn more and more about the histories of these Native American peoples while on a grand adventure. This is augmented by the way that it is placed within Goodson’s very well written story. She has a way of bringing the world to life with her words that doesn’t compare to anything.
The characters come to life with a vengeance in this novel. I thought that I was getting to know them before, but now I feel like I grew up with the main characters. Goodson keeps feeding you details about the characters, building on past experiences that allow you to get to know them better and better. All the while, she continues progressing with the storyline. You also get to know some of the minor characters much better in this novel. This adds an extra element of depth to the story, drawing you further into the world that these individuals inhabit.
Goodson grabbed me with the first installment in this series and has kept me going with this one. I can’t stop thinking about the characters and their plight. Although my heart broke at the end of this novel, I still hold a great deal of hope for the characters and their future.
~*~Waking Tide~*~
This is another phenomenal story from Andrea Goodson. Yet again she captivated me from the first page and kept me going throughout. I couldn’t put this novel down for a second. It was a brilliant novel and a phenomenal conclusion to the Riverbend trilogy.
I love how Goodson uses history to base her novel on. Although in essence this story is about love and loss, it is also about the history of an interaction between the Western world and a Native American nation. This novel is, in essence, a work of fiction, however there is real history behind it. Goodson stays true to that history as well as the practices of said nation.
I really appreciate how smoothly and clearly Goodson switches perspective from character to character. It really adds depth and mystery to the story, knowing what different characters are thinking and how they are feeling. Goodson also changes the tone and colour of her writing with certain characters to increase the feeling of suspense and possible doom that some of the characters are facing. Goodson’s descriptions continue to amaze me, putting everything into perspective while letting you see what the characters are seeing and experience what they are experiencing. Goodson also plays on the reader’s emotions, pulling them further into the conflicts of the story, both those experienced by characters individually or as a group. More than once she brought tears to my eyes, but also had times where she made me laugh out loud.
I love how Goodson’s characters continue to grow as individuals. They keep finding out new things about each other and about themselves. She really takes the time to let you get to know the characters without ever dwelling on them. I am sad to see these characters go, but I am very glad to see that our star-crossed lovers now seem to be on the same path, even though that means I can’t keep Will for myself any longer.
And the rest, they say, is history.
~*~Overall~*~
This was a phenomenal series that I couldn’t put down, even for a second. Goodson’s understated writing style allows you to flow through this story while empathizing and connecting with characters that you’ve come to know and love. At the end you still want more, even if everything came to a brilliant conclusion. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to recommend this one to anyone at all.
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Ok, so I definitely did not leave my chair once while reading this novel. It was brilliant. I fully admit that I spent the 1st chapter wondering “what the hell happened in the past” but the rest of the book kept me captivated within its pages. Goodson has a way with words and manages to work mystery and intrigue into her work without it becoming apparent.
The descriptions and settings in this novel are great. They are real places that you feel like you could visit, or have visited. She uses her descriptions in a way that you can picture the setting for the novel very clearly. At the same time, she never gets longwinded or boring.
I think what really got me with this novel was the fact that the historical, anthropological, and archaeological facts present in the book are based in reality. Goodson took the time to research this before writing. It is not simply made up information that she tries to pass off as fact. She weaves an amazing tale around these facts, but what they are is still fact (with a twist or two, of course).
The characters are also heartwarming. You have a main character that is afraid to love because she lost her father coupled with her high school sweetheart who will still do anything for her. You can’t beat that, especially when Goodson takes the time to develop her characters into real people. I was, of course, left with the question “what is Richard’s deal?” Is he up to something or is he simply a skeazebag?
~*~Rapid Water~*~
Holy intrigue with the scumbag – and now I think I know who the scum bag is. And no, I’m not telling.
I love how the archaeological and anthropological aspect of the first story continues on to this installment. You learn more and more about the histories of these Native American peoples while on a grand adventure. This is augmented by the way that it is placed within Goodson’s very well written story. She has a way of bringing the world to life with her words that doesn’t compare to anything.
The characters come to life with a vengeance in this novel. I thought that I was getting to know them before, but now I feel like I grew up with the main characters. Goodson keeps feeding you details about the characters, building on past experiences that allow you to get to know them better and better. All the while, she continues progressing with the storyline. You also get to know some of the minor characters much better in this novel. This adds an extra element of depth to the story, drawing you further into the world that these individuals inhabit.
Goodson grabbed me with the first installment in this series and has kept me going with this one. I can’t stop thinking about the characters and their plight. Although my heart broke at the end of this novel, I still hold a great deal of hope for the characters and their future.
~*~Waking Tide~*~
This is another phenomenal story from Andrea Goodson. Yet again she captivated me from the first page and kept me going throughout. I couldn’t put this novel down for a second. It was a brilliant novel and a phenomenal conclusion to the Riverbend trilogy.
I love how Goodson uses history to base her novel on. Although in essence this story is about love and loss, it is also about the history of an interaction between the Western world and a Native American nation. This novel is, in essence, a work of fiction, however there is real history behind it. Goodson stays true to that history as well as the practices of said nation.
I really appreciate how smoothly and clearly Goodson switches perspective from character to character. It really adds depth and mystery to the story, knowing what different characters are thinking and how they are feeling. Goodson also changes the tone and colour of her writing with certain characters to increase the feeling of suspense and possible doom that some of the characters are facing. Goodson’s descriptions continue to amaze me, putting everything into perspective while letting you see what the characters are seeing and experience what they are experiencing. Goodson also plays on the reader’s emotions, pulling them further into the conflicts of the story, both those experienced by characters individually or as a group. More than once she brought tears to my eyes, but also had times where she made me laugh out loud.
I love how Goodson’s characters continue to grow as individuals. They keep finding out new things about each other and about themselves. She really takes the time to let you get to know the characters without ever dwelling on them. I am sad to see these characters go, but I am very glad to see that our star-crossed lovers now seem to be on the same path, even though that means I can’t keep Will for myself any longer.
And the rest, they say, is history.
~*~Overall~*~
This was a phenomenal series that I couldn’t put down, even for a second. Goodson’s understated writing style allows you to flow through this story while empathizing and connecting with characters that you’ve come to know and love. At the end you still want more, even if everything came to a brilliant conclusion. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to recommend this one to anyone at all.
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 7, 2013
This was a wonderful read. Andrea is re releasing her 3 books into a collection which is a great idea. Each book continues where the last finished off.
Andrea has a great skill in describing scenery/ surroundings of the story throughout. One felt they were there with the characters.
This book is clouded in mystery. Although I found it a bit slow at the beginning once I got into it I was glued. The author threw some twists at me which had me gasping.
If your looking for a complete story that u can curl up & read on a wintery day then this is it.
Received from author in return for honest review.
Andrea has a great skill in describing scenery/ surroundings of the story throughout. One felt they were there with the characters.
This book is clouded in mystery. Although I found it a bit slow at the beginning once I got into it I was glued. The author threw some twists at me which had me gasping.
If your looking for a complete story that u can curl up & read on a wintery day then this is it.
Received from author in return for honest review.
October 7, 2013
From start to finish, I thought this collection of books was great. The characters were real to me. The way Andrea wrote about the emotions of dealing with the death of a parent made me cry because I experienced those emotions. This collection is a definite must read.
October 14, 2013
I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The collection is all three of Andrea Goodson's Riverbend trilogy in one. I already have read Riverbend book one so I just read book two and three for this review. I found these books to be quick and easy to read and I did enjoy that the story carried right over from book one.after reading Riverbend, I had made some predictions and even with the author throwing twists and turns that almost lead me to think otherwise, my predictions were correct. I still really enjoyed all of the mystery surrounding everything. This series is definitely a fast paced thriller.
Lena made me mad as a character because she was so hot/ cold with Will and wasn't being true to her feelings. I was sad to see some characters leave because good or bad you become attached. I also really liked Lena's sister Gabby. She was almost a side story, trying to find out who she was and mature.i am happy for the most part with how this story played out.
This is a greats series to pick up if you are into mystery/ thrillers. I would say that if you aren't really feeling book one keep going because I liked two and three better haha. I would recommend this trilogy to people looking for a quick and fun (well as much as it can be) mystery.
The collection is all three of Andrea Goodson's Riverbend trilogy in one. I already have read Riverbend book one so I just read book two and three for this review. I found these books to be quick and easy to read and I did enjoy that the story carried right over from book one.after reading Riverbend, I had made some predictions and even with the author throwing twists and turns that almost lead me to think otherwise, my predictions were correct. I still really enjoyed all of the mystery surrounding everything. This series is definitely a fast paced thriller.
Lena made me mad as a character because she was so hot/ cold with Will and wasn't being true to her feelings. I was sad to see some characters leave because good or bad you become attached. I also really liked Lena's sister Gabby. She was almost a side story, trying to find out who she was and mature.i am happy for the most part with how this story played out.
This is a greats series to pick up if you are into mystery/ thrillers. I would say that if you aren't really feeling book one keep going because I liked two and three better haha. I would recommend this trilogy to people looking for a quick and fun (well as much as it can be) mystery.
October 21, 2013
I found book 1 a little hard to get into but I'm so glad I stuck with it because books 2 & 3 really grabbed me and didn't let go till the last page. Great mystery, great charcters, the whole works.
October 7, 2013
Please read the whole review before you judge this book and decide to read it or not. As you will see, I definitely recommend this book and can’t wait to read more from the Author!
~*~RIVERBEND~*~
I personally had a hard time reading this book in the beginning. I'm not a big history person and at times I felt like I was sitting back in my history class in high school. With that said, the author does an amazing job with describing the location and the history of that area. She really did her research before writing this book. Most of the beginning was written from the character’s thoughts. There wasn't a lot of interaction with other characters. The main characters Lena and Will were very likeable and I sense a possible romance in their future. Lena is still trying to cope with the sudden loss of her father years before and you can tell she is afraid to let others in. The first book has quite the cliffhanger but luckily you can go right into the next one with this collection. There are a lot of questions left unanswered in the first book. I am looking forward to the next book!
~*~RAPID WATER~*~
I admit, I talked about having a hard time reading it the first part of the last book. Rapid Water was much, much better. It still had a lot of "in the characters' thoughts" but there was so much more person-to-person conversation. Rapid Water was quite suspenseful and the author did a great job pulling me further into the mystery surrounding Lena's father's death and the things happening around her. I realy am enjoying the progression of the relationship between Lena and Will. It’s not rushed like a lot of books out there these days. I think I have figured out who the “bad guy” is but I’ll keep that to myself. I'm not a big history-buff but this book was easier to read and still explain the history without making me feel like I should be taking notes for a test. Like in Riverbend, the ending of Rapid Water is another HUGE cliff-hanger that will leave you screaming "Noooo!" I can honestly say I have been sucked in and cannot wait to start reading the final book in the series!
~*~WAKING TIDE~*~
Wow.... just WOW!!! Waking Tide is the third book in the Riverbend Trilogy. I am thoroughly glad that I decided to finish reading the entire trilogy. Goodson really did a great job! Once I started Waking Tide I was honestly unable to put it down. I was heartbroken for Lena, and fell in love with Will and the way he was there for her even with all of her doubts and insecurities. I really enjoyed the mystery and how it all wrapped up in the end. I must say that I am sad to see this story end but glad that Lena got her happily ever after!
My final thoughts on this series~
So, as you can see, I really did enjoy this trilogy. Now that I look back on all of the books, the first book really worked with explaining all the history of the Lenape Indians and how that all ties into the whole story. I don’t think this trilogy would have been so captivating without that all having been explained. While reading the trilogy you could see/feel the author "growing" and developing and getting comfortable with her writing and I am really looking forward to reading more of her work in the future!!
~*~RIVERBEND~*~
I personally had a hard time reading this book in the beginning. I'm not a big history person and at times I felt like I was sitting back in my history class in high school. With that said, the author does an amazing job with describing the location and the history of that area. She really did her research before writing this book. Most of the beginning was written from the character’s thoughts. There wasn't a lot of interaction with other characters. The main characters Lena and Will were very likeable and I sense a possible romance in their future. Lena is still trying to cope with the sudden loss of her father years before and you can tell she is afraid to let others in. The first book has quite the cliffhanger but luckily you can go right into the next one with this collection. There are a lot of questions left unanswered in the first book. I am looking forward to the next book!
~*~RAPID WATER~*~
I admit, I talked about having a hard time reading it the first part of the last book. Rapid Water was much, much better. It still had a lot of "in the characters' thoughts" but there was so much more person-to-person conversation. Rapid Water was quite suspenseful and the author did a great job pulling me further into the mystery surrounding Lena's father's death and the things happening around her. I realy am enjoying the progression of the relationship between Lena and Will. It’s not rushed like a lot of books out there these days. I think I have figured out who the “bad guy” is but I’ll keep that to myself. I'm not a big history-buff but this book was easier to read and still explain the history without making me feel like I should be taking notes for a test. Like in Riverbend, the ending of Rapid Water is another HUGE cliff-hanger that will leave you screaming "Noooo!" I can honestly say I have been sucked in and cannot wait to start reading the final book in the series!
~*~WAKING TIDE~*~
Wow.... just WOW!!! Waking Tide is the third book in the Riverbend Trilogy. I am thoroughly glad that I decided to finish reading the entire trilogy. Goodson really did a great job! Once I started Waking Tide I was honestly unable to put it down. I was heartbroken for Lena, and fell in love with Will and the way he was there for her even with all of her doubts and insecurities. I really enjoyed the mystery and how it all wrapped up in the end. I must say that I am sad to see this story end but glad that Lena got her happily ever after!
My final thoughts on this series~
So, as you can see, I really did enjoy this trilogy. Now that I look back on all of the books, the first book really worked with explaining all the history of the Lenape Indians and how that all ties into the whole story. I don’t think this trilogy would have been so captivating without that all having been explained. While reading the trilogy you could see/feel the author "growing" and developing and getting comfortable with her writing and I am really looking forward to reading more of her work in the future!!
November 25, 2013
***I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review***
I have to admit, it took me a little while to get into this book, so I put it down for a while. I soon found myself thinking about it and what would happen next. When I picked it back up, I flew threw it.
The book introduces us to Lena. This is a girl who, from the very first page, is very troubled by her past. In particular the death of her father. I related to this as I am a massive daddy's girl and I don't know how I would cope with that kind of loss. We join Lena as she heads home to visit her mother and sister for the first time in two years. Lena is NOT looking forward to it at all.
What follows is a journey of Lena reconnecting with her family, her best friend, and her hometown. She is struggling and cutting herself off until she starts to find clues of an area of history that her dad was researching. This is where I started to really get into the story! Especially with the added mystery surround John Roberts and his fixation with Lena.
The history and the archaeological aspect to the story were fascinating. Being a Brit, I have little to no idea about the history of Native Americans. Linking the Lenape and an aspect of British history was a distinct way to get me gripped!
I cottoned on to some parts of the story pretty quickly, but the book wasn't completely predictable which I was pleased about. Goodson seems to follow a formula used by authors such as Kathy Reichs in that she sets up the story, brings in a little action before the resolution either way. This style is both familiar and enjoyable to me and I wouldn't complain about reading more of Goodson's work in this genre.
The romance aspect felt very realistic in that it wasn't rushed or forced. Lena and Will have been best friends for years and know each other better than they each know themselves. This is the perfect foundation to a relationship, but only if both parties want that relationship! This is what makes the book even more believable. Lena is scared to love Will and pulls away or even pushes him away. We've all been there, just maybe not to the extremes Lena goes to. Is it time for Will to give up? Buy the book to find out!
The only complaint I would have against this book is that it could do with a final read through by an editor. There were quite a few minor spelling mistakes that should have been addressed before publication, but not one of them tore me away from finding out what happens next!
I have to admit, it took me a little while to get into this book, so I put it down for a while. I soon found myself thinking about it and what would happen next. When I picked it back up, I flew threw it.
The book introduces us to Lena. This is a girl who, from the very first page, is very troubled by her past. In particular the death of her father. I related to this as I am a massive daddy's girl and I don't know how I would cope with that kind of loss. We join Lena as she heads home to visit her mother and sister for the first time in two years. Lena is NOT looking forward to it at all.
What follows is a journey of Lena reconnecting with her family, her best friend, and her hometown. She is struggling and cutting herself off until she starts to find clues of an area of history that her dad was researching. This is where I started to really get into the story! Especially with the added mystery surround John Roberts and his fixation with Lena.
The history and the archaeological aspect to the story were fascinating. Being a Brit, I have little to no idea about the history of Native Americans. Linking the Lenape and an aspect of British history was a distinct way to get me gripped!
I cottoned on to some parts of the story pretty quickly, but the book wasn't completely predictable which I was pleased about. Goodson seems to follow a formula used by authors such as Kathy Reichs in that she sets up the story, brings in a little action before the resolution either way. This style is both familiar and enjoyable to me and I wouldn't complain about reading more of Goodson's work in this genre.
The romance aspect felt very realistic in that it wasn't rushed or forced. Lena and Will have been best friends for years and know each other better than they each know themselves. This is the perfect foundation to a relationship, but only if both parties want that relationship! This is what makes the book even more believable. Lena is scared to love Will and pulls away or even pushes him away. We've all been there, just maybe not to the extremes Lena goes to. Is it time for Will to give up? Buy the book to find out!
The only complaint I would have against this book is that it could do with a final read through by an editor. There were quite a few minor spelling mistakes that should have been addressed before publication, but not one of them tore me away from finding out what happens next!
October 7, 2013
This trilogy was a really good story in a lot of ways. Lenahow she deals with guilt, grief and disappointment. Her life changes and the burden eases even as she discovers secrets and mystery surrounding her fathers life. Lena has an unexpected romance, finds some great historical facts and reconnects with her family! This is definitely a must read series - would definitely recommend to all!
December 25, 2013
Thank you Pam for recommending such a wonderful story.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews