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Swift River Valley #6
The Spring at Moss Hill
New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers returns to charming Swift River Valley, where spring is the time for fresh starts and new beginnings…
Kylie Shaw has found a home and a quiet place to work as an illustrator of children's books in little Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. No one seems to know her here—and she likes it that way. She carefully guards her privacy in the refurbished nineteenth-century hat factory where she has a loft. And then California private investigator Russ Colton moves in.
Russ is in Knights Bridge to keep his client and friend, eccentric Hollywood costume designer Daphne Stewart, out of trouble. Keeping tabs on Daphne while she considers starting a small children's theater in town doesn't seem like a tough job until he runs into Kylie. Her opposition to converting part of the old hat factory into a theater is a challenge. But his bigger challenge is getting Kylie to let loose a little…like the adventurous characters she depicts in her work.
Kylie and Russ have more in common than they or anyone else would ever expect. They're both looking for a place to belong, and if they're able to let go of past mistakes and learn to trust again, they might just find what they need in Knights Bridge…and each other.
Kylie Shaw has found a home and a quiet place to work as an illustrator of children's books in little Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. No one seems to know her here—and she likes it that way. She carefully guards her privacy in the refurbished nineteenth-century hat factory where she has a loft. And then California private investigator Russ Colton moves in.
Russ is in Knights Bridge to keep his client and friend, eccentric Hollywood costume designer Daphne Stewart, out of trouble. Keeping tabs on Daphne while she considers starting a small children's theater in town doesn't seem like a tough job until he runs into Kylie. Her opposition to converting part of the old hat factory into a theater is a challenge. But his bigger challenge is getting Kylie to let loose a little…like the adventurous characters she depicts in her work.
Kylie and Russ have more in common than they or anyone else would ever expect. They're both looking for a place to belong, and if they're able to let go of past mistakes and learn to trust again, they might just find what they need in Knights Bridge…and each other.
345 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 26, 2016
222 people are currently reading
1259 people want to read
About the author
Carla Neggers
143 books1,608 followersCarla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sharpe & Donovan series featuring Boston-based FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan, and the popular Swift River Valley series set in the small, fictional New England town of Knights Bridge. With many bestsellers to her credit, Carla loves to write now as much as she did when she climbed a tree at age eleven with a pad and pen and spun stories perched on her favorite branch.
A native New Englander, Carla and her husband divide their time between their hilltop home in Vermont, a sofa bed at their kids' places in Boston and various inns, hotels and hideaways on their travels, frequently to Ireland.
Find out more and sign up for Carla's newsletter at CarlaNeggers.com.
A native New Englander, Carla and her husband divide their time between their hilltop home in Vermont, a sofa bed at their kids' places in Boston and various inns, hotels and hideaways on their travels, frequently to Ireland.
Find out more and sign up for Carla's newsletter at CarlaNeggers.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
March 23, 2016
This quiet romance starts nicely, gets bogged down and then flattens out from the middle to the end. I would expect far better of such an experienced author and I can only think that nobody was editing this work. While this is sixth in a series, it is written as a standalone with two newly introduced protagonists. A Massachusetts small town is the location.
The female half is a shy illustrator of children's books who has had a hit with a series under a pseudonym. For no reason except liking a quiet lifestyle she has not told anybody in town. Actually, I think they would all say "Really? Well done!" and then leave her alone. It's not that interesting. It's not scandalous. And I read this same premise in a Christmas novel a few months ago, only there it was sisters who had written and illustrated the hit kids' books, and one sister wanted to accept a film offer while the shy, retiring librarian sister did not. Here we just get a one-dimensional, sweet, nature-loving, lady who has no reason whatsoever for being antisocial.
The male half is a PI who is working a very small case in town. He is about the most woefully underused character I have ever seen. We get a chapter devoted to telling us all about how he is ex-Navy and has served in two fields of conflict. He's got a sharp eye for terrorists and crime, he has unarmed combat skills, etc. The man ends up chasing women's gossip and looking at fire codes on a new building. His falling in love with the artist is unlikely, given they have nothing in common and he has no reason to want to settle in the small town.
As this is well down a series there is an unacceptable chapter of padding early on, during which characters outside this town converse about characters in the town, in order supposedly to bring the PI up to speed. In fact they are recapping the previous books and discussing far too many people at once for a new reader to want to know about or care about. If you have read all the series, you may be delighted to catch up, and this romance is suitable for all ages - though I can't see teens being interested in a town consisting of gossiping adults.
I am sure Carla Neggers has written better books and had better editors in the past. Some of the descriptive writing about the location and its history is lovely and well considered, but it's not enough to carry a story which then consists of endless conversations and no actions.
I downloaded a copy from Net Galley for an unbiased review.
The female half is a shy illustrator of children's books who has had a hit with a series under a pseudonym. For no reason except liking a quiet lifestyle she has not told anybody in town. Actually, I think they would all say "Really? Well done!" and then leave her alone. It's not that interesting. It's not scandalous. And I read this same premise in a Christmas novel a few months ago, only there it was sisters who had written and illustrated the hit kids' books, and one sister wanted to accept a film offer while the shy, retiring librarian sister did not. Here we just get a one-dimensional, sweet, nature-loving, lady who has no reason whatsoever for being antisocial.
The male half is a PI who is working a very small case in town. He is about the most woefully underused character I have ever seen. We get a chapter devoted to telling us all about how he is ex-Navy and has served in two fields of conflict. He's got a sharp eye for terrorists and crime, he has unarmed combat skills, etc. The man ends up chasing women's gossip and looking at fire codes on a new building. His falling in love with the artist is unlikely, given they have nothing in common and he has no reason to want to settle in the small town.
As this is well down a series there is an unacceptable chapter of padding early on, during which characters outside this town converse about characters in the town, in order supposedly to bring the PI up to speed. In fact they are recapping the previous books and discussing far too many people at once for a new reader to want to know about or care about. If you have read all the series, you may be delighted to catch up, and this romance is suitable for all ages - though I can't see teens being interested in a town consisting of gossiping adults.
I am sure Carla Neggers has written better books and had better editors in the past. Some of the descriptive writing about the location and its history is lovely and well considered, but it's not enough to carry a story which then consists of endless conversations and no actions.
I downloaded a copy from Net Galley for an unbiased review.
June 14, 2016
I have loved this series, but this one was a fail for me. I didn't understand the big deal about the secret Kylie kept. The couple had zero chemistry and the romance was WAY too fast. The book dragged and It took forever for me to finish it, which is never the case with this author. The two stars is because I liked catching up with older characters from previous books.
May 20, 2016
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. My opinion is just that...mine, and completely unbiased.
This was my first Carla Neggers novel and it doesn't make me feel like a I want to try another one anytime soon. While the setting is quaint and charming, the plot which revolves a secret is petty and forced at best. I admit that romance novels are not my cup of tea, but a well-written one I can usually get into. This just felt like a waste of my time.
This was my first Carla Neggers novel and it doesn't make me feel like a I want to try another one anytime soon. While the setting is quaint and charming, the plot which revolves a secret is petty and forced at best. I admit that romance novels are not my cup of tea, but a well-written one I can usually get into. This just felt like a waste of my time.
September 1, 2017
Minu arvamuse leiab blogist https://triinuraamatud.wordpress.com/...
January 22, 2016
You know when you start a book and it’s just terrible? And you try to decide whether it’s a Did Not Finish, or whether you’ll stick it out? I’m experiencing that with this book right now.
First, though we rarely write reviews where we don’t recommend a book, I really can’t recommend this book UNLESS you really want a nice, New England-y story and you don’t care about the writing so much.
From the beginning Neggers pushes anxiety, worry and fear. I had no idea why everyone was running around scared, why a private investigator was hired, why certain characters showed such contrived reluctance to be transparent. Then when I finally sorted it all out, I was still confused why Neggers made such a big deal out of some very little issues.
Anyway, this book needs a rewrite. It could use streamlining, some re-organization, and some changes in how it begins. Big edits.
I’m sticking with it (currently at 60%) because I like to know how books end. And despite the disorder, I’m sort of invested in a couple of characters. :)
http://randombookmuses.com/2016/01/22...
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NetGalley provided an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 24, 2020
What a mess! This is the sixth book in the series and the first and last one I will ever read! I had a difficult time getting into this story because the pace was so slow! In addition, the plot was extremely weak! First of all Daphne never had any enemies and had no reason to hire Russ. Second, Kylie didn't want anyone to know that she wrote the Badger series under the pseudonym Morwenna Mills. 🙄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2016
I thought the story was very confusing. It just seemed to drag along. Usually her books are very good but if u haven't read this yet than save yourself some money.
April 23, 2016
This is probably the 4th of her books that I've read, and I had forgotten about the earlier two. Neggers has the bones of a really good story, but for some reason she takes a little secret her main character wants to keep and blows it all out of proportion. Keeping the secret becomes the focus of the heroine and finding out what she is hiding becomes the focus of the romantic interest. The one with the secret acts like having it revealed will be the end of the world as we know it when all it generally is is a privacy issue.
I have yet to meet one of her books that does not follow this pattern of overblown reactions and drama out of nothing and it leaves me flat, especially with the promise and potential her books have.
If you are the type who constantly gets bogged down in the Facebook drama of your friends then read books by Carla Neggers. If you quietly de-friend people on Facebook who indulge in over-blown drama, then this is not the author for you... Can you guess which category I fall into?
I have yet to meet one of her books that does not follow this pattern of overblown reactions and drama out of nothing and it leaves me flat, especially with the promise and potential her books have.
If you are the type who constantly gets bogged down in the Facebook drama of your friends then read books by Carla Neggers. If you quietly de-friend people on Facebook who indulge in over-blown drama, then this is not the author for you... Can you guess which category I fall into?
February 6, 2016
This book was a disappointment for me. I liked Kylie, but I thought it was ridiculous she was so worried about people finding out about her secret. And then we have Daphne, the drama queen. She enjoys playing the part and picking on those around here. I think the best part of this book was the Colton brothers. I hope Ms. Neggers takes this series back to the beginning. I loved having the treasure hunts/mysteries and people finding love along the way.
February 12, 2016
I am a huge Carla Neggars fan but this book was a big disappointment to me. This whole story was a tempest in a teapot. Every bit of the story line produced a big WHY which were never answered. This was a miss for me. I even went back and reread Echo Lake while in the middle of this book thinking I missed something which turned out not the case. Yawn.
March 3, 2017
2-
Boring story about a boring woman who thinks she has this HUGE secret that she writes children's stories under a psedonym and oh no what if the private investigator who happens to be flowing into town for a non-issue discovers her secret?!?
Throughout the story I'm yelling "NOBODY CARES!"
So why did I finish the book?
Done with this author.
Boring story about a boring woman who thinks she has this HUGE secret that she writes children's stories under a psedonym and oh no what if the private investigator who happens to be flowing into town for a non-issue discovers her secret?!?
Throughout the story I'm yelling "NOBODY CARES!"
So why did I finish the book?
Done with this author.
February 11, 2016
I have read all of Carla Neggers books and I was greatly disappointed. I love recurring characters and series but this one did not have any of her usual suspense.
February 22, 2016
Rating: 4/10
Boring
Boring
March 4, 2016
A beautiful love story. A wonderful place to live.
February 17, 2021
If a cozy read is defined as a romance that is easy to read quickly and has a happy ending, then this certainly qualifies. The premise is that a young author/illustrator, Kylie Shaw, is hiding out, a bit of a recluse, in a small New England town where she has a loft apartment in a remodel of an old straw hat factory now called Moss Hill. She writes children's stories about a badger family under an assumed name and at the beginning, she's a bit paranoid about people finding that out. Enter an LA private eye, Russ Colter, who is installed in the loft across the hall from her, a security measure against the impending visit of a famous Hollywood designer whose great, great, grandfather owned the factory and had donated the town library. The designer, Daphne Stewart (also a pseudonym), had spent 3 years living in the town, working in the library, and defining herself and her dream in an attic room in the library unbeknownst to anyone at the time. She will be presenting an event with a lecture in the morning and an afternoon workshop on designing for the theatre and movies and there are rumours circulating that the building might be unsafe and the event, cancelled.
I can only say that this was a disappointment. I found Daphne a far more interesting character than Kylie. Although they both have misgivings about the upcoming situation, Daphne's uncertainty about returning to a town where she had spent time escaping from an abusive background is easily understood and creates an empathy for a character who enjoys playing the diva, has a sharp wit, is generous with her time, and enjoys her friends. Kylie, on the other hand, is totally paranoid about having her secret pseudonym revealed, assumes that Russ has figured out it — based on what? no idea — and had one date with a guy who also figured it out somehow, and then she outs herself to a gathering of about a dozen people as if it's nothing. Which of course it was all along. The romance after the event was rather anti-climactic and went on a bit too long. I might try a book from one of her other series but not anytime soon.
I can only say that this was a disappointment. I found Daphne a far more interesting character than Kylie. Although they both have misgivings about the upcoming situation, Daphne's uncertainty about returning to a town where she had spent time escaping from an abusive background is easily understood and creates an empathy for a character who enjoys playing the diva, has a sharp wit, is generous with her time, and enjoys her friends. Kylie, on the other hand, is totally paranoid about having her secret pseudonym revealed, assumes that Russ has figured out it — based on what? no idea — and had one date with a guy who also figured it out somehow, and then she outs herself to a gathering of about a dozen people as if it's nothing. Which of course it was all along. The romance after the event was rather anti-climactic and went on a bit too long. I might try a book from one of her other series but not anytime soon.
June 5, 2017
This book reminded me how much I love the Swift River Valley series. I would call this a contemporary romance rather than a romantic suspense, and yet Neggers manages to instill a tension and intensity into these seemingly small-town lighthearted stories. Even though there are no dead bodies and no one is fearing for his or her life, there are always secrets and uncertainties--the same secrets and doubts that we all live with--and Neggers uses these to keep her readers on edge. Even though I assume these will have happily ever after endings, I must admit that I'm never sure exactly what form that happy ending will take and I'm always pleasantly surprised with the outcomes. In this story, I wondered--right up to the end--how Kylie from Knights Bridge and Russ from LA would make a relationship work. And then there are the questions of how Kylie's pseudonym will affect her life, what role their families will play in their decisions, and how Daphne Stewart and her personal demons will play into the larger picture. I love Knight's Bridge, I love these characters, and I love the stories. I can't wait to see these stories continue and new ones unfold i future installments.
November 19, 2018
Kylie Shaw has found a home and a quiet place to work as an illustrator of children's books in little Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. No one seems to know her here—and she likes it that way. She carefully guards her privacy in the refurbished nineteenth-century hat factory where she has a loft. And then California private investigator Russ Colton moves in. Russ is in Knights Bridge to keep his client and friend, eccentric Hollywood costume designer Daphne Stewart, out of trouble. Keeping tabs on Daphne while she considers starting a small children's theater in town doesn't seem like a tough job until he runs into Kylie. Her opposition to converting part of the old hat factory into a theater is a challenge. But his bigger challenge is getting Kylie to let loose a little…like the adventurous characters she depicts in her work. Kylie and Russ have more in common than they or anyone else would ever expect. They're both looking for a place to belong, and if they're able to let go of past mistakes and learn to trust again, they might just find what they need in Knights Bridge…and each other.
July 6, 2019
Kylie Shaw came to Knight’s Bridge to work on her illustrations and only planned to stay a few months. She loves the peace she finds here and is in no hurry to leave. Then Russ Colton comes to town. He’s a private investigator and came to inspect the premises where a noted Hollywood designer will give a talk which is in the building where Kylie lives. Kylie and Russ are included in various luncheons and dinners and attraction soon becomes apparent. Russ lives out of a duffel bag and doesn’t think he has anything to offer Kylie but he loves her as well as the peace he finds in the quaint village. She has always kept to herself but longs for the closeness she feels with Russ.
Russ doesn't have a real home. Out of the Navy, he stays with friends and now longs for his own home and family. Kylie is starting to branch out and meet her neighbors and become part of the town. She sees that something is missing in her life. She has not had much luck with men but feels this is about to change with Russ.
Russ doesn't have a real home. Out of the Navy, he stays with friends and now longs for his own home and family. Kylie is starting to branch out and meet her neighbors and become part of the town. She sees that something is missing in her life. She has not had much luck with men but feels this is about to change with Russ.
September 20, 2019
I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobooks of this title.
A young Children's book illustrator, Kylie, has been in RiversBridge for almost eight months. She has recently shifted, as the original house she was occupying is being prepared to be placed up for sale.
She finds out that a Private Investigator is to be housed in the same block of accommodation, whilst he is in town, prior to the arrival of the prime presenter at a one day Master presentation on Costume Design.
Russ is alerted that someone seems to be out to make trouble, bad mouthing the newly built venue around the area. He hopes to find out.
He feels Kylie is suspect, as she appears to have a secret.
You'll have to find out what happens by reading (or listening) to this great story, I believe you will enjoy it!
A young Children's book illustrator, Kylie, has been in RiversBridge for almost eight months. She has recently shifted, as the original house she was occupying is being prepared to be placed up for sale.
She finds out that a Private Investigator is to be housed in the same block of accommodation, whilst he is in town, prior to the arrival of the prime presenter at a one day Master presentation on Costume Design.
Russ is alerted that someone seems to be out to make trouble, bad mouthing the newly built venue around the area. He hopes to find out.
He feels Kylie is suspect, as she appears to have a secret.
You'll have to find out what happens by reading (or listening) to this great story, I believe you will enjoy it!
July 2, 2025
Good story, but the mystery premise is weak. Kylie Shaw is a children's illustrator, who has landed in Knight's Bridge to work on the stories she's known for, and the stories she publishes under a pseudonym. And that is what Russ Colton is suspicious of. He's in Knight's Bridge to check security for a visit from famed Hollywood costume designer Daphne Stewart, originally from Knight's Bridge as Debbie Sanderson. And of course, there are sparks between Kylie and Ross.
I thought the whole thing about Kylie keeping her one story series secret, and that arouses Ross's suspicions was less than interesting. It's a bigger problem in her head. And how he found out was not good, also. Just didn't care for how this story line played out.
I thought the whole thing about Kylie keeping her one story series secret, and that arouses Ross's suspicions was less than interesting. It's a bigger problem in her head. And how he found out was not good, also. Just didn't care for how this story line played out.
April 29, 2018
Special Places Special Folks
The people of Knight's Bridge were accustomed to having special visitors from time to time. Things were changing. People coming in and people falling in love. The beauty and special plAces around and about never changed. The country folk also thought they knew everything about everyone. Mostly this w a s true. However, there was one inhabitant who was not what they thought, if they even thought about this person. Events happening draws attention to their quiet new renter of the new apartments on Moss Hill. Read The Spring at Moss Hill by Carla Neggers to see why.
The people of Knight's Bridge were accustomed to having special visitors from time to time. Things were changing. People coming in and people falling in love. The beauty and special plAces around and about never changed. The country folk also thought they knew everything about everyone. Mostly this w a s true. However, there was one inhabitant who was not what they thought, if they even thought about this person. Events happening draws attention to their quiet new renter of the new apartments on Moss Hill. Read The Spring at Moss Hill by Carla Neggers to see why.
December 18, 2017
It’s sweet and cute with a good dose of down-home humor. I liked Kylie and Russ as individual characters and I enjoyed watching their budding romance. It felt a little fast, but not really any faster than a lot of the other pairings in the series. I also loved seeing what the couples from the earlier books were up to. I thought Kylie’s big secret was a little overplayed, though. In the grand scheme of things, it didn’t actually matter to anyone except her.
March 8, 2018
I was going to quit on Chp 8, but ended up skipping to the last chapter. I don't feel like I missed anything. The setting is charming but the drama is contrived: I just don’t think anyone would care this much about a Hollywood clothing designer (she’s treated like a major celebrity in this book), that an author would use a pseudonym, or think that a PI (supposedly a real tough guy investigator) would need to spend days in a small town prior to a lecture. That’s really all the story is about.
April 30, 2025
Quite boring. Main leads’ stories, their love stories and other characters’ stories(which was too much and had no big importance) are not very mesmerizing. Even the romance part was hard to follow. I liked the beginning where they were so attracted to each other and had tensions between them. However, other than they both are very much each other’s type I don’t understand how they fall in love crazy after knowing each other for a week.
August 29, 2018
Another one of those "didn't realize it was part of a series" books. I wasn't really impressed w the plot - it wasn't very deep. The romance seemed to be the focus, but at least it wasn't graphic. Character development was ok - it was hard to keep everyone straight at times. I think that may have been helped by my having read the first 5 books, which I have not.
June 28, 2019
I needed a mindless book after reading two or three really heavy ones. This fit the bill. It was a sweet romance with a predictable outcome but totally enjoyable. The writing was good so I wasn't distracted by that. The characters were likeable. It wasn't written to be the next great piece of literature... Just a sweet summer read.
October 26, 2019
I kept waiting for the big cliffhanger, but it never happened. Can’t remember the last time I read a fiction novel that didn’t have any big problems to solve by the end. So weird. Not a super fan of the narrator, either. She used a choppy rhythm for the male parts that sounded unnatural. Overall the story was pleasant.
January 29, 2020
First book I have ever given only one star to. I got to page 27 then I gave up. I was so confused and lost. I am not sure how to explain it but it's like nothing flowed right and I didn't know who was who. I just finished A Knights Bridge Christmas and loved that one. Since I've got one more hour of work I may try to get through more of it.
February 14, 2023
This is the first book I've read by Carla Neggers. This is a mild, almost gentle, read. While part of a series, all the character name dropping was a bit hard to follow if you are new to this series and I felt that the dialogue and plot were almost naïve and somehow unnatural. The story had potential but something was just not quite right with the writing style.
May 28, 2017
Another fairy tale version of Western Massachusetts small town living full of gorgeous people who fall in love quickly and without issues and forever. The reader is absolutely horrible. But she is better than a sleeping pill. I haven't slept so easily or so long without a sleeping pill in years.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews