Just Fine with Caroline

Cold River #1

by Annie England Noblin

From the author of Sit! Stay! Speak! comes a tender, terrific novel complete with long-buried secrets, a three-legged pot belly pig, and an irresistible dog—an unforgettable story about love, friendship, and community. Perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Mary Alice Monroe.

Caroline O’Connor never dreamed she’d be back home in Cold River, Missouri, the Ozark Mountain town where everyone is ‘up your business.’…they mean well as they drive you crazy. She thought she’d left town for good, but now she’s back, helping to care for her New York born mother—struck with Alzheimer’s, and prone to saying and doing anything—and her father, the beloved local doctor frustrated he can’t cure his own wife.

As for Caroline, she’s doing ‘just fine’ coping with her parents, her brazen cousin Ava Dawn’s marital disasters, her mostly-deaf dog…and with Noah Cranwell, far-flung relative of a local family mostly infamous for running moonshine, an ex-veteran who’s come to Cold River with troubles of his own.

Caroline believes she knows everything about Cold River and the people who live in its hills and hollers … but sometimes life’s greatest surprises happen closest to home.

 

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Family, Animals, Womens Fiction

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 11, 2016

About the author

Writer. Mother. Wife. Bulldog enthusiast. Curly hair afternoon.

Reviews

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

I figure it's a little bit like telling Jesus no, you know? I figure he's got a direct line to Jesus, and tellin' him no is like punchin' Jesus in the face.

Reese Graham wanted a woman to stay home and iron his clothes while he had a woman somewhere else to iron, well, other things. Caroline would sooner die.

In one swift movement, Hazel slapped the side of her son's head so hard that a wad of tobacco came flying out of his mouth and landed in the middle of the bowl of peaches with a sickening plop. 'Don't lie to your mama, child... Now yer gonna eat them peaches.'

'He and his fool headed groomsmen insisted on those camouflage tuxedos.'... Generally speaking, she didn't mind camouflage. Folks in Cold River wore it year-round. However, there was just something tacky about using it in a wedding. It was like people forgot that camo was supposed to be for hunting. If you are getting married, well, the hunt was over.


My Review:

This is only Annie England Noblin's second book - and it was gold. I adored it. It squeezed my cold heart and moved me to blink back tears more than once, but at other times - it also had me smirking and chuckling aloud. I adored it from beginning to end and didn't want to stop reading this delightful and well-written tale once I picked it up. Written from a third person point of view and packed with clever humor, intrigue, long held family secrets, hillbillies, moonshine, small town small mindedness and gossip - this book was a winner! The writing was well-paced, compelling, moving, and unfailingly engaging from the first page to the last. I was invested in the storyline as well as in the multi-faceted and endearing characters. Some secrets are better kept just that, but when the secret Caroline had been chasing was finally revealed in-depth, it was by the most unlikely of sources and in such a tender manner, I was taken aback. The words stung my eyes and constricted my throat. This author has mad skills! I can't wait to see what she does next.

[Cocktails and Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

I was looking for a book that was a little different.  A break from the angst of the books I normally read.  JUST FINE WITH CAROLINE fit that bill.

The story centers around Caroline, a 25-year-old who finds herself back home helping her father with her mother with Alzheimer's.  Caroline always thought she'd come back home, but she figured she'd do it on her own terms and living her own dreams.  Now that she's back, she's trying to figure out who she is and what she wants while to tries to hold onto the memories of her family that her mother's forgotten.

Caroline surrounds herself with some quirky characters who add a little bit of fun to this story.  Her cousin is a hot mess, her best friend had his own secrets and there's her new business neighbor who calls to her and her weird dog.  You never know exactly what you're going to get with group, but it made it fun to follow along.

The storyline with Caroline's mother tugged at your heartsrings, but in the ned everything surrounding her mother and her relationship with Noah's grandfather helped Caroline appreciate the family she had...dirty laundry and all.  It also made it so she could look beyond what he mother did and be truthful with herself about exactly who and what she wanted out of her life.

 

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novel received courtesy of Goodreads.com First Reads Giveaway

I've never read a "Cold River" novel before but I'll be looking for more. Yes, it was a "happily ever after" book! It had wonderfully developed characters. It touched on many current issues. The setting of the Ozark Mountains became almost like another character with the heat, humidity, forests and caves. The main character, Caroline, loves gangster stories from the 20's and 30's and the Ozark Mountains hid many of them. I would encourage those of you who, "hate love stories that always have a happy ending", to try this one. The story is so much deeper than a simple love story!

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just Fine With Caroline reminds me a lot of the movie “Sweet Home Alabama” – not in its plot or anything – but in its characters and its style and its rhythm. And thinking of Noah as Josh Lucas is just fine with me. The characters are definitely vivid, and the cadence of their dialogue is smart and sassy. Even in the more serious moments, there’s just something likable about most of these characters that keeps you smiling.

Despite its apparent lightheartedness, Just Fine with Caroline actually deals with some pretty deep topics. Domestic abuse, infidelity, Alzheimer’s disease, and more. These don’t weigh down the story though; rather, they enhance the emotion you’ve already invested in the characters and keep you turning the pages for more.

The romance between Caroline and Noah is an added bonus and even though their initial chemistry isn’t all that palpable their friendship is. I did think that Noah seemed a lot more in love with Caroline than she with him, even though the story is from Caroline’s perspective. It’s obvious that Noah can’t help himself – he’s so head over heels for her that he has to kiss her and pull her close, etc. But Caroline just sorta seems to go with the flow.

Bottom Line: Just Fine with Caroline isn’t necessarily the story I expected it to be, but that’s not a bad thing! I enjoyed the characters, their friendships, and the glimpse at life in the “hollers” of Missouri. The set-up for future books in the series looks like some people are gearing up for a whole heap of trouble, but with this cast of players it should be no less than highly entertaining!

Reviewer’s Note: Readers should be aware that there is some pretty strong and prolific profanity used throughout the novel, as well as brief (though not graphic) scenes of an intimate nature. The language especially was a bit beyond my own personal level of preference but it does not affect my rating of the book’s quality in any way.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)

See my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet family story and romance set in the Missouri Ozarks, in a little town where everybody knows everybody's business. A well written, light, feel good read.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caroline is trying to be "just fine" but things are a bit dramatic in her life right now.
She is 25, she moved back home during her college years because her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Her friends are getting married and having families and Caroline is living with her parents again and running her parents' bait shop.
She has some close friends and a potential new love interest. Each with their own dramas, Court suffers from an unrequited love and an obligation to care for his widowed father, Ava Dawn is in a bad marriage and possibly involved in another scandalous relationship and Noah might be falling for Caroline but he's the grandson of a man her family dislikes.

Caroline seems very at home in her small town and she seems to be the very center of her circle of friends.

Cute story. You can tell that the author writes about a part of the world that she understands very well. The dialect and descriptions of the town feel genuine.

[Kristin Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book based on the Blurb and the beautiful cover. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this one. This story is based around a small town in the Ozarks. It's a story about a girl Caroline who comes home to help out her family. In the middle of this town where everyone knows your business and the rumors fly high. There are a lot of secrets and undiscovered truths she will uncover.

This book has everything I love in a contemporary romance. It has a girl struggling to come into her own, caught between what she thought her life was and what it actually is. Loved getting to be a part of this story. Loved so many of the characters. They were real and enduring.

Loved Noah. He was probably my favorite part of this book. Loved watching everything unfold and work itself out. This book was just a really great read. Look forward to reading more from this author in the future. #MustRead

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. It is a heartwarming story about life and family.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our fair heroine, Caroline, has curly red hair, freckles, and a gap between her teeth. Though she be but little, she is fierce. She fishes, hangs out with her best friend and her cousin, and runs her mother's bait shop.

You might say she is staying at home to help her father take care of her mother, who has ever-worsening dementia. That would be true. It would be just as true to say that she is stuck in a holding pattern, grieving the loss of her still living parent, and unsure of what to do next.

There is romance here, but the romance is just part of what is going on with Caroline.

I look forward to more from Annie England Noblin.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the top of the page, this says it was an e-book, but it wasn't. It is a printed book. And it isn't what I thought it would be when I started reading it, but it turned out okay. Basically about a girl named Caroline who lives in a small town in the Ozarks. She dropped out of college to care for her mother when she developed Alzheimers. When Caroline learns some secrets about her mother and her new boyfriend's grandfather, it pretty much rocks her world, but things turn out fine.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from Library Thing to read and honestly review. Caroline O’Connor has returned home to Cold River, Missouri, a small Ozark Mountain town, where her parents live, to help with care of her mother. Her mother is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Her father, the town doctor, has retired and works part time at a town clinic, frustrated he cannot stop the spreading illness in his wife. In addition, Caroline has a close cousin Ava Dawn, who is in the middle of a predictable marriage meltdown, a dog, Yari, who is mostly deaf but still tries her best to be the kind of dog people want and like, and a new neighbor, Noah, whose own business is across from her bait shop, who is a long-gone-but-now-returned relative of one of the town’s infamous families who has returned to work the family gas station/neighborhood store. In the story, Caroline is doing “just fine” coping. She knows she must. As the story progresses, we are taken on a trip through Caroline’s daily life and routines, as she copes with the many twists and turns that occur. Still, Caroline, who figures she knows or has heard most of the town’s and her family’s secrets by now, finds out new, fascinating secrets, and must learn to cope with them—as well as with a budding relationship with Noah.

This book provides a good picture of life in a small Ozark Mountain town. The town people are very typical of small towns, accepting and enjoying, when possible, life as it comes at them. The characters come across as real and well developed, fitting easily and completely into this rural, small town setting. There are some mysteries but nothing terribly outlandish or over powering in the story plot. My big problem with the book is the fact that it moved rather slowly at times and had very little plot or reason to want to keep reading to see what would happen next. I do not want to condemn it as boring, but, as I reflect on it now, I think it was just that. I had hoped to find an exciting story in it, but never did. The relationship between Noah and Caroline was obvious, but I did not pick up on a lot of good chemistry between them. There were times when the author inserted feelings and words that could lend to chemistry between the duo, but those seemed, for the most part, contrived and lacked any real authenticity for me. I enjoyed reading about Yari, the nearly deaf dog with a traumatic past and old injuries to show, who had been adopted by Caroline, but Yari really did not play as big a role in the story as I had hoped, after looking at the cover of the book. I enjoyed reading the book, but not nearly as much as I have other romances that have a bit of mystery contained within them as this one did. This is a nice book to curl up with, if you enjoy the author’s work, or if you are looking for a good book to pass the time while at the beach or on a relatively quiet afternoon.

[Luanne Ollivier · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Just Fine With Caroline is Annie England Noblin's second novel.

Caroline has moved back home to Cold River, Missouri. Her family needs her help - her mom has Alzheimers, her dad is so busy (he's the town doctor) and her cousin Ava Dawn always seems to need a hand. And Caroline wants to keep her mom's beloved bait store open.

Life gets a little more complicated when Noah Cranwell returns to town to resurrect his family's store - directly across from the bait shack.

Noblin hits all the notes you would expect in a light hearted read - a slow building romance that hits more than one bump in the road, family issues, quirky supporting characters, conflicts that our main characters need to challenge - and secrets. Noblin also weaves some historical fact into her story that was quite fascinating.

Annie herself makes her home in the Missouri Ozarks and uses that first hand knowledge to create her town, residents and atmosphere. I have lived in more than one small town and Noblin's depiction is spot on. Everyone really does know you, your business and it's really hard to keep a secret in a small town.

I liked Caroline as a lead character - she's the solid, smart one that people tend to turn to. Ava Dawn is a foil for Caroline - she makes mistakes, bad choices and tends to live a wilder life. Noah as the yes, no, maybe so romantic lead was well drawn - and attractive. The rest of the supporting players round out the cast. High school hero also back in town, good guy sheriff with his own secrets, lovable town drunk etc.

There's usually not much you can't figure out ahead of time in 'heartwarming small town' types of reads. And yes, this proved true for Just Fine With Caroline for me. But that's the appeal of them - you know everything is going to turn out okay in the end.

This is the first book in Annie's new Cold River series. I can see a wealth characters just waiting to be met and and for their stories to be told. Read an excerpt of Just Fine With Caroline.

My only quibble is that those quirky characters, dialogue and situations just try a bit too hard and are a bit over exaggerated. But on the other hand, this suits this style of novel. A sweet little read, meant to be enjoyed with a tall glass of sweet tea

[Angelc · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Just Fine with Caroline" is the first book in the author's new Cold River series, set in a small town in the Ozarks. The small town setting and quirky characters are the main attraction in this story. The romance is there, but it's really all about those characters, relationships, and interactions that you can really only find in a small town.

I think a lot of people can identify with Caroline. She's a very likable character, and she really always tries to do the right thing for everyone she cares about. This includes her mother, who has Alzheimer's, her doctor father, her trouble-finding cousin, Ava Dawn, her childhood friend, Court, and her fur friend, Yara. Then comes Noah, the long lost grandson of one of the town's most notorious and mysterious citizens. Family secrets are unravelled as new relationships grow.

I loved the town and characters, but sometimes the story meandered off track a bit. I perfer a tighter story, but that's a matter of personal preference. The family mystery was a bit predictable from the start, it wasn't a shocking revelation at the end. There was an interesting sub-story about Caroline's fascination with prohibition era, I would have loved for that to have been developed even more to mirror the current story.

The author has an authentic small town, Southern voice, which I appreciate. Sometimes this type of voice can come off forced and fake, but Noblin's characters come across so natural. This made the story believable and highly readable at the same time.

reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I was looking for a "J" fiction title for the alphabet challenge this year and this fit the bill. I'd hoped the dog would be a bigger part of the story (it's not). For what it is (chick lit/romance), it's fine. The characters are mostly likable, the storyline is no real surprise. Decent enough, but I won't be looking for the other books in the series.

[Lisa Abney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. It's chick lit ... not my normal genre. Seemed like the author tried to throw in way too many book ideas, and most of them didn't go anywhere.

[Marie Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

You simply have to read Just Fine with Caroline by Annie England Noblin. Her writing will captivate you! Noblin brilliantly portrays her characters with all their wonderful flaws and virtues. You can tell as you read her works that she loves her characters. No one is simply good or evil or lovable or unlovable. Her characters are magically fleshed out.
In Just Fine with Caroline, Caroline O'Connor is a small town girl from the Ozarks and has returned home to help care for her mother. Noah Cranwell is a long lost son from a notorious family and has finally returned home to Cold Water, Missouri to find himself. Their world's collide along the wonderful Cold Water river and an enchanting story begins.
Noblin does so well what so few authors can do and does it well! She makes her characters human with strengths and weaknesses-virtues and vices. There are no heroes and villains in her novels. There are real people and they will become real for you on the page. You can tell that Noblin loves her characters. They are so fully fleshed out, complex people stumbling through life just like the rest of us. You experience everything her characters are going though. You revel in their complexity and the decisions that they are making even when they are wrong.
Annie England Noblin's writing is a joy. Her novels are a heartbreaking, heartwarming, and captivating and so remind me of the wonderful Anne Tyler. I want to meet Noblin's characters and have lunch with them. Drink sweet tea with them on a steamy summer day on a screened in porch. Just love this novel!!! Once you get your hands on an Annie England Noblin novel, you will have to read them all and will be looking forward to more!!!

[Adrienne Dillard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caroline O'Connor may think that things are 'just fine' in her world, but the arrival of Noah Cranwell, kin to one of the most mysterious families in Cold River, might just change that. In Just Fine with Caroline, author Annie England Noblin weaves a complex tale of love and loss, betrayal and redemption. Her characters are sympathetic and highly relatable; human to the core. Every day life in Cold River comes alive in vivid detail. Having grown up in rural Montana, a state that shares more in common with the Ozarks than with any of its neighboring northern states, I can vouch for Noblin's very realistic description of what it's like to live in a small town. I deeply appreciated the author's willingness to tackle tough subjects like poverty, sexual identity, mental illness, alcoholism, and domestic violence in a way that avoids being preachy. Rather than delve into the 'whys' of their prevalence in rural areas, she addresses the 'hows': How can we help? How can we alleviate the pain? How can we prevent it?
Just Fine with Caroline may be labeled with the genre of "chick-lit," but it's much more than that. It's not some breezy "beach read." It's a story of the very real struggles we all face at one time or another. I look forward to following Noblin as she leads us deeper into the heart of Cold River.

[Jellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished listening to the audiobook version of this wonderful novel. Living not too far southwest of the story’s setting, I can assure future readers Ms. Noblin’s details are authentic.

Her characters are well-rounded, flawed yet genuine. Her treatment of Alzheimers brought back sometimes heartbreaking memories of my own mother, who frequently escaped her caregivers; she could usually be found either at the beauty parlor or my house (a block in either direction). I found something to relate to in each character, whether a main character or not, even those with less than admirable personalities. I cared for those people.

The plot was believable and the author’s skill of picking up subplots while maintaining forward movement is impressive for a second(?) novel.

The themes of unconditional love among family and friends, human frailty, and the nature of a community as a place to call home were treated with nuance.

I had not heard of Annie England Noblin before I stumbled across this gem, but I will be searching for and devouring her other books and those yet to be written!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many things about this book that hit home for me. I live in rural Missouri, a close family member deals with the tragedy of Alzheimer’s, and I grew up fishing. So, when approached to read JUST FINE WITH CAROLINE, I jumped at the chance and I wasn’t disappointed.

The story contains all the standard family issues that we see every day in our neighborhoods and towns but there is a deeper sensitivity to those issues in the book that I haven’t seen in other books with similar plots. We all know someone like Caroline or we are her. Her romance starts off very slowly with friendship, as many of them do, including my own. Over a period, it slowly turns into something deeper until at last Caroline must make a serious choice about her future based on new information.

JUST FINE WITH CAROLINE is a delightful read and I enjoyed it greatly with its homespun charm. In a fast-paced world where everything happens in milliseconds, it was a true delight to read something that moves by at the speed I’m accustomed to. I highly recommend it as a wonderful change of pace!

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Candy for the emotions, like a Hallmark movie. The characters, setting and writing are all good.
Sometimes, though, I wondered if she was mocking folks from Cold River. She had them saying and doing nonsensical things that didn’t contribute to the story, such as:
“If he’d been driving a bigger pickup when he went lost control and drove off the road into trees he would have survived” everyone knows that is been proven false - just ask a good insurance agent for the facts

Or

The protagonist points a loaded shot gun at a raging drunk who is fighting with two other people - is the author telling us her main character is a idiot?

Finally, in a rural population, she has the doctor complaining about high taxes - hello, if you live in a sparsely populated area each person has to pay a larger share of the costs. Where does he think the money for hospitals, schools, roads, etc comes from - the urbanites?

Finally, the plot starts out great, but the ending dragged out much too long.

[Lisa Cobb Sabatini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won Just Fine With Caroline: A Cold River Novel by Annie England Noblin from Goodreads.

Secrets and sacrifice shape the town of Cold River, Missouri, in Annie England Noblin's novel, Just Fine With Caroline. As protagonist Caroline O'Connor uncovers secrets kept by the residents of her small town, including her own family, she realizes that many of her tightly held beliefs are wrong. As she struggles to adjust, the world around her continues too change, bringing about danger, jog, and a helping of self-discovery.
Just Fine With Caroline by Annie England Noblimn is a novel about the complexities and simplicities of love.

[Erin Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel has a lot of problems. A weak story, unbelievable characters, several serious typographical errors and just crazy circumstances. The author tried to tie too many subjects together , Alzheimer's, infidelity, homophobia, domestic violence, southern stereotypes and it just didn't work. It makes me not want to ever visit Missouri and the Ozarks, that's for sure. I also kept looking for the three legged potbelly pig listed in the description of the book on the back cover. Where was it??? I think this author can write but really needs help with a decent story line. Nothing much really happened in this book and I really can't recommend it.

[Jayme(theghostreader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new to me author and the first book in a series. Caroline lives in small town Cold River, Missouri. She moves back home to help her father take care of her mother that has Alztimer's disease. She helps out running the bait shop. Then she meets Noah Cranwell. There are many rumors about the Cranwells. Noah has just moved back to the area and reopening the family business. Noah really likes Caroline but can Caroline be able to open her heart to him. It was a cute, quick read. I would be interested in continuing the series.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I got time to get into this novel I could not put it down. Once again Annie England Noblin did not disappoint and this book was fabulous. I could picture myself in the scenes with Caroline and I had opinions about how she was behaving or acting which is always a good sign. This book was fast paced and entertaining. The characters were extremely well developed and I wasn't ready to be done reading this book when it was over. I cannot wait for the next one.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a different kind of read and centers around Caroline O’Connor
Who comes home to take care of her mother who has Alzheimer’s. Caroline
Is twenty-five with an almost deaf dog. The setting is Cold River, Missouri.
There are plenty of secrets as the characters deal with their problems and
Relatives. There is Witt, humor, twists, and surprises as the tale progresses.
All comes out as it should in the end.

[Cheryl Kovarik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it because it was recommended as a cutsie love story in a book group. It def had some of that but I think the love connection fell flat for me. It was good to reflect on her parent's marriage and how love can be deeper than we see on the outside. It was an ok listen but longer than it needed to be... Repeated a lot of the same thoughts about her Mom and about the bait shop and about his Grandpa, etc.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how I came to find this book on my Kindle but I'm glad because I don't normally read books from this genre. I found this such an easy read with likable (mostly) characters and just a little mystery with a "happy ending" which emotionally, I usually need. While this is my first book by this author, I would love to read more by her.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caroline has returned to Cold Water, Mo. to help care for her mother , who has developed Alzheimer's. Noah has also returned to town. Caroline has been keeping the family bait shop open. Noah began restoring Cranwell Station, across the street. Noah is an veteran who had been handed down the station from his grandfather. Caroline and Noah form a bond.

[Phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a light chick-lit story that takes place in a small town , Cold River, Missouri. The story involves topics such as Alzheimer's disease, domestic abuse and emotional family secrets. There is happiness in the book as well. Some of the events are predictable. All in all it was an enjoyable book. I rate it 3* out of 5*.

[ReadaBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read, not exactly a "dog" book, but enjoyable all the same. I wonder if the environment, people, and activities is an accurate reflection of a certain part of Missouri. Ms. Noblin is an entertaining writer and so I will continue to look for (and read!) her books!