Review: Riversong by Tess Hardwick

Riversong by Tess Hardwick
Series:
Release Date:  March 30, 2011
Publisher:   Booktrope Editions
Page Count: 278
Source: Publicist
Buy the book at: Amazon   

Author Tess Hardwick assembles a colorful cast of endearing small-town characters and takes you on a journey that will make you believe in the possibilities of life – even in the face of overwhelming adversity and unimaginable grief.Lee Tucker is the kind of woman you find yourself rooting for long after the last page is read. When her husband commits suicide,he leaves her pregnant and one million dollars in debt to a loan shark. Out of options, she escapes to her deceased mother’s dilapidated house located in a small Oregon town that, like her, is financially ruined, heartbroken and in desperate need of a fresh tart. Lee’s resilience leads to a plan for a destination restaurant named Riversong, to new chances for passion and love, and to danger from her dead husband’s debt as her business blooms.
A surprising mix of romance, humor, friendship, intrigue and gourmet food, Riversong entertains while reminding you of life’s greatest gifts.

As a kid, I hated when an adult would always point out a morale to what every story I was engrossed in, whether it was TV or a book.  When your nine, you really don’t want your parents having the sex talk with your after watching an episode of Joanie Love Chachi.  So now being the adult, I find myself doing the same damn things to my kids and asking them what they learned from that episode of Fresh Prince of Bel Air or Sponge Bob.  I cringe each time I do it, but sometimes you can’t let those little tidbit go by without pointing them out.

What does this have to do with Riversong?  This is one of those books where I feel compelled to pass out to all those that complain how bad their life is yet do nothing to change it.  Lee Tucker encompasses that life lesson of “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps”.  Sure she got everything tied up in a pretty bow for her in the end, just like those TV shows of my youth, but she went through some pretty hellish stuff to get that pretty bow and I think she earned it.

The plot points aren’t perfect (the loan shark/mafia hit man was a little too over the top for me) but where certain plot points may bug you as a reader, the others more than make up for.  The best one for me was Lee coming back home again and finding the place she thought was full of ugly memories was the one place that could make her happy. 

Second chances and coming home is what Riversong is all about and I think Tess Hardwick did a good job in bringing those points across.    I liked the book and think it’s a thought provoking choice for book clubs to read in 2012.