(4.5 stars) - definitely qualifies as a riveting melodrama!

(This book is the 3rd of the Cornwall Tales series but other than the locale stands alone.)
Amnesia plots have always fascinated me & this one does a great job of grabbing your attention right away, and keeping you hooked pretty much til the end.

Beth is a feisty but naive heroine which makes her fun but not always as wise as she could or should be. Joss is a great tortured hero who gives the story almost a "Beauty and the Beast" vibe (except that the Beast is at Beauty's castle here).

Despite all the melodrama, it manages to be mostly believable. There were a few places that came across as a little too obviously contrived to extend the plot. At one point, for example, Beth goes to see an attorney, & especially given that all has occurred by then, she has every reason in the world for wanting to take Joss with her - yet doesn't. Which allows her to find out info without Joss' presence to affect the situation.

Such handling tends to make a story feel artificially prolonged, but thankfully, it's the exception not the norm for this book, and so it's mostly a smooth ride. The resolution is amusing, though I couldn't help thinking the hero was too talky & in touch with his feelings for a real guy, lol. Anyway, with caveats positioned as needed, it was a very engaging read & this is a definite recommend for your summer reading list!

Clean romance level: passionate kissing, some lustful situations that nearly lead to a man & woman committing adultery but don't (no graphic details), a man wants to live with a woman outside of marriage but she refuses for wise, practical reasons.

Really enjoyed this historical Love story. The sense of place and interweaving of location gave the novel a breathtaking beauty.

Being born in Cornwall myself and loving the Poldark series I easily fell in love with this book! Beth is a strong character as the stranger who enters her remote Cornish cottage discovers when she hits him over the head with a frying pan. Dismayed when she almost kills him Beth takes care of him but his resulting memory loss is the basis of the whole story. Who is he and why was he there in the first place? As the story unfolds it’s hard to imagine a happy ending for this disparate couple and we’re kept in suspense for a while before being granted our wish! The author’s love of Cornwall and the skilful way she weaves the historical facts into the book are apparent from the first page.

Engrossing, captivating and simply lovely. A great read which I thoroughly enjoyed, Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

It was a good book. By looking at some of the reviews, a lot of readers thought it was great. I feel that there was too much other stuff in the story that kept it from being great. I feel like it was long- unnecessarily long and I only got to know about Beth and her intruder I don’t feel that I really know them as realistic people- this may sound strange but that’s the way I feel. I like historical romance stories and this is a good one. Others obviously love the book. Maybe it’s just not for. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest opinion.

I’ve always enjoyed stories of lost memory connecting two people and this was no different! Though, I will say that it was too long with extra storylines that felt like fluff and didn’t really add any value to the overall tone.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable historical romance with a dash of mystery. Beth, an independent woman, recently on her own after the death of her grandfather. She believes her is secure until a mysterious man appears in her home unannounced. Joss, the mysterious stranger, must learn who he is and where he comes from. Plagued with nightmares, he fears the worst about himself. However, his time with Beth changes him for the better; while her life falls apart as she loses everything dear to her. As she rebuilds her future, she has to learn to let go of her prejudices in order to embrace happiness and love with Joss.

River Valley comes to life with Cornwall's vivid imagery; just as her characters are well developed with believable human flaws. This was the 1st novel, of Cornwall's that I have read and it was a pleasant surprise. I will be looking for more in her Cornish Tales series.