If you enjoy books with girlfriends who've known each other all their lives, good guys, southern charm and a few nasty hypocrites thrown in for good measure, this book is for you!

Jessica, Haley, Rissa and Mary Nell have been friends forever, made the high school cheerleading squad together, and have suffered gains and losses in their lives since high school. Each went their own way, but then fate brought them back to Riverbend at the same time, and an idea was born to turn an old church into a bar, with the help of Wade, another high school friend, and Oscar, Mary Nell's Dad.

Being the ultra-conservative south Texas small town, they face opposition from Rissa's mother Stella, who is a God-fearing, church going pious woman who finds nothing but wrong with the idea of the church being turned into a bar. She goes so far as to ban Rissa and her two girls from her home, tossing them away.

This is a wholesome, clean story that was enjoyable. The author took liberty with some of the elements, no way a liquor license would have been issued that fast, for example. That really doesn't take away from the story, though.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Riverbend Reunion by Carolyn Brown is l about a group of friends all coming back together after leaving school twenty or more years ago.  Along with them come the delightful sixteen year old twins belonging to Risa one of the women. Each of the women have had challenges to face and now they are ready to take on a new life.

As it happens Jessica's being left an old church gives them the opportunity to do something entirely new. Plus Wade another ex military person is along for the ride as well.

This story is about found family, friendship and good will. It also has something to say about religion when it goes completely daft and ridiculous.

It does lack some tension and the plot tdid not  make me want to pick it up at every moment. and perhaps could have been more finely edited.

It's a low-key, warm hearted read with of course everything working out well and hearts that were hurt are now mending and moving on.

Riverbend Reunion is classic southern women's fiction! Four high school high school best friends and former cheerleaders reunite in their Texas hometown 20 years later in need of a fresh start. It is sweet story of friendship and family. The plot is a little predictable, but I still really connected with all the characters. This book is a real "palette cleanse" and makes for some great, light summer reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an eARC.

Jessica Callaway is home after her time in the army and can not wait to reunite with her three friends. She has inherited a church her late uncle built, and she has no idea what to do with the abandoned building. Maybe her friends can help her figure out what to do. Risa who is getting divorced, Mary Nell who got kicked out of a long-term relationship and Haley who just uncovered a long-buried family secret gather along side Jessica to decide what they should do. Could this abandoned church be the answer to all their problems? Maybe Wade Granger another army vet who is finding his way can help the ladies realize that coming home again is just what they all need.

This novel by Carolyn Brown was just what the world needed right now. The book takes you on a journey of friends who become family. It was a joy to read a novel where the pages are full of light and love. The characters were beautifully written, and I love the addition of the twin girls who brought many moments of laughter into the story. The added fun was looking up all the songs mentioned in the story and now I have some new music on my playlist. This was a feel good, beautiful story and I would like to thank not only Montlake Publishing, but the author Carolyn Brown for whisking me away on an unforgettable journey. I voluntarily read and reviewed the book, and friends this is one you do not want to miss.

I only started reading books from Carolyn Brown in recent months, but she is quickly becoming an author I turn to for a "feel-good" read. Riverbend Reunion features a great group of friends who have all returned to their hometown for various reasons. It doesn't take long to renew their close relationships and form a supportive family unit. This book concentrated mostly on the budding relationship between Jessica and Wade, so I wouldn't mind reading some follow-up books about their other friends. Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the advance copy to read and review.

Terrific story of friendship, family, love, and new beginnings. I love this author's books, and this one kept me hooked until I finished reading it at three o'clock this morning. Her characters are relatable and have believable personalities with good and bad traits.

Though they've stayed in touch over the past twenty years, these four best friends scattered to the winds after high school graduation. Now circumstances have brought them all home again. Jessica retired from the military and returned to decide what to do with the church building she inherited from her Uncle Eli. Risa returned home with her twin daughters after leaving her controlling husband. Mary Nell was kicked out by her selfish man-child of a boyfriend, and Haley returned to bury her mother and uncovered a shocking secret.

The story opens as Jessica sits in front of the old church, waiting for her friends to arrive. There are several pages of her thinking about her life and what comes next. After twenty years of living on the move, she wants to put down roots. While she's thinking about that, an unexpected visitor arrives. Wade was a few years ahead of them in school, while his brother Danny was in their class. Both joined the military. Danny recently died overseas, and Wade is still dealing with his grief. He and Jessica spend a little time catching up before the others arrive. He's invited to join them, and we get a quick look at what's happening in everyone's lives. The question of the night is, what should Jessica do with the church? Someone floats the idea of turning it into a bar, though they all agree it would raise a ruckus if they did.

But that thought sticks in Jessica's mind, encouraged by Wade's confession that he and Danny would open a bar together. I loved the next get-together as the idea gathered steam among them. Wade offered to become a partner, Risa would be the cook, Mary Nell would run the business end, Haley would help when she wasn't working, and Jessica would wait tables and tend the bar. Wade would also tend bar. Even Mary Nell's father, Oscar, gets into the act. He makes his own wine and moonshine (legally) and would sell them to the bar and help with the renovations.

You just know, listening to Risa talk about her mama, Stella, that she will make everyone's life difficult. Wade and Jessica barely finish talking to the lawyer about their plans before Stella hears about it. Uptight and super-religious, Stella wastes no time kicking Risa and the girls out of her house for being part of it and swears that she'll do everything in her power to stop them. She also gets Risa's soon-to-be-former mother-in-law involved long distance. There are several virulent confrontations as Stella does her best to get her way. There's a hilarious scene where the twins, Lily and Daisy, come up with the perfect response to the demonstration Stella sets up at the church/bar.

I loved seeing everyone grow closer as they worked together to make the bar a reality. Everyone has brought baggage to the party, but there's plenty of support as each person deals with theirs. After being controlled by her husband and his mother for years, Risa finds the strength to stand up to them and Stella. She finds much of that strength in cooking for her friends and knowing they have her back. Mary Nell finds herself again after giving up everything to help her boyfriend follow his dream. He was a user, and I was happy to see her call his bluff when he tried to get her back. I loved her relationship with her father, Oscar, who is there for her but doesn't hesitate to say, "I told you so." Haley's trip home gives her a chance to reevaluate her life after a relationship goes wrong. Besides dealing with the shocking family secret, she's facing other unexpected changes. Having her besties there for support makes it easier.

Then there are Jessica and Wade. Each of them had a crush on the other in high school but never did anything about it. As adults, the sparks of attraction are there, but they initially try to resist. Neither wants to ruin their partnership if something goes wrong. They find comfort in talking about their shared experiences in the military, which helps them grow closer. I loved their relationship's slow, realistic development as they got to know each other before giving in to their growing feelings. I especially enjoyed Wade's gentle, compassionate nature as he cared for Jessica when she needed it and watched over the others. I ached for him and his grief over the loss of his brother and loved how making Danny's dream come true helped him heal.

I had a lot of fun watching the aspiring bar owners deal with the antics of those opposed to them. Stella is a holier-than-thou, self-righteous prig, and I laughed every time the gang got the better of her. The crowning touch was at the bar's grand opening as Oscar found the perfect way to deal with her once and for all.

I loved Risa's daughters, Lily and Daisy. They are sweet and sassy and have a great sense of humor. They are amazingly well-adjusted considering their bats**t crazy grandmothers. I loved how observant they were and quick to comment on the things they saw. I frequently laughed out loud at their words and actions. They were never truly rude, but they could be blunt when they needed to be. I especially loved their support of their mother.

I loved seeing everything that went into turning the church into a bar. From using reclaimed wood from the pews to build the bar to all the other large and small steps, I felt as though I was right there with them. I loved being there for their grand opening and witnessing their well-deserved success. The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up, and I liked seeing where they were a few months down the road.

High school friends come reunite to bring life to what once was an old church into a new form. of gathering. Each friend has chosen a different path in life each with their own struggles, experiences and joy. As these friends gather their resources and talents, a unit forms in what is called a FAMILY.

I would love to see this turned into a Hallmark movie. It's a good clean down home southern story about friendship, family relationships, love, and loss. I truly loved this book from start to finish. I loved Lily and Daisy, spunky teenagers that tell it like it is no matter what. Stella & Martha are the those busy bodies that will make your blood boil, but man how ole Oscar is perfection with his antics. Small towns are perfect in one way, but at the same time those from small towns put up with a lot of crap from the busy bodies that don't know how to mind their business. Jessica, Haley, Mary Nell, Risa, Wade, Oscar, & Zach make my heart happy for fictional characters.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book follows a group of old high school friends who have been reunited and plan on turning an old church that one of them has inherited into a bar while navigating various hardships in their lives (deaths, break-ups, PTSD). I enjoyed their friendship and all four main women's stories (along with Wade). I was expecially rooting for Risa and her twin girls to succeed, since their family members were all terrible. While this book is mainly about friendship, there was some romance in it, but it's a slow-burn.

One thing that annoyed me was how various characters talked out loud to themselves or deceased loved ones. I could have accepted it as one character's quirk, but multiple characters did it throughout the book! I also wished we could have spent a little more time with the bar opened, since the whole book is devoted to starting ths business. Instead, we only get one chapter about the Grand Opening.

Overall, a sweet book that I would recommend if you like strong female friendships, slow-burn romances, small towns, and lots of country music references.

Carolyn Brown always gives me what I need and rarely know to ask for directly. I enjoy her "Texas" books and have encouraged her hard-core cowboy readers to venture into these titles. It's a great read with relatable and lovable characters and quite the wild ride!

Thank you NetGalley, Carolyn Brown and Montlake for the ARC of Riverbend Reunion. This is my personal review.
Going home can mean so many different things for so many people. This is a story of going home to Riverbend Texas for four high school best friends and what they each have brought back with them.
The story had my attention, but it did not pull me totally in to the story and make me really care about the characters.
The story was filled with a lot of emotions and the promise of what was to come fell a bit flat for me.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEAM: ⭐

This read was a nice change of pace. There is a slow-burn romance between two lovers, but the main focus is on the love and resilience of five friends who have come back to their hometown of Riverbend, TX.

Haley, Jessica, Mary-Nell, Risa, and Wade went to high school together, and after twenty years, they are back in their hometown, dealing with some life struggles. Divorce, eviction, grief, family secrets -- this group had to deal with those and more.

When one of them gets an old church from her inheritance, they decide to work together and convert the space into a bar and grill.

As Stefan from SNL would say, this book had everything: angst, conflict, love, humor, and lots and lots of food. At the core of the book, however, is the friendship, and it was wonderful to see them pull each other up and rise above their individual and collective adversities together.

If you love a small-town read with strong Southern vibes, you will enjoy this book.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Carolyn Brown, Montlake, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

A beautiful story of bonding and second chances. True homecoming.

This made for a very warm read in spite of few heavy topics.

I loved the way the story was built and all the development of the characters and their bonding.

Note: Received an ARC in exchange of honest review.

This book was GREAT! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters and the second chances that they were all experiencing. This book made me very happy!!

Second Chance Romance later in life. I was hooked from the first page.
Jessica pulled up to the old church parking lot. Her uncle had left this and his fortune to her, in his will. What was she going to do with an old church? As she is contemplating this, Wade Granger pulls up and they start talking and before to long her best friends show up. Risa is getting divorced and has teenage twin daughters. She has been pretty much bossed around her whole life. Mary Nell was dumped by her loser boyfriend of 20 years. Haley's mom died and she is dealing with that and found out about a family secret. These friends were cheerleaders in high school and all need each other right now. Wade was the nerd in high school and wasn't in their social circle.
Now all of them are drawn together and decide what the town needs is a bar and grill and they are all going to work together.
With 1 woman in town who is so against this that she is going to make this dream very hard for them but they don't give up. I loved all of these characters and how they stick together like family with a little bit of romance thrown in.
Thanks to NetGalley and #Montlake for this book to review.

My Thoughts

Riverbend, Texas is a small town setting for the four former high school school cheerleaders-best friends reuniting after twenty years, along with another former classmate who has made his own way back to town.

It’s also turns out to be a place to find their individual and collective peace as well as other hard won accomplishments for all of them.

Risa’s marriage is over, Mary Nell’s 20-year bad choice of a boyfriend has finally outlived her tolerance, Haley finds out a shocking family secret, retired after serving 20-year in the army veterans Jessica Callaway and Wade Granger round out the main characters homecoming party.

Of course can't forget almost 17-year-old twins of Risa's, Daisy and Lily, along with Mary Nell's dad Oscar who complete an unforgettable group.

New beginnings, starting a business, relationships rekindled, scandal and a sweet romance romance are just a few highlights.

Told by one of my favorite contemporary authors, whose small towns so much call out to come live in them, this was another story that I read entirely too fast as it flowed so well from beginning to end for me.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.

I liked the idea of the story, and it did give slight small town, Hallmark movie vibes, which I enjoyed. But it didn't work for me overall.

I found the dialog to be forced and staccato feeling. It was more like "tell me" instead of "show me" vibe with over explaining details, actions, and feelings. I didn't connect to any of the characters, and I found myself skimming the pages to bypass much of the over-explaining. Also, it's listed as romance, but the romance is whisper thin and an extremely slow burn. I don't know if I would classify it as Christian romance, but there is a lot of talk of religion and beliefs, mostly from judgmental secondary characters, but it is a definite theme.

If you're looking for a cutesy, women's fiction novel about friendship and found family, with hinted at romance, you'll probably enjoy this book. Unfortunately, it just wasn't it for me.

This is a feel good story of 4 high school friends who return to their small town and reconnect. Haley inherits her mom's house and discovers she was adopted and the woman she thought was her sister was in fact her birth mother.

Jessica inherited her Uncle's bar. They put their heads together, along with Wade, who was a couple years older, and decide to renovate the Church into a bar and grill, much to the dismay of Risa's mom Stella.

Add Mary Lynn, who's been in a 20 year relationship with a singer wannabe, that she left to return home and her father, Oscar, to the band of friends who discover family is not always determined by birth.

They deal with doubts about the lives they left behind along with their new venture, all while developing new connections. They support each other and it was refreshing to read a positive story.

The relationship that develops between Wade and Jessica is delightful to see. They build a friendship and talk about their feelings and the future, before embarking on a physical relationship. A wonderful book by Carolyn Brown that's a delight to read .

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and I am voluntarily submitting this review.

Very enjoyable read. Four friends reunite and decide to renovate an old church and turn it into a bar. Each one of them is having problems in their personal life but with the of each other they will overcome them.