Reviews

The River Widow by Ann Howard Creel

_askthebookbug's review against another edition

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5.0

The River Widow.
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Thank you so much for the review copy @annhowardcreel.
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Let me start off by saying how excited thriller genre makes me feel. I started reading this book in the morning and I'm done by 6 in the evening. I guess it speaks for itself :)
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The River Widow is the story of a young woman named Adah, who gets orphaned at a very young age. After being left on her own, she learns how to use Tarot reading and starts making a meager living out of it. She gets lured in by a handsome man during one of her readings and before she knows, they are married. Lester, her husband starts showing his true side very soon after their wedding. Adah lives under the care of her abusive husband for three years, taking care of her stepdaughter, Daisy.
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Things turn for worse when a flood engulfs their farm and Adah accidentally kills Les in self-defense. Now Adah has no option but to go back to Les's family before they can hurt Daisy. Les's family, the Branches are known for their mean tricks and conniving behaviour. As Adah struggles to live amongst the Branches after being mentally and physically tortured, she eventually finds a plan to escape from their clutches. But it isn't so easy to deceive a family that's so powerful.
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Luckily, Adah finds a confidante and conjures up a plan. But will she be able to escape once and for all? Will she defeat the Branches? This story had me in its grip from the very first page. The plot, the anticipation of where the story is heading had be baffled. The characters are masterfully worked on. It truly felt amazing to read such an amazing thriller.
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I would rate this book 5/5.

kittietta's review against another edition

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5.0

Amazing plot

I loved this book. it takes place in 1937 depression era. While trying to save their possessions from a raging flood that is threatening the whole town, Adah accidentally kills her abusive husband. While trying to push his body in the raging river, she gets swept away. What follows is a fight for survival in this extremely well written story about the desperate love a Adah has for her 4 year old step child and the extreme means she will go through to be with her and save her from her abusive in laws.
The characters....I didn't like the in laws who were well written mean people. Adah seemed conflicted. She could have walked away and left the child but I think her own past demons made her stay and fight for her. I loved her character and how The author wrote her story.
.The plot was well thought out and kept me guessing what was going to happen.
I dove into this story and could not put it down! In fact I pulled an all nighter reading it. It it's a 5 star rating from me because of the way it pulled at my heart.

eris_648's review against another edition

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dark emotional slow-paced

3.75

peggan's review against another edition

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3.0

I liked it, and would've loved it if it had been pared down. Overwritten, but evocative AF.

jolifanta's review against another edition

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3.0

Kind of riveting, but shallow too.

treparker73's review against another edition

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4.0

Thought Provoking

My first time reading this author. Writing was excellent and storytelling was descriptive, yet left enough to wonder. Not the ending I expected, yet a satisfying conclusion.

susanp's review against another edition

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4.0

Set on a 1937 tobacco farm near Paducah, Kentucky, this dark, well-written book of survival, corruption, abuse, and exploitation is a suspenseful good read. Better yet, it's a Kindle First book for November, which makes it also a free read.

jennie_cole's review against another edition

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2.0

I really liked the concept of this book. It is a little more on the psychological end of the spectrum than on action. I normally love this type of novel but this one was just okay. I cannot pinpoint what made the book just okay and as a result I would not tell anyone to not read this book. I think most people would enjoy it.

_askthebookbug's review against another edition

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5.0

The River Widow.
🍃
Thank you so much for the review copy @annhowardcreel.
🍃
Let me start off by saying how excited thriller genre makes me feel. I started reading this book in the morning and I'm done by 6 in the evening. I guess it speaks for itself :)
🍃
The River Widow is the story of a young woman named Adah, who gets orphaned at a very young age. After being left on her own, she learns how to use Tarot reading and starts making a meager living out of it. She gets lured in by a handsome man during one of her readings and before she knows, they are married. Lester, her husband starts showing his true side very soon after their wedding. Adah lives under the care of her abusive husband for three years, taking care of her stepdaughter, Daisy.
🍃
Things turn for worse when a flood engulfs their farm and Adah accidentally kills Les in self-defense. Now Adah has no option but to go back to Les's family before they can hurt Daisy. Les's family, the Branches are known for their mean tricks and conniving behaviour. As Adah struggles to live amongst the Branches after being mentally and physically tortured, she eventually finds a plan to escape from their clutches. But it isn't so easy to deceive a family that's so powerful.
🍃
Luckily, Adah finds a confidante and conjures up a plan. But will she be able to escape once and for all? Will she defeat the Branches? This story had me in its grip from the very first page. The plot, the anticipation of where the story is heading had be baffled. The characters are masterfully worked on. It truly felt amazing to read such an amazing thriller.
🍃
I would rate this book 5/5.

toesinthesand's review against another edition

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2.0

This had such potential. Not only was the heroine the dumbest person ever, the ending was so ridiculous I was sorry I stayed up. After all that nonsense about blowing up the still, lightning does the job and she's just able to leave?

And the "romance" is just a guy comparing parts of her body to cake.