Wednesday Review – Heartbreak River by Tricia Mills

Heartbreak River by Tricia Mills

Alex has no idea what the summer is about to throw at her. With this being her last year in Golden Bend, Colorado before graduation and hopefully her last summer helping out her grandparents with their river rafting company, she plans to put the painful reminder of the her father’s drowning behind her when she leaves the small town in the dust. But until then, she has to face her new found fear of her beloved Grayton River. Where once she couldn’t get enough of the force of nature, now she can’t look at the raging rapids without remembering the bone crushing pain of losing her father to them.

That’s nothing compared to the chaos she has to face when her old boyfriend, Sean, walks back into her life. Thinking he was gone forever, Alex never expected her grandparents to hire the rafting guide back. But life isn’t always fair and Alex is learning that lesson the hard way. And Sean isn’t the only one catching her eye.

Heartbreak River is filled with painful heartache, but it is also a touching story of a girl coming of age and embracing the woman she is growing into. Not only does Alex have to deal with the loss of her father and the sudden appearance of her old flame, but she is also faced with running her family’s business. With this job comes the great task of managing several different personalities with her slutty cousin, a Romeo British guide vying for her attention, her old flame’s new friends, and a summer filled with facing her greatest fear; the river itself. Can Alex succeed and overcome these obstacles thrown in her path? Or will she let them take over everything she ever loved and lose it all again?

(Blurb from Ms. Mill’s website)

I LOVED this book, Heartbreak River. Not only was I drooling over the cover (this could have easily been a cover for an adult romance), but the story line instantly jumped out and grabbed my attention. I have wanted to try my hand at river rafting for YEARS now. This story gave me a little taste of that life and made me want to try it even more. Although, I have to admit that I’m a tad more cautious about it after reading this story and some of the things Alex is up against. Tricia Mills did an AWESOME job of portraying teenage life in today’s world. She tastefully covered the drinking issues, as well as the sexual issues. Ms. Mills ended the story on a very positive note and I’m now anticipating her next young adult release, Winter Longing, next summer. Great job, Tricia!!!