Riverbend Road: A Clean & Wholesome Romance (Haven Point, 4)

by RaeAnne Thayne

2016

Status

Available

Publication

HQN (2016), Edition: Original, 368 pages

Description

Fiction. Literature. Romance. HTML:Return to Haven Point, where New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne proves there's no sweeter place to fall in love... Protecting the streets of Haven Point isn't just a job for police officer Wyn Bailey, it's a family tradition. But lately she's found herself wanting more, especially from her bossâ??and overprotective brother's best friendâ??sexy chief of police, Cade Emmett. The only problem is getting Cade to view her as more than just a little sister. Cade's hands-off approach with Wyn isn't from lack of attraction. But his complicated past has forced him to conceal his desire. When Wyn is harmed in the line of duty, Cade realizes the depth of his feelings, but can he let his guard down long enough to embrace the love he secretly c… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member gpangel
Riverbend Road by RaeAnne Thayne is a 2016 HQN publication.

RaeAnne Thayne is one of my favorite contemporary fiction/women’s fiction authors. Her stories are filled with warmth and genuine emotion, with well drawn, mature characters, I can relate to.

This fourth installment in the Haven Point
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series, centers around Wyn Bailey, a police officer working for Cade Emmett, her brother’s best friend, and the man her father mentored, who also happens to be the man she is in love with.

It is an unrequited love, since Cade has never thought of Wyn in that way… or has he?

A risky, but heroic judgment call by Wyn gets her suspended, when she frightens Cade to death, because he thought she might be dead. He refuses to budge on the week long disciplinary action, but finds the incident brought some long buried emotions to the surface, some he may not have even realized he had, and has him fighting his attraction to Wyn, tooth and nail.

In the meantime, Wyn makes a new friend in Haven Point and discovers she has a dark secret and is running from a troubled past, while Cade finally comes to terms with the events that lead to the death of Wyn’s beloved father, and his role in it.

Although this book is absorbing and deals with some very emotional issues, such as sexual assault and stalking, it isn't strongest addition to the series, but is still a compelling read.

I liked Wyn, and I thought she set an example for others to follow, with her friendliness, her love for helping people, and her ability to be honest with herself. She knows she is not totally satisfied with her life and has the courage to shake things up, which is not always easy to do, when sticking with what is comfortable is so much easier.

Although, at times Wyn is perhaps just a tiny bit too perfect, overall, she’s the type of person you would want as a friend and I admired her tenacity.

Cade… well, not sure, even now. I understood his reservations, but he was a bit too stiff, too burdened with guilt, and seemed too squeamish about risk taking, not just on the job, but in his personal life as well.

He finally comes around, making a few romantic gestures that prove to Wyn that he no longer holds any reservations about starting a romantic relationship with her, and that he is all in, for better or worse, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

For me, the side story involving the new neighbors in Haven Point, which centered around a woman named Andrea, and her two children, was the best part of the story, and was pretty tense.

The revelations regarding the death of Wyn’s father, is a very sad and emotional, which explains some of Cade’s reticence and why he carries so much guilt.

The romance is clean with only a few passionate kisses exchanged, and only a very brief hint of sexual innuendo. This is not a deal breaker for me, and I have come to expect stories with more emotional depth, and less sensuality, from this author, and that’s fine. I actually like having a couple work through their issues before they take such an important step, but the author decided not allow the reader inside the bedroom when that day finally came.

The quality of the story made up for the lack of graphic sensuality and as always, I closed the book with a smile on my face, which is what it’s all about, in the end.

Although I can’t say this was my favorite or the best in this series thus far, it is still an enjoyable read, and it is always a pleasure to check in with the residents of Haven Point. I always enjoy this author’s style of writing, so I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to spend another heartwarming Christmas at Haven Point, finding out what Santa might bring for Andrea and her kids.

3.5 rounded to 4
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LibraryThing member ethel55
What a wonderful, heartwarming story set in Haven Point, Idaho. From the sounds of it, Wynonna Bailey has been pining for her brother's best friend and father's protégé for years. The chemistry between police officer Wynonna (Wyn) and Police Chief Cade is obvious from the start, but Wyn has never
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had an inkling if the feelings she has for Cade would ever be reciprocated. I chuckled at the description of Cade being a two grill man, as I am married to one of those myself. I completely understand the idea that certain things are better on a Weber! Haven Point would seem to be such a bucolic spot, but they have big city troubles like anywhere else, making a fully staffed police department a must. Even a new neighbor’s reticence sets Wyn’s antenna buzzing. It helps that she can keep an eye on them, and that Cade is across the street. I liked the gentle way in which Thayne handled the memory of the Bailey patriarch. A longtime policeman and chief of police, John Bailey definitely had an impact on this small community and those that loved him.
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LibraryThing member scoutmomskf
Good romance with a bit of suspense to up the tension. The story grabbed me from the opening pages and didn't let go until I finished it. Wyn is a police officer in Haven Point, a job she took after losing both her twin brother and her father in the line of duty. She likes helping the people of her
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hometown and knows that she is pretty good at it. But she has also had a feeling of restlessness lately, of wanting more out of her life. When she is suspended for a week for disobeying a direct order from the police chief, those feelings gain strength, including her frustration with the chief himself.

Cade is the current Chief of Police. He trained under Wyn's father, a man who was his friend and mentor. It was thanks to Chief Bailey that Cade ended up on the right side of the law, in spite of the way he grew up. Cade's father was an abusive drunk, so the chief included Cade and his brother in as much as possible with his own family. Cade and Wyn's oldest brother Marshall became best friends.

When Wyn rushes into a dangerous situation, Cade's reaction is a bit stronger than it might be for another officer. The sparks that flew between them were strong and unexpected. Wyn has had feelings for Cade for years but believes that he only sees her as his best friend's little sister. But the strength of his reaction makes her wonder if maybe there is something there after all. Their emotions are still running pretty high later that evening when she goes to talk to him about another matter, and Wyn takes matters into her own hands. The passion that flares between them is intense, and freaks Cade out. He's been attracted to Wyn for a while, but she's his employee and his best friend's little sister, and he can't go there. But putting those feelings back in the box he's had them locked in proves to be much harder than he expected.

I liked the development of the relationship between Wyn and Cade. They already know each other well and have a great deal of respect for each other. Cade's attempts to fight his feelings for her seem doomed to failure when every subsequent encounter increases either his desire or his admiration for her. I loved his observation of her self-defense class and laughed out loud when she roped him into helping demonstrate some moves. There was a look in her eye that told him that he was in trouble, and he was right. Cade also holds himself back because there are things in his past that he thinks would make it impossible for her to care for him. Once Wyn gets the idea that Cade isn't as disinterested as she had thought, she seems to enjoy pushing his buttons. She also decides that now is the time to make some changes in her life. There are things in her past that had altered the course of her life, and she's ready to take it back. Those changes will also put an end to at least one of the obstacles that Cade has thrown up between them. Wyn also has a feeling that Cade is keeping some kind of secret from her. When she stumbles on some information about her father's death, she is sure of it. I ached for both of them, but especially for Cade, because of the guilt that was eating him up. I liked the courage that Wyn had in going after what she wanted. It took nearly losing her for Cade to realize how deep his feelings for Wyn were. I enjoyed seeing them come together at the end, including some rather amusing scenes with members of her family.

There is a bit of suspense involving a woman and her children who move in near Wyn and Cade. Wyn's instincts tell her that the woman, Andrea, is in some kind of trouble. I loved the way that Wyn's innate kindness and empathy enable her to get through to Andi. What was happening was so much worse than what I had initially suspected. It was interesting to see that Wyn's instincts were also right on the money when it came to a phone call she received and what she did with the information she got. I especially liked that she didn't try to keep it from Cade, and got him on board also. The ending was very satisfying, and not just because the bad guy got what was coming to him. I loved that Cade and Wyn worked together as a team, thanks to the respect they have for each other's abilities.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2016-06-21

Physical description

6.53 inches

ISBN

0373789831 / 9780373789832

Barcode

1602875
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