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5 Stars / Contemporary / Review

Review: A River Connects Us by Allie Winters

– Grayson –
Going dateless to my brother’s wedding? Not an option—at least, not according to my mom, who’s made it her life’s mission to remind me I’m still single. Enter Abby, my sister’s best friend and the only girl in my hometown who understands my mom’s brand of chaos. All we have to do is act like we’re into each other during the week I’m in Crescent Pass, and then I can escape back to my life in Seattle.

Except, Abby’s not who I remember. She’s funny, easy to be around, and beautiful in a way I can’t ignore. And when things take a turn toward heated territory… I might not be pretending anymore.

– Abby –
Here’s the thing about unrequited love: it’s quiet, it’s painful, and it definitely doesn’t include your longtime crush asking you to be his fake wedding date. But that’s exactly what happens when Grayson—the guy I’ve secretly loved for years—needs a stand-in to survive his mom’s matchmaking schemes.

I have only a week with him before he returns home, so I shouldn’t get my hopes up. But stupid me puts my heart on the line, wanting everything but too afraid to ask for it. The closer we get, the more he looks at me in that way that makes my heart pound, I can’t help but wonder… What if this could be something real?

Title:A River Connects Us
Author:Allie Winters
Series:Crescent Pass (Book 3)
Pages:262
Category / Genre(s):Contemporary
Trope(s):Small Town Romance
Fake Relationship
Best Friend’s Brother / Sister’s Best Friend
Point of View:First Person, Present Tense, Dual Viewpoint (H & h)
Location:Crescent Pass, Oregon, US
HEA:✔️
Release Date:30 January, 2025
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Fun and emotive romance

This is the third in Allie WintersCrescent Pass series that focusses on three siblings from the small town of the same name. It’s oldest brother Grayson’s turn to meet his match – or rather to discover that she’s been right under his nose his whole time. This book happens during the wedding celebrations of the couple from the first book (Owen and Harper from A Forest Between Us) but you don’t need to have read any other book to enjoy this one.

Grayson is coming home to take part in his brother’s wedding celebrations. He’s long lived in Seattle, far away from the small Colorado town where he grew up. There’s just one thing bothering him and that’s his mother. In an attempt to get him settled, she’ll be throwing every living female his way in the hopes that one will stick. That’s when he remembers his sister’s shy best friend, Abby. If he pretends to date her for the week of the wedding, he can get his mother off his back. What he doesn’t know is that Abby is harbouring a huge crush on him and that his scheme might just change his life.

I really liked Grayson as a character. He had been so keen to get out of his small town and into the city when he was younger – but coming back this time he sees all he’s missed. And I wanted to give him a hug. But at the same time, his eyes were being opened by Abby and it was amusing to watch him be beset and baffled by his feelings and emotions towards her. It was a delight. He really was a good guy and the best kind of hero.

“It made me laugh – I even shed a tear towards the end – and it made me feel just all round happy.”

If ever there was a heroine that I felt a kinship with – it was Abby. In love with Grayson with most of her life, she never had the courage to go for it. Or for anything, really. She’s been living her safe little life and now that Grayson has offered her a glimpse of what could be – she’s going to grab it with both hands. But she’s still retains her true personality – which I loved. If anyone deserved to get her happily ever after with her crush – it was Abby.

I’m always a little uneasy when one half of a couple has been in love with the other for most of their life while the other has remained oblivious. And while there was that feeling with Abby and Grayson, it quickly went away as the pair spent more time with each other and got to know each other on a different level. And Grayson really did become just as smitten with Abby and crushed hard on her – just in a condensed time frame.

And despite knowing each other for most of their lives, the relationship between our couple still felt fresh and new. With Grayson seeing Abby in a new way, and Abby being able to act on her feelings for the first time, the chemistry is delicious and surprisingly hot. They just work as a couple – in bed and out.

I have loved every book in this series and this one is no different. Allie Winters writes a story that is so easy to get lost in and one I hugely enjoyed. It made me laugh – I even shed a tear towards the end – and it made me feel just all round happy. This was the kind of book that you feel a bit bereft when you’re done as you had such a fun time while reading. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun romance that immerses you in its world and characters making you never want to leave. 5 stars.

* I received this book in exchange for my honest review *

Allie lives in sunny Florida with her husband, daughter, and two cats. A librarian by day, she spends her nights writing happily ever afters. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and all things Disney.

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Crescent Pass Series:

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