Review: Chasing River by KA Tucker

Received from InkSlingerPR

Title: Chasing River
Series: Burying Water #3
Author: KA Tucker
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: 7 July 2015
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis from Goodreads

Armed with two years’ worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn’t let her die, but he also couldn’t risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move.

Maybe it’s because he saved her life, or maybe it’s because he’s completely different from everything she’s left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.

And River isn’t the kind of guy she’d want to catch.

REVIEW

I honestly don’t know where to start with Chasing River; it is so clever, thought-provoking and stunning in its detail. I will start by saying, I live in Wales (you may already know this) Wales is a stone’s throw away from Ireland; the setting for Chasing River. You’re wondering why I am telling you this little tidbit, I can tell. Well, I am of an age (cough,cough) where I can remember a lot of the troubles in Ireland, especially Northern Ireland. The IRA were a very real threat when I was in my early teens (it was the 80’s) I clearly remember being evacuated from a department store in Cardiff because of a bomb scare. I also remember the reported incidents of nail bombs on the news. A friend of my brother’s was stationed in Northern Ireland for a while, the constant tension and violence resulting in severe PTSD on his return home. With this in mind, you can see how I can relate to the events portrayed in Chasing River. Although I will say the background detail into the unrest in Ireland, Kathleen has provided within the narrative does provide a deeper level of understanding to the plight of the Irish. However, she also shows how extremists use the slightest perceived infraction to further their own gains.

We have previously encountered Amber, in Burying Water, Jesse’s overprotected, good girl of a sister. Amber is a wonderful caring and compassionate person who can be a little naive at times. She is most definitely a romantic at heart, causing her a fair bit of heartbreak when her relationships falter. She isn’t one to indulge in a fling, her friends make up a holiday bucket list for her forcing her to step outside her self-imposed box while she is fulfilling her life-long ambition to travel the world, even if it is only for a few months.

River, on the other hand, is tied to his life in Dublin, running the family pub deeply rooted in Irish heritage. Caught up in the world of terrorism thanks to his extremist brother. Torn between family loyalty and the law. How would you feel if a member of your family was an extremist, involved in acts of terrorism? If your life is completely tangled and constricted due to this connection? Life is a blend of grey, there is no black and white.

Amber and River are thrown together, quite literally, in terrifying circumstances. Despite their initial interaction, sparks quite literally fly between them. Ceasing the moment, Amber embarks on crossing THAT pesky fling item off her bucket list But how does she stop heart becoming involved? On the surface you can’t help but think River and Amber are completely wrong together. BUT (with a capital B) they just fit, like two pieces of a puzzle, interlocking to make a complete picture. I love how fate has a way of leading you to be exactly where you should be and who you should be with in the most bizarre way.

I adore how Kathleen is able to keep hold of all of the plot threads from previous stories, execute the main story and simultaneously lay the groundwork for the next book. Ingenious and talented are the two words that come to mind. I have to be honest I couldn’t really remember Ivy from Burying Water but she provides a terrific addition to Chasing River. Proving that a) there is life after high school and b) the world is a very small place

You would think I would be used to just how much Kathleen packs into her plots, as I’ve pretty much read every book she has written. Yet, it continually amazes me just how many different things are happening simultaneously, showing just how brilliant Kathleen is From graffiti art, tattoos and story-telling to romance, danger and illegal activities; Chasing River has it all going on with a double dose of SWOON.