My Rating: 4
Genre: Romance
Format: ARC audiobook*
Publication Date: June 6, 2022
Author: Glenda Young, Script By: Ian Skillicorn
Similar To
Riverside Blurb
“The feel-good, life-affirming story of love, friendship, family and new beginnings!”
Changes are coming to the riverside town of Ryemouth, and while some of the community are excited by new beginnings, others are finding it hard to let go of the past.
Susan and her boyfriend Dave can’t wait to open their new cafe and deli, The Old Engine Room. But Susan’s dad, George, is not so thrilled. He’s never approved of Dave, who used to hang out with the wrong crowd. Can the happy young couple win George round?
Mary and Ruby have been friends since the first day of infant school, even though their lives have turned out very differently. Mary has a contented family life with husband George and daughter Susan. Poor Ruby has never been so lucky in love. Then she meets her teenage crush in surprising circumstances. Mary has her doubts about the charming Paul. Will Ruby finally get her own happy ever after?
Dave wants to put his past behind him. His dream is to make a success of the business, and one day be a good husband and father, like his own dad, Mike. Yet, he’s forced to keep a secret from everyone he loves. Who should he turn to for help out of a tricky situation?
When the community comes under threat from developers, can everyone put their differences aside to defend the town they love?
Riverside is full of romance, heartbreak and secrets, as well as gentle wit and humour. You’ll laugh and cry along with the family and friends of Ryemouth.
The Riverside audiobook drama is based on the popular weekly magazine serial written and created by Glenda Young.
Riverside Review
As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:
- 1 star: Did not finish
- 2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
- 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
- 4 Stars: Loved this book!
- 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.
My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.
I’m human.
Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.
This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier. 🙂
My Thoughts
I don’t think I’ve ever read a serial or listened to one. It was like a play in my mind, including the sound effects and multiple narrators. It was a complete ensemble for a large cast of characters with different tones and accents.
I could have used even more from each storyline, but I understand that Riverside is a different kind of audiobook, it felt more like an audioplay. So there aren’t any internal monologues or thoughts, which took a little bit of adjusting, but I felt like I was listening to tv in my head.
I was so entertained, that I didn’t realize when I finished folding my laundry. I even put them all away. That never happens in my house, but I was enjoying the drama and comedy so much, that I just kept listening and doing.
That might be the greatest compliment I can give an audiobook: it distracted me from my most dreaded chore.
Conclusion
Riverside is a perfect quick listen that is delightfully entertaining. Kind of makes me want serial radio to make a comeback.
*Special thanks to Glenda Young, Wyndham Books, and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing a copy Riverside in exchange for an honest review.
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