Just Fine With Caroline by Annie England Noblin – a Review

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Caroline O’Connor never dreamed she’d be back home in Cold River, Missouri, the Ozark Mountain town where everyone is ‘up your business.’…they mean well as they drive you crazy. She thought she’d left town for good, but now she’s back, helping to care for her New York born mother—struck with Alzheimer’s, and prone to saying and doing anything—and her father, the beloved local doctor frustrated he can’t cure his own wife.

As for Caroline, she’s doing ‘just fine’ coping with her parents, her brazen cousin Ava Dawn’s marital disasters, her mostly-deaf dog…and with Noah Cranwell, far-flung relative of a local family mostly infamous for running moonshine, an ex-veteran who’s come to Cold River with troubles of his own.

Caroline believes she knows everything about Cold River and the people who live in its hills and hollers … but sometimes life’s greatest surprises happen closest to home.

Review:

Just Fine with Caroline by Annie England Noblin is the first book in her new Cold River series.  Caroline O’Connor, our heroine, is home in Cold River, Missouri helping her father take care of her mother, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.  Caroline runs the family’s bait shop during the day, and usually hangs with her cousin, Ava and her friend, Court at night.  Caroline’s father is a retired doctor, and works part-time at the clinic, with Ava watching over the mother.  Ava plays a big part of this story, as she mostly slips in at night to stay with Caroline, since she is separated from her abusive husband. 

One day, Caroline notices someone is snooping around the old closed station opposite her shop; to her surprise, she meets someone she has not seen in many many years.  Noah Cranwell, our hero, has returned home to rebuild the station. Noah’s infamous grandfather used to run a moonshine business long ago, with most town folks staying clear of the Cranwells.  Later in this story, we will find out that there is more to the Cranwells and the O’Connors from way back. Noah immediately befriends and takes an interest in Caroline.  Caroline’s deaf dog, Yari will gravitate to Noah, who communicates well with the dog, opening up a friendship between them.

This is a sweet lighthearted story line focusing on Caroline; her friends, family, life in general and her slow build romance with Noah.  Along the way, Caroline finds herself in the middle of issues that arise; such as Ava’s abusive and dangerous husband; the unknown secret between the Cranwell/O’Connor; helping her best friend move on with his life not meant to be in a small town.  I found the story lighthearted, with a simple look at small town life.  At times it did move slowly, but the characters we got to meet were very likable.  If you enjoy a sweet story about a small town life, then this would be a perfect book for you.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher