From New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers comes the next standalone novel in her Swift River Valley Series, THE RIVER HOUSE!In this charming novel about the search for love, home and family, THE RIVER HOUSE takes readers on a journey to an irresistible town they’ll want to return to over and over again. Order your copy today!

Felicity MacGregor loves organizing social events for others but her own personal life is a different story. After a brief but failed attempt at a career as a financial analyst, she returned to Knights Bridge where she enjoys running a thriving party-planning business.

Then Felicity’s life gets a shake-up when her childhood friend Gabriel Flanagan returns unexpectedly to their tiny hometown. Now a high-flying businessman, Gabe always vowed to get out of Knights Bridge, but he is back for the local entrepreneurial boot camp Felicity’s been hired to organize. Together again, they’ll finally have to face each other—and their complicated past.

Gabe and Felicity soon realize their reunion is stirring up long-buried emotions. While Gabe has big plans for his future, Felicity is discovering that hers doesn’t depend on fate—she must choose what’s right for her. But if they can find a bridge between their diverging paths, they may just discover that their enduring connection is what matters most.

Excerpt

Russ and Kylie refused to let her help with cleanup. She had badgers to deal with, after all. Felicity thanked them and headed home along the river, content with her life—but wishing she’d find Gabe sitting on her deck or down at their swimming hole. Even without Russ’s take on Nadia, Felicity felt she and Gabe had unfinished business. Plus, she thought, she just wanted to see him, talk to him, laugh with him.

She groaned, blaming the hot, hazy early summer afternoon for her emotions.

There was no Gabe, of course, when she arrived back at her house, just tiny black ants that had discovered a gooey crumb on her kitchen floor.

She threw her hands on her hips. “How’d you guys get here so fast?”

She dealt with the ant mess, welcoming the sense of normalcy that came with it. Ants weren’t unusual this time of year.

Dealing with a potential stalker was unusual.

Felicity took her laptop out to a shaded spot on the deck and checked her messages. No texts, emails or voice mails from anyone, never mind Nadia Ainsworth.

As she worked, Felicity noticed dark clouds gathering to the west, adding a gray cast to the river. The air was still, oppressively hot and humid. She welcomed the cold front that the dark clouds signaled was moving in, but she’d happily skinny-dip in an isolated spot in the river right now. Probably not a good idea to be swimming when lightning struck.

She went inside and sat in front of a fan in the living room. It was one of those rare days when she wished Mark had installed air-conditioning.

A text came through. She glanced at her screen. “Gabe,” she whispered as she read it.

Made it to Boston. Thanks again for everything. What are you up to?

She typed her answer: Resisting our swimming hole.

Not good to swim alone.

Who says I’m alone?

But you are.

She smiled, surprised she wasn’t annoyed. I am. Storm’s coming. No swimming for me. Working. You?

Always working. TTYL.

Should she bring up Nadia? Felicity shook her head, but she’d known she wouldn’t before she’d posed the question to herself. She typed a quick response: Talk soon.

Two minutes later, Gabe sent her a short video of bulldog puppies, a throwback to their pre-fight friendship. She watched the video twice, smiling even as she warned herself not to get sucked in by Gabriel Flanagan. He liked to have things his way, and she wasn’t going to twist herself into knots to please him. That didn’t mean she knew what they were to each other after the past few days, but if she wanted a man in her life, Gabe was a distraction if not an outright impediment—not because she couldn’t have male friends but because of their history, because they’d kissed at the swimming hole.

Because they weren’t just friends and maybe never had been.

If he were here, what would they be doing now, with a storm moving in on a hot, sweaty day?

Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sharpe & Donovan series featuring Boston-based FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan, and the popular Swift River Valley series set in the small, fictional New England town of Knights Bridge. With many bestsellers to her credit, Carla loves to write now as much as she did when she climbed a tree at age eleven with pad and pen. A native New Englander, Carla and her husband divide their time between their hilltop home in Vermont, a sofa bed at their kids' places in Boston and various inns, hotels and hideaways on their travels, frequently to Ireland. Learn more and sign up for Carla's newsletter at CarlaNeggers.com. Follow Carla at facebook.com/carlaneggers and twitter.com/carlaneggers.