A very good book with very intrrguing characters. there where moments my heart broke for these characters and some of the choices they made along the way. Thought it was very well written and i would definitively read more from this author in the future.

Dark Rivers to cross is an emotionally thrilling read! I never knew those two things could go together but Lynne Reeves pulled it off! This one truly blew me away and I didn't want to put it down!

Dark Rivers to Cross by Lynne Reeves is an emotionally thrilling dark mystery centred around a mother who will sacrifice everything to keep her children safe. At the heart of the story are lies and secrets from the past.

The storyline might trigger a few readers because of the graphic descriptions of trauma, abuse, and violence, so I would advise readers who are sensitive to these issues to proceed with caution. The author has clearly indicated this by sharing a content warning at the very beginning.
Lena Blackwell lives in Millinocket, Maine, running a successful river lodge along with a friend, Coop. Church’s Overlook, the family Inn sheltered by acres of pine forest stretches along the Penobscot River. Her two sons, Jonah and Luke, were both adopted when they were just a few years old. The boys know nothing about their birth parents as Lena hasn’t been forthcoming with details.

Their peaceful lives are in upheaval when Jonah expresses his desire to know more about his birth parents. To his indignation, Luke doesn’t want to know anything and refuses to be a part of his mission. But as Jonah proceeds with his investigation, secrets come tumbling from the closet, putting them all in the face of the very danger Lena had been trying to protect them from.

Even though the premise is not completely new, the story is quite exciting. The dual narrative and dual timelines make it an interesting read. Reeves has done a wonderful job of building intrigue and suspense while revealing the secrets from the past at a good pace. The sub-plots and unexpected twists are seamlessly integrated with the main storyline and have been resolved in a satisfying manner.
I really loved the natural surroundings where most of the story takes place. It would be really wonderful to settle down in one of those rustic cabins surrounded by the pine forest with a gurgling river flowing right beside and read this book once again!

While all the characters are well-developed, each with their respective battles and challenges, I really loved the way Luke’s character evolves during the story. Lena’s actions though leave one with questions, but I feel they are justified considering the trauma she has undergone, and her children’s safety.

Dark Rivers to Cross explores trauma and abuse in a sensitive and thrilling manner, while never moving away from Lena, the central character holding the plot together. Apart from inherent trauma and abuse, familial love, sibling bond, love, and friendship are the other theme threads weaving this story together.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lynne Reeves, and the publisher, Crooked Lane Books for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

(4.5 stars)

For two decades, Lena Blackwell has kept her sons at her side, teaching them everything she knows about running their successful river lodge in Northern Maine. But what she really wants is to keep her boys in the dark about their tragic past.
Brilliantly written, that kept me hooked from the first page. At times I just couldn’t read quick enough to find out what was going to happen next.

This is a great book that kept me reading well into the night! A captivating story told from two different points of view and toggling between the past and present, this took me through so many emotions. Lena Blackwell was determined to keep her boys and their identities a secret in order to keep them safe. She had made a quiet life for them in the mountains of Maine, but questions arose from her sons about their adoption. The story slowly unfolds until we find out the terrible truth. A great read.

This is an excellent book that kept me turning pages long into the night! The characters are well developed and interesting, the descriptions vivid, the storyline enthralling.
Lena and her adopted sons, Jonah and Luke, live in Millinocket, Maine and run Church's Overlook, an inn that is flanked by 10 rustic cabins. Their grounds keeper, Coop, helps in the daily maintenance and upkeep of the property, Inn and cabins.
As the boys are preparing to go away to college, Jonah is pushing his brother to get their mother out of the Inn, so he can go through the office files to try and find information on his adoptive mother, information that Lena refuses to give, stating that the adoption records are sealed.
Lena over hears the conversation and begs Luke not to help his brother, that it's dangerous and he needs to leave it alone. The next day Lena has to return some rotted fruit to a farm, and when she does, Luke snoops through the office and finds the deed to the Inn and property and all the bills are in Coops name, not Lena's.
Now, the questions begin in earnest, Luke refuses to go away to school, while Jonah goes, and starts pre-med. All the while both boys continue to search for information, more and more things don't add up.
Then a surprise visitor at the Inn shakes things up and little by little the pieces start coming together to form very dangerous answers. Answers that could be the death of them all.

This was a great thriller. Dark and filled with secrets. So many great twists, especially the ending. Whoa! Didn't see it coming and it took my breath away. A must read!

For two decades, Lena Blackwell has kept her sons at her side, teaching them everything she knows about running their successful river lodge in Northern Maine. But what she really wants is to keep her boys in the dark about their tragic past.

Lena just wants to live a simple life in Maine, leaving behind personal issue she wants to keep hidden. Her boys are now growing up in a great outdoor lifestyle fishing, hiking and showing the visitors the areas by taking them on outdoor tours. The boys are very different, one leaving for college for an education , the other who will find out secrets being kept from them. In the beginning I was unsure if I was going to like the book as I found it a little slow but I now realise it was building the back story and then things really picked up. This is an enjoyable read and another I would recommend.

Thankyou to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I like this one it was a fast paced and dark thriller that was just well written and kep you engaged in the story. Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher

Right from the beginning, Dark Rivers to Cross draws you in with thrills and questions. The story manages to progress naturally using a mix of the current day and flashbacks to help bring you closer to the answers you’re seeking. While this story lures you in with its mysteries it also sheds a light on the everyday horror of abuse and the things that rich men in positions of power can get away with. You can feel Lena’s desperation and hopelessness through the screen at some points. Her emotions in the flashback sequences will become your own. Dark Rivers to Cross is a great look at what comes with inherited trauma and the lengths a parent will go to protect their own. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of this year!

A sharp new novel about family, secrets and want a mother is willing to do.to keep her secrets at bay!
As the story unfolds, Reeves clever writing had me wanting more of this story.
Riveting and masterfully told.
A story of family, lies and secrets.
The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. As I had to figure out how this one ended. And it didn't disappoint.

Crooked Lane Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.

Lena runs a vacation area in Maine with rustic cabins. Her two boys help by taking guests on tours, hiking and fishing. Jonah is going back to college and Luke has chosen to stay and help run the resort. Both boys know they are adopted and Jonah wants to find his birth parents but Luke is happy not knowing. Lena tries to talk Jonah out of it but he is insistent.

This was a very good read, going back and forth to learn how Lena and the boys came to the resort and where they were from. There is one thing toward the end of the book that bothered me, and that's why it has a 4* rating rather than a 5. It doesn't ruin the story, just something that bothered me. I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review the book.

Wow, absolutely speechless. This book had me feeling so many emotions from beginning to end. While I was reading it, I thought I knew how it would play out.... boy was I wrong! So many twists and turns that led me to be completely saturated into the story word by word. I could not get enough of this book! The premise was interesting but the characters were so welcoming and likeable it made the storyline even better. The ending KNOCKED MY SOCKS OFF! Completely threw me off but a charming surprise. I would highly recommend you read this the first chance you get!

This book was sent to me for review electronically from Netgalley. This is a book of secrets…what one fears the most…new beginnings…a mother’s love…new relationships…escaping the past…hiding…family…friends…themes running throughout this book…the author has woven that which reads like a true story…it happens everyday…somewhere…I did not want to put this book down until the end when I breathed a sigh of relief…maybe not the most auspicious ending but satisfactory…sad…don’t miss this book.

Lena Blackwell, along with her two sons, runs a successful wilderness lodge on the Penobscot River in Maine. On the surface, life is good, as long as the boys don’t ask questions about their past. Luke is happy with his life as it is, but Jonah has begun to question everything and he’s determined to uncover what their mother has been hiding from them, he intends to find his biological parents. Luke wants no part of his brother’s plans, but when the family gets unexpected guests, it may be too late for Lena or Luke to stop the cataclysm that’s been unleashed. Reid does an admirable job writing about Maine (my home state) and the sporting life that revolves around the Penobscot. The story is tense and rife with family conflict and deadly secrets