Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a free audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bryn Collins lived in isolation for 14 years after her fiancé, Sawyer, jilted her for her sister, Del. Suddenly, Bryn’s 14-year-old nephew, Josh, shows up asking for Bryn’s help in locating his mom (Bryn’s sister, Del), who has been missing for days. Josh’s father, Sawyer, (yes that’s Bryn’s ex-fiance), cannot help because he died in a plane crash, so Josh has no one else to help find his mom. It turns out Del was working for a local drug dealer, Carl. He threats Bryn to find the drug or find his money. The hunt for Del, the drugs, and the money takes Bryn and Josh on a path that’s not only dangerous but full of secrets and lies.

I enjoy domestic suspense books. Hodges creates one where family and forgive collides with action-packed mystery. I love both MC. Bryn, haunted by the past of Del and Sawyer, chooses to help Josh, knowing the emotional pain that lies ahead. And Josh is wise beyond his teen years caused by his father's death and his mother’s drug addiction. Bryn and Josh’s relationship develops quickly, realizing they are a good team as the action heats up and the mystery unravels. Although the ending tidied up a little too neatly for me, the character development, along with twists turns of the action, make this a thoroughly enjoyable and heart-pounding book!

This thriller will take you on a journey full of twists and turns that will uncover secrets. It seems as though life for Bryn has always been unfair and cold. Her mother has always treated her with despair and has never been loving or proud of her accomplishments. Bryn has always been second best to her sister, Del.
A sister that has forever taken what Bryn cherished the most has never continued to tournament her, even now so far away from one another.

In her attempt to escape not only from her painful past but Bryn also secludes herself and sets to living on a farm. This farm becomes her refuge and only companion.
Until, one day her nephew Josh, comes knocking. He brings with him heavy baggage. His drug addict mother Del has disappeared, his reclusive father Sawyer, with who Bryn has a past, is nowhere to be found. With no one else available to help Josh, Bryn must leave the comfort of her oasis and help Josh locate his mother.
Bryn, assumes Del must be near, right?
But, Bryn and Josh have no idea what lies ahead and all the secrets they will uncover. They especially have no idea all the danger they are about to face.
I found this story to be very compelling and thrilling. The is story filled with action, twists, and turns.
I loved the emotions that Hodge captured from her characters. With Josh, I felt his anguish and desperation for his mother after her disappearance, and at the end of it all, his childhood innocence shuns through despite all the horrible things he has witnessed. His deep love and concern for his mother were his driving force. it was heartbreaking.
Bryn and Sawyers discovered new things about who they were as individuals and who they could become, even if life did not pull them in the same direction or in the direction they had originally planned for.

Now let’s talk books. Specifically, let’s discuss Rebecca Hodge’s @rhodge.fiction Over the Falls 🌊, which is suspenseful, action packed, and totally entertaining.

I loved the fact that not only did several key scenes take place outside, but that Bryn is an animal lover. Also, theres a dog character, which, for those of you that know me, is always a bonus!

Thanks for the opportunity to review! The link to my Instagram post is following.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTaRezIrTEJ/

This audiobook was really well done. I like the narrators and it kept me listening late at night. I had mixed feelings about the book at the end. It seemed a lot of build up for the resolution.

Brynn is struggling with a betrayal that happened years ago and has never forgiven her sister. One day her fourteen year old nephew, Sawyer, shows up at her farm, desperate because his mom (her sister Del) is missing. Now they have to find out what happened and where she is before it's too late.
It was an enjoyable and entertaining read. I also liked getting to know the main characters, following them on their journey and watching them grow and bond.
The story was mainly about the dynamics of family, broken relationships, and forgiveness.

I didn't have any expectations going into this book. as I'm not familiar with the author and hadn't heard much buzz about it, so I was pleasantly surprised when I really really enjoyed it. It's not groundbreaking or genre-bending but I really cared about the characters and the plot kept me interested.

This was a decent story, but it doesn't stand out from others in the genre. It was was an enjoyable and entertaining read, just not overly special or memorable.

I enjoyed getting to know our main characters and following them on their journey. One of the interesting parts of the story was watching them grow and bond. I also liked the inclusion of whitewater kayaking and the farm living and would have enjoyed more of either. I thought the main characters showed some good thought processes behind where they were searching, however some of the reasoning behind the other character's decisions was a bit thin and the wrap up was a bit neat.

Certain aspects of the story were presented in such a manner that you knew they would be revisited later in the story. Due to this somewhat repetitious formula, most of the 'twists' were expected. If you are new to the genre this may not jump out at you, but if this is a genre you frequent you will likely not be surprised by anything in the plot.

I listened to the audio version narrated by Aven Shore & Nick Mondelli. I feel this gave the characters some depth and added to my enjoyment of the story.

3.5★

I gave this one 4/5⭐ because I got 46% through and was so lost as to what was going on. The story isn't completely terrible, I just couldn't follow along.
If you are into mysteries then this would probably be for you. I normally am occasionally but maybe given this was an audiobook instead of a ebook maybe I could have kept a little more.

I totally enjoyed this engrossing story of an aunt and her nephew in a desperate race against time! It’s all there: love/loss/secrets/lies/danger & consequences. I flew right through this propulsive story...driven by the constant need to see what happens next. I will post my full book review of Over the Falls on my book club reporter book review blog.

The past coming back to haunt the present is a common theme in books so this was pretty predictable in that regard, but the river rafting was a new detail that I wasn’t familiar with. It was quite interesting in parts, but others were slow and repetitive. And to be honest, I didn’t love the narrators. I didn’t not like them, but they didn’t really add anything to the story.
Brynn is the younger sister, always being compared to her older sister Del, by their parents. Brynn remembers some happy memories, but now Del involves herself with less than positive influences on her life and is known for running off for a day or two without telling anyone where she’s headed. Only this time, she’s been gone for a week and her son shows up at Brynn’s homestead and turns her quiet and simple life upside down. Brynn has tried to forget everything that her sister had done to her in the past, but it’s hard to do when her nephew is there asking her questions about the past and she’s forced to face the fact that her sister stole her fiancé and got pregnant by him. Now Del has gone and left him instructions to go to Brynn for help. Except being burned by her sister and her fiancé has left her hardened to relationships of any type, including the friendship that she has tentatively made with her adjoining homesteader, Landon, who wants more than she can give.
Josh has been forced to grow up too fast in order to take care of his mother, who is irresponsible and he’s been told that his father died when he was 2 so he feels like he has to be the man of the family. While Brynn and Josh try to track Del’s last known steps, someone reveals a story that they met Josh’s dad’s “twin” in Colorado so that’s where they think Del has gone, despite knowing that it can’t be his twin because he is an only child who had been adopted after the deaths of his parents. In the hunt for Del, secrets one to light and the past is shown to not be what it was and the whitewater rafting that Brynn used to love but had abandoned comes to the forefront in order to change the present and approach the future.
I tend to not like stories that get wrapped up with a pretty little bow, which this one did, but it kind of worked in this case, I was glad to see the resolution before it closed.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I did not want to put this one down from the moment I started it, a must-read! Hodge has created a suspenseful mystery with compelling characters, and I really appreciated the different perspectives in writing. Josh is a plucky, independent-by-force kid, instantly likable, and determined. Bryn is someone I could see myself becoming in another world, off the grid, disconnected from all the daily "crap" of society (and also her family's drama)--until she's drawn right back into it. The epic quest to find the truth is compelling on its own, but I was also drawn to the relationship that develops between Bryn and Josh as they adventure together. If you like mysteries (particularly ones that have a sibling you sort of can't stand), this book is for you. I highly recommend it!

OMG!

I have NEVER started a review before I have finished a book but I have about 3 hrs left on the audiobook and I don’t think there is any way this book could finish badly but I will wait until I’m finished listening before I post.

I requested this audiobook from NetGalley and the publisher graciously allowed me an ALC. I am fairly new to ARC/ALC books but lately it seems I keep buying the new books of all The NY Times best selling authors and am left disappointed with either far fetched or books that seem rushed or churned out to meet a deadline. I was hoping that by reviewing books I’d find new authors previously unknown to me and I am SO GLAD I did.

This is probably one of the best audiobooks I have listened to in years- YEARS! I cannot wait to read any and all books by Rebecca Hodge.

Bryn lives a quiet, private life. She is estranged from her sister after her sister betrayed her by having an affair with her fiancé and then going on to marry him. Sawyer, her ex-fiancé died in a plane crash years ago but Bryn never forgave Del. One day Del and Sawyer’s 14 yr old son Josh shows up needing help to find his mother who had gotten in over her head with a real bad apple named Carl.

Bryn can’t leave Josh on his own and goes looking for her sister. The journey is a heartbreaking story of family and betrayal and redemption but also laden with twists and turns to keep you in suspense the whole time.

The narration is perfect and I felt like I was along for the ride with them the whole time. I don’t remember ever being so immersed in a story that I had to fight with myself to put it down. I started it before bed last night and woke up 6 hrs later to finish it because I couldn’t wait to know what happened. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. Excellent story!!

The premise of this novel: the past returning to haunt the present, is nothing new. But what grasped my attention was the white water rafting references and I am happy to report that the descriptions of the harrowing trips down some perilous falls and roiling Colorado whitewater did not disappoint. (I listened to the audiobook version, ably narrated by Aven Shore and Nick Mondelli.)

<img src="https://c.tenor.com/JQLdTw7IUccAAAAC/whitewater-rafting-rafting.gif"/>

This is an engaging and well-written story, but - for me - it dragged in some parts and the internal dialogues (both Bryn and Josh's) were repetitive and often slowed the action down considerably. The author also fell back on many standard characterization and plot tropes: the secondary characters were a tad wooden and cookie-cutter in many respects.

<img src="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/relationship-breakup-jealousy-love-triangle-260nw-270368003.jpg"/>

Bryn is the long-suffering sister, ignored by her parents in favour of her evil sister, Del. Del is portrayed in Bryn's memories as a loving younger sister and, conversely, as Del grew older, a true demon from hell - stealing Bryn's boyfriends and making her life a misery.. This Jeckyll and Hyde portrayal of Del at first puzzled me, then had me rolling my eyes. Was the author confused or has she just lost track of her plot? Hadn't Bryn nursed her grievance against her sister and her fiancé.for fourteen years? Why was she waffling over Del's true nature and behaviour after Josh came to ask her for her help in finding his errant mother?

<img src="https://i0.wp.com/jacksonupperco.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screen-Shot-2020-11-11-at-11.50.48-AM.png?ssl=1"/>

Another well-worn trope: Sawyer's betrayal had damaged Bryn beyond repair, making her channel all of her energies into her programming career and her small goat farm. Landon - her neighbour on an adjoining farm - was in love with Bryn, but Bryn had been burned by love and was afraid to venture into those turbulent waters again - same old, same old..

Josh was his mother's caretaker, and I get that he had to look out for his irresponsible mother at a young age, but he still came across as a bit too mature for a fourteen year old. And towards the end, he blamed himself for everything that happened to everyone in this story - repeatedly. Did the needle get stuck in the groove of the record, or what?

<img src="https://t3.ftcdn.net/jpg/01/97/92/22/360_F_197922267_hC9UHSJsUFBqHXplLM4sGO0NHlEfaOq8.jpg"/>

And, finally, I have to say that the ending came together a tad too neatly. This story lost its sense of reality and started resembling your standard weekly television drama with that happily ever after finale. All's well that ends well! I did, for the most part, enjoy this story and it did generally hold my interest - but at certain intervals I did huff and puff with frustration - which often led me to speed up the narration. This is why I am rating this one a 3.5 stars out of 5, rounded down to a 3. Great storytelling, but it got bogged down by too much introspection, repetition and formulaic - and at times cardboard - characterization.

<img src="https://thumbs.gfycat.com/SilentFlusteredGreatdane-size_restricted.gif"/>

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Over the Falls is the story of Bryn, a homesteading programmer living her best life. That is until her nephew, Josh, from her estranged sister shows up at her doorstep because his mom is missing. What follows is Bryn and Josh propelled into a search for Bryn's sister, Del's. because Carl, Bryn's former friend and Del's former boyfriend threatens them. They soon find out that Josh's dad and Bryn's former fiance presumed dead in a plane crash may be alive too!

It's a lot, I know. Maybe too much. At first, I liked Bryn trying to navigate being a surrogate parent while also trying to find her sister. I know it would super suck if your sister boinked your fiance and got pregnant, but it's been 15 years! Get over it already. She literally whined about it for the whole book. I mean come on! There's a super helpful stud RIGHT NEXT DOOR itching to help her get over it! Josh was a pretty good character, but read a little immature at times which is weird because Bryn describes him as smart.

Audiobook narrators, Aven Shore and Nick Mondelli were fine. They made the book more enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC.

2 stars

I couldn't tell you how this happened, but listening to this book felt more like I was listening to a women's fiction book with hints of suspense rather than a hard-hitting mystery.

Maybe it was because such an emphasis was placed on the journey that they were taking rather than the actual suspense. Maybe it was because the tangled relationships that Hodge created stalled before getting too twisted so that the ending could have an uplifting tone. Maybe it was because one of the protagonists had to overcome a fear in order to remember how to love again. Maybe it was all of these things, but Over the Falls never truly felt like a mystery or a thriller to me.

It was fairly predictable, the stakes never felt high, and the characters had a lot of untapped potential. I always start a new book with a lot of hope, but unfortunately none of them were met with Over the Falls.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This is a solid man-hunt story that follows that follows the search for Del. The story alternates perspectives between Brynn, Del's sister, and Josh, Del's son. It turns out they aren't the only ones searching for Del. A shady drug dealing character named Carl is also on the hunt to recoup his stolen product. Enter a missing father, deadly white water conditions, and road trip to Memphis and you have your man-hunt. I liked this book but feel like it tried to be too many things at once. Was it about drugs, the wilderness, missing persons, or long lost family? I wish the author would've narrowed down the genre. But overall I enjoyed the story. I just don't think it's one that I'll remember for years to come.

Bryn has never forgiven her sister, Del, after she ran off with Bryn’s fiance, Sawyer. She has lived in the mountains of Tennessee ever since, even though Sawyer is now dead; Bryn’s anger and sense of betrayal run deep. But her past comes knocking on the door in the form of Josh, Del’s son, who pleads for help because his mother has disappeared. But Josh isn’t the only one looking for Del, as Bryn and her nephew discover as they set off on across country odyssey looking for the missing woman.

A great story -- unlike many similar books, not over the top.


Review copy provided by publisher.

Over the falls:
TW: Animal Death.


First off, FUCK CARL. The animal death and mistreatment of animals sent me over the edge. I wanted to fight him myself. Okay, now that I got that off my chest.

I enjoyed Over The Falls! I felt the story was engaging and even though I hated Del and Sawyer for what they did to Bryn, I cared for Josh and wanted him to find his mom. I just really loved Bryn as a protagonist, and was hoping she’d find peace or understanding in this wild ride.

I loved the dual perspectives between Josh and Bryn. I felt because they were this odd couple, almost complete opposites, having both their perspectives really painted a vivid picture of what was going on.

While the mystery of what the heck happened to Del and Carl’s demand of 7 days may creep up on you with a slow burn mystery, I really just liked Josh and Bryn getting to know each other and learning about the past. Bryn was able to heal in a way with bringing up old memories, and Josh, he got to know his parents. The twists got me and the ending had me absolutely shocked.

Overall, this book was wonderful! I felt the emotion for the readers voice and I choked up a few times from the emotion. I absolutely have been sleeping on Rebecca Hodge and her amazing writing. I loved Over the Falls and it gave me the atmospheric rustic Colorado setting I needed. Thank you so much for the gifted copy!

Another satisfying novel by Rebecca Hodge. Isn’t this cover great? Love it! This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites. She writes complex stories full of suspense.
Mysteriously told this book will lead you on a search to find a loved one and so much more. I highly recommend listening to this. Narrated by Aven Shore and Nick Mondell.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via Netgalley.