A review by catlion27
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

So I had a lot of fun with most of this book. The romance is particularly well-done and cute. The protagonist is a little frustrating at times in a YA sort of way, but overall she is determined and takes matters into her own hands which is fun to watch. The prose is a little repetitive and overdescriptive at points; for example, Inez will think a metaphor in her head twice, essentially. The magical elements were carefully woven in and not overbearing. There were some good twists. And then there was a bit at the end that really took me out of the vibe of the book:

when Elvira gets murdered. It felt so incredibly out of the blue and unnecessary and just so tonally different from the rest of the fun adventure romance.

. AND THEN the very very end plus the cliffhanger telegram brought me back around...somewhat. Would've been a 4.25 if not for the aforementioned vibe-killing part. I think I will probably read the next book if only for more of Inez and Whit onscreen together.