House Beside the River by David Burnett

Running from vile rumors and merciless ridicule, thirteen-year-old Nicole Beaumont flees her home in Parsons Valley, Georgia. She leaves Chris behind, the boy who had been her best-friend-for-life, her soul mate, the one with whom she was supposed to spend her life, and she takes refuge at a boarding school in rural Pennsylvania.

When she meets Richard, he accepts Nicole as she is. He keeps her secrets. Nevertheless, even as they fall in love, her memories of Chris tempt her, tugging her into the past, threatening to betray her,

Chris re-enters her life in a most unexpected way, and Nicole finds herself emmeshed in a deadly game that pits Chris, the boy she once loved, against Richard, the man she now loves, a game from which only one will emerge unscathed.

House Beside the River is a romantic, true-to-life coming of age novel featuring a violent culture, a strong woman, and a sweet ending.

Category: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Romance