With Hurricane Florence rapidly approaching the North Carolina coastline, all Niles North can think about is his five-year-old son Riley and how he wished he bent the law when he had the chance to evacuate him. Now, instead of being safe in Hickory with his dad, Riley is with Niles’s ex-wife Eden, who’s decided to ride out the storm at home with her drummer friend. Desperate to get back to his son as the stormwaters rise, Niles begs Reese, an attractive police detective and rescue worker, to drive him back to New Bern.
Refusing to help Niles seems nearly impossible for Reese who quickly realizes she’s in deeper than she should be—both professionally and emotionally—especially since she’s drawn to almost everything about him. As the two undertake a perilous journey into the eye of the storm, Niles’s worst fears come true, setting in motion a series of events that will change both of their lives forever.
About the Author
He became a stepdad in July 2007 and his second son was born in July 2016.
His favorite meal is New York-style pizza with sweet tea.
He won the 8th-grade spelling bee at his school. If you ask him how many kids participated, he might say, “Such minor details are not important!”
He is an avid sports fan. His favorite teams are the Atlanta Braves, Carolina Panthers, and UNC Tarheels (basketball).
Celebs he’s met: Mario Andretti, Truett Cathy, Eric Montross (ask to see the picture!), Nicholas Sparks, Richard Petty, John Edwards, Dick Vitale, Steve Garvey, and Harmon Killebrew.
He plays competitive basketball and softball.
He has webbed toes (aka twin toes, duck toes, tiger toes), but he says it’s never seemed to help him swim better. Only one in 2,250 humans are born with syndactyly (official condition).
A "joey" is another name for a baby Kangaroo.
When he was 21 years old, weighing only 150lbs, he could bench press 315lbs.
He fell from a 20ft high makeshift tree stand when he was 13 years old, landing directly on his head like an arrow shot into the ground. Miraculously, he suffered no injuries.
Photography is one of his hobbies.
He might be the only writer who doesn't drink coffee.
Joey Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed novels A Bridge Apart, Losing London, A Field of Fireflies, The Date Night Jar, and When the Rivers Rise.
My Thoughts
Where the Rainbow Falls by Joey Jones is the second book in the River Series.
Plot: Hurricane Florence descends on New Bern N.C. ( I have a daughter that lives there and I remember when this hurricane came through.
Characters:
Niles North heads to New Bern to evacuate his son Riley. Riley lives with Eden, his mother, and Niles's ex-wife.
Eden: Ex-wife of Niles and mother to Riley has decided to ride out the storm, much to Niles's dismay
Reese: A Police Detective and rescue worker who takes Niles to New Bern to get his son.
Kirk: A new love interest of Eden's with a criminal past
Riley: Niles and Eden's son who has gone missing in the hurricane.
This book is very relatable to what happened in New Bern N.C. during Hurricane Florence in 2018. The passion of all the people involved is palatable. Niles is furious with his ex for not evacuating. Instead, Eve, Riley, and Kirk go from her home to her mother's thinking that because they have a generator they would be safer.
Not the case as the Neuse River comes through the backyard and into the house, in one door and out the other. In a moment of passion between Eve and Kirk, Riley was left sleeping on the couch and when they go looking for him, he has disappeared. Frantic they try to find him. That is when Reese and Niles show up.
Reese has a rescue boat with her and they launch that to see if they can assist in the search for Riley. Not much happens with the search and they are forced to hole up in a fire station until light so they can search again.
I enjoyed this story, not because I have been to New Bern and recognized the places that were described in the book. This book is fast-paced, accurate, and heartfelt. Many times my heart was in my throat waiting for the next scene to see what happens. Full of emotions, a bit of romance, and faith. All the while hoping that everything comes together and that Riley is found. I even thought about Niles and Reese as a couple.
Natural disasters are always a good backdrop to a story that can be either good or bad. The author did an incredible job of describing the hurricane and its aftermath.
I give it 5 stars.
I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.
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