First, There Is a River: Book One in the Spirit of the River Series by Kathy Steffen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was downloaded to my Nook library as a Free Friday selection from Barnes and Noble.
The historical setting of communities along the Ohio river and of the steamboat Spirit of the River was what I enjoyed most about this book. The author acknowledges her thanks to Ohio River Museum and National Mississippi River Museum. My 3-star, or average, rating is due to author's depiction of her characters in a historical romance for despite her efforts to make them different, the characters still felt too much like stereotypes often associated with this genre: victimized heroine and damaged suitor. When the author does try to push them beyond the stereotypes, the characters almost feel too modern during their interior monologues.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy the historical romance genre.

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