
Once in a while, I feel an urge to share a review of one of my own books, and this new review of Finding Hunter made me so happy, I could not resist doing so today. While I know not everyone will understand the youngest Painter brother and his struggles, especially with PTSD, among all of my books’ characters, Hunter has always been second only to Rabbit in my heart. It’s wonderful when readers really “get” him, and love him, too. *happy sigh*
Hope you’ll enjoy this review, and will be inspired to check out Hunter’s story for yourself.
Thanks so much Yvi!
Yvi MC
VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, how I love Hunter! 🙂
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
I absolutely love Hunter! He’s such a pure soul, but he has no idea how special he truly is because he lives in a world of fear and pain. Luckily, he is loved unconditionally in a way most of us may never experience. This was a fantastic addition to this series.
The author does an incredible job of diving into anxiety and depression through Hunter’s words and actions. Just as powerful is Willow’s journey in struggling to go on without Hunter while being determined to keep hope alive. I loved how the author used poetry to tell one storyline until the two stories merged together.
I also enjoyed seeing characters from the first book of the series. The author seamlessly created new threads of storylines for other characters that will be visiting in the next book. The ending is a bit of a punch to the gut, but it makes me want to dive right into book three!
This was a wonderful story of loss, love, and resilience. If you enjoy stories that dare to dive into the struggles of life while also shining a light on the human spirit, then I highly recommend this book!
BLURB:
In Book 2 of the Riverbend Series, Marcia Meara, author of Wake-Robin Ridge, A Boy Named Rabbit, and Harbinger, takes a look at the devastating effects of a family torn apart by a horrific tragedy, pitting brother against brother, and focusing on battling PTSD with the redemptive power of unwavering love and support.
Before, I never thought about taking a life. Not once.
Now, the thought fills my mind day and night, and
I wonder how I’ll hide that terrible need,
As an old car swings to the shoulder,
And stops.
~ Traveling Man ~
Hunter Painter’s darkest fears have shaped his offbeat personality since he was a child, crippling him in ways invisible to those unable to see past his quiet exterior. In a sleepy Florida town known for its eccentric inhabitants, he’s always been a mystery to most.
Only one person sees beyond Hunter’s quirky facade. Willow Greene, the new age herbalist who owns the local candle and potpourri shop, has secretly loved him since they were in high school. When, sixteen years later, she discovers Hunter has loved her just as long, Willow hopes her dreams are finally coming true.
Willow soon learns that Hunter fears happiness at her side isn’t in the cards for him. With her natural optimism and courage, she almost convinces him he’s wrong—that they can really have that life together they both long for—but even Willow can’t stop what Hunter knows is coming.
One by one, his worst nightmares become reality, culminating in an unthinkable tragedy, which devastates everyone it touches. Willow’s battle begins in earnest as Hunter is plunged into a bleak, guilt-ridden despair, threatening to destroy not only their love, but Hunter, himself.
Finding Hunter is the story of a lost man’s desperate struggle to make his way home again, and one woman’s unshakeable faith in him and the power of their love.
Author Marcia Meara
Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years and four big cats.
When not writing or blogging, she spends her time gardening, and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. She enjoys nature. Really, really enjoys it. All of it! Well, almost all of it, anyway. From birds, to furry critters, to her very favorites, snakes. The exception would be spiders, which she truly loathes, convinced that anything with eight hairy legs is surely up to no good. She does not, however, kill spiders anymore, since she knows they have their place in the world. Besides, her husband now handles her Arachnid Catch and Release Program, and she’s good with that.
Spiders aside, the one thing Marcia would like to tell each of her readers is that it’s never too late to make your dreams come true. If, at the age of 69, she could write and publish a book (and thus fulfill 64 years of longing to do that very thing), you can make your own dreams a reality, too. Go for it! What have you got to lose?
Buy Marcia’s Books Here
Novels
Wake-Robin Ridge: Book 1
A Boy Named Rabbit: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2
Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3
The Light: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 4
Swamp Ghosts: Riverbend Book 1
Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2
That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3
Riverbend Spinoff Novellas
The Emissary 1
The Emissary 2 – To Love Somebody
The Emissary 3 – Love Hurts
Poetry
Summer Magic: Poems of Life and Love
Reach Marcia on Social Media Here:
Blog: The Write Stuff
Facebook
Email: marciameara16@gmail.com


What a fabulous review, Marcia, and it does inspire me to check out Hunter’s story, even though fiction is not my thing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you enjoyed the review, Jackie, and if you decide to give fiction a try, I hope you’ll enjoy meeting Hunter and his brothers. To my mind, excluding fantasy, good fiction is basically non-fiction with the names changed. 😂 My characters are mostly composites of people I’ve known, especially those who live in Riverbend, as those are the kinds of folks I grew up with.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope your curiosity gets the best of you. 😁😁😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved that series 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw, thanks so much for that, Cathy! The folks in Riverbend are near and dear to my heart, and of all of them, Hunter is my favorite. So glad you enjoyed the series, and with any luck, maybe I’ll be able to finish the 4th book one of these days. (I’d hate to waste the 15 chapters I’ve already gotten done.)
Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to say hello. 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve enjoyed all your books, Marcia. I hope you will be able to finish the 4th book at some point🤞🏼 💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s lovely to know, Cathy, and I DO hope I’ll be able to do some more writing very soon! That’s my goal. 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great review!! You must be delighted with it. When readers love our characters, it’s like saying they love our kids. xo
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes! Exactly so, Darlene! And I was totally delighted to read this review. It’s right up there in the top 4 or 5 for this book, and It sure made me smile!
Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a moment to share your thoughts. 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a fantastic review! I loved your first book of the Wake-Robin Ridge series and plan to purchase more. I’ll eventually read the Riverbend books and find out about Hunter!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Nancy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the first WRR book, and hope you’ll like meeting Rabbit, who comes along in Book 2, and usurps what was going to be a Romantic Suspense series. (That worked out for the better, I think.)
The Riverbend series has a different feel to it, very small-town in most ways. And while Rabbit has a special gift that most folks don’t, there’s nothing like that going on in Riverbend. (The folks who live there are offbeat enough all by themselves. 😁) I’m looking forward to seeing what you think of both series when you get a chance to check them out.
And thanks for stopping by today to share your thoughts! 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome, Marcia! I’m not big on romance novels, but you handled it well in the first WRR. So, I’m not disappointed you decided to stray from it. 🙂 I’m eager to read the Riverbend series, but I need to do things in order-and that means completing the WRR series first!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny, for some reason, I thought I should be writing a Romantic Suspense type novel, so Book 1 in each series kind of went that way, though with LOTS of other stuff to offset it. Nothing very graphic, really, but love scenes that just don’t interest me as much now. I prefer “pillow talk” to too many physical details these days.
In the WRR series, Rabbit took things in a completely different direction, and as I was writing the first Riverbend book, I got hooked on the secondary Painter brothers’ characters, so Book 2 featured Hunter, and Book 3, the other two (Forrest & Jackson) with their own dramas.
I think when you read A Boy Named Rabbit, you’ll probably understand how he managed to move right into the spotlight, and Sarah and Mac’s life was never the same again. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you think of the direction the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th books went. 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 2 people
I read the first WRR book so that I could read Rabbit’s story with more understanding. You made Rabbit sound intriguing in your blogs. Characters sure do have a way of developing on their own! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Boy, they sure do! Rabbit came to me in a dream, and I woke up the next day knowing exactly who he was and where he was headed. I went straight to my computer and wrote the prologue before breakfast.
That never happened before, and has never happened again, either. Hope you’ll enjoy meeting him! 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Marcia, never apologise for sharing a great review of your own books – they deserve to be shared and enjoyed. The writer’s life is such a solitary one, reviews are one of the few ways we get interaction and feedback from the people we write the books for!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Debby. I agree in theory, but it’s hard for me to do something so “bold and blatant.” Still, I hadn’t had a new review for Finding Hunter in some time, and I just HAD to share it. It truly made my day!
Thanks for stopping by and encouraging me to share things like this more often. I appreciate your support greatly! 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great review that echoes all my own feelings about this amazing book. I’m with you in that Rabbit is top of the pile for me, but Hunter is only a smidgeon below. Both of them are captivating in different ways and Hunter is so amazingly drawn he made me weep more than once before the end. ❤ ❤ ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw, what wonderful things to say, Trish. Thank you so much, and I’m truly happy you love both of my favorite characters that much. (Sorry for the weeping, but if it’s any consolation, Hunter made me cry a few times while I was writing the book, too.
Thanks so much for stopping by today and sharing your thoughts. The last week hasn’t been real smooth for me, but today has picked up my spirits very nicely! Huge hugs, my friend! 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry to hear about last week, but am really happy to hear that today is better. Here’s to that wheel of fortune bringing you some overdue peace and happiness. ❤ ❤ ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely better today, and one day at a time is how I’m taking it.
🤗❤️🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s what I like to hear!
🤗❤️🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful review, congratulations, Marcia! Haha, “Arachnid Catch and Release Program.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Vera. I’m delighted you enjoyed the review, and happy you liked my job description for Mark. 😂 We don’t get many spiders in our house, but when we do, he carries them right outside for me. (As soon as I take a look and reassure him they aren’t black widows or brown recluses.😬 It comes in very handy!)
Thanks, too, for stopping by today and taking a moment to say hello! 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I’m so happy you enjoyed my review! I’ll be posting it on my blog at the end of the month as well.
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
I absolutely loved it, Yvette! I’m always happy when someone really “gets” Hunter and understands his story. (Thank goodness for Willow, the strongest female character I’ve ever written, I think.)
I truly appreciate you reviewing the book on Amazon, and I loved sharing your thoughts here today, too. You made me one happy writer!
I’ll keep an eye out for the review on your blog and will definitely stop by. Thank you again! 🤗❤️🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a wonderful review, Marcia! Sounds like I’ll also be a fan of Hunter (after Rabbit, of course).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you’ll enjoy meeting Hunter, Teri. He’s special to me, for sure, and definitely second only to Rabbit in my heart. Glad you liked the review, and thanks so much for stopping by to let me know. 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful review and feature, Marcia. You are an exceptionally gifted writer. I’ve loved every book of yours, and the characters visit me still. I’ll yet to read Finding Hunter, but it waits for me on my Kindle. I will read it soon! Hugs… ❤️🤗❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are SO kind to pay me such a beautiful compliment, Gwen. For me, the characters are everything in books, and to think that some of mine “visit” you like that is wonderful, indeed! I’m glad you enjoyed the review and hope you’ll love Hunter when you meet him.
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I truly appreciate it!
🤗❤️🤗
LikeLike
A wonderful review, Marcia. Congratulations!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Debra. Those who enjoy a story about a lost soul trying to find his way tend to empathize with Hunter and enjoy cheering him on. This new review from Yvette was a real treat, for sure, and I was happy to start the week off sharing it.
So glad you stopped by to check it out, thanks! Here’s to a great rest of the week.
😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, what a lovely review, Marcia! 🙂 💖
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, Sarah! I was tickled pink to see this one, and very happy to share it. Sorry I’m late responding, but it wasn’t because I’m not glad to see you here. Things are a wee bit out of control in my life these days, but I’m slowly catching up. (I think.)
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great week ahead! 🤗❤️🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey, lady! No apologies needed, remember? 😉 This is a fab review, and you should have been tickled pink. Hope you’re enjoying the summer (inside with air conditioning). 💖💖💖 #NoAplogiesNeeded
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmm… Am I allowed to apologize for (and correct) typos? Or is that a tad hypocritical? #NoApologiesNeeded #ApparentlyThereIsProofreadingNeededThough
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂😂😂
Sorry I missed it, or I would have fixed it for you. (I do that all the time when an obvious typo jumps out at me. Sometimes, they’re even MY OWN! 😁)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, well, we never claimed to be perfect, but we can always strive to be grammatically correct. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Today is a smidgeon cooler than yesterday, with temps in the LOW 90s for a change, but with a heat Index of 100+ degrees. ARGH. Staying inside, for sure.
And trust me, the review was one of the really nice things that happened recently. It made my whole week! 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person