River of Eden [Mass Market Paperback]

Glenna McReynolds (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 29, 2002

Bad-boy scientist Will Travers may have an Ivy League mind but he’s got the spirit of the jungle in his heart and the kiss of the Amazon on his body.

River of Eden

With his sun-bronzed skin, a week’s worth of beard, and a shaman’s crystal around his neck, Will Sanchez Travers looked more like a man mothers warned their daughters about than a Harvard-trained ethnobotanist. And even if only half the rumors about him were true, Dr. Annie Parrish figured she was in trouble. Still, she needed the rogue scientist to ferry her upriver in search of a prize so extraordinary, it would make her reputation–if it didn’t get her killed first.

When he’d reluctantly agreed to take the legendary Amazon Annie deep into the Brazilian rain forest, Will expected a woman warrior, not a blond ragamuffin renegade whose secrets ran darker than he could have imagined. But once the journey begins, there will be no turning back as they enter territory–of the wilderness and the heart–as dangerous as it is beautiful, desperate to stop a twisted destroyer of worlds before his nightmarish fantasy becomes horribly real. Amid sorcery, violence, and mystical visions, which will be the victor–the yearning for vengeance, or a power as potent and seductive as the heart of a singular, magical orchid?

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

It doesn't matter how weird the rumors are as to why defrocked, Harvard-trained ethnobotanist William Sanchez Travers has fallen from grace and into the mystical clutches of the Amazon rainforest. Dr. Annie Parrish needs him to take her in his boat up the Rio Negro to Santa Maria. She can't afford to be choosy, either: "Amazon Annie" doesn't have such a pristine reputation herself. But each of them has a dangerous goal, and this trip might very well turn out to be their last. With her smart, sassy dialog and witty style, reminiscent of Romancing the Stone, McReynolds shows that high adventure doesn't get much better than this. Shelley Mosley, Glendale P.L., AZ
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

Bad-boy scientist Will Travers may have an Ivy League mind but he?s got the spirit of the jungle in his heart and the kiss of the Amazon on his body.

River of Eden

With his sun-bronzed skin, a week?s worth of beard, and a shaman?s crystal around his neck, Will Sanchez Travers looked more like a man mothers warned their daughters about than a Harvard-trained ethnobotanist. And even if only half the rumors about him were true, Dr. Annie Parrish figured she was in trouble. Still, she needed the rogue scientist to ferry her upriver in search of a prize so extraordinary, it would make her reputation?if it didn?t get her killed first.

When he?d reluctantly agreed to take the legendary Amazon Annie deep into the Brazilian rain forest, Will expected a woman warrior, not a blond ragamuffin renegade whose secrets ran darker than he could have imagined. But once the journey begins, there will be no turning back as they enter territory?of the wilderness and the heart?as dangerous as it is beautiful, desperate to stop a twisted destroyer of worlds before his nightmarish fantasy becomes horribly real. Amid sorcery, violence, and mystical visions, which will be the victor?the yearning for vengeance, or a power as potent and seductive as the heart of a singular, magical orchid?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First Edition edition (January 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055358393X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553583939
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,795 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Glenna McReynolds, author of thirteen Loveswept romances, an epic medieval fantasy trilogy, THE CHALICE AND THE BLADE, DREAM STONE, and PRINCE OF TIME, and a contemporary romantic adventure set in the Amazon, RIVER OF EDEN, a book considered a classic in the genre, also writes as the New York Times bestselling author of romantic suspense, Tara Janzen. She has won numerous awards for her writing, including a RITA from RWA.

She loves doing research for her books, and her love of anthropology and the natural sciences has helped her create the landscapes of her novels, from the rich historical background of THE CHALICE AND THE BLADE trilogy, to the shores of the blackwater rivers flowing through the lost world of the Amazonian rain forest in RIVER OF EDEN.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great surprise!, February 11, 2002

By 

Nicole Miale - See all my reviews

This review is from: River of Eden (Mass Market Paperback)

I've read Ms. McReynolds' past work, which was a really good fantasy/romance trilogy, so I was surprised to see that River of Eden is a contemporary. I almost didn't pick it up, but I'm so glad I did!

This is a "go up the river into the jungle and accomplish a great feat against all odds" story. There are riverboat chases, and multiple levels of bad-buys double-crossing our intrepid hero/heroine (and each other). It's FUN, but it has a serious underlying theme of mysticism and redemption that is fascinating and different.

Most of all, River of Eden is a love story on many different levels. It's about self-love, consuming love of a place, and oh yeah, a believable love between two really interesting people, Will and Annie.

Will and Annie are great characters. Each of them is running from something, and running toward something else in the desperate hope that their destination will be enough to absolve them of past crimes, real and imagined.

This is no light wise-cracking duo - these two are carrying some major baggage, some of it metaphysical/mystical in nature. Sometimes backstory like that can drag a romance down fast, but in River of Eden the hero and heroine are well-matched in their derring-do and their emotional wariness, so it's rewarding to watch them deal with each other and eventually, slowly, give in to their attraction for each other. I really enjoyed both of them individually and as a pair.

The setting of this book takes on a life of its own, and the lush, lyrical quality of the narrative makes you feel like you can feel the rain and see the vegetation. It's almost a visual novel in its depth and feel. This is something River of Eden has in common with McReynolds' previous books, though the setting was very different in the fantasy trilogy.

I thoroughly enjoyed River of Eden and think you will too if you liked Romancing the Stone (the movie) or Heart of Fire by Linda Howard (the novel). Check it out. I don't think you'll be sorry.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful story!!, April 15, 2002

By 

M. Bradley "Mimmi" (Bluegrass State) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: River of Eden (Mass Market Paperback)

Romantic Suspense lovers, heads up!
Glenna McReynolds has penned a fast, can't wait to turn the page, stay up all night reading, story!

Dr. Annie Parish, "Amazon Annie", is on a mission. To convince Will Sanchez Travers, once a renowned Harvard botanist, now a rather seedy looking--with a seedier reputation guide, to take her up the river to Santa Maria. She herself is a botanist, who, while having some renowned work under her belt, also has the rather infamous reputation of having been kicked out of Brazil a year ago for reportedly shooting a `lover'. But she's back, and determined to follow up on an amazing discovery she made quite by accident on her previous trip, but she has to have someone, namely Will, get her up the river close to the spot where her find lies. The RBC, River Basin Coalition, who used influence to allow her back into the country to study `peach palm harvest', has no inkling of what Annie is truly up to. Annie has other plans, and the case of guns, ammo, and grenades that she bought from a questionable source is only the beginning.

Will agrees, under pressure, to take Annie up the river on his boat, the `Sucuri'-which translates to Anaconda! He's got his own personal agenda, and see's Annie being dropped in with him as a nuisance. But he can't help but be drawn to her spunk and passion. The fun begins before they even get the boat out of the port, with Annie receiving a letter telling her to leave Brazil. Oh, and then there's the shootout with those guys she got the guns from...

This story starts at page 1 with the action and doesn't let up the entire book. And the relationship that develops between Will and Annie, who are both leery of the other, is done will skill and grace. Will has had some experiences with the metaphysical, and the author does a tremendous job of making us `see' what he experienced, and of helping Annie understand Will. You feel them being drawn together. And the cast of supporting characters is great. They will have you chuckling about shrunken heads, and an overweight gun runner sweating it out in the jungle, to feeling the menace ooze off the bad guy, Carisco Vargas.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of romantic suspense, or action packed adventure. I read it in one sitting, and can't wait for her next suspense novel! She's done a wonderful job keeping the pace up, and not forgetting the romantic theme.
Don't miss this read!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous romantic adventure!, March 7, 2002

By 

Teresa Medeiros "New York Times Bestseller" (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: River of Eden (Mass Market Paperback)

Wow! This is definitely a book for readers complaining about there being too much of the same-old, same old out there. RIVER OF EDEN was a delicious combination of adventure, romance, and mysticism which mixed sizzling sensuality with edge-of-your-seat suspense. The book is totally unique in its own right, but it did bring to mind the very best of the genre--ROMANCING THE STONE, THE AFRICAN QUEEN, and AMAZON LILY by Theresa Weir. I wanted to be Amazon Annie and I definitely wanted to go exploring with Dr. Will Travers! Glenna McReynolds is definitely one of the finest writers of romance or any other genre. More please!