What do readers think of Flat Water Tuesday by Ron Irwin? Write your own review.

I read this novel in one sitting and found myself weeping at the end of it. While it is a novel about rowing---a sport I knew nothing about when I started reading--- the love story at its center broke my heart. The story of Rob and Carolyn resonated with me. It felt incredibly real, raw, emotional and true and there were times I held my breath while I read about the two of them struggling to stay together. I enjoyed the rowing segments and felt they were woven beautifully into this romantic tale about two people finding each other despite it all. I think this is one of the best novels of the year.

Love this book. the writing flows like the boats in a rowing contest!!! The style of going from past to present pretty much keeps me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend for book group discussions.

Love this book. Beautiful language, beautiful scenery, beautiful story. Loved the way the author weaves the past and the future with layers of intriguing relationships. Not your typical coming of age story. Well done!

This is a great story, I liked it a lot. It's so suspenseful, that I at times tried to squeeze key words on the page with my mind to find out what happens next, to no avail. I even called the phone number on page 271 hoping that would help; it didn't but I got a surprise at who was on the other end.
It wasn't until I turned the page, that I found what was happening next, and I couldn't stop turning pages quick enough. It almost drove me to drink, but I refrained. I enjoyed the book more because it has a Connecticut connection, my home state.
Overall, this is a page-turner that I will not soon forget. I recommend this book to fans of suspense/thrillers.

I really enjoyed this book. I was skeptical before starting my read since I know very little about crew and I was wondering how the subject could be exciting or produce an interesting novel. Boy, was my skepticism ill placed. I credit the author for creating a story that is interesting, exciting, suspenseful and most of all, entertaining. The characters are diverse but each has their good and bad qualities revealed to us and I was able to identify with them. The three main characters (Rob, Ruth Anderson and Connor) interact in ways that produce a story worth telling and certainly worth reading. Thanks Ron Irwin for authoring a great debut novel. I will anxiously await your next book.

This is one good book! I know zilch about crew, and until now, could have cared less. The characters and the story have given me a new sport to cheer for. The protagonist, Rob Carrey, is a successful failure, a guy who tries and tries, and with every turn hits a roadblock, but keeps on going. Maybe he didn't follow the path laid out for him, but the path he blazes is interesting and littered with full characters and events. I hope to see a lot more from Mr. Irwin!

I'm breathless and exhausted. I chose this book because I wanted to learn about the sport of rowing – and I did. But that's not sufficiently true because for 3 days and 300 pages I lived and breathed (panted?) it. However, although rowing provides the bones of the narrative, it is the storylines of the individual members of the crew of one boat that provide the flesh and propels the reader from an attention grabbing first chapter forward to a conclusion, which at first felt unsatisfying but then perfectly right. This is a book I will be recommending to fellow readers. I also think it would make a good choice for a book club.

I enjoy a book where I learn something new. With Flat Water Tuesday, I enjoyed learning about the intricacies of rowing. I expected this book to include more about the boarding school experience, but the Fenton School was barely a backdrop, which disappointed me. At times it was hard to understand the characters' motivation (Why is Rob so competitive with Connor? Why did he run out on the frozen river?) Though I enjoyed the book, it would have been much richer for me with more presence of the boarding school and more specific insight into Rob's motivations.