Brenda Novak

Good romance with a bit of suspense mixed in to make things interesting. Ismay and Remy have been a couple for three years and living together for two of them. They met at college, where Ismay was studying to be a lawyer while Remy attended medical school. At the beginning of this book, Ismay graduated and passed her exam, and Remy is studying for his finals. They plan to take the summer off to spend time with each other and rejuvenate their relationship, which has suffered under the stress of their studies. Ismay has arrived at Remy's family beachfront cottage on Mariner's Island, where she will hang out until Remy can join her.

Shortly after her arrival, the island is hit by a massive storm, something the farm girl from Utah has never experienced before. While searching for a flashlight or candles, she stumbles across some disturbing items in Remy's old bedroom. She's relieved when the home's caretaker, Bo, arrives to fix the generator and check on her. There is something about Bo that makes her feel safe, so when the storm damages his house, she has no problem inviting him to stay at the cottage with her. Matters become more complicated when Remy's twin brother, Bastian, shows up unexpectedly.

First impressions: I liked Ismay. She has worked hard to get where she is and is rightfully proud of her accomplishments. She grew up on a family farm in Utah and had a solid value system. She is kind and courteous, and I liked how she treated Bo as an equal rather than as a servant. She looks forward to spending time with Remy because she feels they have drifted apart. But after finding those things in his closet, she wonders how well she really knows him.

I liked Bo, too. He has had a difficult life and, as a result, keeps mostly to himself. He doesn't trust easily and is wary of Ismay when he meets her. It doesn't take him long to realize that she differs from Remy. I liked his protectiveness toward her and his neighbor, Honey. Bo also has a big secret he has been keeping from everyone, which could change how people look at him.

Remy and Bastian. I didn't like either one of them. Remy is focused on himself and his goals and expects Ismay to go along with them. I didn't like how he took her for granted. But in her conversations with him, I thought something else was going on. Bastian creeped me out from the moment he appeared. He is rude, crude, and far too interested in making obnoxious comments to Ismay. There is also something odd in the relationship between the two brothers.

Jack. Ismay's brother is going through a devastating divorce that has left him reeling. Ismay invites him to come to Mariner's Island to escape the gossip and decide what he wants to do. He has been expected to follow in his father's footsteps as a farmer but realizes that may not be what he wants from life. Jack is a nice guy and stays with Bo while on the island. I liked how he pitched in to help with the storm cleanup and how easily he made friends with Bo.

I liked how Ismay confided her worries to Bo. They worked together to find out the truth about the things they found. The more they learned, the more worried they became. There were several worrisome twists, and I couldn't decide who the most likely culprit was. The more time she and Bo spent together, the closer they became. This also contributes to Ismay's concern over her relationship with Remy and leads to an examination of her choices. I felt her confusion and liked seeing her take a hard look at her options. Bo's secret comes out because of Bastian's underhanded actions, straining the developing relationship between Bo and Ismay. I ached for both as they came to terms with the revelation and what it meant to them.

The epilogue was an excellent wrap-up to the story.… (plus d'informations)

As an adoptee, I was searching for my biological family's information for years but my file was sealed. I eventually got some information and was able to get more via Google and started communicating with one of my half-sisters. We agreed to do a DNA test which proved we are half-sisters, so when I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to read it.

I really enjoyed reading the stories of Lorelei, Reagan and Serenity and how they met and worked through each of the issues they were dealing with at the time. For a bulk of the book, they couldn't figure out the common denominator between the 3 of them...but they eventually do.

It is a romance book, which is not my preferred genre but it was a very good read.… (plus d'informations)

This is book 2 of the Fairham Island series which, right now, just consists of these 2 books. This book is not a continuation of the first book but picks up a few years after the first book ends. It does a nice job of bringing you up to date on the characters' lives from the first book but there is no need to have read that book first.

This tells the story of Keith Lazarow as he returns to Fairham Island after the death of his mother, with whom he had a tumultuous relationship with. After he returns, he becomes suspicious of his mother's death which was ruled a suicide. He thinks she was murdered and sets out to prove it.

I really enjoyed this series and the characters were real and relatable. Definitely recommend.… (plus d'informations)

Maisey Lazarow returns to Fairham Island after a bitter divorce and a tragedy. She returns to help her brother, Keith. She does not want to see her wealthy, controlling mother - who is the reason she left the island.

She ends up living in a bungalow at the other side of the island but she's next to Raphael who she went to high school with and whom she's also looking to avoid. While working on renovating one of the bungalows, Raphael finds a box of photos and gives them to Maisey. They are photos of her and Keith but also another child who looks a lot like them. Maisey thinks this child is their sister but they don't know what happened to her....so Maisey decides to find her despite her mother warning her not to look into this matter.… (plus d'informations)