I enjoyed this intriguing, second chance, romance. I bought this at a local Goodwill store and I voluntarily chose to review this story. While not for the under 18 readers, it did pull me into the story quickly. It tugged at me to keep turning the pages. I think the heroine was more gusty than smart but she kept on going to see things to the finish. Lots of suspense to the end but no cliffhangers. ( )

Gripping suspense mixed with a second chance romance. Nikki grew up in Carling Lake but hasn't been back since her grandfather's death. With her political career in turmoil, she returns to Lakewood House. She's barely there an hour when a body is found washed up on the shore. Then her high school sweetheart shows up along with the sheriff. She hasn't seen Terrence in fifteen years.

Police detective Terrence has come to Carling Lake looking for his younger sister, Jill. An investigative journalist, Jill hasn't returned his calls in more than a week, and he's worried. He believes she is investigating something there, but no one has seen or talked to her. He's not going to let anything stop him from looking for her.

Terrence is a man who has little use for tact and social niceties when he's on the job. He does an excellent job of ticking off the local sheriff when he refuses to back off from doing his own investigation. He also butts into the investigation into the body at Lakewood House, convinced it has something to do with Jill's disappearance. Nikki isn't too happy to have him there, as he still carries the grudge that tore them apart. But when threats and strange happenings occur, she isn't going to say no to his protection.

Let me say that I wanted to shake some sense into Terrence. How he could allow the old feud between his uncle and her grandfather still eat away at him made no sense. Both men are gone, and the event that drove them apart is over and done with. But he couldn't let it go, ending the friendship and more that he and Nikki shared. Seeing Nikki again brings it all back. Despite those feelings, he can't deny the need to ensure she is safe.

Nikki is no frail flower. She is easily as stubborn as Terrence and makes it clear that any investigating he does will include her. Not only is Jill her friend, but it also appears that her property may be at the center of whatever is going on. I loved seeing Nikki stand her ground and not let Terrence push her into the background. She has it right when she tells him that he may have investigative experience, but she has the people skills to get people to talk.

I loved watching these two work together. It's a cautious partnership at first, with neither one entirely trusting the other. But their old friendship reasserts itself once they've cleared the air (thank you, Aunt Charity). And along with the cessation of hostilities, so do the sparks of attraction. I loved their teamwork and seeing them grow closer amid the increasing danger. I loved the ending and seeing them realize they belonged together.

The suspense of the story was fantastic. It began immediately with Terrence's missing sister and the body found at Nikki's. The graffiti on Nikki's garage door bears out Terrence's suspicion that the body is linked to Jill's disappearance. Terrence isn't about to back off his investigation, no matter what the sheriff says. He and Nikki continue to seek out those they think have answers and find themselves in risky situations. The tension ramps up when they get caught snooping and end up at the mercy of the bad guys. The final confrontation was a nail-biter, and I loved seeing the teamwork that saved the day.

I liked seeing James and Erika (Shielding Her Son) again. James has embraced his artistic side, and he is still involved with the family business. West Investigations plays a significant role in resolving the mystery. ( )