Rosemary Cottage follows Tidewater Inn in Colleen Coble's popular Hope Beach series. The Outer Banks of North Carolina create an enchanting backdrop for this story where all is not as it seems. Mystery, adventure, conspiracy, and romance come together in a story that I found hard to put down.
Summary
The cottage by the sea offers Amy a refuge to mourn her brother’s death and perhaps even discover a new love. But what if Ben’s death was no accident?
Rosemary Cottage on the Outer Banks of North Carolina has been in Amy Lang’s family for generations and offers her a haven within its peaceful walls. There she hopes to discover what really happened to her brother, Ben, even as she tries to come to grips with his death in the ocean months before.
She hopes the Coast Guard team will help her find closure, but they are quick to dismiss her concerns of foul play. When it seems discovering what happened to Ben will take longer than she expected, Amy moves her midwifery practice to Hope Beach.
Coast Guard officer Curtis Ireland may hold the key to many of her questions, but he also hides a secret that will change her world forever. And her own secrets could tear apart the fragile love developing between them. Will Amy have the courage to put down her mask and let Curtis love her for who she is? And can they both weather the danger that threatens to destroy the most precious thing in their lives?
My thoughts
Romantic suspense is not my favorite genre, but I was drawn to Rosemary Cottage because of the lovely cover and Outer Banks setting, and I'm certainly glad I read it. Colleen did a great job at creating a sense of place along the North Carolina seashore. I would describe this story as more mystery than suspense, which I liked because I don't enjoy books that keep me awake at night.
One of the secondary characters, a young girl named Heather, seemed the most complex to me. Heather is a flawed character who allows herself to be used by a guy that she thinks really cares about her, yet she grows throughout the story. Amy reaches out to her at one point and says, "There's always a way of redemption."
The romance between Curtis and Amy plays a large part, but I felt the story's main strength is the mystery, which kept this reader turning the pages. Some might find the plot slightly predictable, but I got caught up in the narrative and was surprised by a twist toward the end. The prose moves along easily, the characters are interesting, and one-year-old Raine will capture your heart.
I like how Curtis and Amy's relationship deepens until at the end, Curtis says, "We have this day, this hour. And that's enough. We take what God gives us."
Although this is the second novel in a series, it easily stands alone. I hope we see two other members of Curtis's team featured in the next book. I recommend Rosemary Cottage to all readers, but fans of romantic suspense will especially find it enjoyable.
To learn more about Colleen and her books, go to http://litfusegroup.com/author/ccoble or visit her website at colleencoble.com. And be sure to enter the drawing at the top right side of this blog.
This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my honest review.
I read Colleen Coble once and loved it. I have not had the opportunity to get my hands on any other books of hers, but am always on the lookout. This one sounds great and I wanted to read Tidewater in. I love mystery-romance also. You always do an amazing job on your reviews! I really enjoy reading them. They are just right!! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the great review!
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