Samantha Marsh ran from her old life six years ago and completely reinvented herself. She’s a chef and owns a gourmet café in Rarity Cove, South Carolina. When hotel owner Mark St. Clair and his adorable daughter happen into her life, she resists what may be the relationship she’s always dreamed of, for their sakes. Fear of her past coming back to haunt them is the basis for that resistance but Mark’s persistence takes her under.
I really loved this story starting with the beautiful cover, which is a perfect representation of what’s inside. Samantha and Mark are delicately crafted characters, considering their tragic backgrounds. As much as I hate relationships where one of the partners is harboring a major secret, this was a bit different as it’s clear from the onset that Samantha is hiding something. It just makes Mark work harder to gain her trust and he behaves in ways true to his nature.
The suspense side of the story is truly ominous and is always in the background. It culminates in an exciting climax that had me riveted. To say more would be spoiler-ish.
There’s a strong sense of place created, the coastal area of South Carolina figuring prominently in the story. I’ve visited the area and appreciated how well it was represented. It is an important part of the plot.
While the premise of the book is not unique, the writing is so well done and the characters so finely developed it feels fresh. It made for a lovely reading experience and I’m glad this developed into a series!
Book Info
- Release Date: October 20, 2015
- Series: Rarity Cove #1
- Page Numbers: 336
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(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
Fab review sounds like a good read!
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Thanks, Nicki! I loved this book.
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Oh, I love the South Carolina coastal setting and how you said it adds to the book! Wonderful review, Jonetta! I need to try more romantic suspense.
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Thank you, Jennifer! I think you’d love this one.
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One more for the TBR. 😊
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😏Yes!
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Fantastic review! This looks really good!
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Thanks, Berit! It IS very, very good.
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Great review! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it.
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Thanks, Yvo!
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Lovely review Jonetta! Maybe I should grab it if it is going to be a series!
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Thanks, Holly! The second book is already released and the author tweeted this morning that #3 is imminent.
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This sounds great, a genre I like and in an appealing location. Thanks for the review! I’ll have to check it out. Anne – Books of My Heart
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You’re welcome! I really love this author. She has an older RS series, too, I think you’d enjoy.
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Your review makes this book quite appealing.
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Thanks, Marialyce! It’s obvious I found it so☺️
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I really love the setting for this book and the writing sounds wonderful too. I hadn’t heard of this one before seeing your review so thanks for putting it on my radar. 🙂
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You’re welcome, Suzanne!
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sounds intriguing read
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You’re right about the cover – it appears to be very insightful. This sounds really good, and for some reason I am always drawn to stories about chefs??? They’re unique I guess. Great review! =D
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Thanks, DG. It is so very good!
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