Carolina Isle by Jude Deveraux

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my April “Just For Fun Book,” and most of up lived up to my expectations. The initial premise of this story was quite riveting. Look-alike cousins switching places, two couples traveling to a mysterious island, and a bit of romance. I continued to marvel at the mystery, and that is often what kept me reading. I appreciate the profanity being minimal, and the bedroom scenes were not detailed (though I did not feel they were necessary).

Within the last 15-20 pages, I became increasingly disappointed. While the mystery was explicated, it was rushed and did not even make a lot of sense, in my opinion. In my judgment, the author rushed things at the end because the book was already over 400 pages. I wish with all my heart that she had taken a little more time to “tie up all loose ends.” But if you are looking for a romance with a bit of mystery, this book will probably suit you fairly well.

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Summary (from goodreads)

New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux uncovers the passions and scandals that take a small town by storm when two cousins switch lives.

Ariel and Sara never imagined their high-spirited attempt to step into each other’s shoes would cause such upheaval. The lifelong pen pals, who look exactly alike, meet for the first time in their twenties and embark on a daring adventure of changing identities. Southern belle Ariel is determined to win the heart of a man who doesn’t know she exists, while Sara yearns to leave behind her hardscrabble existence and taste the good life that fate has denied her. But in pretty Arundel, North Carolina, nothing is as it seems — including the dangers that are closing in on their new dream lives, as the deepest of fears and darkest of secrets and betrayals come to light.