Amy came to Rosemary Cottage to grieve, to heal, maybe even find love. But there’s a deadly undertow of secrets around Hope Island….
The charming Rosemary Cottage on the beach offers Amy Lange respite she needs to mourn her brother, Ben. She’s even thinking of moving her midwife practice to the Outer Banks community. It’s always been a refuge for her and her family. She also wants to investigate Ben’s disappearance at sea. Everyone blames a surfing accident, but Amy has reason to wonder.
Coast Guard officer Curtis Ireland has lost a sibling too. His sister, Gina, was run down by a boat, leaving him to raise her infant daughter. If anyone knew who little Raine’s father was, Curtis could lose his beloved niece. Yet he can’t help being drawn to Hope Beach’s new midwife, Amy. He even agrees to help her investigate what happened to both Ben and Gina.
Can two grieving people with secrets find healing on beautiful Hope Island? Or will their quest for truth set them at odds with each other…and with those who will go to any length to keep hidden things hidden?
Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was amazed to discover that I had read the first book in this series and rated it five stars. I began to recall some of the events as I read through this follow-up book, but I just did not find the first book in the series memorable. And after reading last year’s review, I discovered that as nice a story as this book is, it falls short of the other’s book success.
Don’t get me wrong. The second half of this book is action-packed and chock full of mystery and intrigue. There is no profanity and no sex scenes. Christian principles are emphasized, and it is clear that the primary characters are true Christians. The characterizations are well-orchestrated, and I felt somewhat connected with several of them. The mystery writing is pretty exceptional, and although the end is basically assured, the ride is pretty rocky at times.
My complaint is two-fold. First of all, I would have loved for there to be a stronger Christian message like there was in the first book. I was concerned that the author may have been watering down her message to attract more readers. I appreciate the Christian principles, but I prefer a much more substantial message.
My other criticism is that this book follows the same formula that the first book in the series did. While the method works, I don’t understand why it takes half of the book to get the story going. In my opinion, Colleen Coble is a better author than this. I still prefer her historical novels, but I would love to see the passion from those novels placed into her contemporary series.
If you have not read the first book in the series, not to worry. This book is definitely a stand-alone. I can recommend it for a quick read and a romantic suspense book that is guaranteed clean.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.
Be sure to check out the entire tour for more reviews.
