58585

I usually enjoy most of Denise's books as quick palate cleansers when I'm in a reading slump or between dense books, but this story was just a total miss for me.

In real life, the male lead would be considered an obsessive stalker and both he and the female lead lie to each other throughout the *whole* book. Their relationship was not healthy at all. They literally don't tell each other the truth until the end of the last chapter and then the book abruptly ends without wrapping up other parts of the story.

An altogether tiring read. I'd recommend skipping this one. ( )

This is the first novel I’ve read by Denise Hunter other than the Smitten series that she co-wrote with Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, & Diann Hunt. This will not be my last book. I loved her writing style and the way she developed her characters...romance and some drama and then tying it all together with God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Sabrina, who is a part-time waitress and part-time mystery writer researcher has a past she can’t escape from. Her nickname is “Ice Princess” because she keeps to herself and won’t open up to anyone. But then she connects with a man online and they hit it off, just friends, talking, eventually opening up a little about their hurts, but never revealing their identities.

And then there’s a local man who runs charter boat tours, Tucker, and he comes to the Nantucket cafe every morning to drink coffee and “read the paper” while trying to get Sabrina’s attention.

Of course, with every romance there is a beginning, but this one is very different. And the reason that Sabrina wants to remain alone eventually comes out. I really don’t want to say anymore. The book is adorable and I read it in one day, could not put it down. God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness comes through the pages of this book as you see Sabrina and Tucker relationship evolve.

I did not know there are 3 other books in this series, but from what I can tell, each story is about different people. I can’t wait to read the other 3! I hope they are as good as this one. ( )

This was a train wreck of a book, in my opinion. I stuck with it just to see how the crazy predicament the author put the characters in was going to play out. The main character is a waitress who has become involved in a e-mail correspondence with one of her regular customers. When he asks her to help him investigate who this "mystery woman" is, she panics because she doesn't want him to know that it is her. But, come to find out, the guy already knows it is her - he is just trying to force her to tell him that it is her. She agrees to "help" him just so that she can control the outcome of his investigation and throw him off of her track. The reader also does gradually find our her backstory of being betrayed by her former fiancé, which does give some plausibility to her actions (at least at first). But then this scenario drags on forever and becomes more and more ridiculous as the book goes along. Part of that was enjoyable, as I could not believe the lengths to which this woman went to conceal who her secret. But it became so far fetched and dragged on way to long. Then at the end once the secret does come out the fallout is resolved really quickly. I get that one of the main themes of this story was forgiveness - but it just wasn't done in a way that sat well with me at the end. Still it was written well enough that I had to finish it, so I might give this author another chance. ( )

Not sure how much more complicated it can get than to have two people corresponding "anonymously" online while both knowing who the other is. Sabrina loves Tucker but knows that she did something unforgivable to his sister. Tucker loves Sabrina and can't figure out why she won't admit she knows he is her unknown online love interest. Being vulnerable is always scary, and when the confrontation comes, Sabrina is sure she knows Tucker will walk away - but in true romantic hero style, Tucker forgives Sabrina and better still reminds her of God's great capacity to forgive our mistakes and lapses in judgement. ( )