About the Book:

In one evening, Indi’s world falls apart. Enter the shy professor her family mistakes for her fiancé . . . make that ex-fiancé.

Professor Philip West never wanted to return to Maine . . . or his grandfather’s miserable old house. But after his mother’s death, he’s now the guardian of a teenage half sister who doesn’t want anything to do with him. He longs to help her heal, but he’s exhausted and numb, desperate for relief of his own. Maybe that’s why he’s so easily distracted when he happens upon the little shop with an intriguing owner—one who happens to share a name with someone from his grandfather’s mysterious past.

More than a decade has passed since Indi Muir made the heartbreaking decision she’s never recovered from—though she’s certainly tried. She has a full life running her shop and creating the artsy pieces that fill its shelves. If she can just stay busy, she’ll keep her hurt and regret at bay. But when her ex-fiancé returns to Muir Harbor, he brings news that shatters her carefully built walls. Things only get worse when lurking danger comes calling at her childhood home.

The one bright spot amid Indi’s turmoil is the shy stranger who wandered into her shop months ago and his moody but lovable sister. As she confronts her past and the mysterious threat facing her family, she’s intent on helping Philip win over his sister. He just might win over Indi, too, if they can overcome old secrets and wounds, outrun rising peril . . . and take a chance on love.

My Thoughts:

You’ll want to start by reading the first book in the series: Autumn by the Sea. (Which is an excellent book). You could probably follow the story-line starting with the second book, but why miss out?

Melissa Tagg is an engaging writer. She made the story and the characters come alive. Even though the book entered into the pain of the past it never felt overly heavy as Tagg wove threads of hope throughout.

I like mysteries that aren’t related to murder and that was one of the draws of this series for me personally. Who doesn’t like a good treasure hunt, or a mystery of a long lost love, or the search for a missing granddaughter? And even though there were some shifts in this book that took the mystery into slightly darker territory I did still enjoy the twists and turns that it added to the plot.

The book leaves you with more than enough resolution to be satisfied, but leaves the mystery waiting to be solved in some further novel.

Overall, this is a good read about a beautiful and messy cobbled together family with a bit of faith and a hint of mystery set in the delightful context of a small town in Maine. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.