Happy Wednesday all!
This was such a beautiful story with such a gorgeous setting. I would love to visit Dune Island one day.🐠
My Thoughts
Beautiful story. Gorgeous setting. All the feels. Kristin Harper has vividly woven together a tale of grief, hope, and heart. Emily has lost her family to tragedy and her fiancé to another woman. Faced with a long summer away from her job in academia she decides to return to her family cottage on Dune Island. She begins to regret her choice when the cottage starts bringing up too many painful memories. BUT Emily decides it is time for her to face her past not to mention she has volunteered to paint a mural in the local hospital. When she meets the affable good looking doctor Luke there is a definite attraction, but Emily is not ready to open her heart to anyone.
This was a sweet emotional slow burn romance, but the setting stole the show. This gorgeous island was so vividly described I could… feel the sand between my toes… smell the allure of the sea… hear the crash of the waves… taste the salt in the air…. Emily was such a lovely character. My heart broke for her for what she had gone through and my heart sword for her as she fought to get her life back. Lucas was a great guy and I really was hoping Emily and he would find their way to one another. The side characters were great and there were a few secrets and twists that were unexpected. This book was an absolute treat packed with all the feels.
This book in emojis 🖌 🎣 🎨 🐠 🏊♀️ 🏄🏻♂️ 🤰🏻 ♟
*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
About the Book
Making her way up the cedar-lined driveway, tears fill her eyes at the sight of the cottage’s faded trim and peeling turquoise shutters. Taking a deep breath, she grasps the heart-shaped iron door handle and steps inside the once-happy childhood home she’s been avoiding. It is time to face up to the past…
When Emily’s fiancé walks out on her while she’s still grieving the loss of her family in a terrible accident, she escapes back to Hope Haven on the remote Dune Island, where her family vacationed every summer. Emily hopes that fixing up the house will also mend her broken heart, but the cottage holds more than just bittersweet childhood memories. Emptying her father’s antique writing desk, Emily finds a letter that reveals a devastating secret about her parents.
With a head full of questions that can never be answered, it seems like returning to the island was the worst decision Emily ever made… until she meets Lucas Socorro, saltwater dripping from his dark curls after a surf session. As they take long walks on the soft sand, and talk late into the firefly-lit night, Emily wonders if Dr Luke—as the kids in the hospital call him—could be the one to help her heal. With Luke holding her hand, delving into her family’s painful past is a little easier.
Painting the gloomy cottage walls the colour of seashells, and revamping her grandmother’s flea-market furniture, Emily starts to feel she might call Dune Island home for good—and that she could build that home right here with Luke. But when Emily’s family secret spreads through a network of local gossips, her fragile heart breaks all over again. Luke is the only one who could have started the rumours. Was she wrong to trust him so easily?
As the sun sets behind the dunes, Emily has a difficult decision to make. Does she pack her bags and leave the island for good? Or take a risk that Hope Haven has everything she’s been looking for?
A beautiful and emotional read that will make you long to feel the sand beneath your feet. Perfect for fans of Nancy Thayer, Tracy Brogan and Mary Alice Monroe.
About the Author
Berit Talks Books 