“A great summer read.” ~Goodreads“A beautiful second-chance romance.” ~NetGalleyTen years ago, Piper Townsend fell to her death from the top of a fraternity house, and no one on Drake Isle has ever been the same. Blake Carter’s fraternity was scandalized. Misterion College closed down altogether. And Blake’s girlfriend, Emerson Doyle, fled the island after her best friend died and never looked … best friend died and never looked behind her.
Now they’re back.
Blake’s the CEO of a multi-million dollar tech firm looking to relocate to the island. Emerson owns a yoga studio in the building he wants to buy. They haven’t spoken in ten years. They’re on opposite sides of the bargaining table.
But old flames die hard.
And the more Blake and Emerson fight both the past and each other, the more they realize that coming to terms with tragedy is their only chance of finding love again…
more
This is the first book in the Drake Isle series and it starts the series off well. It is a second chance romance with a twist of mystery. Ten years ago, Blake and Emmy had their lives planned and were set to conquer the world. Or, at least their part of it. They were in love and nothing was going to stop them from a lifetime together. Then, Piper’s body was discovered on the lawn of the Delta Eta Chi fraternity house. Blake was president of the fraternity at the time and his world was forever altered. Neither Blake nor Emmy truly has the entire story, but now that they’ve reconnected after ten years they are realizing there are important pieces of the story missing that they need to know. While this isn’t a cliffhanger, the end does leave you wondering what will be discovered concerning Piper’s death and the role that Blake’s father may/may not have played in events afterward. One thing is for certain…he doesn’t want Blake and Emmy back together again. But is it for obvious reasons or is there something else going on? Color me suspicious.
Because of You
Drake Isle series, Book One
Allie Boniface
DFM Pub, Oct 2019
250 pages
Second Chance Romance
Provided by NetGalley
The cover is light and airy with this scene of the beach and certainly communicates the mood of the book. The pensiveness of this young woman on the cover as she gazes out at the restless ocean is truly what you will find in Ms. Boniface’s book one of the Drake Isle series.
Emerson Doyle, Emmy to anyone who knows her, owns a small yoga studio on Drake Isle in the triple-decker house she and her mother had renovated and lived in together until her mother had passed. Emmy doesn’t like to go up to the third floor of the house. She lives on the second floor and the yoga studio is on the ground floor.
Blake Carter works and lives in Boston. His father is his immediate boss. Not always a comfortable position to be in for Blake as he feels he’s been under his father’s control for far too long most days. And now his father is sending him to Drake Isle to try to buy the very house that Emerson Doyle lives in. And he’s supposed to get it on the cheap because she’s behind on her payments to the bank and is about to lose it anyway.
But Blake and Emmy have a shared past, a very close shared past. One that neither of them has ever really been able to forget or put behind them properly. And then there’s Piper Townsend. She still lies between them and they need to deal with her, but neither one of them really seems to know what happened. They aren’t even really sure which one of them abandoned the other. They do know they aren’t done yet, though.
Well written, heartwarming, slow-moving, and sweet, all the things a second chance love story should be. Set it in a beach town, add in the college they both went to and toss in a broken engagement and a dishonest ex-lover who runs off with the bank balance, and you’ve got a great rainy day read. Recommended for romance readers who love to see all broken hearts heal.
The first book in the Drake Isle series a well written story and I want to read the next book. A second chance after ten years apart for Blake Carter and Emmy Doyle, and finding out somethings happened that tore them apart not just the death of Piper Townsend. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Author Allie Boniface begins her new contemporary romance “Drake Isle Series” with “Because of You”, an intriguing second-chance love story. Carrying the weight of a painful past makes it hard to move forward. A decade ago, Emerson “Emmy” Doyle and Blake Carter were college sweethearts, very much in love, and looking toward the promise of a bright future together. Just as their time at Misterion College, located on beautiful Drake Isle on the Massachusetts coast, was coming to a close, an unthinkable tragedy occurred. Emmy’s best friend, Piper Townsend, fell to her death from the roof of the fraternity house of which Blake was the president. Losing Piper was more than just a great personal loss for Emmy–the resulting turmoil and scandal eventually closed the college, and the effects spread wide through the community. Blake’s family had deep roots in Drake Isle, and his corporate executive’s father attempts at damage control had separated Emmy and Blake, who were each grieving in their own way. Now, ten years have passed, and Misterion College is set to reopen. Blake is sent to Drake Isle by his father to obtain the ideal property for their software company, which will serve the IT needs of the college. The problem is, that ideal property is the site of Emmy’s yoga studio. The reunion between Blake and Emmy is an electric shock to them both–especially when Emmy learns the real reason for his sudden reappearance. The same need, want, and awareness of each other is still as vibrant as ever, but there is much for each of them to reconcile. Is that once great love still alive, and is it strong enough to overcome all the obstacles they face? “Because of You” is a very well-written story, told in three viewpoints: Emmy, Blake, and Tilly Drake, a longtime resident–and observer–who runs a cozy B&B on the island. The mystery element of Piper’s death is left open, with a new investigation beginning that will be further explored in the next book in the series, and I look forward to a return visit to Drake Isle.
Book Copy Gratis Author
I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.
This is the first time that I’ve read a book by this author.
I really enjoyed it and the way that it was written.
There are two main characters points of view in this book, with other characters making an appearance throughout the book.
I enjoyed the way that the main character’s had unfinished business from the past that they needed to get sorted to be able to move on with their lives.
I also enjoyed the will they won’t they throughout the book, it kept it interesting.
I’d recommend this book as a quick read, I’ll definitely be looking this author up for more books.
Wow, what a great start for this new series by this very talented author.
Drake Isle is an island off Boston, where everyone knows each other, and where ten years ago a young college woman fell to her death.
An incident that changed not only the town, but also the lives of the students and the community.
Young lovers Piper Townsend and Blake Carter went their separate ways after the incident, neither fully recovering .
Ten years later fate brings them back together . Blake, now the CEO of the family business , needs PIper’s building for the company’s new project. While Piper is struggling with the mortgage.
Feelings resurrect but they are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Will Piper and Blake overcome the past and the present dilemma or will it keep them apart?
This is a story that is at times heartbreaking and at others heartwarming. A story about second chances, hope , and of course, romance.
Can’t wait to see what other treasures the author has for us in the next story of the series.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
3.5
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Multiple POVs
Part of a series: Drake Isle
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC.
Welcome to Drake Isle, where time moves differently, the air feels cleaner, the sun warmer, and the world feels calmer , it represents freedom and simplicity!
Emerson Doyle left Drake Isle after her best friend died and her boyfriend iced her out . After traveling around she realized Drake Isle is home. She makes a nice life for herself on the island… now 10 years later Blake , her college boyfriend , is back to buy her business to further his own company .
This story is the best of both worlds a story of the past Drake Isle and the present. I enjoyed this story so much and I recommend it.
I, myself can’t wait to revisit the Isle and it’s people again and again!