Two love stories separated in time. Two women following their dreams. In a paradise littered with painful secrets, will love turn the tide? 1973. Cecilia “CiCi” Freemont has a restless soul and the voice of an angel. Leaving her privileged upbringing behind, she chases her dreams to the sandy beaches of an unspoiled Hawaiian paradise, Harbor Island. But life takes an unexpected turn when she … turn when she falls for the island’s young heir-apparent and her newfound adventure becomes too much to bear…
2017. Investigative journalist Tina Templeton has dedicated herself to the pursuit of truth. But when she inherits Harbor Island, her career plans take a confusing twist. Managing the sprawling island estate is tough business even with the help of aging cabaret singer, CiCi Freemont. Especially when a massive ecological disaster threatens to destroy her beautiful beaches—and the responding coast guard captain steals her heart.
As the investigation into the disaster reveals a 40-year-old mystery that could change their lives forever, will Tina find love among the secrets, or will CiCi’s painful past dash her dreams on the rocks?
Island of Secrets is an epic love story. If you like generations-spanning drama, characters with hidden pasts, heart-warming romance and intrigue, then you’ll love Diane Demetre’s powerful novel in paradise.
Buy Island of Secrets to fall in love with a tropical romantic mystery today!
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Review Diane Demetre, Island of Secrets, (Harbor Island) (311 p.)
As an ARC reader I received this book for free. I promised an honest review. Here it is.
English isn’t my first language. Sorry for errors.
Rating: 5 (of 5) stars
In general: Exciting family story on an exotic island.
Main characters:
– Cecilia Freemont.
At the age of about 21 years old, she flees in ca. 1970 from her priviliged
upbringing in San Francisco for a hippie life of sex, drugs and adventures to
Hawaii. Disgusted by her cheating, stoned boyfriend she travels in 1973 to
Harbor Island to accept a job as housekeeper with the family Reginald, owners of
the island. However her dream is to become a professional singer. She succeeds
in making her dream come true with the (secret) financial help of Leilani
Reginald.
After a successful career she returns to the island in 2017.
– Percy Reginald.
In 1973 a tirannical, conservative and very religious head of the Reginald family.
Considers the inhabitants of the island as a kind of slaves. He considers Cecilia
too young for her job as the assistent of his wife, head of the extensive
household.
– Leilani Reginald.
Married to Percy. Native Hawaian origin. Moderner opinions than her husband.
Friendlier to Cecilia than her sometimes cruel husband. Appreciates Cecilia as an
able assistent and helps her to protect the island society against the tirannic rule
of Percy.
– Victoria Reginald, daughter of Percy and Leilani. About 20 years old in 1973. Best friend of Cecilia. Leaves the island for her education. Lives in Australia where she marries with a widower, Dirk Templeton, who has a 3 year old daughter, Tina. Shortly thereafter she gives birth to a son, Sebastien Templeton.
With her son she returns to the island in 2017.
– Richard (Dickie) Reginald.
Son and heir of the Reginalds. In 1973 struggling with his sexual preference.
Secretly in love with Cecilia. After the death of his father the new ruler of the
island. Ecologist who keeps the island a green paradise and promotes the
welvare of its inhabitants.
– Tina Templeton. In 2017 about 35 years old. She’s a investigative reporter, living in Australia. She loves her stepmother Victoria and her uncle Dickie. During her youth she spends many holidays on the island of uncle Dickie who she adores. She visits Harbor Island again in 2017 and admires the results of her uncle’s ‘green island’ policy.
– Sebastian Templeton. Tina’s younger halfbrother, who inherited some aspects of his grandfather Percy’s character. Living in Australia being a bussinessman, he too travels to the island in 2017 and thinks that the society of Harbor Island only can survive economically by modernizing the island based on the motto ‘profit is more important than green’.
The book describes the situation on the island and its ruling family in two parts. First in the year 1973 and second in 2017. In both parts the female, strong main characters (Cecilia and Tina) have to deal with secrets on the island. In spite of strong opposition they succeed in solving the secrets and creating an healthy basis for a happy society on the island.
In both parts Diane Demetre creates a lot of suspence, credible characters, exciting action scenes, fine dialogues and sweet love relations (with no hot sex scenes). It’s a suspenceful family saga in an exotic place that keeps the attention of the reader page after page.
After reading the book this reader was left with two questions:
1. Cecilia lives for some years with hippies in a sex and drugs scene; and there she didn’t learn to prevent a pregnacy???
2. Cecilia leaves the island in 1973 among others by the pressure of her parents. But in 2017 we read nothing of her relations with her family in San Fransisco. Why??
But all in all: Well done Diane Demetre!
R. Huiszoon.