From New York Times bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin comes a heartfelt story about overcoming great loss and forgiving past sins to find happiness again.
Brooklyn Hewett hasn’t set foot in Cape Harbor for fifteen years—not since an accident claimed the love of her life, Austin Woods. Desperate to move forward, Brooklyn has focused on raising her daughter for the past fourteen years. But when … fourteen years. But when the opportunity comes along to renovate the old Driftwood Inn, Brooklyn knows it’s time to go home.
But it won’t be easy. For one, Austin’s best friend, Bowie Holmes, still lives in Cape Harbor. Brooklyn hasn’t quite been able to forget him: not since the night they spent together—the same night they both lost Austin. Separated by tragedy and guilt, they’re brought together by the Driftwood project. And as they rebuild the inn, they discover they’re also rebuilding something else.
Brooklyn’s always been desperate to move on, not knowing that she first needs to reconcile past transgressions. She can’t forget, but she can forgive—Austin, Bowie, and herself—on her way toward long-awaited happiness.
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There was something about this story. Something that wouldn’t let me put it down. I connected to the story and I found the characters (well, most of the characters) to be so wonderfully lovable. I ADORED Bowie. Honestly, Bowie had my heart from the moment I met Luke and it only grew from there. He was my favorite kind of fierce, loyal, utterly adoring hero.
I loved Brooklyn too, though it wasn’t quite as enthusiastic. She frustrated me sometimes. I wanted her – as an adult – to confront her issues and deal with the past. She was likable enough, but I didn’t always connect with her. On top of that, the emotional punches were subdued. There was so much build-up and then they sort of fizzled out on me. Everything resolved so quickly and neatly and with very little drama. I was completely on the hook wanting to know how the story played out, but more than once I was left unsatisfied by the emotional depth of the story. The strongest emotional connection I felt was between Bowie and Brooklyn’s daughter – and while I adored that storyline – it left me feeling a little underwhelmed with the love story between Bowie and Brooklyn.
In all, this was well written and compelling. Once I was in, there was no way I was going to walk away from the story – I HAD to know what happened. It’s an interesting story, and I enjoyed the time I spent with the characters. It just lacked the emotional depth I needed to take it to the next level for me.