New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips is back with a delightful novel filled with her sassy wit and dazzling charm. He’s a reclusive writer whose imagination creates chilling horror novels. She’s a down-on-her-luck actress reduced to staging kids’ puppet shows. He knows a dozen ways to kill his characters with his bare hands. She knows a dozen ways to kill an audience with … dozen ways to kill an audience with laughs. But she’s not laughing now.
Annie Hewitt has arrived on Peregrine Island in the middle of a snowstorm and at the end of her resources. She’s broke, dispirited, but not quite ready to give up. Her red suitcases hold the puppets she uses to make her living: sensible Dilly, spunky Scamp, and Leo, the baddest of bad guys. Her puppets, the romantic novels she loves, and a little bit of courage are all she has left.
Annie couldn’t be more ill prepared for what she finds when she reaches Moonraker Cottage or for the man who dwells in Harp House, the mysterious mansion that hovers above the cottage. When she was a teenager, he betrayed her in a way she can never forget or forgive. Now they’re trapped together on a frozen island along with a lonely widow, a mute little girl, and townspeople who don’t know how to mind their own business.
Is he the villain she remembers, or has he changed? Her head says no. Her heart says yes.
It’s going to be a long, hot winter.
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I love most of Susan’s romances. She does great characters and her happily ever after is always rewarding.
Great book.
I have read every Susan Elizabeth Phillips book ever written, and I have loved all of them. This book is no exception. Very entertaining, romantic and full of the wit I have come to expect from Ms. Phillips. I just wish we didn’t have to wait so long between books because she is one in a million. Read them all!
I love Susan Elizabeth Phillips books. Clever funny and romantic
You can always rely on this author…live all her characters.
Ms. Phillips never writes a bad book. I have read every one .
I have always enjoyed Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ books. She has a way of drawing you in to the story and making you not want to put it down until the end. This novel was no different.
I will say that I was a little skeptical at first when Annie has head conversations with her puppet characters, but that abated some as the other characters and the plot developed. This book was a tale of facing past demons, forgiveness of self and others, hidden secrets, and the realization of how love changes people.
This was a book with a positive message and a humorous way of dealing with difficulties. I love it when an author you like does not disappoint!
This book has left me speechless.
I’ve read SEP in the past and loved her stuff, but this wasn’t her typical light and fluffy read. All the elements that you would typically associate with her work was there but this was also more romantic suspense and mystery. And I loved every moment of it!
I’ll admit that while the blurb totally drew me in, I was nervous about the creepy guy that knew of a million ways to kill with his bare hands and loved to craft terrifying horror novels. And he lived up to that description in the beginning! I was seriously wondering how in the world I would ever like him. SEP did an awesome job of making him creepy.
Theo and Annie were such a great couple. Even before the got together, I loved all their scenes. They often had me chuckling and laughing out loud as I read. Even when he was being creepy and she was trying to hide how scared she was. I didn’t think it was possible, but I really did come to love Theo. He’s definitely one of my favorite heroes ever.
I enjoyed the addition of Annie’s puppets. They provided a lot of amusement. And I loved how Theo would annoy her with the situations he would put her puppets in. And I loved the different personalities they had.
There were some twists and turns that I honestly didn’t see coming in this book. And every time something we revealed, I sat there going, OMG…why didn’t I see that coming!?
This book reminded of the romantic suspense mysteries I read forever ago. The couple wasn’t on the run, but deal with issues as they came up and fought against them to the best of their ability.
I always knew that SEP was a genius, but this book just reminded me of why I lover her stories. This is definitely one I’ll be rereading in the future.
This wasn’t quite like the other Susan Elizabeth Phillips books I’ve read (and she’s an author who stays on my “favorites” shelves). In some ways it was even more compelling and memorable than some of her other titles.
The concept is unique and the characters are interesting. I recommend it. I mean, how could you pass up a title like this?!
I loved this book. Nothing is as it seems at first. Loved the twists and turns of the story. Love the way it all came together.
I will read anything Susan Elizabeth Phillips writes with great anticipation. This book was different than books like the Chicago Stars series, but I loved it. The characters were wonderful and the HEA was hard-won. THANKS, Susan. You did it again.
Wonderful Author!
A windswept island
A deeply disturbed, sinister male protagonist
A downtrodden heroine who finds her inner strength
Puppets that were annoying initially, but they actually grew on me
A gallery of nutty side characters
For me, very few authors measure up to Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ writing
If you’re a fan of SEP, this will fulfill your expectations and then some. If you haven’t tried her books, this is a great introduction. In Annie and Theo, we have a great hero and heroine, and there is quite a group of eccentric small town characters that liven things up. There’s a gothic/mystery thread running through it too. A terrific read.
Great book! I will read anything written by SEP, I just love her books.
What a treat it was to read this wonderful book. I loved The tone, the characters, the romance, the humour, and the storyline. It also helped that it was set in a location that I loved reading about. Highly recommend it.
A little Rebecca, a little Jane Eyre, a dash of Agatha Christie, and a lot of spooky atmosphere, but a big payoff at the end. A bit slow and seemingly derivative in the beginning, but the characters grow on the reader, even if the puppets are creepy. The hero is kind of a Rochester/Heathcliff combination living on a wild, isolated island rather than a wild, isolated moor. If you like tall, dark, mysterious and brooding, Theo is the guy.
I was surprised with this book. It kept me guessing.
Didn’t live up to what I expect from this author. It was just okay.
Boring and predictable