For everyone who hopes to find the perfect match… wealthiest men in America. The two could not be less suited for love. But when an old legend draws Landon to a hidden river cove, Tilly and he find each other, are lured by growing attraction, and repelled by competing desires to control Tilly’s waters. The hidden pool is replete with valuable mussel beds and the source of everything that makes Tilly who she is. Landon sees the illustrious treasure as the path to proving to his parents he is worth their love and worthy of the Lockwood name. Can Tilly trust Landon with her heart, with her beloved mussel beds? Can Landon trust that he has truly changed and doesn’t need his parents approval to live the life he wants?
Heartbreak, triumph, and a very special baby weave a tale sure to please readers who’ve read the entire Letter Series and those who are just starting the journey.
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Landon Lockwood would do anything to make his father proud of him, but no matter what he did, his father never praised him. Nothing he did was ever enough. Landon then happens upon a treasure map and an idea that would make him successful enough that his family would have to acknowledge him. The map leads him to a cove filled with the mussels he is looking for. He quickly finds that the cove is owned by Tilly Rabel and she has no interest in selling it.
Tilly and Landon were complete opposites but so right for each other. Their chemistry pulled me in and gave them persona. Of course this love story leads into Ms. Shoop’s other books of The Last Letter series, but is easily read as a stand-alone. It was a very enjoyable read.
This novella has the best kind of insta-love – that of reader and text. From the first lines, this is a story that draws the reader in, while warning that there will be a bit of bitter along with the sweet. And what a lovely story it is, with a sweet romance between a man and a woman of opposite circumstances.
When Landon Lockwood travels from New York to Iowa with big plans and a more entitled attitude than he is aware he carries, he unwittingly makes a poor impression on those he meets – including Tilly Rabel, local mussel-woman and owner of the cove he is searching for.
Like many a good fairytale, there are obstacles and comeuppances, villains and unexpected helpers, heartache and true love. But best of all, it’s a story of two people finding each other, and I love that red haired Tilly who swims like a mermaid rescues Landon first.
With lovely details about mussels and buttons, for those who are new to Kathleen Shoop’s The Letter series or have read the novels that follow the events in The River Jewel, this is a sweet and enchanting prequel that sweeps the reader away to a place where time stands still in 1870’s Iowa.
This review refers to a finished copy I voluntarily received and read. A positive review was not required and this review contains only my own honest opinions.
This may be a novella but boy does it pack a ton into it. I loved this story, it felt different to the other books in the series but that may be just because I loved Tilly so much. Tilly is such a strong independent woman, happy with her lot and her little cove filled with mussels. That is until Landon comes along and wants to buy her little piece of paradise, not realising that Tilly is the one woman that cant be bought.
Landon is the polar opposite to Tilly – a spoiled rich kid who thinks money can buy him anything, yet as we learn more about him we come to realise that he is trying to essentially buy his fathers approval. By spending time with Tilly he comes to realise that there is much more to life than money. They have a special connection and they are so right for each other despite being from different backgrounds.
This story ties in with the Letters Series but can easily be read as a stand alone, and if you are lover of Shoop’s other works and historical romance then you are definitely going to love this novella.
5 stars
What a wonderful book-the story of two people who find each other in a most particular way. He is trying to prove himself to his father which he has been doing his whole life to no avail. She is living alone in the woods quite happy she thinks harvesting mussels and making beautiful objects.
He originally wants to take over her land–she is not going to let that happen. Eventually he realizes that she is the woman for him and goes all out to protect that land-with the help of her neighbors.
There is a very happy ending!!
Although the title says this is a novella–it is actually longer and is about the same length as a regular story. It was so engrossing that I read it in one sitting!!