"Rosemary Cottage, A Hope Beach Novel" by Colleen Coble - REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY! The 12 Day Nautical Summer Giveaway!

My Take:
3.5 Stars

This story takes place in the beautiful Outer Banks of South Carolina at Rosemary Cottage. Rosemary Cottage is a cottage that has been in Amy Lang's family for generations, and she is hoping to figure out if the loss of her brother, Ben, was really an accident or not, as well as grieve his loss. This has been bothering her since it happened. She is determined to find out more about what happened because to her, Ben's strength as a swimmer does not add up to an 'accident', in her mind. She has a gut feeling something is off, and she is even ready to move her midwifery practice there to that location to work if that is what it will take her to find out. She misses her brother dearly, and won't accept his death until she knows for sure what really happened.
Meet Curtis Ireland, a Coast Guard Officer who lives in the area. He has a sister, Gina, who also died in a swimming accident as well. She, too, is a very strong swimmer, and had dreams of winning a gold medal in swimming in the Olympics until 'life' happened to her. That life is now a seven month old little girl she named Raine. In the Prologue of the book we learn her death may very well 'not' have been an accident, the way it was described. Now Raine is left to Curtis to raise, and we get to see just how he handles this huge task!
We have two people who are on a quest to find out exactly what happened to their siblings in what sounds like very similar swimming accidents. Both Amy and Curtis are single, not necessarily looking for love, yet both have so much in common, right to the loss of their siblings. Can and do sparks end up flying between Amy and Curtis while on this quest? This is, after all, Contemporary Romantic Suspense, so it could be! A lot of things happen that throw you for a curve in the 'why' of this story. Twists and turns! Oh, what fun! This was a very enjoyable read.
This is actually Book Two in the Hope Beach novels. Book One is called Tidewater Inn. I never would have known by this author's writing that this book had a previous book to it because you can just pick this book up and start reading it without having to have read Book One at all, at least not that I know of not having read Book One.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story from the very beginning till the very end. This is my first Colleen Coble book! Yes! I have seen a lot of books written by this author, and I have been wanting to try a book out by her to see how she writes for quite some time now, and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing. I would never hesitate to pick up another one of her books, and, in fact, I want to make it a point to pick up one of her newest mystery novels next because in the back of the book they show several ads, but one ad shows four of her mystery novels she has written, and the most recent being "Without A Trace" plus an excerpt!
I received this book for FREE from LitFuse Publicity and the publisher, Thomas Nelson/NetGalley, in exchange to read and write a review about it. It is NOT required for this review to be either positive or negative, but of my own honest opinion. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to read this book nor to write this review, but to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Don't miss entering this contest! NOW until 7-27! The author will have the winner announced at her website, and you can get that info when you click on that photo below!