Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble*

*complimentary review copy received for this post.

Curling up with a good book is one of my favorite activities, year round, but there is something about summer that makes me feel like I should read a lot of books. Maybe it stems from the years that I spent in school, where summer break was the only time that I could really read whatever I wanted. Or, perhaps it is because I can remember my mom sitting at the beach and pool during the summer with a book in hand. Whatever the reason, I really enjoy reading books in summer.

When I was offered the opportunity to read Rosemary Cottage, I jumped at the chance. Set at Hope Beach, in the Outer Banks, it sounded like a perfect summertime read. I must not have read much about the description in advance, because it wasn't until I really started to read the book that I discovered that there were many mysteries surrounding events that recently took place at Hope Beach and even more concern to come.

About Rosemary Cottage: Amy came to Rosemary Cottage to grieve, to heal, maybe even find love. But there's a deadly undertow of secrets around Hope Island . . .

The charming Rosemary Cottage on the beach offers Amy Lange respite she needs to mourn her brother, Ben. She's even thinking of moving her midwife practice to the Outer Banks community. It's always been a refuge for her and her family. She also wants to investigate Ben's disappearance at sea. Everyone blames a surfing accident, but Amy has reason to wonder.

Coast Guard officer Curtis Ireland has lost a sibling too. His sister, Gina, was run down by a boat, leaving him to raise her infant daughter. If anyone knew who little Raine's father was, Curtis could lose his beloved niece. Yet he can't help being drawn to Hope Beach's new midwife, Amy. He even agrees to help her investigate what happened to both Ben and Gina.

Can two grieving people with secrets find healing on beautiful Hope Island? Or will their quest for truth set them at odds with each other . . . and with those who will go to any length to keep hidden things hidden?

I have never read any books by Colleen Coble, but she did a great job of quickly letting the reader get to know the main characters and to just as quickly get the reader fully entangled in the tale. It wasn't long after I started reading that I reached the point of not wanting to put the book down. I was intrigued and wanted to know the answer to so many questions that were quickly accumulating in my head.

Who was Heather? What brought her to Hope Beach?

Would Curtis share the secret he was keeping from Amy? What was the secret that Amy was keeping from Curtis?

What happened to Gina and to Ben? Had they stumbled into the wrong group and both lost their lives as a result?

Would they find answers before becoming the next victims?

I loved how the story had its ups and downs, things didn't neatly fall into place over the course of the story, there were struggles and decisions that were made that changed the lives of many. It was a great combination of a love story, as Amy and Curtis came to realize their attraction and suspense, as the characters searched for the answers.

I really enjoyed reading the book and look forward to checking out more books by Colleen Coble. If you enjoy a mix of suspense and love story, then I would recommend that you check out Rosemary Cottage.

You can purchase a copy of Rosemary Cottage here. Learn more about Colleen, Rosemary Cottage and her other books on her website.

Wonder what others are saying about the book? You can check out other reviews from the blog tour here.

No compensation was received for this post. A complimentary copy was provided for this review through Litfuse Publicity. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.