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Saturday, August 4, 2012

"Tidewater Inn" by Colleen Coble



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Welcome to Hope Beach. A place of intoxicating beauty . . . where trouble hits with the force of a hurricane.

Inheriting a beautiful old hotel on the Outer Banks could be a dream come true for Libby. The inn cries out for her restorer’s talent and love of history. She’s delighted to learn of the family she never knew she had. And the handsome Coast Guard lieutenant she’s met there on the island could definitely be the man of her dreams.

But Libby soon realizes that the only way she can afford the upkeep on the inn is to sell it to developers who are stalking the island. The father who willed her the inn has died before she could meet him, and her newfound brother and sister are convinced she’s there to steal their birthright. Worst of all, her best friend and business partner has been kidnapped before her eyes, and Libby’s under suspicion for the crime.

Libby’s dream come true is becoming a nightmare. Her only option is to find her friend and prove her innocence, or lose everything on the shores of Hope Island.

Tidewater Inn is just as exciting as the above description sounds.  With drama and mystery at every turn, the tantalizing scent of romance swirling around the handsome Coastie, and a hurricane that sweeps devastation across this tropical paradise, there's not a dull paragraph in this book.  As stereotypical as it may sound, it really does have everything - from modern-day pirates to love lost to deserted islands and missing treasure.  

With that said, I'm partial to a really good set of characters, and Coble definitely developed those here.  Libby, the heroine, is kind and generous but with a quite unusual family history.  Her new Coastie friend is struggling to find a firm foundation with his nephew and new housemate just as Libby tries to make sense of family connections she didn't know existed.  Most of the island inhabitants befriend Libby, which is in stark contrast to her own siblings, who openly wish her gone.  With everyone struggling through their own personal emotional and storm-related drama, there are tears being shed and new friends being made on every level throughout this book.  Since real relationships are rarely relegated to simple terms and pretty packages, this turmoil painted Libby in very sincere and lifelike colors.

I've never found a book by Colleen Coble that I didn't thoroughly enjoy, and Tidewater Inn is no exception.  I can't wait for the next installment of the Hope Beach series!

You can read other reviews on this blog hop here.  To purchase your own copy now, click here.

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Best-selling author Colleen Coble's novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.

Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com. Twitter @colleencoble.

I received a free copy of Tidewater Inn from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

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