Another enchanting story told by Colleen Coble!

From Publishers Weekly:

In 1910, New York socialite Olivia Stewart resists an arranged, socially advantageous marriage, and the mysterious death of her sister Eleanor in Northern California is an unhappy but convenient excuse to go West to investigate. On the way, she is thrown off a Bay area ship and nearly drowned, so she has a number of reasons to hide her identity when she arrives in Mercy Falls, Calif. Her shipboard rescuer turns out to be her dead sister's fiancé Harrison Bennett, about whom she has suspicions. Harrison in turn has his reasons to distrust the Stewart family. In this atmosphere of deceit and suspicion, attraction between Olivia and Harrison grows. Coble spins a tangled web in this third book in the Mercy Falls series (after The Lightkeeper's Bride), with red herrings and oodles of duplicity. Some complications (letters conveniently found) simply strain credibility, as does the revelation of the villain. Coble's fans won't mind that the plotting is a little loosely woven. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Other reviews:

This Mercy Falls novel has romance, mystery, secrets and a bad guy. Coble wows the reader with a fresh storyline. Readers will enjoy peeling back the layers and discovering this is more than your average romance book. The characters are strong not only in themselves but also in their faith. 4 stars. --Romantic Times


* My Review:

I loved the premise of this story! And still can't get over how gorgeous the cover is. I want to borrow her dress! :)

I have to admit, I agree with PW on the issues of the "convenience" items that strain credibility, but like they said, fans of Coble (as I am!) won't mind too much. The story spins a complicated tale of love, trust and misadventure, and ends with satisfaction and more than a little surprise. My biggest issue with suspense lately is my uncanny ability to "know who dun it" too early on. I had some suspicions with this one but truly couldn't figure it out until the end along with the heroine. Yay! I love when I'm caught off guard.

This isn't my favorite of Coble's novels (I actually prefer her contemporary to her historicals!) but still an enjoyable read by far. The story really shone and the characters were relatable and legit. Coble's ability to create an intense storyworld regardless of time period continues to shine in this, her latest novel.

(and hey, there's even a few special appearances by a dog, which has become Coble's well-loved calling card!)

To order your copy, click HERE!