Michelle Sanderson may appear to be a strong, independent woman, but on the inside, she’s still the wounded girl who fled home years ago. A young army vet, Michelle returns to the quaint Blackberry Island Inn to claim her inheritance and recover from the perils of war. Instead, she finds the owner’s suite occupied by the last person she wants to see.

Carly Williams and Michelle were once inseparable until a shocking betrayal destroyed their friendship. And now Carly is implicated in the financial disaster lurking behind the inn’s cheerful veneer.

Single mother Carly has weathered rumors, lies, and secrets for a lifetime, and is finally starting to move forward with love and life. But if the Blackberry Island Inn goes under, Carly and her daughter will go with it.

To save their livelihoods, Carly and Michelle will undertake a turbulent truce. It’ll take more than a successful season to move beyond their devastating past, but with a little luck and a beautiful summer, they may just rediscover the friendship of a lifetime.


I’ll be honest — if the world wasn’t under quarantine, I probably wouldn’t have finished this book, but I kept listening because there was nothing better to do. In the end, I’m glad that I did, but it was a SLOW start for me.

I love the tension and angst between Carly and Michelle, but Michelle was SO unlikeable for so long that I almost gave up on the book. Thankfully the story picked up and we started to see a different side of her because really … I was ready to punch her myself.

Besides the drawn out immaturity of Michelle, this book was fun. It’s everything I love in a book — real drama (not made up issues) and pain, tenderness, and a satisfying happily-ever-after. Is it predictable? Sure … but that’s kind of why I love the genre. 🙂

If you’re looking for some emotional ups and downs with a HEA, I recommend this book.

Rated R for a bit of swearing and a couple of descriptive scenes.