Jenna Fossey’s life is about to change. An unexpected inheritance and the chance to meet relatives she never knew existed has her heading to the charming little town of Magnolia Harbor. But as soon as she arrives, long-buried family secrets lead to even more questions, and the only person who can help her find the answers is her sexy-as-sin sailing instructor.
Nothing makes Jude St. Pierre feel more alive than racing on the open sea – at least, not until Jenna comes strolling down his dock asking for sailing lessons. But it feels wrong to be attracted to her – especially when he learns why she came to town. Jude knows she deserves the truth but can he help her discover it without losing her and the family he’s come to think of as his own?
Includes the bonus story “A Wedding on Lavender Hill” by Annie Rains
When an event planner is asked to create the perfect wedding in just three days, she must turn to the last person she wants to ask for help – the infuriating owner of the house on the hilltop.
The Cottage on Rose lane is the first story in the Moonlight Bay series.
Title: The Cottage on Rose Lane
Series: Moonlight Bay #1
Author: Hope Ramsay
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: December 4, 2018
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
My Rating: 4.5 stars
The Cottage on Rose Lane is the first story in Ms. Ramsay’s new series, Moonlight Bay. It’s rich in details, with engaging characters, lovely yet soft world building and more than one mystery to be solved… and some may take a while since I’m not convinced we’ve seen the last of one mysterious “person”.
Normally the heroine’s keeping her true identity a secret from those people in the town, and the man she’s falling for would be a huge red check mark in the “nope” column for me. Yet… I ‘got’ why Jenna kept that information to herself, for the moment, as she got the lay of the land concerning a family that she never knew and they never, ever came looking for her when she was younger. And throughout this story we’ll feel Jenna’s sense of unease, believing that her plan is backfiring on her and worried how others will treat her once they discover her truth. To be fair, when an important moment came for her relationship with Jude, she did speak up. In many ways I was always waiting for “the other shoe to fall” as her lie is threatened to be revealed before she’s ready.
There is world building in The Cottage on Rose Lane, and I expect that in a first story of a new series. I never felt that the introduction to this new world was overpowering or an information dump (which I cannot stand) but more of a gentle revealing as the story unfolded. There are secrets being kept by a lot of people so I really feel that my immersion into the culture, the history of families and the area was well worth it.
Jude and Jenna have a realistic chemistry between them. Watching their reluctance to trust each other give way to the emotions they were feeling was an enjoyable journey. I enjoyed my time in this world, and I don’t want to give more away than is in the cover description. I’m intrigued by the situations and the people that I met in The Cottage on Rose Lane so I’m definitely going to be looking for the next title in this series.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Available in a variety of formats including the Kindle
