Series:
Emerald Bay (Book 4)
Grace Kelly can't escape the draws of Emerald Bay; the
sweeping cliffs, the sparkling sea… and her gorgeous new flatmate. The problem
is, she has to keep him a secret from her family. And she isn't the only one in
the village with something to hide this summer…
Grace really needs someone to help cover the rent for her
London flat, but Christopher Dorrance? Everyone in the little Irish village of
Emerald Bay knows about the feud between their families, though no one knows
how it started. But, both being in a tight spot, they try and make it work,
swearing to tell no one back home. Until a mutual friend and her son in the bay
are left homeless after a storm. Grace and Christopher must head back to
Ireland to help… together.
As they flesh out their idea to raise money for their
friend with a village charity concert, Chris's blue eyes light up. Even though
they have to hide out for every planning session, and after all her father has
said about the Dorrances, Grace can't believe how kind he is. Soon sparks are
flying as they laugh together, chasing dairy cows from a field to set up the
stage. Could Chris be more than just a flatmate?
But their hopes that a good cause will soften the
hostility between their dads are dashed. The two men still argue constantly.
And with a happy future for their friend depending on the concert running
smoothly, the truth behind the feud threatens to come out and destroy
everything…
Could the events of the past destroy any chance of a
future for Chris and Grace? Or, if Grace follows her heart, could she finally
heal the rift between their families?
The fourth book in the Emerald Bay series focuses
primarily on Grace. Though she loves her hometown of Emerald Bay, she loves her
life in London. She and her twin settled into their lives there until Ava fell
in love and married in the previous book. Grace has a tough time making ends
meet after Ava moved out until she found a new flatmate, Chris. The only
downside is that she has to keep him a secret from her family. Chris is an old
friend from Emerald Bay, but their fathers have been in a feud for many years.
When Grace learns that a devastating storm has damaged her
best friend's house in Emerald Bay and significantly damaged the local school,
she and Chris plan to hold a music festival to raise money to help. Their
fathers' feud complicates their planning sessions back in Emerald Bay, but it
is impossible to keep their partnership a secret.
A lot is going on in this book. Grace and her father have
words about her involvement with Chris, but her father refuses to discuss the
cause of the feud. This puts a strain on their usually close relationship. Liam
is stubborn, and Grace's frustration with him is evident throughout the book. However,
a near tragedy makes her wonder if the issue is worth the stress. My curiosity
about the cause of the feud was nearly as great as Grace's, and I was glued to
pages waiting for a resolution.
Grace and Chris work together and involve friends and
family in their festival plans. I loved seeing the variety of personalities and
how their quirks create a unique blend of teamwork to make the festival happen.
I laughed out loud at some of the actions and reactions, from Hannah and her
bees to the scooter controversy between two older residents. They encountered a
few bumps in the road of making the festival happen, and I enjoyed seeing them
work through the obstacles.
Complicating matters are Grace's growing feelings for
Chris. Their childhood friendship has remained strong, and their time together
is easy and comfortable. However, Chris has a girlfriend and has shown no romantic
interest in Grace, so she keeps her feelings to herself. It doesn't help that
everyone around her can see how she feels, but he seems oblivious. I
occasionally saw a glimmer of possibility, but I often wondered if he would
ever open his eyes. A misdirected text puts Grace on pins and needles as she
worries about repercussions. Chris's reaction was not what she expected, and I
loved the result of his face-to-face response. I'm looking forward to seeing
more of them in future books.
One of my favorite parts of the book was the adventures
of Napoleon, the kleptomaniac kitty. He's been a regular character in the
series, but he outdoes himself in this book. The hilarity that results from his
habit of stealing underwear (clean, thank goodness!) had me in stitches,
especially at the end.
I loved catching up with family members and village
residents. Family relationships can be complicated, but there is no doubting
the love they feel for each other. Liam's health issues add layers of worry and
fun as the family tries to help him heal, from resting to changing his eating
habits. The sisters' love and support for each other is undeniable, but they
also have no problem teasing or calling out questionable behavior. I'm looking
forward to the next book, which should be Hannah's story.
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