I was so ready for this story after reading Close to Home because I really wanted to find out Marcus’s secrets :) And while we do find out a lot, he’s definitely a complicated guy. He's carrying around a lot of weight from his time in the military and as a secret service agent … and even more so from his youth. Lucky for him, Quinn isn’t going to keep to herself. Instead she pokes and prods and makes sure that he looks into some of those areas that he doesn’t want to face. And pushes him to go home again, make things right to give himself a little peace.

Quinn may be young and come across as flighty but she’s got a good heart and good instincts. Both of which she’ll need not only with Marcus but with her parents. It’s a silly idea – pretending to be a couple – that only shows up in romances but that doesn’t stop it from working here. Time spent together forces them to look at themselves and each other a little more closely. And gives Quinn that chance to influence Marcus a little more.

We also get Quinn’s parents rocky marriage here. It’s a nice juxtaposition of an long-standing couple who have hit a rough patch and a potential new love story that’s dealing with a rocky start. Both are full of heart and troubles but with a good amount of hard work and communication they have a good chance of figuring things out.

With her Sanctuary Island series Everett has brought readers well-crafted and wonderfully emotional love stories. Full of small town charm, quirky characters and all the heart you could want, they are the perfect stories for kicking back and just letting it all unfold.

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***