Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Colleen Coble: Twilight at Blueberry Barrens

By Kelly Bridgewater



“I need you to keep these girls safe . . .”

Kate Mason has devoted herself to caring for her family’s blueberry barrens. But after her fields stop producing fruit, she’s forced to come up with alternative ways to make a living.

Renting out the small cottage on her property seems an obvious choice, but it won’t be enough. When entrepreneur Drake Newham shows up looking not only for a place to rent but also for a nanny for his two nieces, it’s almost too good to be true. And maybe it is—because Drake brings with him dangerous questions about who might be out to kill his family. 

The more time Kate spends with Drake and the girls, the more difficult it becomes to hide her attraction to him. But a family crisis isn’t exactly the ideal time to pursue a romance.
Meanwhile, Kate learns that her uncle—in prison for murder—has escaped. Add to that a local stalker who won’t leave her alone, and Kate is looking over her shoulder at every turn. With threats swirling from multiple directions, she wonders if her blueberry fields will ever flourish again . . . or if this twilight is her last. 

Set on the beautiful coast of Maine, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens brings together suspense, romance, and the hope that one day new life will come again.

From Amazon
My Review:

I have read a majority of Colleen Coble's romantic suspense and have enjoyed plenty of hours spent reading these treasures. I have read both books in the A Sunset Cove series, The Inn at Ocean'sEdge and Mermaid Moon. While I enjoyed the second book more than the first one, I really couldn't wait to get around and read Twilight at Blueberry Barren's. Coble knows exactly what a romantic suspense should have and she does exactly that.

A writer knows how to dig deep into the prose and dialogue to make the characters jump off the page. Coble does a good job at that. By listening to the numerous conversations, I felt like I was sitting in the cottages watching all the action and relationships develop.

My favorite aspect of Twilight at Blueberry Barrens was Coble's ability to show more of the budding relationship between Claire, the heroine from The Inn at Ocean's Edge, and Kate, the heroine I couldn't wait to see tell her story. While the mystery kept popping up in the background, it wasn't the main focus of this story. The growing relationship between the twin sisters sparked my interest. While reading The Inn at Ocean's Edge, I really didn't like the character of Claire, but in this book, Coble redeemed her character and made her someone that I could relate to. I really enjoyed seeing Kate and learning more about her.

Kate Mason is a strong woman who loves and pays attention to others, but she has been seriously sick in the past and not have a good family life. Maybe this is why Drake, the hero, is instantly drawn to Kate. Kate takes care of his two nieces and helps mold their family together. Drake is a busy man who is working on his own company, making drones while trying to find his brother and brother's wife's killer, and learning how to raise two little girls. I understand how it is to struggle with so much on my plate that I feel overwhelmed at times, so I believe this will make Drake's character more relatable.

The romance and the plot are intertwine nicely. The romance between Drake and Kate doesn't happen until about fifty-six percent into the book, so it was nice not to see them falling over each other on the first page. I enjoyed seeing Kate and Claire interact in between the mystery and the romance. While the romance and the girl's relationship was nicely written, I had a hard time with the mystery. It seemed almost forced at a number of times. Everything was going along nicely, then Coble would drop in something like a stalker raiding Kate's house again. It just seemed too convenient for me. I didn't feel like I needed to put the book down. I enjoyed the story. I even figured out who the bad guy was the moment he/she was introduced. Totally predictable and not really original.

As a side note, fans of Carrie Stuart Parks' Gwen Marcey and Denise Hunter's Summer Harbor series will enjoy seeing some of those characters jump into this story. I liked seeing them. I enjoyed both of these other side projects.

Filled with romance and a little bit of mystery, Colleen Coble's latest romantic suspense Twilight at Blueberry Barren's felt more like a contemporary romance with a little bit of suspense thrown in. I enjoyed seeing the characters return, but the mystery wasn't the greatest.

I received a complimentary copy of Twilight at Blueberry Barren's from Thomas Nelson Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.


My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

If you have read this book, do you think the suspense was a little forced or not? Why or Why not?

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