Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble (Review)

Inheriting a beautiful old hotel on the seaward shore of Hope Island could be a dream come true for Libby. The inn cries out for her restorer's talent and love of history. She's delighted to learn of family she never knew she had. And the handsome Coast Guard lieutenant she's met there on the island could definitely be the man of her dreams.

But Libby soon realizes that only way she can afford the upkeep on the inn is to sell it to developers who are stalking the island. The father who willed her the inn has died before she could meet him, and her newfound brothers and sisters are convinced she's there to steal their birthright. Worst of all, her best friend and business partner has been kidnapped before her eyes, Libby's under suspicion for the crime, and her handsome lieutenant clearly doubts her innocence.

Libby's dream-come-true is becoming a nightmare. Can she find her friend and establish her innocence? Must she sell Tidewater Inn and lose her family again? Or can she find a home for her heart on the beautiful shores of Hope Island?

I GIVE THIS BOOK: 3 Stars

MY THOUGHTS:

Tidewater Inn started off great, with a kidnapping in the first chapter! The story had some very intriguing parts: the kidnapping (of course), a long kept secret that changes Libby's life forever (not saying what it is, but it was very surprising J), Hope Island itself (it sounds SO beautiful), and the sparks between Libby and Alec, the Coast Guard lieutenant.

However, almost as soon as Libby got to Hope Island, some parts of the story began to be a bit repetitive. One example of this: Libby would say she would love to keep the inn, but she doesn't know how she could afford the upkeep - I lost count of how many times this was said, but it was a lot! I found this to be very unusual for this author's books - I don't remember her other books doing that, but I did read them quite a long time ago, so maybe they did?

Besides the repetitiveness, the story kept me interested throughout almost the whole book, but the ending was a bit sudden. I am hoping that in the next book, Rosemary Cottage, there will be more about Libby.

To fans of Colleen's Rock Harbor series, I want to let you know that Bree and Samson make an appearance in this novel. I loved being able to reunite with Bree - it has been awhile. I completely enjoyed her parts in the story.

I have to say the cover kind of annoys me. It's beautiful and everything, but I hate when covers don't match the story. In the book, the inn is a Georgian mansion with over 2,000 sq. ft of decks and balconies alone! Yet the cover shows a house that looks very much like a Victorian and doesn't seem anywhere near the size of the house in the story, which sounds huge as it has 15 bedroom suites - if I am remembering correctly. The cover not matching doesn't hurt the story, it is just a pet peeve of mine and so this doesn't affect my rating.

Overall, while this is not one of my favorite books by Colleen, it was still enjoyable. If you love romantic books with suspenseful aspects to it, you will probably like this book more than I did.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***

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One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $500 gift certificate to BedandBreakfast.com
• A copy of Tidewater Inn.

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 22nd. Winner will be announced at Colleen's "Tidewater Inn" Author Chat Facebook Party on 8/23. Colleen will be sharing the story behind the book, hosting a book chat, testing your trivia skills, and of course, there will be plenty of fun giveaways - books, gift certificates and a Book Club Prize Pack! She’ll also be giving a sneak peak of her next book too!


So grab your copy of Tidewater Inn and join Colleen on the evening of the August 23rd  for a chance to connect with Colleen and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)

 

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER about Colleen's giveaway and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 23rd!