Thursday

Review - True Love by Jude Deveraux



Paperback: 516 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication date: 27 May 2014
ISBN13: 9780345541819
Just as Alix Madsen is finishing up architectural school, Adelaide Kingsley dies and wills her, for one year, the use of a charming nineteenth-century Nantucket house. The elderly woman’s relationship to the Madsen family is a mystery to the spirited Alix—fresh from a romantic breakup—but for reasons of her own Alix accepts the quirky bequest, in part because it gives her time to plan her best friend’s storybook wedding.

But unseen forces move behind the scenes, creaking Kingsley House’s ancient floorboards. It seems that Adelaide Kingsley had a rather specific task for Alix: to solve the strange disappearance of one of the Kingsley women, Valentina, more than two hundred years ago. If that wasn’t troubling enough, Alix must deal with the arrogant (and extremely good-looking) architect Jared Montgomery, who is living in the property’s guesthouse.

Unbeknown to Alix, Jared has been charged with looking after her while she lives on the island—an easy task for him, considering the undeniable chemistry between the two. But Jared harbors secrets of his own, which, if revealed, may drive a wedge between the pair.

With a glorious Nantucket wedding on the horizon, sparks fly, and the ghosts of the past begin to reveal themselves—some of them literally. Finding their lives inextricably entwined with the turbulent fortunes of their ancestors, Alix and Jared discover that only by righting the wrongs of the past can they hope to be together.

True Love is the first in The Nantucket Brides series - #1

This is the first Jude Deveraux book I've read so I don't know how it compares to her earlier stories but I believe the Montgomery family in this one are the descendants of the original Montgomery's from one of her earlier series.  I'm not entirely sure.

Anyway, the story... I enjoyed it.  Eventually.  I liked it right from the start but there was something that I can't quite put my finger on that stopped me from loving it.  It was a gradual thing because the two main characters took a bit of time for me to warm to and were more than a little frustrating in the beginning.  They grew on me over time though and as their romance blossomed I started to root for them. 

Usually I like my mysteries and romance story's kept separate and prefer one or the other but the two mingled really well here and I really liked the ghostly interactions.  I don't think it wouldn't have been half as good without them.  It's like two romances for the price of one. 

The setting of Nantucket is a good one and I got a real feeling of the place's beauty and History as I read.  Sounds like a wonderful place.  I'm not sure I'll want to read further into the series though.  I might have to get the earlier Montgomery series and start at the beginning to get a better feel for them all.  Maybe I'm just missing something here by not having read the others.

If you haven't read the other series it won't matter, this is a stand alone series (I think) but maybe having read her earlier work would have made me more attached to this one.

It's a lovely beach read kind of book and I'd recommend it if you like a bit of paranormal with your romance.

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