Zoey is thirty-eight years old and has recently lost her job as a librarian. Unwisely placed trust in her former boyfriend has resulted in some financial setbacks as well. With one of her elderly aunts now dead, she returns to Dune Island to provide company and caring for her remaining Aunt, Ivy – and to regroup and access where her life is leading her.

Zoey discovers that her cousin Mark has designs on the old house. As Ivy’s heir, he seems intent on getting the house from her. He intimates that Ivy is ‘losing it’, has memory loss, and is not up to living on her own. He wants to renovate and rent out the property. He has always had a sense of entitlement and has been known to exploit his elderly aunts for his own gain.

Zoey, with the support of her young niece Gabi, and neighbour Nick, side against Mark in his attempt to discredit eighty-seven year old Ivy.

When Zoey discovers an old journal, long-held family secrets are revealed…

Firstly, I must warn potential readers that the blurb is very misleading.  Zoey and Nick together do NOT find anything in the attic. Nor, does Zoey alone find anything of interest in the attic. Did the person who wrote the blurb actually read the book? OR, was the book edited since the blurb was written?

The setting was sublime. An island off the coast of Rhode Island with few year-round residents, but many seasonal property owners. Ivy’s house was situated on a hill over-looking the harbor.

The characters were portrayed in a genuine way, so were easy to relate to.

The plot was a tad predictable, but when you read a book in this genre, you come to expect that – and perhaps welcome it.

This is women’s fiction with more than a dash of romance. It is a story of family allegiances, family secrets, and inter-generational relationships that culminate in a ‘happy ever after’ ending.  Recommended!

3.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads, Amazon and NetGalleyThis review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley.

Publication date: December 7, 2020    Publisher: Bookouture

ISBN: 9781838888282       ASIN: ‎B08L885ZG6        328 pages

Kristin Harper grew up in New England and has vacationed on Cape Cod almost every summer of her life, except for one year when she allowed her job to interfere with her vacation plans.  After moving around the country and working in all sorts of professions, including roles in education, philanthropy and healthcare, she is glad to be living in Massachusetts again, writing women’s fiction set in fictitious oceanside locales.

Follow Kristin Harper on Twitter @KHarperAuthor