(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

She's carried a torch for him for years. Now they're both feeling the heat.
Fiona Lynde is a fairly straightforward girl. As the owner of the Cypress Hollow gas station and garage, Fee's Fill, she's not one for pretty dresses or fussy make-up. In fact most days she forgets to brush her hair. But she does have one guilty little secret - she's been in love with Abe Atwell for over ten years...
Problem is, Abe - the town's handsome harbormaster - barely knows she exists. Until...
Fiona petitions the council to demolish a deserted old lighthouse, for Abe is just as determined to preserve the local landmark.
But why does Fiona want to tear down the building that was once her childhood home? And why is Abe, whose father drowned in the lighthouse's shadow, so desperate to save it?
Battlelines are drawn - just as the spark between them is finally ignited

I am going to start by saying that this book is pretty predictable and could have simply been another 2-star book, quickly forgotten...

...but, as the saying goes, it's not about the destination, it is the journey getting there. And that's what this book has in spades - a journey.

It would be easy to dismiss this book as "X and Y are sworn enemies. Without doubt, X and Y will end up together by the end of the book." And that would be a fair estimation of the depth of this book. But it is so much more than that.

For a start, you need the characters to be good. Not just the protagonists but the supporting cast as well. And that is the strength of this book. Abe and Fiona are good characters but, in isolation, would have become very boring. Enter the background cast - lots of different people from different walks of life and lifestyles. Everything feels real as far as the people go.

Also, you need a storyline that is not only believable but can also carry itself across more than 450 pages - and this does that pretty well. It did have some moments where I thought it could have done away with the continual "will they, won't they?" plot device. I think that went on just a tad too long.

Characters and plot - the two most essential things in any genre (for me) and this book does them both very well. I have no trouble at all recommending this book!


Paul
ARH