This book was on the bottom of my TBR stack. I am sorry about that. It turned out to be a delightful book. It's an easy book to read. Perhaps not a page turner, but there is enough there that makes you want to know what happens next. It's a story of resilience and fortitude. If bad times befall you, it is up to you and you alone to remake yourself, as demonstrated by the characters. Upon finishing the book, you will feel good and pleased that you read it.

Madison and Lincoln lived a life of the elite. Things changed somewhat when their father was sent to jail for fraud and all of their assets were frozen. Their mother was able to save some money, and they were able to move on and have great careers. Upon the death of their uncle Kirby, they learn that they inherited a marina in Smuggles Cove. The marina was fraught with history and rumors of a treasure map. They really have no interest until they go and meet the people who loved Kirby and wanted to honor him. They decide to keep it open for the season and when they have the celebration to honor Kirby, they learn there was a break in. I can't wait to see what happens. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

This book took me a while to get into as it had a very slow pace. The historical introductions were necessary but felt a bit long winded and I got a bit confused with all the characters and their back stories. It had just started to get good and then it ended with a cliffhanger!
Smugglers Cove wasn’t my favourite book but I may have to read the next part just to see what happens with the siblings and their new abode.

The story begins with an almost historical review and introduction, starting in the mid-20th century with the Wainwright and Taylor families and their life experiences that will have future consequences.. Gwen Wainwright is what you might call a normal young woman growing up in the 50’s and 60s raised in a good family. Jackson Taylor wasn’t so lucky and his early years set his goals especially when it comes to money. Those financial desires have a direct impact on what’s to come.

After marrying Jackson, as he works to reach his financial goals, Gwen’s life is one of high society, financial comfort with a husband who looks for perfection, power and money. All is well for many years until their now college age children, Madison and Lincoln, find life upended. The siblings and their mother must rebuild their lives making a big move to separate themselves from their Jackson’s failures.

The next part of the story follows Madison and LIncoln’s growth and success. Unexpectedly they find they’ve inherited a broken down marina from their Uncle Kirby who was a totally different individual then his brother Jackson. They find themselves introduced to the residents of Smuggler’s Cove, its history, its mystery and find themselves at a stage in life to figure out where their future lies. Who are they now and how will their choices make a difference in their future and the future of their piece of Smuggler’s Cove? Smuggler’s Cove is the first in a new series by Fern Michaels and is an enjoyable read.

I have read and enjoyed many of Fern Michaels’ books. This one started out slow, I thought, although the background in the various characters was interesting. The mystery was good, and I enjoyed the story.

This is my first Fern Michael's book. I have mixed feelings about Smugglers Cove as I didn't care for the beginning of the book. I got a bit confused on the characters and the timeline. Once we moved past that, I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed it as a fast, fun mystery but not sure if I would recommend it. I will try another Fern Michael's book though, maybe it is just this one.

This book took a little while to get into because it was very slow paced and there was a lot of backstory buildup in the beginning. But once I got past all of that I did really enjoy the overall story and mystery to it. I think it was set up very well to continue as a series. I really enjoyed all the different characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Smuggler's Cove.
This is an easy read and left me feeling like there should ne a sequel..
Good character development, a realistic plot, and the geography of the area seemed pretty well researched.

What a fun read! The setting is great with an interesting (though sad) backstory. It didn't overwhelm the overall enjoyment of the book. The characters were well developed and the story wasn't completely predicable. I appreciated that there was discussion around deeper issues like pre-judging people and status. I am hopeful that there will be more books, making it a series!

I adored this book. Fern Michael’s has her own unique style of writing that I love. I enjoyed the three different generations of family history. There is some mystery in the book. The storyline flows so smoothly I rapidly turned the pages. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This is an excellent choice for teens or pre-teens as it deals with the best of people and the best of life: what’s really important and what’s just fluff.

For adults it takes us back to a kinder, simpler life that we lived in the middle of the last century: a life focusing on friends and family; a life looking out for our fellow man; a life filled with hope of being able to help someone along the way.

Since the end of the book was simply to STOP in the midst of the characters’ next step in life, I’m assuming that there’s a sequel to be published immediately. However, the ending was an unexpected jolt – or maybe my Kindle copy was missing the last couple of chapters.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, Kensington Books, in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and am anxious for the sequel. Iy always helps to have a little change in your pocket.

Fern Michaels’ Smuggler’s Cove brings a captivating idea that links to mystery and family secrets and new life possibilities. The story seems to have a lot of emotional depth and the kind of character development that fans of her work will be familiar with. But this particular book is not without its flaws; this one has some issues with pacing and a big difference between the two halves of the book.

While the second half of the book is definitely more engaging, it’s hard to ignore just how different it is from the first. Some characters get neglected in this uneven structure, and some of the emotional beats that are set up early on are not always paid off in a satisfying way.

Since I rated this less than three stars I did not post on my social channels out of respect to the publisher and the author.

If you love lots of drama, lots of twists and a little bit of mystery then this book is a must read. A definite recommend

Thanks publisher and netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

Smuggler's Cove
by Fern Michaels
Pub Date: July 28, 2026
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I usually love Fern Michael's book but I'm sorry to say this one was a disappointment to me.
My biggest disappointment is the book ends in a quasi-cliffhanger. I like series books but appreciate when most storylines are wrapped up and then we get to re-visit in the next book. The back stories in this read really took up a lot of time and once the story got going all the details from them really weren't necessary in my opinion. I think the slow start bogged down the important parts of the book. The story at the marina is fun and I look forward to reading the next in the series and hope it has a great resolution.
I hope you enjoy this book. It just wasn't a good fit for what I enjoy.

This book starts out with quite a few different people giving background and it’s not until the middle of the book that it really starts with the current main characters. This goes through their life and uses the beginning background information to help you understand why that was needed at the beginning. The brother, sister and sister’s best friend go through life and this appears to be book one in a new series. Can’t wait for the next book!

I loved this book! It was a quick perfect read for me. The kind that brings you in and keeps you!! Can’t wait to read more by this author

This is book one in a new series by Fern Michaels.

I was not sure really if this book was going to be a cozy mystery or a suspense, and I think it started one way (cozy), and the lead up at the end of the book pushes it to suspense, with some romance mixed in.

To get to the present there is a lot of backstory, not all of which seemed to apply to the story, and Gwen (the "mom") basically just disappears from the book.

I do look forward to the next book, just to see how the author ties this all together

The beginning of the book Smuggler's Cove, the first book in Fern Michaels new Twin Lights series. Did have a semi hard time with the beginning of the book and where it was going. Meet Gwen first who finishes school, takes small jobs and then meets Jackson, marries and has kids, Madison and Lincoln. Madison and Lincoln grew up in a privileged environment until their father was arrested for fraud. They are close to their mother, but their father, Jackson, was cold and detached. The story follows Madison and Lincoln from little on attending boarding school to college years to present adult years. They have an Uncle Kirby, Jackson's brother who they are estranged from due to their father, who thought he was beneath them. As Madison and Lincoln are living their lives they get a call from their family attorney apparently their Uncle Kirby has died and has left them his marina. Madison and Lincoln visit this marina and discover it's in horrible shape. With water rights being an issue for a quick sell and the people in the neighborhood being friendly they decided to renovate the marina at least for the first year. They could make some money and perhaps sell later. Madison and Lincoln also find out there are treasure hunters out there looking for a map, that apparently points to where Uncle Kirby could have buried treasure and now the map has been stolen. Could there also be some romance blooming for Madison that she was not expecting to find.

Expected publication July 28, 2026

Thank you to NetGalley, Fern Michaels and the publisher for this ARC

This is the first book in a new series, Twin Lights, by the awesome Fern Michaels. As is true in most first books in a series, Michaels introduces us to the MC and their supporting cast. Each character is defined, setting them into the story arcs to come. The community of Smuggler's Cove is so detailed, I could draw you a map. And speaking of maps, the first mystery starts with a stolen map of the rumored treasure buried in Smuggler's Cove. This is a perfect read ofr those who love stories that mix a little cozy mystery with a little thriller and stir in some family drama. I predict another long line of successful titles in this winning series.