So many secrets, so many consequences…

Synopsis

After her father’s tragic death, abandoning thoughts of university, Hayley has supported her mother with the day to day running of the Estuary House Hotel in Kingswater. Now, she is ready to return to her studies, but before that there’s a summer to enjoy.

Hayley has no idea how much the two young men she is about to meet will influence her future. Adam Davenport, wealthy and entitled, arrives on his father’s luxury motor yacht, livening up the quiet town with his on-board parties. But it’s photographer Nick Pallister, staying at the hotel while working on an assignment for the Cornish Tourist Board, who captures her heart.

As the end of summer approaches, Nick unexpectedly checks out, taking steps to make sure he cannot be traced, leaving Hayley to face the fact she has merely been a summer fling. Days later, Adam takes a taxi into Truro and disappears. Despite an extensive police search, he is never found.

Six years later Hayley is settled and happy with a small daughter, Amelie. Nick Pallister’s unexpected arrival at the hotel, takes her by surprise, dredging up unwanted memories. Why did he leave so suddenly? And did it have anything to do with Adam’s disappearance? But there’s the danger Nick could have questions of his own, ones that might jeopardise the new life she has built for herself and her daughter.

My review

Since her father died, Hayley has been running together with her mother the Estuary House Hotel in Kingswater. Now that things are more settled, she is determined to start her studies again after the summer.
But this is a summer where everything changes…
First of all, there is the arrival of Adam Davenport on his father’s yacht with his two friends. With their wealth and entitlement, they build up a reputation with their constant partying. And Hayley, while initially she liked Adam, realizes that her and Adam’s world couldn’t be more apart, and she doesn’t want to be part of his.
Especially after the arrival of photographer Nick. There is something about him Hayley finds herself attracted to, and the feelings seems to be mutual. At least Hayley thought so, until Nick just takes off and leaves after the summer, to never get in touch again. But Nick isn’t the only one with a disappearing act, as also Adam as left no trace of himself after the summer.
Six years later, Nick is back in Kingswater, to find Hayley still there, and now with a daughter, Amelie. But Hayley is wary of his return and his reasons. And while she wants some answers, also Nick wants to find some answers, especially to his questions concerning Adam’s disappearance. With so many secrets being kept, is the truth ready to be heard? 

At first I felt truly elated returning back to Kingswater. Yet I knew there would be so many mysteries in this book, I didn’t expect to be so intrigued and I didn’t expect to have such an urgence to read and keep reading to have every question answered.
And even if some twists weren’t that unexpected, some totally blew me away… 

Hayley is the kindest person ever. She puts her own future on hold, just to help her mother out. She becomes friends with Adam and gives him genuine and good advice about his own future, and she isn’t the kind of person to hold a grudge against someone.
She gives everyone a fair chance, but that doesn’t mean she is gullible. Hayley quickly understands that Adam is easily influenced, and knows when to hold her distance.
But she is also that person that when she falls in love, she does it very deeply. 

And that is what we see what happens with Nick. Because no matter how hard Adam tries to win her affections, it’s Nick that wins her heart.
It all starts with Nick needing Hayley assistance with his project, yet the both of them quickly realize that there is something between them that cannot be denied or ignored. 

Beside the romance in this story, there is also a lot of mystery in it. As a reader, we know the answers to a few mysteries already, but by far all of the secrets… 

So when six years later, and also several disappointments later, Nick returns to Kingswater on a mission, it’s clear that Hayley won’t give him a warm welcome back. Especially now she has a little girl to protect… 

Hayley for sure has matured in those six years, while then she fell quickly in love with Nick, now she keeping her heart locked for safety. And I couldn’t blame her… Even if I knew why Nick went AWOL, I could see why Hayley couldn’t believe a word he said. 

But we also see how determined Nick is to make Hayley understand why he did what he did. And he isn’t afraid of admitting the mistakes he has made. And seeing him trying to make things right again, and how he just clicked with little Amelie, warmed my heart. 

Like I said, there are so many secrets and mysteries in this story. And while the romance had me reading, it was the need to uncover all those secrets that kept me reading page after page after page.
Some revelations were expected, while others just left me flabbergasted. And sometimes those the closest to us are the ones that betray us the most… 

That only shows that people are weird creatures… while they think they are doing the right thing, it is the totally wrong thing to do. Even the most villain of the villains in this book (because there is more than just one…) acts villainous for what he thinks is a right cause. And while I somewhere could understand his thinking, his actions are completely wrong. And he ends up paying a very high price for it… 

But this story is also about being afraid of who you truly are. Many characters are hiding a side of themselves, afraid for several different reasons. Yet, if you cannot be who you truly are, can you even be truly happy? 

This story is a slow story, yet a deep one too. With its pace, we get the chance to get to know each character. And those worthy of our love, gain it very quickly.
The author takes us once again on a real journey, filled with love, family, friendship, kindness, but also betrayal and hurt. Yet those negative emotions absolutely don’t weigh up to all the positives! Because despite all the secrets that people keep, it isn’t until all it out there, that love in all its senses can prevail.  

I already loved this author, and with this last book, she elevated herself to an even higher status!