by Marie Force
Part of Gansett Island, book 10
First published 2013
Jenny Wilks keeps the lighthouse on Gansett Island running smoothly. Twelve years have passed since she lost her fiancé in the 9/11 attacks, and she has built a new life among the island's close community. Her friends want to set her up with local men, but Jenny meets Alex Martinez when he arrives to mow the lighthouse grounds. Alex left his job cultivating orchids at the US Botanic Garden in Washington to return home and care for his mother, who suffers from dementia. He runs the family landscaping business with his brother, the same work he did as a teenager. During a brutal summer heat wave, Jenny and Alex find solace in each other's company. Their physical attraction quickly deepens into something more serious. But Alex carries heavy family responsibilities, and Jenny wonders if their connection can survive once the intense summer heat breaks and ordinary life returns.
Genres: romance, family-life, contemporary-romance
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Gansett Island, Washington, US Botanic Garden
Period: 12 years after 9/11
400 pages · Kindle Edition · HTJB, Inc.