A rather steamy romance with a splash of suspense! I think a lot of us could use a list to Solace Island! ( )

I won this in a GOODREADS giveaway. ( )

After being left by her fiance, Brett, the night before her wedding, Maggie decides to take the advice of her sister, Eve, and get away completely to Solace Island in the Pacific Northwest for a vacation. On her first night there, Maggie meets Luke, former Special Forces security specialist who came to Solace Island for an escape of his own. Maggie finds Luke attractive, but she isn't ready to step into a relationship so soon after her failed engagement. However, when a car almost runs her down, she looks to Luke for help in case the island isn't as safe as it seems. Luke is incredibly attracted to Maggie, but his past holds an ugly situation with a woman that makes trusting anyone difficult As soon as there is a second attempt on Maggie's life, Luke is forced to offer Maggie more than just shelter.

Solace Island is more romance than suspense but does offer a few twists and turns that enhance the love story. Luke and Maggie are likable characters but lack the emotional depth that might have made this story more than just a formulaic romantic suspense novel. The setting of Solace Island as well as the supporting characters add to a plot, but the villains in the story are barely developed, making it hard to understand their motives. Overall, Solace Island is a nice, easy read but could have been so much more. ( )

Solace Island by Meg Tilly is a perplexing mystery which features a substantial romance arc.

After Maggie Harris is unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé and business partner, Brett, she joins her sister, Eve, for a vacation on Solace Island. Maggie is blindsided by Brett's actions but she quickly bounces back and demands he either buy her out or she will sell her portion of the business. While Brett is working on securing a loan, Maggie's broken heart heals so fast after meeting Luke Benson it will make readers' heads spin. As she and Luke are still in the "get to know" you phase, Maggie acquires a stalker who is intent on doing her grave bodily harm. Undaunted, she and Eve embark on a life changing plan as her and Luke's mutual attraction leads to some explicitly steamy love scenes.

Luke is a marvelous character but both Maggie and Eve are somewhat obnoxious. Eve is certain she knows what is best and she steamrolls over any and all of Maggie's objections. Eve's reactions are also over the top and somewhat ridiculous. Maggie's romance with Luke would have been much more believable if there had been more time between her breaking down in heaving sobs over Brett's betrayal and her lightning fast relationship with Luke. It is virtually impossible to buy into their lickety-split romance and headlong plunge into a very physical relationship.

The suspense element is extremely understated since this part of the storyline does not begin until about halfway into the novel. Maggie has no idea why anyone would want to harm her and she is somewhat naive when her past crashes headlong into her present. The resolution of this portion of the plot is quite unexpected once the perpetrator is unmasked.

Solace Island by Meg Tilly has an interesting plot but the pacing is slow and some of the scene transitions are very confusing. Maggie and Eve are bit immature and irritating but they are likable. Luke is surprisingly vulnerable once the truth about his past is revealed. This first installment in the Solace Island series comes to an unanticipated conclusion that will definitely surprise mystery readers.
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I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. The plot was interesting, but the "twist" at the end seemed really random and forced. The ending also seemed very rushed, and without giving away any spoilers, there were a few questions that just weren't wrapped up (like what happened with Nathan). I did like Maggie's grit and determination to not be a victim, and Luke was protective without being overbearing. However, there were times when Maggie seemed a bit too nonchalant about the danger she was in. I think the thing that bothered me the most in this story was the pacing, especially with the romance between Maggie and Luke. I'm actually not sure what amount of time this story supposedly took place over, but it felt like at most two weeks. It just didn't seem like enough time for such intense emotions to develop, especially with Maggie's super recent breakup, and as a result the intimate scenes felt somewhat gratuitous. Overall, Solace Island was not a bad book. If you're into romantic suspense, it could definitely be your cup of tea. There were a few elements that just didn't work for me, but if the plot interests you I suggest giving it a try. Thanks to First to Read for the advance copy. ( )