Okay, I need to complain about something first. Why does every romance hero have to be a widower with a troubled daughter? I'm not saying it doesn't work—it absolutely does—but can we get some variety? A divorced dad whose ex is actually reasonable? A single guy who just... hasn't met the right person? No? We're sticking with tragic backstory? Fine. Fine! Because honestly, Mark St. Clair and his grieving little girl got me anyway. Leslie Tentler knows exactly what she's doing.
I started this one during Sophie's nap time (miracle of miracles, she actually slept for two hours straight) and finished it over the course of a week in my sacred car-sitting-in-garage sessions. At 13 hours, it's a commitment, but the kind that rewards you for showing up.
The Setup That Actually Hooked Me
Samantha—or Trina, or whoever she's being today—is running from something genuinely scary. Not "my ex was mean" scary but "shards of glass, blood on hands, had to disappear for six years" scary. The opening line about being back in that apartment? Yeah, that set a tone. I was folding laundry during chapter one and actually stopped to listen, which never happens. Usually I can match socks and absorb plot simultaneously. Not this time.
The coastal South Carolina setting is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Rarity Cove feels like one of those towns where everyone knows your business but pretends they don't, where the St. Clair family basically owns everything, and where a woman with secrets probably shouldn't be opening a cafe. But Samantha does it anyway because apparently she's braver than me. I can barely handle the PTA moms at Emma's school, and none of them are trying to kill me.
Romance, Suspense, and One Very Inconvenient Hurricane
The balance between the love story and the thriller elements is—and I hate to use this word but it's accurate—really well done. Mark and Samantha's courtship is hesitant in a way that feels earned. He's still grieving. She's hiding everything about herself. Neither of them should be starting something, and they both know it. I appreciated that Tentler didn't rush them into bed by chapter three.
And then there's the hurricane. Because apparently a violent man from your past tracking you down isn't enough—let's throw a category-whatever storm into the mix. It sounds like too much, but it works? The storm forces everyone into close quarters and accelerates the confrontation in a way that felt organic rather than gimmicky.
The villain from Samantha's past is genuinely menacing. Not cartoonishly evil, just... cold and determined and scary in the way real dangerous people are scary. That kind of creeping dread is what Six Creepy Stories by Edgar Allan Poe does so well, though obviously in a very different context. I found myself checking my rearview mirror more than usual during my car sessions, which is ridiculous because I was parked in my own garage.
Amy Melissa Bentley Does the Thing
Here's where I have mixed feelings. The narration is good—solid, professional, helps the story move. Bentley won an Earphones Award for another book, so she clearly knows what she's doing. But I didn't fall in love with her voice the way I do with some narrators. It's competent rather than captivating, if that makes sense?
She handles the emotional moments well, and I never got confused about who was speaking. But there wasn't a distinctive quality that made me think "oh, I need to find more of her work." For a 13-hour listen, you want a narrator who feels like a friend telling you a story. Bentley feels more like a really good audiobook narrator. Which is fine! That's literally her job! I'm just saying it didn't elevate the material the way a truly great performance can.
Who Should Hit Play (And Who Should Skip)
If you like romantic suspense that takes both the romance AND the suspense seriously, this is your book. Ruthless King has that same commitment to both sides of the equation, though with a darker edge. If you want something you can pause 47 times (verified—Sophie woke up twice during one chapter and I still followed everything when I came back), this works. If you need a happy ending after cleaning up yogurt from the inside of your toddler's ear (don't ask), this delivers.
Skip it if you're looking for a quick read—13 hours is a commitment. Also skip if you need constant action. There are slower stretches where we're building relationships and establishing the town, which I personally enjoyed but might frustrate someone looking for nonstop thrills.
Garage-Approved and Mom-Tested
Not groundbreaking, but sometimes you don't need groundbreaking. Sometimes you need a competent romantic thriller with a satisfying ending that makes you feel something without making you ugly-cry at school pickup. This is that book. I finished it feeling satisfied, which is honestly all I ask for these days.
My book club would love this. If I ever have time for book club again.
