REVIEW: This is the third Tessa Dare ‘Spindle Cove’ story, and if you haven’t read the first two, you might be a bit lost, so I do recommend you read the first two before getting to this one.


Spindle Cove is home to many women who’ve made this place their refuge from society. They made it their home and are trying to discover ways and means of getting on and accepting themselves for who they are and each one will learn to stand for what she believes in. They are a ‘motley crue’ of women, with one thing in common: freedom from men.

This story is Kate’s and while the other two stories were filled with humor and wit, this one was just a tad on the serious side, and probably the main reason for being, so far, my favorite.

Kate’s life has not been a ‘bed of roses’ by any means. She is an orphan, yet with her uplifting nature she learns to accept her minor physical imperfection in her appearance and we come to care for her deeply as we watch and admire her strength. She accepts the fact that her appearance will never be overlooked; men would not be knocking at her door and she is content to do what she does best, hide her insecurities behind her sunny disposition and dedicate herself to teaching music.

And then we have Samuel Thorn. I don’t know about you, but I am such a sucker for a tortured hero, and this guy fits that bill to a tee. He is honorable and loyal and devoted to protecting to the woman he thought never to see again. As in their childhood, he will do anything to protect her and now more than ever she needs his protection. His past is something that he feels will never allow him to claim her as his own and that’s why he goes through hell by keeping his feelings and himself away from her. His feelings of unworthiness were unfounded and watching him come to that realization was pure fun.

Out of the blue, a family shows up and try to claim Kate as their own, but Thorne is nottaken with them, and his instincts kick in so he declares himself her fiancé. And off we go on another adventure and to the happily ever after of yet two more Spindle Cove residents.

Tessa Dare is very good in creating these compelling, interesting and very likeable characters that, want it or not, you will be sucked in to their lives and you will want to follow them, root for them and most of the time laugh out loud with them, and yes, sometimes at them. She always gives her secondary characters plenty of things to do and never disappoints to entertain her readers with the fast pace and fun dialogue in all of her stories, this one included. And lets not forget the romance and sensuality of this story which is HOT!

As of right now, I’ve read every book this author wrote, and while some of her previous series were hit or miss for me, this one is a definite hit and I give not only this story my Five Quills but also to the previous books as well. Still, I’ll reiterate once more, as much as this is written as a standalone, I would not recommend reading it out of order.

Reviewed by RCJR eZine reviewer: Melanie Friedman