Settling into a beachfront cottage in Shelter Rock Cove, Maine, young widow Annie Galloway is struggling to rebuild her life, but her new world is turned upside down by her handsome neighbor, Sam Butler, a man who has fled the high-stake excitement and stress of Wall Street for the rural charm of Maine. Original.
To the tiny town of Shelter Rock Cove, Maine, Annie and Kevin Galloway seem to have the perfect marriage. But when Kevin dies suddenly, Annie is left with bittersweet memories, never-fulfilled dreams of children and artistic fame, and massive debt from Kevin's secret gambling addiction. In an attempt to clear the debt and make a fresh start, Annie sells the home she shared with Kevin and moves to a cheap beachfront cottage. There she finds herself powerfully attracted to her new neighbor. Once the rising star in a corrupt Wall Street firm, Sam Butler has secretly turned informant and is laying low until the federal investigation is complete. Even knowing that a trial and possible jail time are pending, Sam can't help pursuing Annie; despite heavy disapproval from Kevin's family, Annie can't help but respond. The two come together only to find that Annie's unexpected pregnancy and Sam's hidden past threaten to tear their love apart. The Wall Street details of Bretton's (At Last) story line are shaky, but she excels in her portrayal of the sometimes sweet, sometimes stifling ties of a small community. The town's tight network of loving, eccentric friends and family infuses the tale with a gently comic note that perfectly balances the darker dramas of the romance.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
It's been two years since Annie Galloway's husband died, and she is finally putting her life back together, even though she stays in Shelter Rock Cove, Maine. Annie has never lived anywhere else, and her life is tied to the small community, which is a blessing and a curse. Her mother-in-law took her in at sixteen when her parents died, and she feels grateful for her love, but her husband was not the saint that everyone thinks he was. When she meets Sam Butler, a Manhattan investment broker hiding out in the small town and reevaluating his life, they instantly connect, but some townspeople are suspicious of the newcomer and his relationship with Annie. Sam and Annie do keep secrets from each other, hoping to keep their newfound love separate from the past, but prying neighbors may tear them apart. Once again Bretton creates a tender love story about two people who, when they find something special, will go to any length to keep it.
Patty EngelmannCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
