The Inn at Ocean's Edge by Colleen Coble

The Inn at Ocean's Edge by Colleen Coble ISBN-13: 9781401690267 Trade Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: April 14, 2015

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
In 1989, Claire Dellamare disappeared from her own fourth birthday party at the Hotel Tourmaline on the island of Folly Shoals, Maine. She showed up a year later at the same hotel, with a note pinned to her dress but no explanation. Nobody knows where Claire spent that year.

When Claire returns to the Hotel Tourmaline for a business meeting with her CEO father, disturbing memories begin to surface. Until now, Claire didn’t even know she had been missing, and her parent's aren't willing to discuss her disappearance.

Luke Rocco's mother went missing at the same time Claire disappeared. After a chance encounter reveals the unlikely link between them, Claire and Luke set out together to uncover the truth about what happened that fateful year.


My Review:
The Inn at Ocean's Edge is a romantic suspense novel. Except for the hero, the men in this story are not the sort you'd root for. One man leaves Claire stranded on an isolated, dangerous beach because she won't have sex with him. The male sheriff initially dismisses Claire's reliability, then he jumps to the conclusion that Claire--as a four-year-old--hatched a complicated plot that led to her committing a modern murder to hide it even though the modern murder would never have been suspected if she hadn't reported seeing it. And many townsfolk assume the same. I felt like the plot would have been stronger if the townsfolk suspected a person or persons more likely to create complicated plans and to have something to hide.

There were clues as to what really happened the night Claire disappeared as a four-year-old. I had the general outline figured out very early on. The story was interesting enough to keep me reading to learn the exact details of what happened and what would happen after the truth is exposed. The characters were varied and interesting. Luke was a knight in shining armor compared to the other men. He was a decent fellow who shared many interests with Claire. The suspense mainly came from physical danger to Claire as the murderer had a habit of attacking her.

There was no sex or bad language. There was an underlying message of forgiveness and of sacrifice to help others. Overall, I'd recommend this novel to suspense fans. I liked the story even though I had a hard time liking most of the characters.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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