It’s hard to keep a big secret in a small town . . .
When Paige Hollister discovers her “Mr. Right” already has a “Mrs. Right,” she swears off men forever. Even more humiliating, she suddenly finds herself labeled the other woman and out of the teaching job she loves. So Paige does what every unemployed single woman staring thirty in the face does: She hightails it to the beach. Bad luck like hers is hard to outrun, however. Her getaway is stalled when her car breaks down in a small-town chock full of meddling, nosy residents. The worst of them being the local sheriff—none other than her estranged father.
Finally on top of the golf world, Tanner Gillette is poised to show everyone he’s not just an entitled playboy coasting through tournaments on his pedigree. That is until his life is turned upside down by a little girl who shows up on his doorstep with a birth certificate inexplicably bearing his name. Complicating matters more, the kid isn’t talking. When the stress of caring for a child whose mother is AWOL gives Tanner a bad case of the yips, he’s forced to enlist help from the one person in town who can’t wait to leave.
Sticking around Chances Inlet and her father’s shiny new, über-successful family isn’t on Paige’s to-do list. Especially when she’d prefer to keep her embarrassing incident under wraps. Yet she can’t walk away from the troubled little girl. Or the sexy Australian golfer who just might make her want to take a chance on trusting her heart again.
Published Date: 5 June 2023
My Review
When Paige Hollister discovers she’s the unwitting “other woman” to a married “Mr. Right,” she decides to leave her teaching job and start anew in the town where her father, the local sheriff, resides. Abandoned by her father in her youth, Paige grapples with her place in his new family. Upon her arrival, Paige is faced with Whitney, a young girl left on Tanner Gillette’s doorstep. Tanner, a golf champion determined to prove he’s changed, is unsure about finding Whitney’s mother. As they collaborate to care for Whitney, Tanner and Paige must address their growing feelings and navigate challenges that threaten their relationship.
Paige and Tanner, both carrying emotional scars but possessing kind hearts, find themselves challenged by the irresistible Whitney. The gradual unfolding of their vulnerabilities and the warmth of Chances Inlet, with its charming residents, lovable children, and pets, contribute to the story. Paige’s newfound “adopted family” adds an extra layer of connection once she allows them into her life. As if that wasn’t delightful enough, there are also cameo appearances from Summer and Luke, characters from the author’s beloved book “Double Dog Dare.” The narrative is skillfully written, effortlessly flowing, and so engaging that I couldn’t resist reading it in one sitting.
My Rating
My Sanctuary 