The House Beyond the Dunes by Mary Burton

From the book description:

"Lane McCord wakes up in a hospital having survived a near-fatal fall at a North Carolina beach cottage. Her boyfriend, Kyle, wasn’t so lucky. A senseless tragedy on their first romantic getaway. All Lane remembers is lying at the bottom of the stairs in Kyle’s pooling blood.

Confused and grieving, Lane plans to return to the cottage, collect her personal belongings, and get out. Until a winter rainstorm leaves her stranded and vulnerable, but not alone. A concerned neighbor, who claims he heard a violent argument before the accident, has come out of the storm. So has a suspicious detective on the trail of a missing woman, whose diary deepens the mystery—and raises more questions that fill Lane with dread.

How well did she know Kyle? How well does she know herself? What really happened at the cottage on the beach? And when the answers come, who can Lane trust to get out of this waking nightmare alive?"

In my opinion, you should go into this book blind. I read a few reviews beforehand that spoiled some of the suspense for me, but this book was full of excellent twists and turns and I still really enjoyed it. This is the first book I've read by this author but it won't be my last.

Lotus by Jennifer Hartmann

Sydney and Oliver were each other's first love, inseparable, best friends...until he disappeared. It's been twenty two years and Sydney has learned to survive but she never gave up on him. Then he shows up one day with no knowledge of modern day life and no memory of his life before.

Oliver had been kept underground that whole time, his only comfort a series of comics he created with himself playing the hero to a little blonde girl with pigtails. As Oliver struggles to adjust, the feelings they had for each other in childhood become even stronger.

I've only read one other book by this author, but I still think about it all the time. She has a way of writing about terrible tragedy and abuse in a sensitive and relatable way that just rips your heart out but then builds you back up again leaving you with a sense of hope and happiness. Oliver endured such a horrible ordeal and came through with emotional scars but the man he became was wonderful to read. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Long Game by Elena Armas

Adalyn had been trying to win the approval of her father for years in the office of the Miami Flames soccer club. But after an altercation with the team mascot that goes viral, she's banished to nowheresville NC to manage a young girls soccer team. From the start, she doesn't fit into this small town and noone makes that more clear than the coach, retired superstar goalie Cameron Caldoni.

He was just trying to escape the pressure of fans and paparazzi and so far noone in town has recognized him. This little town has become his escape until a control freak in stilettos literally crashes into his life and turns everything upside down. 

Nothing beats my first love by this author, Aaron and Catalina from Spanish Love Deception, but Cam is a close second. The way he interacts with the little girls on the team is just so cute. This was definitely a slow burn romance but I liked that it was told from dual perspectives so the reader can see both sides and not left guessing thoughts and intentions. Overall this book had all the spice and romance I've come to expect from this author with a strong woman not afraid to stand up for herself, and a protective hunky hero to stand behind her.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.