Old but enjoyable read. Jessica headed to Orcas Island from Dallas for a bit of time away, and to decide what to do with her grandmother's house. It's currently rented to a scientist at the Institute, but that may not be a permanent solution. After an eventful trip to the island on the ferry, including an encounter with an unpleasant stranger, Jessica looks forward to some peace and quiet. Fate has something else in mind as she discovers that the house burned down, and her brother's friend and tenant, Henry, is in the hospital. Then an emergency at work sends her back home, and it's six weeks before she gets back.
The unpleasant stranger on the ferry turned out to be another friend of her brother's and Henry's. Cal is still on the island, apparently enjoying an extended vacation. Or so Jessica thinks until she discovers his unconscious body in the water near her property. This begins a series of events that throw Jessica and Cal together, frequently under questionable circumstances.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jessica and Cal, which was intertwined with the mystery of what was happening on the island. To start with, there were sparks between them from the moment they met, though they began with antagonism. Neither forgot the other during the time Jessica was away from the island. The sparks were still there, though the antagonism was too. I loved watching Jessica stand up to Cal over his injuries, and see her take care of him that night. Sparks of a different kind began to overcome the antagonistic ones. But there was frustration, too. Jessica knew there was something fishy going on, but getting a straight answer out of Cal was nearly impossible.
Meanwhile, Cal tried to keep Jessica safe, but she kept turning up in awkward places. There was a great scene on Cal's sailboat, as he combined a date of sorts with Jessica with a surveillance opportunity. The passion that flared between them left Jessica reeling at the same time she wondered about his feelings.
It was easy to see that Cal tried to protect Jessica from what was going on. However, he tended to be high-handed about it rather than telling her why. I could feel her frustration at his tactics, and I enjoyed the way she kept after him for answers. The ending was good as Cal came clean. His confession of his feelings was sweet and funny.
The suspense of the story was good. It was apparent early on who was involved, but Cal needed more information. There were times that I thought Jessica was oblivious to what was happening around here. That was especially true at the end. The intensity ramped up when she was taken, and I was on the edge of my seat as I wondered what was going to happen. Her rescue was a relief, and I liked finding out the truth of what was going on. The ending wasn't quite as satisfying as I would have liked, but it was still good.
The unpleasant stranger on the ferry turned out to be another friend of her brother's and Henry's. Cal is still on the island, apparently enjoying an extended vacation. Or so Jessica thinks until she discovers his unconscious body in the water near her property. This begins a series of events that throw Jessica and Cal together, frequently under questionable circumstances.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jessica and Cal, which was intertwined with the mystery of what was happening on the island. To start with, there were sparks between them from the moment they met, though they began with antagonism. Neither forgot the other during the time Jessica was away from the island. The sparks were still there, though the antagonism was too. I loved watching Jessica stand up to Cal over his injuries, and see her take care of him that night. Sparks of a different kind began to overcome the antagonistic ones. But there was frustration, too. Jessica knew there was something fishy going on, but getting a straight answer out of Cal was nearly impossible.
Meanwhile, Cal tried to keep Jessica safe, but she kept turning up in awkward places. There was a great scene on Cal's sailboat, as he combined a date of sorts with Jessica with a surveillance opportunity. The passion that flared between them left Jessica reeling at the same time she wondered about his feelings.
It was easy to see that Cal tried to protect Jessica from what was going on. However, he tended to be high-handed about it rather than telling her why. I could feel her frustration at his tactics, and I enjoyed the way she kept after him for answers. The ending was good as Cal came clean. His confession of his feelings was sweet and funny.
The suspense of the story was good. It was apparent early on who was involved, but Cal needed more information. There were times that I thought Jessica was oblivious to what was happening around here. That was especially true at the end. The intensity ramped up when she was taken, and I was on the edge of my seat as I wondered what was going to happen. Her rescue was a relief, and I liked finding out the truth of what was going on. The ending wasn't quite as satisfying as I would have liked, but it was still good.
