Review: Treasure on Lilac Lane

 

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Once upon a time, Rick Sullivan had a promising future. One of Jewell Cove's star athletes and reigning heartthrobs, he joined the Marines and had the world in the palm of his hand...until it all came crashing down. His honorable discharge doesn't make him the hometown hero everyone wants him to be, and there's little reprieve from the demons that haunt him at night. Still, even though it seems that all hope is gone, fate has something else in store...

Just hearing Rick's name is enough to give Jess Collins a headache. Years ago, they'd been close. Now she barely knows the man Rick has become since his return from service...then again, Jess isn't that same young, naïve girl anymore either. And while there's a powerful attraction between them--one that yields a greater passion than Jess could have ever imagined--both are wary about opening their hearts to love...and loss.　

But happy endings don't come easily when long-buried secrets insist on rising to the surface. Will their pasts tear them apart--or can love find a way to heal them both?

Genre: contemporary romance

Publishing date: October 2014

Mature content: yes, but pretty much subdued

Review: Treasure on Lilac Lane is book two in the Jewell Cove series by Donna Alward. After reading book one (The House on Blackberry Hill - read my review here) and loving it so much, I couldn't resist to put aside my Spring Reading List for a while and download book two. And I'm happy to say that it's every bit as good as book one. I had never read anything by Donna Alward before, but now I'm definitely adding her to my list of favorite authors. 

There's more romance and a bit less suspense in Treasure in Lilac Lane than there is in The House on Blackberry Hill, but the story will keep you hooked just the same. I loved Rick and Jess. They have both been hurt in the past but both are working on their issues. For Rick the path to recovery is very difficult and I thought Jess was being too hard on him at the beginning of the book but, bottom line, they were perfect for each other. 

The only detail I didn't like was Rick's family connection to Abby (who inherited the house on Blackberry Hill on book one). No spoilers here, you have to read it but, in the end, I think the author was trying a bit too hard. The result was so complicated and with so many coincidences coming together that I had a hard time believing it. It doesn't sound realistic at all. But by then I was so close to the happily ever after that I felt it was really a small detail and that the story flowed perfectly even if I overlooked it. 

So, all in all, Treasure in Lilac Lane is a wonderful romance novel and you'll be sorry to see it end. Totally recommended. 

Happy readings,