"On Love's Gentle Shore" by Liz Johnson

The best kind of reads are the ones you can't bear to put down, the ones you find yourself thinking about when you're not reading them. That's exactly what I experienced while reading On Love's Gentle Shore.

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Natalie O'Ryan had no plans to return to Prince Edward Island. But when her fiancé books their wedding in her hometown and schedules a summer at Rose's Red Door Inn, she sets out to plan the perfect wedding. Yet she can't possibly plan for a run-in with Justin Kane--the best friend she left behind all those years ago after promising to stay.

Justin has never forgotten Natalie. He'd been prepared to follow her off the island until tragedy struck, leaving him to run the family dairy farm. He's done the best he can with the life that was thrust upon him--but with Natalie back in the picture, he begins to realize just how much joy he's been missing.

After Natalie's reception venue falls through, she must scramble to find an alternative, and the only option seems to be a barn on Justin's property. As they work together to get the dilapidated building ready for the party, Natalie and Justin may discover that there is more between them than broken promises and an old friendship.

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It's safe to say that author Liz Johnson gets better with each novel in the Prince Edward Island Dreams series. I enjoyed The Red Door Inn, and I loved Where Two Hearts Meet, but On Love's Gentle Shore is on another level. I kind of wish I hadn't given five stars to the second book, as that doesn't leave any room for improvement ratings-wise, yet On Love's Gentle Shore is just so. much. better.

Though there's never any doubt about the novel's conclusion (really, when is there in a romance novel?), On Love's Gentle Shore engaged my emotions in the best way. I ached for Natalie as she dealt with feelings of rejection and inferiority. I longed for Justin to just spit it out and let Natalie know his true feelings, yet I admired his restraint and respect for her relationship. And I wept as the novel reached its ultra-satisfying conclusion. With strong, fleshed-out characters, a toe-curling romance, and a beautifully written lesson about bitterness and forgiveness, On Love's Gentle Shore is easily one of the best books I've read so far this year. 5 stars.

Buy the book.
Read my reviews of Read my reviews of Johnson's The Red Door Inn (4 stars), Where Two Hearts Meet (5 stars), and Vanishing Act.

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Liz Johnson fell in love with Prince Edward Island the first time she set foot on it. When she's not plotting her next trip to the island, she works in marketing. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, including The Red Door Inn and Where Two Hearts Meet, a New York Times bestselling novella, and a handful of short stories. She makes her home in Tucson, Arizona.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."