True Love - Jude Deveraux

 True Love by Jude Deveraux
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Just as Alix Madsen is finishing up architectural school, Adelaide Kingsley dies and wills her, for one year, the use of a charming nineteenth-century Nantucket house. The elderly woman’s relationship to the Madsen family is a mystery to the spirited Alix—fresh from a romantic breakup—but for reasons of her own Alix accepts the quirky bequest, in part because it gives her time to plan her best friend’s storybook wedding.

But unseen forces move behind the scenes, creaking Kingsley House’s ancient floorboards. It seems that Adelaide Kingsley had a rather specific task for Alix: to solve the strange disappearance of one of the Kingsley women, Valentina, more than two hundred years ago. If that wasn’t troubling enough, Alix must deal with the arrogant (and extremely good-looking) architect Jared Montgomery, who is living in the property’s guesthouse.

Unbeknown to Alix, Jared has been charged with looking after her while she lives on the island—an easy task for him, considering the undeniable chemistry between the two. But Jared harbors secrets of his own, which, if revealed, may drive a wedge between the pair.

With a glorious Nantucket wedding on the horizon, sparks fly, and the ghosts of the past begin to reveal themselves—some of them literally. Finding their lives inextricably entwined with the turbulent fortunes of their ancestors, Alix and Jared discover that only by righting the wrongs of the past can they hope to be together.

This was the first Jude Deveraux book I had read. The book kept my interest but didn't stand out to me. I found it very difficult to get into and kept trying as I knew I needed to review it, however if I didn't need to then I think I may have given up, I felt that very little happened in the first 150 pages or so.

The story takes place on Nantucket Island. Alix is spending time in an old house on the island after a busy year at college and finally graduating. She is taking a well deserved year off. Alix's is minding the house as a favour for her mother and a request made from Aunt 'Addy' to try to find out what happened to Valentina, a relative who had disappeared.

The story is about Alix and about her life now on Nantucket Island, there is a deeper story entwined throughout the story and this is of the ghost that lives in the house.

There are many characters in the book and their story lines, this to me I found confusing. I prefer stories not to have too many characters in them as I feel I can really get to know them, this I found hard in this story due to the amount of characters.

The setting is beautiful in the story and I ended up dreaming I was there and wishing I really could be on holiday.

This story did not leave a lasting impression with me and I will not be reading the other two in the trilogy. As this was the first novel I have read by Jude Deveraux I felt disappointed, I had heard rave reviews about previous books, and this is why I requested to read this. Unfortunately I have been left not wanting to read anymore. I dare say that there will be many Jude Deveraux fans who will love this, I am not one of them.

This is the first in a trilogy of Nantucket Island.

I received this in exchange for a review from the publisher.