A worthy follow-up: "The Cottage" (Secrets of the Shetlands Book #2) by Michael Phillips
about the book....
Is the Future of Whales Reef in the Hands of an Outsider?
When Loni Ford is informed that she has inherited property in the Shetland Islands, she laughs. She wants nothing more than to sell it and be done with it. But when she arrives in the North Sea enclave, she is stunned to find that "the Cottage" is not at all what she expected, nor is David Tulloch, the man most of the islanders believe to be the rightful heir.
The locals could hardly be more surprised that the heir is a woman--and an American. Loni, in turn, finds the islanders quaint and a bit behind the times. Expecting David to be as provincial as the rest of his clan, she discovers that there is far more to the man than meets the eye. And there is something about the peaceful atmosphere of the place--and the character of its most prominent citizen--that soon gets under her skin.
Beneath the peaceful surface, however, change is threatening the island of Whales Reef. David's cousin Hardy Tulloch, whose claim to the inheritance now in Loni's hands was backed by oil investors, has not been deterred in his aim to control the island. But his co-conspirators have plans of their own, plans that put Loni's very life in danger. . . .
Featuring the return of heart-warming characters and plenty of dramatic moments that engage the reader's interest, "The Cottage", the second novel in the "Secrets of the Shetlands" books, is a worthy follow-up to "The Inheritance". Though there were some moments that dragged a bit for me with the gentle pacing of the story, I loved how the author would suddenly reveal a great twist or weave action-packed scenes into the story. Phillips does a great job at building some suspense in the novel, not in terms of the typical way we view suspense where people's lives are actively threatened, but with the feeling that Loni is going to make the wrong decision, one that would cost the islanders everything they hold dear. Readers get a much greater glimpse into Loni and David's lives and spirituality in this second book, and I appreciated how Phillips rounds out these characters with their history. The ending is superb in how it is crafted, with a heroic moment that will make you want to cheer, and ties things together very well while leaving me intrigued as to where things will go in book 3.
I closed the final pages of the novel having a great appreciation for the Shetlands and feeling as if I had visited there in real life. In fact, if I had the money, I'd be tempted to climb on a plane and visit the locale of this story for myself as I miss it already! I award this novel a solid rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Readers who enjoy a blend of contemporary and historical novels should plan on diving into this series (though start with book 1 if you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading The Inheritance).
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
about the author....
Michael Phillips is a bestselling author who has penned more than seventy books, both fiction and nonfiction. In addition, he has served as editor/redactor of nearly thirty more books. Over the past thirty years, his persistent efforts have helped reawaken interest in the writings of nineteenth century Scotsman George MacDonald. Michael and his wife, Judy, spend time each year in Scotland, but make their home near Sacramento, California.Buy now from Amazon:
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