July 18, 2022
Secrets threaten the future of an engaged couple in Snow’s dull finale to the Blue Moon Bay series (after A Lot Like Christmas). Go-getter Whitney Carlisle works hard, so it’s easy to make Trent Connolly, her fiancé of three years, believe that her exhaustion stems simply from her busy lifestyle—she’s heading up Blue Moon Bay’s tourism department while caring for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s—rather than reveal her recent diagnosis of sickle cell anemia. Even without knowing Whitney’s secret, however, tavern owner Trent wishes she would slow down, take better care of herself, and help him plan their wedding. As they struggle to communicate in the present, their seven-year love story unfolds through a series of flashbacks, which has the unfortunate effect of keeping the reader at arm’s length. Whitney works overtime to keep Trent from learning of her chronic illness, but her lies feel unmotivated and her antics offer little excitement. Meanwhile, Trent is a patient, swoonworthy hero, but it’s difficult to root for his happily ever after with a woman who, in trying to protect her secret, treats him so poorly. The relationship feels distinctly unbalanced and Whitney’s actions are never fully reckoned with. There’s nothing romantic about this romance. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary.