The first installment of The Piper Cove Chronicles from Linda Windsor shines with good writing and fun deeply layered characters.

Alex is thrown into a tailspin when Josh Turner waltzes back into town. Normally, the entry of a new eligible bachelor in town wouldn’t bother this workaholic who keeps men at arms length. But this particular bachelor is eligible only because he left her 16 years earlier, one year into their marriage. Throw in her sister’s wedding and her father’s weird behavior, and Alex’s life is turned upside down.

This is the first book of Linda Windsor’s that I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. She writes with a sensitivity that allowed me, as a reader, to fully engage with the characters and see both Alex and Josh’s perspectives. And there are huge hurdles in this romance. Much more than the fact that he left her with only a note 16 years ago.

While the old sparks and attraction are still there, Alex isn’t willing to jump into his arms and repeat the mistakes of the past. And the characterization fully supports her reactions.

The setting is the fun Maryland Eastern Shore which Linda writes well. I could practically see the community and the real ones that surround it. There is also a full cast of supporting characters who add to the book’s warmth and layering. And I have a feeling her girlfriends will find themselves in leading roles in future books.

The inaugural contemporary book from Avon Inspire, this book is a very enjoyable romance.