RATING: GOOD
SPOILERS!!!
This novel is the perfect ending to the trilogy.
When the villa and the house in Iowa city are seized by the FBI, Irene has no other option than live in Hunk’s house. Irene is quite upset as her freedom is limited. Then Ayers gives Hunk Rosie’s diaries, and after debating with himself for days, he decides to give Irene the opportunity to read them. When Irene reads them, she is very upset, venting her anger on Hunk and blaming him for not stopping Rosie from seeing a married man. Irene then decides to stop being Hunk’s first mate and move out of the house. Nothing Hunk tells her makes her change her mind.
Irene is stubborn and even though deep down she knows that she has been unfair. I thought that for a woman of her age she wasn’t acting well. Then Hunk writes a letter to her, saying that he wants to be there for him and he values his friendship, and he explains how Rosie was a woman in her thirties, and even though he suspected she was seeing a married man, he had no power to stop him. He also explains about his first wife, who was an alcoholic and a philanderer, so he knew how she feels. The nudge that makes Irene react is when Swan, one of the local mothers, tells Irene that she saw Hunk with an attractive woman, who Irene knows is Agent Vasco, and Irene tells herself that nobody is going to take Hunk from her.
The next day Irene plans to be on the dock when Hunk docks his boat. Before that, Irene gets the visit of a mysterious woman, who turns out to be Marilyn Monroe, Croft’s secretary. Marilyn reveals that she is actually Croft’s wife, and he married her for her father’s money. At first the company was legal, but then he got deeper and deeper in murky waters, and he chose Russ as the fall man. Croft attracted Russ with the money and their previous friendship in college, and at first, there didn’t seem anything untoward, and he made sure that all documents were signed by Russ. He also manipulated the situation so that Russ would meet Rosie and he would have over him. Irene knows that Russ could still have remained faithful, but now he knows that there was also an influential external element. Marilyn says that Russ wanted out, but that was a dangerous thing to do. Apparently, Russ felt guilty of having a double life, and all he wanted was to stop working for Croft and have a quiet life with Irene in Iowa. It is interesting that when Marilyn tells Irene, the latter feels outraged on Rosie’s and Maia’s behalf. Marilyn advised Russ not to say anything, but the lawyer didn’t’ heed her, and Croft pretended to accept their resignation, and he tried to get one of his associates, Oscar Cobbs, Rosie’s ex-boyfriend, to set up a trap for the men, but he refused. It was actually Oscar who tried to stop the whole thing but it was too late. Croft also killed Oscar. Now Marilyn informs Irene that she will testify and will enter the protected witnesses programme.
After her conversation with Marilyn, Irene goes to meet Hunk, and they finally make up.
Cash and Tilda break up. Her plans to build a resort are on their way to become a reality as her parents associate with a young millionaire. They advise her to travel with the man (Duncan) and see how things are done in other resorts. Cash is jealous, and he has reasons to feel so, and he and Tilda split up. Things with Duncan are not a bed of roses because the man tries to seduce Swan Seeley, but Tilda still believes his claims that he had just been helpful.
Baker gets a job in the island, selling time-shares of the hotel. Ayers discovers that she is pregnant and the baby is Baker’s. Ayers tells him that she wants to go slowly, and they start dating. Ayers’ parents also arrive when they learn that their daughter is pregnant and they even get a time-share.
An event affects the characters in a significant way. It is when the island is struck by a hurricane. Tilda goes to the island to secure everything, but Duncan leaves her to be, and she realises he is not the person she should be with. Cash comes to the rescue and he stays with Tilda in a cottage while the hurricane strikes. The rest of the family gather in Baker’s house and during the hurricane Ayers goes into labour and has her baby girl thanks to the help of a midwife who Hunk brings.
After the hurricane, the island is a pitiful sight, but the characters are happy to have survived and be together. Everybody has their happy ending.
I loved the trilogy and enjoyed reading about these lovely characters.
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