Island Of Secrets

Buy Island of Secrets to fall in love with a tropical romantic mystery today!

Two love stories separated in time. Two women following their dreams. In a paradise littered with painful secrets, will love turn the tide?

“If you love family sagas spanning generations, stories of adventure and romance and books set in beautiful locations then I highly recommend this novel.”

1973. Cecilia “CiCi” Freemont has a restless soul and the voice of an angel. Leaving her privileged upbringing behind, she chases her dreams to the sandy beaches of an unspoiled Hawaiian paradise, Harbor Island. But life takes an unexpected turn when she falls for the island’s young heir-apparent and her newfound adventure becomes too much to bear…

2017. Investigative journalist Tina Templeton has dedicated herself to the pursuit of truth. But when she inherits Harbor Island, her career plans take a confusing twist. Managing the sprawling island estate is tough business even with the help of aging cabaret singer, CiCi Freemont. Especially when a massive ecological disaster threatens to destroy her beautiful beaches—and the responding coast guard captain steals her heart.

As the investigation into the disaster reveals a 40-year-old mystery that could change their lives forever, will Tina find love among the secrets, or will CiCi’s painful past dash her dreams on the rocks?

Island of Secrets is an epic love story. If you like generations-spanning drama, characters with hidden pasts, heart-warming romance and intrigue, then you’ll love Diane Demetre’s powerful novel in paradise.

Praise for Island of Secrets

Well, I can certainly say that this novel swept away any winter blues and took me to the far-off shores of Hawaii on a beautiful journey. I adored this book and loves the two stories of strong, fierce women although I have to admit my favourite was CiCi’s. The main characters are very likeable and it’s difficult to not be taken on their journey with them. CiCi’s story focusses on a young woman’s journey to find herself and her place in the world. Feeling unable to return home to her parents and realising it’s time to move on from group she was travelling with, she finds her home on Harbor Island working for the Reginald family. Despite a feeling of uneasiness and a little mystery, it’s here that Cecilia makes friends and falls in love. But love isn’t always that simple and she’s left with an impossible choice. I love how this part of the story reflects the time in which it is set and the mindset you would likely find on a small, sheltered island. Tina’s story is a little more different. After inheriting the island Tina has choices to make about her own life and how dedicated she is to making Harbor Island successful and ecological. During her research, she is confronted by some disturbing facts that put the island’s survival in danger. When Captain Jack Homes is thrown into the mix, Tina gets more than she bargained for from the island. The island itself has a story to tell. A story of generations of Reginalds and their dark secrets from the past, stories of love, families, loss and grief and stories of the future. Diane Demetre has a great talent for bringing beautiful settings to life. The description in the book is breath taking and fully immerses you into the setting from the clear waters, the beauty of Rainbow Falls, the local way of life and the scent of the flowers from the garden. If you love family sagas spanning generations, stories of adventure and romance and books set in beautiful locations then I highly recommend this novel.

This book is so good. It’s two generations of love. I loved all of the characters. The ending is wonderful. I suggest Kleenex being handy.

This is a heart wrenching love story that covers a life time. It is not the traditional happy ever after but it still does end that way. It is an entertaining, easy to read love story with wonderful characters. It had some very emotional moments. It was a great story.

The story was told in several points of view about life on an island. It was captivating and original. The characters draw you in and carry you right along with their journey through time. Highly recommend this great romantic mystery.

Extremely entertaining, captivating, and interesting read. I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong and intriguing characters. I want to read more from this author.

This is the second novel I’ve read by the author and, though very different from Retribution (which I loved), this novel has its own strengths. It’s the saga of a???? Hawaiian family dynasty, but focused on two generations of strong women and their❤ romances. Cecelia ‘s young love is poignant and doomed, Tina’s second chance love is sudden, healing and, ultimately, an ironic conclusion to an old family drama. Cecelia was my favorite character. She is full of life, a sense of adventure, and an optimism about life’s possibilities; she’s also ready to sacrifice big time for the place and people she loves. The descriptions of the natural beauty of the fictional Harbor Island are vivid and lyrical. Otherwise, the prose is simple and straightforward. I got so involved with these characters that I could not stop reading! I really liked the inclusion of several mysteries that take a while to solve. Although the minor characters who reside and work on the island seemed a bit stereotyped, all in all it’s a lovely read with some tearful moments and well worth considering. I will be looking forward to more stories from Ms. Demetre.

I really enjoyed this story and how it is split into 3 parts: 1973, 2017 and 2027. In 1973 we meet a 25-year old Cecilia who made the decision to go off on an adventure to a Hawaii at the dismay of her parents. She soon realises that her decision may not have been the best, deciding she must get a job and save to return to the main land to pursue her singing career. She ends up as a housekeeper for a well-off family on the amazing, but mysterious Harbor Island and soon settles in to the role. But there are secrets that she can’t uncover…..things that the locals know and won’t share with her…..What are the strange noises at night? What has happened and what is now happening on Harbor Island? She makes strong, lasting friendships whilst she there, and falls in love with the heir…..but is it for the best? What will happen and what will the future bring for CiCi? (We do find out but I’m not giving anything away!)In part 2 we find ourselves in 2017 and meet Tina who has just inherited the island, and the new locals…..but don’t worry….we meet some of the oldies too! Tina struggles making plans for the island and how to make it profitable, with some serious run-ins with her brother. It’s lovely to meet CiCi again and see where life has taken her but under sad circumstances (that I admit….made me cry!). Tina then finds out that something is amiss on her island and calls in the coast guard to help her solve the mystery and save her island……whilst falling for him at the same time! What’s going on? Is it an inside job? Will they save the island? Who is Jack? Does Jack fall for her too?And finally in the last part, 2027 we find out what has happened over the last 10 years with a happy/sad ending that had me in tears! (Clearly an emotional wreck at this story!) Overall, I absolutely loved this story! I loved the characters and the way Demetre truly makes you have strong feelings for each one. This is so beautifully written with such a fantastic storyline that has you gripped right till the very end, with laughter, smiles, shrieks and tears through the emotional rollercoaster that is an Island of Secrets! The title of this book couldn’t have been better as it really delivers what it says on the cover…..an absolutely gorgeous island paradise with so many secrets. If you want a story which will fully submerge you in the story, take you on an emotional rollercoaster and have you gripped until the very end, then this is for you!

This book was so good! It jumps over a span of about forty years. It has everything in it. From first love to first discovery. It has suspense, love lost and love gained. It also has a friendship that stood the test of time, and sibling rivalry. If you read another book this year, this is the one! I highly recommend this wonderful book!

In general: Exciting family story on an exotic island. The book describes the situation on the island and its ruling family in two parts. First in the year 1973 and second in 2017. In both parts the female, strong main characters (Cecilia and Tina) have to deal with secrets on the island. In spite of strong opposition, they succeed in solving the secrets and creating n healthy basis for a happy society on the island. In both parts Diane Demetre creates a lot of suspense, credible characters, exciting action scenes, fine dialogues and sweet love relations (with no hot sex scenes). It’s a suspenseful family saga in an exotic place that keeps the attention of the reader page after page. Well done Diane Demetre!

I’m a little late with my review because it took me a few days to stop crying. This is wonderful story about 2 strong women separated by a span of years, yet very connected. CiCi is a free spirit child of the 70s and it is her story that draws the reader into the book. Tina ties the present with the past and has her own journey to love and family to travel. There is a bit of family dysfunction and mystery that is sprinkled throughout that enables the reader to see many facets of the characters.

I don’t know where to start. It was a flashback to the 70s and life then. We follow the journey of Cecelia at first. Harbor Island is where she ended up. There she found herself and the love of her life, and felt as though she but had to move on. Dicky inherited the Island and upon his death everyone reunited. Including the new addition to their family. There were fights and criminal activity which in the end turned out to be a happy ending.

When I came across the blurb and saw that it was tagged as a romantic mystery, I was really interested in it. I was in the mood for something which would appeal to my mind. Frankly I was expecting a present-day scenario with a look into solving a past mystery. But what I got was a book with a tale of love with bits and pieces of mystery interspersed among the chapters. When I started it, I actually didn’t like CiCi – a carefree and passionate woman, estranged from her family and on an adventure of seeking her life. None of what I have listed above made me dislike her. But her naivety had me questioning her worldliness and her character. But as the story progressed, I pitied and felt sorry for her. I could relate to her heart ache. And towards the end, I envied her for her long-lasting love. The way the author has used words to get the imagery right when describing the setting and the way she has pulled on the heart strings with her language makes for a well written book. I felt various emotions while reading, from disappointment to poignant joy. There is a keen sense of loss throughout the book in addition to the love. The final chapter had me smiling despite the pain in my heart. It was touching and had me in a melancholic hold. All the elements together gave me a few hours of good entertainment. If I had a chance to read the author’s works in the future, I would definitely take it up because of her writing style. If you like poignant love stories with a mysterious feel, this book is for you!

Set in two time periods but in the same location, Harbor Island, this story follows the romances of two young women. The first part is set in 1973 and Cecilia Freemont is the rebellious young lady who goes to work as housekeeper on the island after leaving her “hippy” boyfriend. Harbor Island has been owned and run by the Reginald family who strive to protect it. and which provides employment for the local residents. There are some fantastic characters on the island although it is the Reginalds who are key to much of the story, especially the siblings, Victoria and Richard (Dickie) who are soon friends with CiCi. It is their interactions, developing relationship and difficult relationship with their father that are the focus for the first part of the story, until CiCi has to leave the island. The second part has CiCi, now in her sixties, returning to the island for a sad event. Here she meets the children of Victoria – Tina and Sebastien – and the mysteries of the island continue. As some secrets are revealed, an impending ecological disaster which brings someone there’s a huge one when someone CiCi never dreamt of meeting again comes back into her life. There are some great surprises in this section, and I have to say that I loved the ending! It is a moving story, with a beautiful setting brought to life through the fantastic descriptions. It is only as the secrets from the island are revealed that there’s any chance of a happy ever after for these characters! This is a heart warming story across the generations, filled with love, secrets, romance and intrigue. It is a great read, a real page turner and moving story that I have no hesitation in highly recommending.

I really enjoyed Island of Secrets. I loved the concept of the generational span of drama. The plot had everything you could want in a book. Heart-warming romance, mystery and set in paradise.Cecilia was my favorite character. I thought she was compelling with her restlessness and dream chasing. I really enjoyed reading her journey. Overall this was a very compelling and interesting book. I recommend checking it out.

This story sucked me in right from the start, I loved the early 70’s it was also my time to travel to an island paradise, so it brought back fond memories for me. The characters warmed my heart, especially Dickie, he was special. I liked the way this story progressed, even the jump in years. It all made sense to me and held my interest. I thought the ending was special.

At first, I was not sure what to think, but the story pulls you. There are some heartbreaking elements, but there is also love and redemption. I definitely shed a few tears reading the story. The island held many secrets and heartaches. The story had lost love, finding love, and in the end, a sort of homecoming. It spanned two generations.

Diane once again ignites the imagination and hearts of her readers with a captivating story of the mystical ways life brings people together to fulfil their destiny and experience the true meaning of love. It is simultaneously a wonderful escape and a reminder of the connections we all have to each other.

The plot was captivating, suspenseful and fresh. Would like to read more of this author’s works. She has the ability to involve the reader into the story, and wanting to turn the pages. Highly recommend!

Island of Secrets is a gorgeous love story of epic proportions that spans more than forty years. It is touched with mystery and this served well across the passage of time and the bringing together of characters and strands of the story. The author has really created a beautiful idyll in Harbor Island. It was delightfully imagined and brought to life by the brush strokes of this author’s deft writing. I long to visit such a place now. Island of Secrets is a story of love in its many guises. The love of families, the love of friends, first loves, last loves, forever loves. The one that drew me in the most was the love of Harbor Island, the ability to fall so completely in love with a place you would do anything to protect it and never want to leave. This book touches on some interesting environmental issues and as the passage of time moved on so did the issues that arose. I adored the fact that this novel had so many wonderful characters and strong women. I loved the feminism that shone through and when it came down to it, it was the women that got things done. I enjoyed reading about these characters very much. I think my favourite was CiCi Freemont. She was a real tonic, her lust for life and unwavering ability to follow her dreams was admirable. She was passionate, kind and caring. Island of Secrets was a little of slice of island life that brought me as a reader more than I imagined and I thoroughly enjoyed being castaway between the pages of this one.

I really loved Cecilia, the main character, I had Suggs singing in my head whilst reading this. The story starts as Cecilia is facing a cross roads in her life, being a hard-headed young woman, she has left home to make it on her own. She finally wises up to her dead-beat boyfriend and is offered the job of a lifetime on a secluded island. Here she finds herself a second family, and a secure job. She is living in paradise, what could possibly go wrong? Fast forward forty years and Tina Templeton finds herself on the island, due to a bereavement, she’s used to visiting for holidays. However, her life is about to be turned on its head. Something is wrong on the island and it looks as though she is the only one who can fix it. The book is very well written, and the island sounds absolutely idyllic.

Buy Island of Secrets to fall in love with a tropical romantic mystery today!

ISLAND OF SECRETS

Two love stories separated in time. Two women following their dreams. In a paradise littered with painful secrets, will love turn the tide?

Praise for Island of Secrets

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