REVIEW: THE COMFORT OF SECRETS, BY CHRISTINE NOLFI

 

Cat Mendoza needs a win. After a business failure and years of dating the wrong men, she’s ready to turn things around.

First she must convince the residents of Sweet Lake, Ohio, that she’s taking her responsibilities seriously. As the events director of the newly restored Wayfair Inn, she has the support of her best friends, Linnie and Jada. But everyone else—including her overprotective mother and the well-meaning Sweet Lake Sirens—can’t help but chime in with advice about her plans, her apparently too-tight clothes, and her undeniable attraction to Ryan D’Angelo, the charming ad exec hired to promote the inn.

Cat knows she should keep Ryan at a distance, but she’s drawn closer by the heartbreak he tries to hide. Will uncovering his secrets derail the new life Cat hopes to achieve…or will she gain something to cherish forever?

My Thoughts: In The Comfort of Secrets, the second novel of the series, we are immersed in Cat’s thoughts and feelings. Her insecurities, her needs, and the frustration she feels at her mother’s over-protectiveness dominate the story, especially in the beginning. Meeting Ryan opens up her heart, but will she be forced to turn away from him?

The Sweet Lake Sirens are as pushy and annoying as ever, but beneath it all, their hearts are in the right place.

Ryan’s abusive childhood and his mother Julia’s fear of leaving Cincinnati, the city they now call home, has dropped a shadowy shroud over his need to find love and create his own family. But what additional secrets is Julia hiding from her son? How does her past converge finally in Sweet Lake?

Hovering over the story is a dark and shadowy figure encroaching on one of the Sirens…what is the connection between this individual and present day Sweet Lake? What other unexpected ghosts of the past will come together during a celebratory concert? As the danger increases, intense moments follow until finally, the secrets are revealed and we come to a very hopeful conclusion. 5 stars.***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.