Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 4/29/2021 + 2547 more book reviews

Good book with gripping suspense and a bit of romance. Casey's grandmother recently passed away, leaving the old Crenshaw hotel to Casey. An elegant old hotel in its heyday, hosting the rich and famous, it has been boarded up since her grandmother became ill. Casey wants nothing more than to sell it as soon as she can and leave Buckhorn in her past. She spent her summers there with her grandmother and worked in the hotel when she was old enough. That all came to an end when she was sixteen and a young woman was murdered. Rumors of ghosts abound, but it's the all-too-human man who has been living in the hotel who has her attention now.

Finn James is a multibillionaire who, at loose ends after selling his company, arrived at the Crenshaw looking for answers about what happened to a former girlfriend. He searched the hotel from top to bottom, looking for clues, but turned up very little. Two things Finn found were Anna Crenshaw's journals and a notebook with one very disturbing entry. He found Anna's journals intriguing, especially the parts about Casey.

I loved the first meeting between Finn and Casey. While he expected her arrival, she had no clue that he was there. Sparks flew between them (the shower scene was terrific), but Casey was wary of trusting him. Casey received quite a shock when he showed her the invitation he got inviting him to a reunion of people who knew Megan, the murdered woman. That shock was compounded when the other staff members that summer also arrived, having received the same invitation. Finn immediately suspects that someone in the group has a hidden agenda and worries about Casey's safety. I enjoyed seeing them grow closer as they worked together. After their slightly rough beginning, it didn't take long for them to trust each other. I liked how Anna's journals gave Finn insight into Casey and what she'd been through. I loved his protectiveness and how it led to helping out over the sale of the hotel and land. Casey carries some guilt over something she did that summer, and it weighs on her until she tells Finn about it. I liked how their growing feelings for each other helped them heal and move on from the past. I loved the ending and the epilogue.

As the weekend progresses, revelations about Megan come out. Each staff member reveals some episode that makes them suspects in her murder. Everyone suspects everyone else, and it only gets worse when two people disappear. Ghostly appearances and strange noises add to the tension. That tension ramps up when Finn and Casey make a grisly discovery behind a locked door. An unexpected twist lands Casey in extreme danger, and I was on the edge of my seat until she was out and safe. But the threat isn't over yet, as Megan's killer remains unidentified. But with new information, it doesn't take long to figure it out. The conclusion was a bit of a surprise but quite satisfactory.

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