Sandy M’s review of Things We Never Said (Hart’s Boardwalk, Book 3) by Samantha Young
Contemporary Romance published by Amazon Digital Services 7 Man 19
I always enjoy visiting Hartwell, Delaware in Samantha Young’s Hart’s Boardwalk series. This time, however, some time during the story is spent in Boston as we delve into the troubled life of family and love of Dahlia McGuire. The story slips from Dahlia’s first-person POV to her young lost love Michael Sullivan’s third-person point of view, all of which I enjoyed, getting a better look at everything from both characters’ flashbacks and current situation.
Dahlia left home years ago, without a word to anyone. In those intervening years she’s kept in touch with her father, but her siblings have had no contact with her at all. She’s found some peace in Hartwell in her jewelry-making shop and her friendships she’s made. What makes all those decisions in her life that much more difficult is the fact she also left Michael behind. So when discovering her parents are divorcing, she returns to Boston, and not only does she have to come clean with her family, she also has to come face to face with the love of her life, though she’s tried to let that part of her life go.
Michael too still has feelings for Dahlia, though these days it’s more hate than love. He’s never known why she left, and seeing her now only makes the past something he needs to straighten out. This is a super emotional time for Dahlia, letting her family in on her secret, but also still hoping for some type of reconciliation with her mother and one brother, who is taking mom’s side instead of Dahlia’s. These are all emotional scenes as her family realizes Dahlia’s reasons for leaving, but her mom is as hateful as ever.
Then there’s Michael. It’s just as terrible having to explain her decisions back then to him now, and she even keeps the most horrible part from him at first. Once he begins to understand, it’s so nice to see them reconnect – Michael wanting more with her and Dahlia not believing they will work any longer, especially because she doesn’t live in Boston where Michael is a detective. Usually I’m not happy when a character drags out reasons similar to this as long as Dahlia does, but by the time this occurs, I was so invested in these two and her reasons are much more sound than most you read in romance.
I love that it’s Michael who takes the steps to convince Dahlia they still belong together. He’s a great guy and can fit in wherever, and while it takes her a bit more time to figure that out, I’m happy to say she does grab on to that happily ever after with both hands. I liked catching up with previous characters in the series, especially Vaughn and Bailey, who does spend some time with best friend Dahlia in Boston. This is a series of which I will never tire. Ms. Young writes with heart-felt emotion and a terrific sense of humor. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book to see what’s going in Hartwell next!
Grade: A
Summary:
Local metalsmith and gift shop owner, Dahlia McGuire, likes her quiet life in Hartwell, Delaware. It’s the perfect place to hide from her family and the tragic events that led to their estrangement. However, when her father, the person she loves most in the world, needs her Dahlia has no choice but to return to Boston to face her ghosts. One of those happens to be her ex-boyfriend’s best friend, Michael Sullivan. The man she was never supposed to fall in love with.
Michael Sullivan has never forgotten Dahlia McGuire. Some might say he’s never gotten over her. For years he lived with the anger of her desertion, and now, newly-divorced, he’s finally ready to move on. That proves impossible when Dahlia returns to Boston and reawakens their explosive connection. Despite everything, Michael wants her back, but Dahlia can’t seem to let go of the tangled emotions of the past. When she flees home to Hartwell, Michael follows, determined to do everything in his power to convince her they belong together.
However, when the unthinkable hits the quiet seaside town, Michael finds himself trying to unravel more than the mystery of Dahlia’s broken heart. It’s time for truths left unsaid to finally be spoken or Michael and Dahlia might find themselves torn apart forever…
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