It’s been a long time since I’ve read a romance novel so gripping and utterly engaging. Diane Tyrrel, who also wrote On Winding Hill Road, commands your attention and keeps you turning pages long into the night with The Inn at Half Moon Bay, described as a gothic romance but really a romantic suspense story with all the necessary elements for a great read.
Tyrrel masterfully weaves intensifying romance with increasing tension as she tells the story of a beautiful redhead named Kelly who buys the Magic Mermaid Inn from a wonderful older couple. Soon Kelly realizes that running an inn is hard work, but she grows to love the gorgeous environment of the coastal setting and the varied clientele, including two men who capture her heart just as the Inn captured her ambitious spirit. One of those men is the rugged handyman Nick McClure; the other is an ultra-wealthy powerhouse named Eli Larson. The two men couldn’t be more different, and Kelly finds herself drawn to both but unwilling to commit to either.
Add to this the growing awareness that someone is messing with her Inn - and her mind - and a sinister presence provides a lurking sense of gothic evil that Kelly must uncover before her life is in danger. For this sinister presence has struck before, with someone quite like Kelly as its victim.
Plan on setting aside a good chunk of time to read this because once you start, it’s hard to stop. Tyrrel is an engaging author with a great sense of style and setting, and you will no doubt be drawn into the story from the start of Page One, and not want to leave until you get to The End.