Ever After
Hallie Hartley is finally able to start a life of her own. She has completed her training as a physical therapist and plans to pay off the debt on her family home and begin living.
After her mother died when she was young, her father remarried, bringing into their home with his new wife, her daughter, Shelly, who is nothing short of spoiled and manipulative. Now that both Hallie's father and Shelly's mother are deceased due to a car crash, Shelly depends on Hallie for support.
When Hallie returns unexpectedly to her Boston suburb home where Shelly mooches off her, she discovers a strange man and Shelly looking somewhat guilty. Turns out Hallie inherited a home on Nantucket from a relative she never heard of, but Shelly is trying to pass herself off as Hallie, planning to gain the property for herself. Lucky for Hallie, she discovers her sister's act before it is too late—but this is the last straw.
The man delivering the keys for the island abode, Jared Montgomery Kingsley, is there to hire Hallie to treat his cousin who was badly hurt, and he is offering to cover all her expenses and a salary. Hallie packs her bags in a hurry—the ones Shelly already packed with her own belongings—and she hightails it to Nantucket with Jared in the family's private jet. She is seething at Shelly's antics; nonetheless, she is excited by the surprise of a new residence and job. Maybe now she can have her own life and not kowtow to everyone as she did in the past.
The patient, Jamie Taggert, claims he has an injury from a skiing accident, yet Hallie finds he is displaying signs of having endured something more perilous. He refuses to take off his clothing for her to massage his injuries and will not discuss his wounds. What happened to this man? To make matters worse, his family treats him as if he is suffering from a terminal illness.
Jamie shares Hallie's home for his treatment, and she is awakened during the night by his moans. She believes he is in pain and goes to the living room where his bed is to calm him so his thrashing will not cause him to fall. The only thing that seems to settle him is when she caresses his forehead and plants soft kisses on him, whispering he is safe. This is tenuous territory for her as she finds herself drawn to this handsome yet broken man. Therapy progresses and the two find they can discuss most anything, with the exception of Jamie's wounds and Hallie's step sister, and Hallie senses he is wounded in spirit as well as body.
Often when they enter the kitchen they find someone has left them delectable treats, and they wonder who it is. They soon learn the homestead originally owned by one of Hallie's long lost relatives was home to two beautiful sisters who perished at a young age from illness. It is also purported that their spirits roam the house and are known for matchmaking. Could they be working their "magic" to get Hallie and Jamie together? Hallie presumes once Jamie is healed he'll no longer be interested in her.
When the whole Taggert and Montgomery clan descend on the island for a wedding, Hallie takes pleasure in meeting the lovable and boisterous family. However, whenever Jamie enters where they are celebrating the televised nuptials of another relative, they halt their gaiety as if someone has just died. Hallie realizes she must do something to prove Jamie is recovering and that his kinfolk no longer need to walk on eggshells around him.
The island of Nantucket is well described, as well as are the many quixotic characters. It is inspiring to see the protagonist, who first appears milquetoast, rise up and come into her own, showing she will not be pushed around, but will be her own person.
Though Ever After is the final novel in the Nantucket Brides trilogy, this book stands on its own. Between the elements of the supernatural with the ghostly sisters, a huge loveable family, and a delightful mixture of romance, this proves to be an enjoyable summer read.