Reviewed by Nikyta

TITLE: Island House
AUTHOR: Bru Baker
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 200 pages
BLURB: Unable to move on after the death of his lover, British expat Niall Ahern clings to Nolan’s dream of living in the Caribbean by moving to Tortola. Once there, he finds that not even the beauty of the island can fill the hole in his heart. Broke and spent in nearly every way imaginable, Niall wants out of the lonely, miserable, guilt-ridden life he’s carved out for himself.

When Ethan Bettencourt, a wealthy tech guru, shows up in British Virgin Islands looking to purchase a second home, he gives Niall hope that he can move on. Both men fall hard and fast, but Niall finds piloting his yacht in the midst of a hurricane is nothing compared to weathering life’s simple misunderstandings. As their troubles come between them, Niall is left to wonder if he and Ethan are over before they’ve begun.

REVIEW:

Niall Ahern is just existing. After the death of his partner, he moved his life to an island they were supposed to eventually move to. Since then, he’s been trying to fulfill the dreams he had with his once partner, Nolan. It’s been four years and he still hasn’t been able to move on… until Ethan Bettencourt arrives. Ethan’s looking to buy a house on Tortola and hired Niall to show him homes. The attraction is instant but not only is Niall unwilling to sleep with a client but Ethan is giving off mixed signals. When a hurricane blows through the Caribbean, it brings the two closer together but when it’s over Ethan leaves without a goodbye. Hurt and depressed, Niall goes on with his life but he can’t seem to let Ethan go. When Niall goes to the States to see his sister-in-law, that gives him the perfect opportunity to find out why Ethan left in the first place. Was there something real between them or did Niall imagine the feelings he thought Ethan had for him?

Bru Baker is quickly turning into a favorite author of mine. There’s just something about her writing that draws me in with each story I read by her. I loved the flow of this story. There’s a few hiccups and readers might get annoyed with “the big misunderstanding” (although it wasn’t huge, IMO) but it worked for these two because of the past they unknowingly share. It explores the connection Niall and Ethan develop and the feelings they can’t get rid of but also shows them after they work things out from “The Big M”… at least with a little help from two great female secondary characters, Stephanie and Clare.

This story is solely from Niall’s POV so you get to know Niall pretty well. My heart ached for him. He’s still grieving for Nolan but he has an underlining of guilt he can’t seem to get rid of (and not for why you’re thinking either!). I just wanted to hug him and keep him safe. He’s sweet and kind but emotionally, he’s bruised. Ethan is different in that he loves his life. He’s confident, blunt, and a thrill seeker. The two have more in common then they originally think and I absolutely adored the connection they create. It’s seems a little fast at times but it’s sort of sweet and intense. I couldn’t help but love it and THEM!

I think my only issue was that the ending left me with a lot of questions. The boys deserve their happiness but now I’m left wondering where they go from here. Will Niall leave Tortola for Seattle? What about his business? His job? What will he do now? Will they have a long-distance relationship? Or will they move to Tortola? There are just so many questions I have that I really wish it had been longer so they could be answered!

In the end, I adored this story. Niall has a lot of depth to him as does Ethan, although Ethan is still somewhat mysterious. I liked the conflicts they go through and how they were handled but I found the writing amazing. Ms. Baker knows how to spin a tale that I’ll enjoy and I can’t wait to read more from her.

Nikyta rates it –

BUY LINKS: Dreamspinner Press