Summer at Seaside Cove

Table of Contents

 

 

—
Heartstrings Reviews

 

 

RAVES FOR JACQUIE D'ALESSANDRO

 

“On par with some of the best works from seasoned authors like Julia Quinn and Stephanie Laurens.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“A delightful tale of honor and duty, curses and quests, treachery and betrayal, love and passion.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

 

“A delight from start to finish . . . Romance at its enchanting best!”

—Teresa Medeiros,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“Overflows with romance, passion, humor, and danger.”

—
Huntress Book Reviews

 

“An entertaining, often humorous Regency romantic romp that also provides a lesson in sticking to one's values even if it hurts to do so.”

—
The Best Reviews

 

“Ms. D'Alessandro's books are not only keepers—they are treasures.”

—
Affaire de Coeur

 

“An engaging tale, combining witty dialogue with charming characters . . . Jacquie D'Alessandro is always a solid read for me.”

—
Night Owl Reviews

“An exhilarating historical romance starring two delightful lead characters.”

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Midwest Book Review

 

“Lush, sensuous, intriguing—hang whatever kudos you want on it . . . An outstanding read, and historical romance readers will absolutely not want to miss it.”

—
The Romance Reader

 

“A fantastic story; it's sexy, funny, and heartwarming.”

—
Fallen Angel Reviews

 

“There are so many skillful twists and turns in the deftly drawn plot that one gets dizzy reading them . . . Decidedly a page-turner.”

—
Curled Up With a Good Book

 

“Pulsating with sexual tension and a cast of marvelous characters whose dialogue is fresh and filled with passion, this delicious tale is a definite keeper.”

—
Rendezvous

 

“[A] charming, funny romp . . . destined to delight readers with its fast pace, snappy dialogue, winsome characters, and the sweet yet sexy love story.”

—
Romantic Times

SEDUCED AT MIDNIGHT
TEMPTED AT MIDNIGHT
SUMMER AT SEASIDE COVE

 

 

DOUBLE THE PLEASURE
(with Lori Foster, Deirdre Martin, and Penny McCall)

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 

SUMMER AT SEASIDE COVE

 

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

 

PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / May 2011

Copyright © 2011 by Jacquie D'Alessandro.

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

 

ISBN : 978-1-101-51470-2

 

BERKLEY
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SENSATION
Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY
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SENSATION and the “B” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

 

This book is dedicated with my love and gratitude to Jenni Grizzle. Thank you so much for keeping me on track and for being such a great friend. And especially for being older than me. ☺ And to Wendy Etherington, for always lending an ear and support.

 

Also, to all the men and women serving in our Armed Forces. Thank you so much for the sacrifices you and your families make every day to keep our country safe.

 

And, as always, to my wonderful, supportive husband, Joe. You're like a fine wine, getting better and better as time goes by. And our terrific son, Christopher, aka Fine Wine, Junior. Love you guys! xox

I would like to thank the following people for their invaluable help and support:

All the wonderful people at Berkley, including Cindy Hwang, Leslie Gelbman, Susan Allison, and Leis Pederson.

My agent, Damaris Rowland, as well as Steven Axelrod, Lori Antonson, and Elsie Turoci.

Many thanks to Steve, Michelle, and Lindsey Grossman and Jeb Kehres for the brainstorming session that resulted in the restaurant at Seaside Cove.

A very special thank you to Lisa Stone Hardt for putting me in touch with Princeton graduates Bill Hardt (class of '63), Josh Hardt (class of '95), and Adrienne Rubin (class of '88). Your help with my research of the school was invaluable. I hope I got it right—if not, the mistakes are mine. You all were wonderful. Go Tigers!

Thanks, as always, to Sue Grimshaw, Kathy Baker, Kay and Jim Johnson, Dick and Kathy Guse, and Lea and Art D'Alessandro. Thanks also to Serena and Jeremy Wray, Kendra Fogelberg, Brenda D'Alessandro, Anna Lynksey and Anthony, Michele Lynskey, Danielle Lynskey, and Robert, Toni, and Isabella D'Alessandro. Thanks as well to Susie Aspinwall, Sandy Izaguirre, and Melanie Long, and special thanks to Melissa and Ned Windsor for introducing me to the real Godiva.

A cyber hug to my Looney Loopies: Connie Brockway, Marsha Canham, Virginia Henley, Jill Gregory, Julie Ortolon, Julia London, and Sherri Browning. And my Whine Sisters, Julia, Sherri, Julie Kenner, Dee Davis, and Kathleen O'Reilly. And to our missing sister, Kathleen Givens, who is missed every day.

And finally, a very special shout out to all my readers who have been so supportive through the years. Thank you so much—I really appreciate it!

T
he decapitated, plastic pink flamingo, standing assfeathers deep in what looked like poison ivy, was Jamie Newman's first clue that doom had followed her from New York. The pictures of the “cheerful, cozy, inviting” beach house posted on the rental Internet site for the North Carolina coastal barrier island of Seaside Cove must have been seriously Photoshopped.

There was absolutely nothing cheerful, cozy, or inviting about this ramshackle bungalow, which sported peeling paint, grimy windows—two of which bore jagged cracks—and a second-story porch whose screens drooped like a flag on a windless day. The ten-foot stilts raising the house off the ground resembled weathered toothpicks and the entire structure looked a single ocean breeze away from dropping into a pile of rubble. The headless flamingo's faded color was the only bright spot in the tiny yard choked with weeds and thorny bushes.

Like all the neighboring dwellings, a plaque hung on the front of the rental proclaiming the house's name. She turned and read the names of several homes across the street—Beach Music, Kickin' Back, It's Five O'clock Somewhere. Unlike those colorful, beautiful plaques, however, her cottage sported a splintered oval of wood bearing sun-faded sand dunes and the words Paradise Lost. It hung at a drunken angle above the cracked front window.

While “Lost” was appropriate, someone clearly didn't know what “Paradise” meant.

“More like Hell Found,” she muttered.

“Good luck, ma'am,” came a male voice.

Jamie yanked her gaze away from the house of horrors and saw that while she'd been gawking, the cab driver had set her luggage at the end of the driveway. He made a beeline for the driver's seat.

“Whoa—you're not leaving me here,” she said, hurrying after him.

“My shift ended twenty minutes ago, ma'am, and I promised the wife I wouldn't be late. As it is she's goin' to be hoppin' mad.”

“She's not the only one. There's obviously been a mistake in my accommodations, and I'll need a ride once it's straightened out.”

“I'm afraid you'll need to call the cab company and arrange for another driver. Don't worry—they'll send someone quickly if you need them to. You have a good evenin' now, ya hear?” With that he slammed the door and took off like his gas tank contained rocket fuel.

“
If
I need them to?” Oh, she'd definitely need them to send someone else. There was no way in hell she was staying in this tumble-down shack. “We came to Seaside Cove to get
away
from disasters, not take on any new ones, right, Cupcake?”

She looked down at Cupcake, who glared at her through squinty eyes from the confines of her cat carrier. Poor kitty. Jamie hated putting her in the carrier as much as her beloved pet hated being in it, but safety first.