Gansett Island #1-3

Gansett Island #1-3

by Marie Force

With more than 1 million ebooks sold since Maid for Love debuted in 2011, the New York Times bestselling McCarthys of Gansett Island Series has become one of the most beloved romance series available today. Read the first three books in the series: Maid for Love, Fool for Love and Ready for Love in this special offering.

Book 1: Maid for Love
Maddie Chester is determined to leave her hometown of Gansett Island, a place that has brought her only bad memories and ugly rumors. Then she’s knocked off her bike on the way to her housekeeping job at McCarthy’s Resort Hotel by Gansett’s “favorite son,” Mac McCarthy. He’s back in town to help his father with preparations to sell the family resort and has no intention of staying long. When Mac accidentally sends Maddie flying over the handlebars, badly injuring her, he moves in to nurse her back to health and help care for her young son. He soon realizes his plans for a hit-and-run visit to the island are in serious jeopardy, and he just may be “maid” for love.

Book 2: Fool for Love
Joe Cantrell, owner of the Gansett Island Ferry Company, has been in love with Janey McCarthy for as long as he can remember. At the same time, Janey has been dating or engaged to doctor-in-training David Lawrence. When things go horribly wrong between David and Janey, she calls her “fifth brother” Joe, one of the few people in her close circle who lives on the mainland. Janey decides a few days with Joe is just what she needs before she goes home to the island to face her parents and family with the news of her broken engagement. It was bad enough for Joe loving Janey from afar, but having her in his house is pure torture. Will he take advantage of this opportunity to show her what they could have together? And what will Joe’s best friend and Janey’s protective older brother Mac have to say about it?

Book 3: Ready for Love
For four of the best summers of his young life, Luke Harris was in love with Sydney Donovan, a wealthy seasonal visitor to Gansett Island. Then Sydney went off to college and never came back. She married another man and had two children while Luke remained on the island, working at McCarthy's Gansett Marina and wondering what had gone wrong between him and the only woman he ever loved. Fifteen months after Sydney suffers the tragic loss of her husband and children, she's returned to Gansett to figure out what's next, and that may very well be a rekindled love affair with the one man from her past she’s never forgotten. But is she ready for a second chance at love?



Gansett Island Reading Order
Maid for Love (Mac & Maddie)
Fool for Love (Joe & Janey)
Ready for Love (Luke & Sydney)
Falling for Love (Grant & Stephanie)
Hoping for Love (Evan & Grace)
Season for Love (Owen & Laura)
Longing for Love (Blaine & Tiffany)
Waiting for Love (Adam & Abby)
Time for Love (Daisy & David)
Meant for Love (Jenny & Alex)
Chance for Love, A Gansett Island Novella (Jared & Lizzie)
Gansett After Dark (Owen & Laura)
Kisses After Dark (Shane & Katie)
Love After Dark (Paul & Hope)
Celebration After Dark (Big Mac & Linda)
Desire After Dark (Slim & Erin)
Light After Dark (Mallory & Quinn)
Victoria & Shannon (Episode 1)
Kevin & Chelsea (Episode 2)
A Gansett Island Christmas Novella
Mine After Dark (Riley & Nikki)
Yours After Dark (Finn & Chloe)
Trouble After Dark (Deacon & Julia)
Rescue After Dark (Mason & Jordan)

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Amazon, Anthologies, Ebooks, Chick Lit

782 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2013

About the author

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance. Her series include Gansett Island, Fatal, Treading Water, Butler Vermont and Quantum.

Her books have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Speigel bestseller in Germany.

Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

Join Marie’s mailing list on her website at marieforce.com for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/marieforceauthor/. Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.

Reviews

[Somia]

Free on Amazon on the 20th May 2019

[CD {Boulder Blvd} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read a few years back and just updating my files...

[Nate Brightman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maid for Love
For some reason when I think of this book I think of the movie Pretty Woman. Only unlike the Julia Roberts character, single mom Maddie isn’t a prostitute, she just has the undeserved reputation as the town tramp and struggling single mom works at a low paying job as a housekeeper at the Gansett Island Inn getting the worst rooms assigned to her to clean. Obviously, she’s the maid in Maid to Love. And unlike the Richard Gere character, Mac isn’t a billionaire corporate raider. He’s a probable millionaire, overworked stressed out architect, eldest son of one of Gansett Island’s most prominent families who own the Gansett Island Inn and the Gansett Island Marina. But just like in Pretty Woman, Mac falls in love with Maddie and becomes her Prince Charming.
Maddie had the unfortunate fate of developing at a very young age which garnered her the unwanted attention of all the boys her own age and older for her voluptuous figure. When she refuses the sexual advances of one of her classmates he convinces some of his classmates to go along with a lie that she fucked them all at a beach bonfire. Which courtesy of the small-town gossip train ready to believe the worst about a girl who came from the wrong side of the tracks, it earned her the name Mattress Maddie. Life has shown Maddie that all men see when they look at her is her big tits. She literally hates them but doesn’t have the money for breast reduction surgery. Not helping Maddie’s unearned bad reputation is the fact that less than a year ago she gave birth to Thomas a baby boy, refusing to identify his father. Many in town are convinced he was fathered by an older rich man she cleaned house for.
Mac after an anxiety attack while working at the South Florida firm he helped found with his two partners is ordered by his doctor to take at least a month off to destress. Mac reluctantly returns home to the island he grew up on and couldn’t wait to leave as soon as he graduated high school because he felt stifled. On his first day back on Gansett Island a distracted Mac steps out into the street and his plowed into by Maddie on her bike rushing to work. Maddie is thrown from her bike. When Mac kneels down to help her one look into her bottomless caramel eyes and he’s a goner. For the first time in his 35 years lifelong commitment phobe Mac is attracted to a woman like a magnet to steel. But Maddie thanks to a lifetime of negative experiences has sworn off men since being deceived by her baby’s father who told her loved her and he’d had a vasectomy. And she sure isn’t interested in Mac McCarthy whose brother was one of the boys who falsely claimed she had sex with them in high school and whose mother had her mother arrested and imprisoned for check fraud. Winning the heart of the beautiful but reluctant Maddie is the greatest challenge of Mac’s life. I thoroughly enjoyed this story although I confess (perhaps because I’m a guy?) that I didn’t understand Maddie’s over the top reaction to something Mac did that almost tanked their relationship?
Fool for Love
Early in Maid for Love when 28-year-old Janey McCarthy finds her oldest and favorite brother Mac has returned to the island she jokes about being all grown up and even having sex. When Mac responds to the baby sister he struggles to see as a grown up woman talking about her sex life he says, “Gross.” She says, “Maybe you’re not doing it right?” But in this book we discover the jokes on Janey. Janey and David had been a couple since their sophomore year in high school. It’s now 13 years later. Last year they got engaged. She’s waiting for David to finish his final year of residency in Boston so he can return home to Gansett Island and take over the practice of the island’s only retiring doctor. But when she travels to Boston to surprise him on the anniversary of their first date she is shocked to see him underneath a buxom blonde who is riding him fast and hard. David who has his eyes closed and the woman who is fucking him had her back to Janey doesn’t see Janey before she escapes the house in a flood tears seeing all of her dreams of a future with David collapse around her. When her car breaks down on the way from Boston to the ferry that will take her back to Gansett Island she calls Joe Cantrell hers and her brother Mac’s life long best friend who lives part of the time on the mainland and owns the ferry company. She’s always thought of Joe like another older brother. Unbeknownst to Janey Joe has always harbored more than brotherly feelings for her but she’s always been in love with David so he did his best to hide those feelings from everyone but his best friend Mac. I can’t be the only one who found it kind of icky that Joe who like Mac is seven years Janey’s senior has always had a thing for her. Sure, now that she’s 28 and he’s 35 its cool. But back when she was 16 and he was 23, not so much. But at least he never tried to act on his feelings content to just be in her orbit as her friend.
What surprised me in this book was how quickly Janey discovered David’s cheating and then seduced Joe looking for something to temporarily take away her pain, unaware of just how much Joe feels for her. Janey who had been having sex with David and only David for the past dozen years discovers in one -night just how lacking her sex life with David actually had been. Joe, who because he loved Janey but is a guy has had multiple, meaningless one-night stands. But of course none of them lived up to being with Janey. They both realize that getting into a relationship with one another immediately after Janey has ended a 13-year relationship with David is a bad idea. But the sex is so good Janey can’t stay away from Joe and Joe loves Janey so much he can’t stay away from her, so they start hooking up in secret. The big reason for keeping it secret being neither wants Janey’s brother and life long protector Mac to know she’s doing his BFF because he’s sure to think he took advantage of her when she was at her most vulnerable. So they continue to get together for steamy nights between the sheets while Janey tries to get her head on straight. Janey’s fear that she can’t trust her own judgement when it comes to men after David’s unfaithfulness and her uncertainty about what direction her life will go in now that David has destroyed her dreams of becoming a wife and mother combined with trying to hide their relationship from Mac make up most of this story. A secondary story is with Maddie’s and Mac’s wedding only a few weeks away, how will Maddie’s mother who is scheduled to be released from prison react to finding out her oldest daughter is planning to marry a hated McCarthy?
Ready for Love
This is a second chance at love story between Luke and Sydney. The first book in the series that doesn’t directly involve a McCarthy although they’re all plenty present in this story. Luke was introduced in the first book Maid for Love as Mac Sr. right hand man helping him run McCarthy’s Gansett Island Marina In the second book Luke is now Mac Jr. (who has taken over running the marina from his semi-retired father) right hand man. In this book he is Mac Jr. equal partner in the marina as a reward for his years of loyal service working there since he was a teenager. In Fool for Love the author devoted a chapter to giving us the backstory of Luke and Sydney from 16 years ago. We learn that Sydney who used to come to Gansett Island to summer with her wealthy parents at her then grandparent’s large island home had a love affair with Luke for a few summers. Because of their age and different social status Sydney’s parents tried to discourage their relationship. Without a word to Luke she stopped returning to the island after her sophomore year in college. She later married Seth, (a banker whom her parents approved of) and bore him two children. They would return to Gansett Island some summers but a heartbroken Luke always avoided any direct contract with the only woman he had ever loved and Sydney riddled with guilt over how she’d left Luke never sought him out. Which honestly after Gansett Island has been portrayed in the previous books as such a small island where everyone knows and sees everyone it is hard to imagine they never accidentally ran into each other. But that’s the author’s story and she’s sticking to it. In Fool for Love months after a fatal car crash involving a drunk claimed the lives of her husband and two young children and left her with a broken pelvis among other injuries, Sydney had returned to Gansett Island to spend time at her now parents’ home recuperating from her emotional and physical injuries. Luke sneaks to the shrubbery surrounding the house and spies a broken Sydney in a rocking chair on the porch. But he slips away without ever saying anything to her.
At the start of Ready for Love a year after Fool for Love ended Sydney as fully recovered as she can be from her injuries has again returned to Gansett Island for the summer to try and sort her future out and we find Luke still skulking in Sydney’s bushes. Sydney who has apparently known for some time that Luke had been spying on her sneaks up on him and asks him if he’s ever going to say hello. She invites him to sit with her on the porch where she gives him a heartfelt apology for the way she left him without a word telling him she never forgot him or what they once shared. She tells Luke she’d like to be his friend again if he can ever forgive her. He accepts her apology and agrees to stop and see her again. Luke tells her he forgives her and promises to come see her again. But he really isn’t planning on it because he is still in love with Sydney and fears he wants more from her than she will give him. But of course he can’t stay away or we wouldn’t have a story.
Ready for Love reminded me an awful lot of Fool for Love. Like Joe who had been in love with his best friend Mac’s little sister Janey McCarthy for years but felt it was hopeless because Janey had been with her then fiancée David since her sophomore year of high school, Luke has been in love with Sydney since they were teenagers. But when she doesn’t return to the island until after she’s married another man he too feels his unrequited love is hopeless. Like Joe did with Janey after her breakup with David, Luke lays his heart out and shares his feelings for her with Sydney. Like Janey who had just broken up with the guy she’d been with since she was 15, Sydney’s life is in flux after losing her husband and children and isn’t sure what she wants for her future. In Fool for Love Maddie who is Janey’s new BFF and soon to be sister-in-law serves as Janey’s confidant and sounding board as she works through her feelings about Joe. In Ready for Love Maddie who had been Sydney’s best friend when they worked summers together as teenagers is now Sydney’s confidant and sounding board as she tries to work her way through her feelings about Luke. So in both books we have the male protagonists professing their long held love for the female protagonists and the female protagonists unsure of their feelings for them and how they fit into each other’s futures.
There’s a lot that goes on in this story besides Luke fearing Sydney will again leave him broken hearted and Sydney fearing the same if she decides not to settle on Gansett Island. Maddie is pregnant with Mac’s baby. Janey’s and Joe’s upcoming wedding is only a few weeks away. There’s another much older couple experiencing a second chance at love but I don’t want to give away the surprise so that’s all I’m saying. Then as she did with each of her first two books the author dedicates part of this book to setting up the next book in the series Falling for Love where Academy Award winning screen writer Grant McCarthy disillusioned with his L.A. life comes home to win back Abbey whom he’d been with for more than a decade but who had finally broken up with him a year ago and returned home to Gansett Island and is now engaged to the Island’s handsome doctor. Grant may find love again but it is clear it won’t be with the woman he expects it to be with. He just hasn’t figured that out yet. Also, there’s some foreshadowing about Maddie’s married younger married sister and whom she might fall in love with after she leaves her troubled marriage.

[Dorel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the books 📚 in this set: MAID 🧹 FOR LOVE 💘:I love Marie Force books so I had to read this series. This 1st book's story line is really good. I didn't like Mac's mother. I loved Mac's character. I really liked how Mac stood up for Maddie. I felt sorry for Maddie. I thought Thomas was so adorable. FOOL FOR LOVE 💘: This 2nd book's story line was okay. i liked the hot & steamy scenes. I felt sorry for Janey. I liked how Janey stood up for herself. I liked how Joe stood up for Janey. I didn't like Maddie's mother's attitude. I was happy for Maddie & Mac. READY FOR LOVE 💘: This 3rd book's story line was good, kind of boring, & all over place. I felt sorry for Sydney. I really liked how Sydney stood up to her parents. I really enjoyed how Luke helped the McCarthys. I really enjoyed the updates on Maddie & Janey. I really liked how this story talked about Grant & Ned. I really liked the ending. If this story was about Sydney & Luke alone this story would have been boring to me.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typically when I review books in a series, I’ll write each one a separate review even if they come in a bundle. But these three are so intertwined, that I’m wrapping them together.

I’ve read quite a few interlocking romances, but this may be one of the best executed that I’ve read. Too often with series, secondary and tertiary characters are thrown in loosely. You’ll read a rehash of their story in clunky terms or they’ll show up in a scene for no reason. Not here – each character is skillfully woven into the ongoing story of Gansett. (On the flip side – you really should read them in order).

The first book is my least favorite, despite my adoration of the heroine. Maddie grew up on Gansett Island and has never left. The daughter of a ne’er do well woman, Maddie was burdened with hormones that acted up early, giving her a figure that attracted attention at far too young an age for all the same reasons. No surprise, but this attracted the hormonal young boys of the town who wanted to be her friend. And then wanted more. And when she wouldn’t give them more, they spread rumors that she did. Rumors that stuck with her to this day, more than a decade later. She’s still in town working as a housekeeper with her employer and others thinking she’s a low-class, white trash slut. Her image is further tarnished when a brief summer relationship leaves her pregnant and she decides to raise the boy Tommy, but refuses to name the father.

And then, Mac shows up. Son of a big family, the McCarthy’s, his parents own the Inn where Maddie works. Walking through town, he runs into her when she’s biking to work, setting off a chain reaction leaving her injured and her bike destroyed. Alpha male super hero complex guy that he is, he insists on fixing everything. That includes working her job for several days and taking care of her.

At the Inn, he discovers the head housekeeper had been treating Maddie like crap because of her “reputation” as had his mother, who thought she wasn’t good enough for him. Not surprisingly the close proximity between Mac and Maddie develops into physical attraction and then more. And as they get to know each other physically, the emotional intimacy grows too and she reveals how the rumors about her started, and that Mac’s brother played a role in spreading those rumors.

And this is where it goes off the rails for me, and it’s not just Mac’s overboard reaction that drove me there. Mac decides to fix it in a way that’s embarrassing to Maddie, but does awaken everyone in town to the truth. And now it’s all peaches and cream – wait, what – she’s not a slut? Let’s welcome her with open arms. Blergh. And Mac’s mother is the worst.

In her world view it was okay to treat Maddie like crap when she thought Maddie was a slut. But now that she knows those rumors weren’t true, she rolls out the royal treatment and insists others do the same. No, no, no. It shouldn’t matter whether the rumors were true or not. Even if all the stories had been true, they shouldn’t have been treating Maddie like that. What a bunch of hypocrites. Horrible slut-shaming hypocrites.

It’s a good thing that the author introduced the two main charcters (Janey & Joe) from book two in this firs book and made them very likeable, because otherwise I wouldn’t have continued. I am glad that I continued as I really enjoyed the next two books. I also really liked Maddie in the first book and enjoyed how her story line continued in the later books. I was very disappointed the slut-shaming trope continued, however. Mac is a chowderhead and was really not fond of him or his mom.

Book 2 and book 3 were much better– the external and internal conflicts felt real, as did their resolution. Book 2 starts off with Janey finding her fiancé David in bed with another women. She runs out before he even sees her – straight to the arms of her adoring best friend. Joe resists her attentions, but she wears him down. Their relationship develops behind the scenes because they don’t want to tell Mac the chowderhead. Meanwhile, David’s mom desperately tries to get back the two back together and enlists Janey’s mom. {Spoiler alert}

It turns out David has cancer, but Janey doesn’t let that sway her. She demonstrates tremendous maturity and helps David understand their relationship had been over even before he slept with someone else. Her emotional maturation and approach to relationships made the story. And Joe’s pretty awesome.

In book 3, Mac’s partner Luke has discovered his high school girlfriend Sidney is back in time. They’d had a passionate relationship, but when Sidney went away to college she listened to her parents and ended it because “he wasn’t good enough” for her. She fell in love again, married and had children. Her perfect life ended in tragedy about a year before this book is set when a drunk driver crashes into the family car and kills everyone but her.

The story then focuses on whether she’s ready to move on to something new and face her parents continuing opposition and whether Luke has forgiven her for her earlier betrayal. The story unfolds in a touching believable way without feeling trite.

I’m not sure how to grade the bundle given my dislike of book one, but the other two redeem it and make me want to read more in the series. 3.75/5 on my romance scale

[Jeanie Womack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

What a wonderful opportunity to read three books that make you feel like a part of the Gansett Island locals. The islanders are warm, rich characters with good hearts and real life imperfections that make reading these romantic stories a true pleasure.
Her each of the three Gansett Island sets and snuggle in to enjoy!

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful beach romance with great characters and a great story line! Cannot wait to read more by this author

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved!

Loved reading the first 3 books involving 3 couples who you are in each other's individual story.

Book 1 is about Maddie an Mac; the girl from the other side of town and the town's golden boy. When Mac accidentally knocks Maddie off of her bicycle on her way to work, he insists on staying and taking care of her and her baby until she's back on her feet again. In the process, Mac finds out out rumors in town destroyed her young life and plans to set her reputation straight. In the midst of all of this, Mac finds himself in love for the very first time. Now he has to convince Maddie that he's worth taking a chance on.

Book 2 is about Janey, Mac's little sister, and Joe, Mac's best friend. Joe's been in love with Janey since he first met yet almost 15 years ago. But she's had her boyfriend now fiance for the past 13 years. When Janey goes to surprise David for their anniversary, the surprise is on her. That's when she really sees Joe's feelings that he's kept hidden from her all these years.

Book 3 is Like and Sydney 's story. Every summer Sydney would vacation at her parents house until one year, she never shows up. No word, letter, or phone call. Just one comment from her wealthy parents and Luke got the picture that he was beneath her.

Seventeen years later, Sydney is back for the summer. She's there to heal her body and soul. Her husband and two kids were killed in a car accident and she was the only survivor. Besides her broken bones, it's her heart that can't go on. Luke Ross his boat out to her place every night to check on her for a solid year. The following summer, Syd finally gets up the nerve to apologize for her snobbish behavior so many summers ago. Luke knows that he can never be just her friend, he wants forever with her. Is it to late? Can Syd try again at A happily ever after?

A great series. A must read!

[Charlene Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked

Writing was good, characters were believable and relatable and the stories kept my attention. I would recommend this series to someone who likes to keep the story going.

[Susan Trotter · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED this series of books!!!

[Stephanie Bolen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really liked it

The heroes are standard. The females are a little more detailed and complex. The plots are where it fell down. I love a guy goes gaga story and the guys are the ones who fall first and fullest in every story. I liked Mac's the best because the screen door scene is one that I could feel. I ached for him. It was lovely. But Joe's and Luke's stories are good too. The plot problem is the climaxes are over dumb stuff. Easily resolved dumb stuff and I hope if I ever have to end my relationship it's because of profound reasons and I kind of expect the same from the stories I read.

[Michelle Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg!!!! I have fallen in love with Gansett Island i read the first three books and i can't wait to read the rest Marie Force you are one hell of a good writer. Everyone needs to read this series is Great i have alot more to go but i just know they will be just as good as the first three i read. 5 Stars.

[Carol and Gary Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this set of stories, I realized I'd already read the first book. Since II gave it a five star rating, I decided to read it again. Good decision! I enjoyed it all over again. Then
I read the second book which was even better. Lots of action in that book. The third book was much calmer but still fun. Overall a magnificent set. Worth the time.

[Tawnya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great boxed book set. I really enjoyed the start of this series and can't wait to read more.

[Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series

[Teon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love and family

I wonderful, easy read. Wonderful books for when you want to read about love, happiness and family. Nice to save a couple of coins by buying the collection.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed all three if these books and am looking forward to the next one.

[Teresa Donnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just fun easy reading!

[Pamela Wolke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sexy brothers

Wow!! Four of them to get romanced and what they have to go through just to get to the i dos

[Tana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series, actually just re reading and still love it.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (3/31/2020)! 🎁

[Dawn Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gansett Island Series box set by Marie Force were three great stories of family, friendships and finding your forever love and home. In the first book Maid for Love we meet Mac McCarthy who has come home for a visit to help his father and get out as soon as possible. Maddie Chester is a single mom who happens to get injured by the one and only Mac McCarthy and this is where the story gets real fun and entertaining.
In book two Fool for Love we meet Joe and Janey. Janey McCarthy is the youngest of the McCarthy siblings and the only girl, she has her whole life set she is engaged to David an up and coming doctor but when something happens between them she call Joe Cantrell her older brother’s best friend and the man madly in love with her. All I can say is this was just the beginning of a great story. Book three Ready for Love. Sydney Donovan spent a few summers on Gansett Island and they were the best, Because of Luke Harris. But Sydney goes to college and never returns. Luke stay on the island working and wondering what ever happened to the girl he loved. When tragedy strikes Sydney is back and Luke wants to be there for her, but is she ready for a second chance. All I can say is these were some really well written stories and I absolutely recommend this box set.

[Evie V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

These books were amazing from the first to last page. I feel in love with Gansett Island and wish I could visit. Maddie and Mac are the main characters of the first book. They never thought of falling in love but after Maddie is knocked off her bike by Mac everything changes. Joe and Janey are next in Fool for Love. Janey had her whole life planned out. She was engaged and waiting for her fiance to finish his residency in Boston to move back to Gansett. Joe's had a crush on his best friend's little sister since he can remember. When things for Janey fall apart she calls Joe. Joe feels that he's finally gotten his chance with Janey and doesn't want to squander it. Last but not least are Luke and Sydney. Both Luke and Sydney had been together when they were young but Sydney left for college and didn't come back. Years after losing Sydney, Luke hears that Sydney is in town and has suffered a terrible loss. He decides to comfort her and can't believe how beautiful she looks after all the time apart. Sydney doesn't think she'll ever be able to move forward until Luke comes back into her life. As they begin to move forward things are thrown at them and Sydney isn't ready for them. Is Luke going to get his HEA will Sydney after all the time apart?

[Ronnae Stately · Rating 4 out of 5]

These first three stories get us acquainted with life on Gansett Island and a way of getting to know the characters that live there. First there's Mac the prodigal son whose first encounter back on the island gets him involved with Maddie. A single mother who lives in an apartment above her sister's dance theatre. Their love story is hopeful in proving that there is someone out there for everyone. The next story is about Janey, Mac's baby sister and the fallout of one love and the beginning of another. Her brother's best friend has had the hots for her since she was a kid. A course you still get a lot of Mac and the rest of the family and friends from the island in this story as well. The third story is about Mac's new partner and a guy whose worked for the family ever since he was a teenager, Luke. His girlfriend from high school has come back to the island because of a terrible accident that resulted in her losing her family. She is recovering at her parents house now that they've moved to the island permanently. They start off slow and things progress but the ending leave you wondering where do they go next. Hopefully, the next set of books will give us more of an insight into their relationship after she moves from the past to the present.

[Barbara A. White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting....

I chose this rating because it would not appeal to some people because of the explicit sex. I was not aware of it either until I started reading it. However, I feel it was part of the story & the circumstances of the characters kept me reading. I think the story could have been told very well without the explicit descriptions of the sex acts. With that being said, I did order & am reading book #4 & enjoying it, again sometimes skipping the descriptive sex parts to go on with the basis of the story. Don't get me wrong....I do like some spicy descriptive sex in a story as long as it doesn't last the whole chapter!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book, for me, was the best. Although I liked the way other characters were being introduced in the second book, by the third I was actually picking out who'd be the subject of later installments!
I also found the increasing amount of panting was actually detracting from the stories. By the third book it was almost like the actual story was just a filler for the various sex scenes.
It's a shame because it started off so well and I liked most of the characters, but this has put me off reading any of the others in the series.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is in the air

Each of these stories have brought three couples loads of happiness. Starting with Mac & Maddie & little Thomas. He walks into her riding her back and she gets banged up. But I think little Thomas sink the deal, Max fell in love with that little boy. Mac's friend Joe has been in love with Janey, Mac's little sister forever but she's engaged to someone else until the guys cheats. Then there is Sydney & Luke, a second chance at first love. It's her second summer back after the accident that made her a widow and loss of her children.

[Pam Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

I chose this rating because this was a really, really good set of books. I enjoyed all the characters. This was a set of books full love, laughter, and togetherness. I was I awe of each book. Gansett Island is the place to be. 😉 The people there was always there for each other. There was also a lot of love and loving going on. Great read, I recommend this book to all romance readers.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I realised after starting this that I had already read books 1 & 2 so not sure why I bought this as a boxset. Saying that I re-read them both and loved them both as much as first time around. These definitely have re-read value and I can see myself coming back again and again to this series. Book 3 was a great addition to the series and one I enjoyed just as much as the first two. A definite winner.

[Mignon Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!

I just finished the foxed set in the series, and I have to say I absolutely loved the books. Marie Force is an astonishing storyteller, I could not but this series down. I like he way the characters stories continue to unfold from book to book. I can’t wait to start the next box set.AWESOME !!!!