Sunbaked

Pineapple Cay #1

by Junie Coffey

Welcome to Pineapple Cay. Nina Spark bought a house off the internet. On a sunny Caribbean island she'd never heard of before. Things seemed to get off to a good start. Nina's new hometown is the charming village of Coconut Cove, with its narrow lanes lined with candy coloured houses and gardens overflowing with tropical flowers. Her back yard is a white sand beach and the mesmerizing turquoise sea. Her next door neighbour is the handsome Ted Matthews, owner of a fishing lodge. But local big shot Barry Bassett has his eye on Nina's cozy little beach cottage with the aim of tearing it down to build condos. Then Barry's obnoxious wife Tiffany goes missing, and Nina finds herself sitting across a desk from the very serious chief of police, Blue Roker, wondering how her day dream of easy living in the islands got so far off track so quickly. Join Nina and her new best friends the philosophizing mailman Danish Jensen and the ever cheerful Pansy Gallagher, as they careen around Pineapple Cay at the maximum speed of fifteen miles an hour in a golf cart, trying to figure out what on Earth is going on. This is a story Jimmy Buffett and Agatha Christie might have come up with if they'd been holed up together for a weekend at some slightly faded beachfront hotel with a pitcher of pina coladas and a box of fireworks. A Caribbean beach holiday in book form and an action-packed comical caper.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Contemporary Romance

250 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2015

About the author

Junie Coffey lives with Fisherman Fred and Hurricane Annie in a little town north of 45 degrees latitude which got two hundred inches of snow last winter. She has lived, worked and travelled throughout the Bahamas and the Caribbean, and spends time in the islands every chance she gets.

Write to Junie at junie.coffey@gmail.com
or visit
www.pineapplecay.com

Reviews

[Always Pouting · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few months after separating from her cheating husband, Nina Sparks decides to buy a cottage on a small island while drunk. The next day though the decision still feels right so Nina takes a leave of absence from her teaching position and picks up and moves to Pineapple Cay. She arrives to find her realtor and soon to be fast friend Pansy arguing with Barry Bassett the local property mogul who had been trying to buy the land that now belongs to Nina. Barry eventually starts to accost Nina to sell to him, and when she refuses he and his wife, Tiffany, proceeds to be hostile and harass her. Meanwhile she befriends the local mailman slash bartender slash yoga instructor Danish who begs her to take him with her to a dinner she's invited to so that he can woo the love of his life Alice who will also be there. The dinner is for the Pineapple Cay Museum which has recently acquired the remains of a famous historical shipwreck including a large emerald thanks of course to Barry Bassett's donation. While at the dinner Tiffany while wearing the emerald disappears and an investigation is opened to find her. Nina, Danish, and Pansy can't help but get involved in looking for Tiffany as well especially after Barry seems nonplussed about his wife's disappearance. Meanwhile Nina gets to know her neighbor Ted pretty wells and sparks begin to fly, pun totally intended.

This is a really good beach read, totally silly and light and fun. Some of it is a little ridiculous like Danish as a whole and everything that happens with Tiffany and Lance but it works well. The writing was good and the book was really amusing. I didn't care as much about the whole Ted part of the story because who cares about romance when you can watch Nina, Pansy, and Danish sleuth around using things like a bra as clues? A good book to pick up when you just want to read something that's going to keep you entertained and kill some time.

[T.J. Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunbaked was a fun read! It was a lot more than I bargained for (in a good way)! The mystery was easy to guess and not a big shocker, but that wasn't the point. The characters are what makes this story so enjoyable. Nina, who is soon to be divorced from her cheating husband, is easy to relate to and likable. She's also a bit daring and adventurous. Danish, the entertaining, colorful yoga-instructor-slash-mail-carrier-slash-bar-tender is a handful, but a laugh-out-loud entertaining handful. Pansy, the happily-married mother of small children, who is not afraid to take on the local development tycoon or possible kidnappers, won a soft-spot in my heart. Ted, the quiet, polite, handsome, and a bit mysterious fishing lodge owner is easy to fall for.

Then there's the whole slew of eclectic, diverse and colorful townies and vacationers, who spice up and liven up the atmosphere in this very descriptive story. The retired rock star with his British accent and his grounded, hospitable wife; the friendly, athletic bar owner, Veronica, who was born on a boat; the gorgeous, polite, and professional chief of police, Blue; the annoyed French inn owner, Michel; the rich development tycoon, Barry, and his spoiled, always bored trophy wife, Tiffany; the tennis pro, Lance, and his "beer commercial" friends; the museum curator, Alice, and even Alice's Aunt Agatha, who doesn't utter a word, all throw spices into the mix that each add its complimentary (or contrasting!) flavor.

The writing is so detail-oriented that we even learn what clothes, shoes, and accessories Nina is wearing at any given time ;). While I personally don't really need to know what Nina or anyone else is wearing, the descriptions make the characters, buildings, and even vehicles more vivid as they come alive on the page. Even more impressive is the landscape -- the ocean, beach, and brush scenes -- for which we get a description of colors, sights, sounds, and smells -- I felt like I was in the Caribbean. Ahhh. I've been to the Bahamas several times and I could just sit back and feel the mood.

While the explosive ending seemed a bit forced, (Seriously, going back to get fireworks? If the fireworks had been in the boat, then maybe. But the risk was too great to play that little fireworks game. Nina, who doesn't know the waters and doesn't have a GPS, could have gotten lost, or run aground as it got dark. The necklace could have also gone lost or gotten hidden during the unnecessary fireworks display)., this character-driven story was one fun ride!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I had a great time reading this fun, fast, entertaining story. A perfect beach read that will leave you wanting your own little yellow cottage on an island with turquoise waters! Highly recommend!

[Diann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I floated between 3 and 4 stars and finally landed on 4 stars, because after I finished reading it, I kept thinking back upon the story and smiling. That's enough for an extra star.

It's a little Nancy Drew, a little Miss Marple, and a lot of Jimmy Buffet. It has a strong female character from Maine, who decides to set herself free from the confines of her life and finally does what she wants to do. It takes a bit of work to not fall back into the trap of her old ways of thinking.

The characters are well developed and though the plot is a bit predictable, the comedic pieces make it thoroughly enjoyable.

This is an excellent summertime read or maybe a winter-doldrums read. It is also one that I will likely pick up and re-read just for a good laugh.

I am looking forward to Junie Coffey's sequel, Beachbound due out in August!

Thank you to Goodreads for the Kindle edition GiveAway in return for my honest review.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of "Sunbaked" by Junie Coffey for my honest review. The genres of this novel are Women's Fiction and General Fiction. I would give "Sunbaked" three and one half stars.
I like the way Junie Coffey describes the sandy white beaches and turquoise waters in the Caribbean, where the story take place. I wish I could buy a ticket and take a vacation there, lying in the sun.
The story has a great start. Nina, despising her cheating husband is drinking wine. At two o'clock in the morning, Nina is on her computer and goes shopping online,and buys a fix me up cottage in this tropical Caribbean paradise.
A sober Nina is headed to her new home, and gets to meet some quirky and intriguing characters.
Barry Bassett, a wealthy businessman is furious that Junie bought this cottage, since he wanted to purchase the land. He makes threatening comments, visits, and has his big dogs chase her.
Her mailman is also the local yoga instructor, as well as an assistant bartender,and appears to be very immature.
Nina finds herself immersed in a mystery when Barry Bassett's wife is kidnapped at a party. An emerald necklace worth millions is stolen
Some of the characters seem greedy, shallow, immature, and not likeable. Some characters were making poor dangerous decisions,not thinking of the consequences.
Despite the adventures and the mystery, the conclusion was predictable. There was a hint of possible romance, I found this a very easy read.

[Jill · Rating 1 out of 5]

never a good sign when you skim the last 20% and couldn't give two f**ks about the alleged mystery.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank Junie Coffey, author and Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for my eBook copy of Sunbaked that my Mom won in the Giveaway and shared with me.

Nina is ready for a change and makes a big one when she bids on a cottage on Pineapple Cay at 2:00 a.m. after drinking a bottle of wine. To her surprise the offer was accepted within an hour and she was off to a new start on life after her soon to be ex-husband left with another woman.

I loved Sunbaked and all the interesting characters that lived on Pineapple Cay. Danish the postman, yoga instructor and part-time bar tender is a rather interesting but immature younger guy full of energy and a knack for finding trouble and dragging Nina Sparks into his adventures. Pansy the real estate agent, jewelry maker and mother has a unique prospective of the island and life where everyone knows everyone's business. Nina also found a new love interest in her new next door neighbor, while Danish finds the new museum director a delightful woman of his dreams but his courtship is full of rejection, but it is funny too.

Barry Bassett wants her property for his land development and makes her life unpleasant from the first day on the island. His wife is an ex-showgirl with no manners, makes a fool of herself and insults everyone she comes in contact with making Tiffany Bassett one of the most disliked person on the island. When the historical emerald necklace from a wrecked ship off Pineapple Cay that is
being donated to the local historical museum on the island goes missing along with Tiffany the mystery starts.

Danish, Nina and Pansy want to solve the mystery and the grand way they go about it is inventive and rather humorous too. Sunbaked has mystery, starting over in a new and beautiful place, a new love interest and lots of humorous situations too making it a fun book to read and enjoy in my opinion.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunbaked: Pineapple Cay Stories Book One is by Junie Coffey. This is a cute book that is great for summer or light reading. It is a mystery with a hint of romance and a lot of comedy.
Dr. Nina Sparks found her husband and his paralegal in an improper situation in her own home when she came home from work. She quickly kicked him out and changed the locks, then filed for divorce. A few days later, she was pursuing her favorite pastime of surfing the Internet for her dream home in the Caribbean. This time, she found the perfect home on an island called Pineapple Cay. It was a yellow beach house which fulfilled her fantasies. Before she could convince herself otherwise, she emailed an offer to the real estate agent not realizing it was 2AM. To her shock, the real estate agent emailed back accepting her offer. She had bought her dream home. Right or wrong, she was headed for the Caribbean.
On Pineapple Cay, she first met her real estate agent, Pansy Gallagher. Before they even left the airport, they were accosted by Barry Bassett who had wanted to purchase the yellow house. Yelling at Pansy, he ignored both Nina and his wife Tiffany. This was not how she imagined her reception at Pineapple Cay to be.
Nina, with Pansy and Danish Jensen (mail carrier, yoga instructor, and jack of all trades) found herself involved in the town and its citizens. The town was celebrating the discovery of a ship wreck and all the gold and gems and other artifacts which were to be located at their tiny museum as a gift from the Bassetts. Just how involved would she get?
This book is bursting with surprises and with excitement. Set in a lush tropical paradise, the book is even more pleasurable to read.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars
Nina Spark packed what little she chose and bought a house in Paradise. I think I loved this little read so much because I am drawn to the beach 100% of the time.

How fun this trip to Pineapple Cay was! I would find myself thinking about this book when I wasn't able to be reading it. I was just drawn to the town and the people. It was like a little beach town Mayberry, where everyone knows every one and everyone is nice, with the exception of a few. This was just a fun little adventure with a some mystery and history and a dab on romance. Nina's character was surprisingly strong for what had happened and I was proud of her. Perfect book for a day at the beach.

The only issues I had (and why my rating is only 3 1/2 stars) were a few grammatical errors and I found some of the banter back and forth between the characters a little cheesy.

Big thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for chance to read this one.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only did this breezy novel make me want to be on a beach, it made me want to move to Pineapple Cay just like the main character did. With the lovely description of the island, you'll want to grab a margarita, hop on a boat, and head there. The mystery is light and not always fluid, but the characters are fun and the setting divine.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received my copy of Sunbaked via a Goodreads giveaway, which in no way influences my review.

After an October of reading horror and thrillers, I needed something light and breezy to cleanse the darkness from my soul. Sunbaked seemed to fit the bill.

I laughed out loud a couple times during the first chapter, which had our heroine, Nina Spark, impulsively buying a house over the Internet. Nina had discovered her husband and his assistant having an affair, and decided a change from New York City was in order, so she settled for buying a beach house in the tropics.

Once in her new home, Nina quickly encounters some of the locals and makes a pair of mismatched friends (her real-estate agent, and the isle’s triple-threat mailman/bartender/yoga instructor), and an enemy who dislikes her before she even arrives because she bought the property he has been eyeing.

When her enemy’s wife goes missing at a party, Nina and her friends embroil themselves deeper into the mystery than the local (hot) police chief would like. Despite being warned to stay away from the investigation, the trio find themselves deeper and deeper into the mix.

I enjoyed the main characters in the book, particularly Nina and Danish (the aforementioned mailman/bartender/yoga instructor). Some of the secondary characters felt very cookie-cutterish, but I feel that is almost the norm for these easy-breezy mysteries.

I also enjoyed the break in tension from the heavy reads I had finished prior to starting this. At no point in this book did I ever feel a real sense of menace or threat. Everything was played tongue-in-cheek.

I wasn’t blown away by the book, but would have given a higher rating and more freely recommended it if it hadn’t been for a few issues. One: having grown up in Maine and apparently lived most of her life in New York City, I felt it very odd that Nina would automatically know the names of tropical plants she saw on the island, and fish she saw while snorkeling. It felt very much like the author inserting herself into the work at that point, and I felt it distracted a bit from the story.

Another issue was with editing. There were a couple of instances where I just froze and had to ask, “Really? Did that just happen?” For example, in one scene, Nina is cleaning with “lemon householder cleaner.” Um. Since she is the homeowner, and therefore the only “”householder” in the scene, I had an odd visual image of her applying lemon cleaner to her body.

This is the Internet and I am sure there are probably fetish sites that show such things, but this guy isn’t interested, thank you.

There were one or two other similar issues, which I don’t think should be present in books that have already seen print, either physical or electronic, and which caused me to lower my rating to 3 out of 5 stars.

I would recommend it, with reservations, to those who can overlook a handful of editing errors, and those who are looking for a light-hearted comedic mystery with entertaining characters.

This novel is the first in a series of two published books at the time of this review. I do plan on reading book two in the future.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to Pineapple Cay, the new hometown of Nina Spark.

Things seemed to get off to a good start. Nina’s new hometown is the charming village of Coconut Cove, with its narrow lanes lined with candy coloured houses and gardens overflowing with tropical flowers. Her back yard is a white sand beach and the mesmerizing turquoise sea.

But local big shot Barry Bassett has his eye on Nina’s cozy little beach cottage with the aim of tearing it down to build condos. Then Barry’s obnoxious wife Tiffany goes missing, and Nina finds herself sitting across a desk from the very serious chief of police, Blue Roker, wondering how her day dream of easy living in the islands got so far off track so quickly.

Join Nina Spark and her new best friends, the philosophizing mailman Danish Jensen and the ever cheerful Pansy Gallagher, as they careen around Pineapple Cay at the maximum speed of fifteen miles an hour in a golf cart, trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

This is a story Jimmy Buffett and Agatha Christie might have come up with if they’d been holed up together for a weekend at some slightly faded beachfront hotel with a pitcher of pina coladas and a box of fireworks.

For fans of comedic mysteries, and readers looking for a tropical beach vacation in a book at the tail end of a long, hard winter.

--My thoughts. Pineapple Cay, I must find this destination if it kills me, which if you tangle with the wrong people it might! I had no idea this would be a mystery, so that was a plus. I really loved Nina, and the rest of the gang. I felt a bit bad, Nina seemed to be all over the place and a tad rude to the adorbs Danish!!! I bet he is a hoot to hang out with, and solve murders!

My four stars are because at times the book just jumped here or there, I mean it seemed like one minute she is working on her house, then she just happened to go somewhere else, but don't let that stop you from visiting Pineapple Cay. Everyone must visit!

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on The Review Court
Review

3.5 Stars

I hardly do "light" reading, but this one seemed like a quick-read and I have been doing some "heavy" reading / listening lately so a light read was appealing. There was a giveaway on Goodreads, which I won, and so I decided to read.

It's pretty much what I thought. Nothing extra thought-provoking. I'm in an audio-book mood right now. I've listened to 6 audio-books or so this year [almost in a row]. Halfway through the story, my son took over my kindle reading his own books. I really need to get him his own. Since I own the Kindle version, Amazon offered me the audio-book at 1.99. I bought it so I could finish up the story.

Unfortunately, I really didn't like the narrator for the audio-book. Her Caribbean accent wasn't good. Sometimes it sounded more Indian than Caribbean. And her voice for Pansy was oh-so-annoying. Sometimes when she talked as Pansy I wanted to stop listening but I wanted to know how the story ended. Unfortunately, having no access to my kindle, I had to stick it out with the audio.

There were a few annoying and weird characters. The main character, Nina, is pretty much going through a mid-life / quarter-life crisis. She moved to an island after buying a house in the middle of the night. And now she is off chasing criminals and snooping around in people's back yards. It was a crazy little adventure. There was a little mystery to it, a little predictable, but there was enough to think about that you didn't get bored.
Final Thoughts
If you're looking for a beach read, this is it. You should probably avoid the audio-book version though.
The Verdict
3.5 Stars

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book; this is the first book in the Pineapple Cay series written by Junie Coffey. Thirty-six-year-old Nina Spark has done something crazy. After knocking back a night’s worth of wine, she’s bought a house in the Caribbean. Off the Internet. At 2:00 a.m. Committing to the most impulsive decision she’s ever made, Nina leaves her cheating ex-husband behind, puts her teaching career in New York on hold, and moves to Pineapple Cay—a land of white sand, cloudless skies, and turquoise waters. Her new life is off to a lovely start: she’s got a private beach, a handsome neighbor, and a cushy travel-writing assignment. Even Barry Bassett, a greedy land developer eager to push her out to make way for condos, can’t darken her sunny new outlook. But when Barry’s wife goes missing, along with a priceless jeweled necklace, Nina finds herself at the center of the island’s biggest whodunit. With her quirky but fiercely loyal new friends, Nina is determined to solve the mystery. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

[Chelle - FlowerChildReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunbaked by Junie Coffey is fun, fast paced story that puts a fresh twist on 'beach read'. Nina Spark is looking for a fresh start, her marriage in crumbles after she finds her husband sleeping with another woman in their apartment. Three months later, she is trying to figure out where she lost herself, where the smiles went, when she became 'this' person. Over a bottle of wine at 2AM surfing the internet she finds the perfect escape in a cottage on a tropical island called Island Cay. Without so much as a second though she makes an offer and it's accepted! Packing only a small duffel bag she's off to start a new chapter. Her transition to happy, tranquil, island life is peppered with colorful islanders who both embrace Nina, and a few that make her question her decision, and she quickly turns to her inner Nancy Drew when a resident disappears. Fresh and different, with characters who will hold your interest, and a pace that moves. Also to note, for those that avoid plots that rely heavily on romance you won't find that here, attraction yes, a lot of graphic descriptions no.
I received a copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley. A review was not requested, all opinions are honest and my own.

[Amy Crick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book with a series of twists along the way! Nina Stark has just separated from her husband after learning he had an affair. Nina is looking for a change, and in the wee hours of the morning decides to try to purchase an island cottage over the Internet. All works out well for Nina and the cottage becomes hers in Pineapple Cay.

The characters Nina encounters after her move to Pineapple Cay all have great or interesting stories about their lives and how they arrived at Pineapple Cay. I loved seeing the friendships Nina developed after moving to the island where she didn't know anyone. Hats off to Junie Coffey for allowing Nina to focus on herself before falling head over heels for a man and allowing the romance to slowly to develop.

The drama twist of the book has twists and turns that keep you wanting to read more to see where the adventure takes you.

I would highly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am definitely in beach mode. It is very unlikely that I will lay eyes on a beach this summer, but I firmly believe that "beach" is more of a state of mind than a location. Sunbaked was a cheap read that showed up in Bookbub, I think it was, I really don't remember how I heard about it. But I totally and completely enjoyed it! I would say that Sunbaked is a cross between a beach read and a cozy mystery. And it is totally a book that I could see coming to a Hallmark Channel near you. Nina Spark is just trying to find herself after watching her marriage fall apart and instead she finds a wonderful little community who quickly become friends and family. Yeah, some of the plot may seem a little cliche, but the witty writing and truly fun characters make it totally forgivable. The end is absolutely non-surprising, but the way Nina, Danish, and Pansy handle it is absolutely hysterical

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunbaked by Junie Coffey is the fun story of Nina Spark. She discovered Darren, her cheating husband of ten years, with his paralegal. Three months later, she bought a house on the Internet and left! The house, Sundrift Cottage, is located in the small village of Coconut Cove on Pineapple Cay. Once she arrives she quickly makes friends with her realtor--Pansy Gallagher and mail carrier/yoga instructor/bartender--Danish Jensen. Nina finds it hard to relax when resident Barry Bassett is after her cottage so he can tear it down and build condos. Then his obnoxious wife Tiffany, turns up missing. The odd trio of Nina, Pansy, and Danish begin to investigate the mystery and the adventures begin! It also looks like Nina has a new love interest in the fishing guide--Ted Matthews. I'm looking forward to reading book two to see what Nina gets up to next. This book has likable, goofy characters that will be fun to visit again!

[Krissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is simple and absolutely silly. I almost stopped reading about a fourth of the way in, but the mystery hadn’t even started yet so I decided to stick it out. The characters seem very juvenile and cliche. Their high jinks and sleuthing often made me roll my eyes and reminded me of the antics of middle schoolers. This particularly bothered me because there were also adult interactions, which seemed awkward when paired with the somewhat immature characters. The writing is also not sophisticated and reads a bit like a laundry list of character’s actions multiple times.

I expected lighthearted and entertaining fluff from this book, and that’s about what I got, hence the three stars. I also did enjoy the beach descriptions. Short, simple beach read.

[Stephenee · Rating 3 out of 5]

** I won an ebook through the GoodReads First Reads Giveaway Program **

This is another slow book for me. I tried hard to get into it, but it fell short for me. The characters were eh, the storyline was a bit too unbelievable and I just didn't feel like there was any great mystery to the story. I liked the detail that the author gave to the island, and to the island life, but just didn't find anything too spectacular about the actual plot. An Eh read for me.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, brain-candy read about a woman going through a divorce who buys a beach cottage drunk in the middle of the night and moves to an island called Pineapple Cay. She makes friends with the locals and becomes involved in investigating (or perhaps meddling) in the case of a missing socialite and the emerald necklace she was wearing. A good beach or vacation read when you don't want something too heavy.

[Sharon Pitchforth · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I was concerned that this might be a waste of my time for most of the book, but, by the end, I really enjoyed the book. It takes a bit to get off the ground, is very korny, and doesn't have a climax leaving you on the edge of your seat. I still liked it though, it was kind of funny, and the korny parts of it wound up making it endearing. Up until 75% through the book, I wasn't planning to read the second one, but I'm reading it right now.

[Michelle (MichellesBookishLife)]

Nina Spark has just moved to Pineapple Cay, and things are going really well for her as she settles into her cottage on the beach. However, Barry Bassett, a local man, has his eye on her cottage and plans to tear it down so he can put up condos. Then Barry’s wife Tiffany goes missing, and Nina is the prime suspect. Nina has to figure out who is really behind the disappearance of Tiffany Bassett before she ultimately takes the blame!

Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy of this book.

[katelyn meakim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute book that is great for a light easy read. With the perfect mix of adventure, mystery and a hint of romance this book would make a great beach or by the pool read. Coffey's characters in the book are both believable and like-able.(well most of them anyways.) Looking forward to book 2!

[Lydia Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a nice choice for light reading. Follow Nina on her detective adventure that started shortly after she purchased a home on an island at 2 in the morning after her husband finished leaving for good. (cheater; need not say more). I love the description of the area but, would have loved more developed characters. It was a sweet little mystery with no loose ends.

[AmandaJR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hit the spot!

First time reading this author and was so glad to give this a chance. I'm pretty picky with my reads, don't want all the angst and ugly cries and feels. Reading is my escape (stay at home mom with 4 kids under 6) and I generally want to feel happy. And this book had it all, laughs, some thrills, a little romance. Can't wait to read the others in this series!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

I was a little skeptical at first, but I was decently surprised. Nina buys a house on Pineapple Cay sight unseen off the internet and she and a bumbling doer of all things, Danish, become amateur sleuths trying to solve the mystery. They find themselves in trouble and are totally irresponsible and that was annoying, but it's them. It was a fun read with a few slow parts I found myself skimming and rolling my eyes through, but overall I enjoyed it. It's not a solid 4 stars, but I'm looking forward to the next book anyway.

[Victoria Zieger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. If you want a light summer read, this is good. It has a little bit of mystery and romance but overall I found it to be pretty predictable and a little bit over exaggerated. I just didn't really find any of the characters believable which made me not like them too much. It was a cute book. But, it was just not really for me.

[gary c lehn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book...

I really enjoyed this story of adventure and mystery. The author has done a beautiful job of putting a group of characters together in a very humorous romance. I did it back wards for some reason, I read book two first, then book one, Ltd worked, it kind of gives a little of the characters action together away. I only wish there was a book three!

[Kathi Olsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty good story. I think some more editing could have been done. The author makes it sound like the most important thing for the population of the island is what cocktail or other drink someone needs at the moment. A couple of questions are hinted at but not answered in the story-maybe to appear in a follow-up book