I had read Nothing by Davis Bunn before, so I jumped on this one when I saw the book jacket description. As a family, Outer Banks was a vacation destination I loved. I could get into the settings the author portrayed well throughout the story. The trouble I had was that the tale was such a slow burn, with so many characters, that it was difficult to follow.

Davis Bunn portrayed Curtis as a secretive, brooding ex-boyfriend, and I found Rae too rigid because he presented her as a fractured ex-lover as the details of their old love affair came to light.

I enjoyed the book because of the setting. However, I thought the plot and twists dragged on too long. I wanted a quick beach story that would help me wipe away the cold doldrums of a winter weekend. I wanted a vacation filled with intrigue, a story reminding me of the summers I spent in my youth in one of the most beautiful beach settings I have ever seen. Although the setting got me there, the story didn’t meet my expectations.

The slew of characters made it difficult to get overly invested in any of them, and the absentee owner failed to grab me and keep me going for more than an hour at a time.

I found the story intriguing; it was just delivered as a plot one had to track instead of getting swallowed up by twists and turns.

I gave it four stars because I finished the book. Because the ending left me wanting more, I’m hoping for a sequel from this author and would read it.

I want to thank the author, publisher, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as a free ARC. This review is voluntary and is mine alone.

Fortunate Harbor is a well written book. Great plot, setting and character dynamics. I especially loved The Outer Banks setting. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

I'm gonna start off by saying that this is a beautiful cover. It was what drew me to read it.
Wonderful characters and the storyline is one that will draw you into it along the way.
I finished this book in one evening because I had to see what Rae and Curtis will do.
I love the setting of The Outerbanks. It's one of my favorite places to visit in a novel. It makes me want to go and visit in person
I didn't want it to end. It was a very good story. I was sad when it came to an end.
I felt like Rae and Curtis were my friends by the time it ended. I hate saying goodbye.
5 stars for keeping me engaged. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Fortunate Harbor by Davis Bunn
What I like about this authors works are that I learn new words to use and he takes me to locations I've only seen in movies. He describes them so much better than being there. There is history, architecture, fashion, food and so much more.
Starts out with Rae and she's a local lawyer in charge of Barrett's estate. The funds in the bank were enough to tend to the property but then again there were two massive hurricanes and no repairs were ever done, waiting on insurance claims. Property taxes are overdue now and she may be forced to sell it.
Story also follows Curtis a teen love she once knew from the areal I never realized just how much paperwork, judges, lawyers have to get involved in the land matters.
Hope there is another book in the series as I don't like cliff hangers.
Received this review copy from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This is not a mediocre book despite the three stars. It’s just not what I had hoped for and what I like. He’s an excellent writer, but has resorted to using a type of language and employing storylines that do not have my preference. The book takes place over a period of a few days and reading all the adventures of the main characters already made me tired. It was much like a Dan Brown novel (but clean!). The events (which I will not disclose) are so unlikely and involve such über rich individuals that it was too far-fetched for me. They wanted things, and they wanted them fast. “Needed ninety seconds to lay it out”, “speed is crucial”, “a breath scented by the prospect of a major sale”, “the man was now beyond tense”, “and in that firelit moment Curtis felt his entire world become rearranged.” I don’t live in that world and have no desire to enter it either.

I was a huge fan of David Bunn’s writing style, but he has switched gears and to stay in Bunn speak, “His writing has been completely and utterly reshaped. He has developed in an unexpected direction”. I don’t know if Bunn’s “fate dynamited him, rendering his former world to ashes” but I’m sorry to say that this book dynamited me out of my years long love affair with Bunn’s works. “At a heart level, I felt as though there simply wasn’t room anymore for his books”.

Favorite line by Rae (whose boyfriend had made her cry that morning), “I brought these (wipes) just in case there were aftershocks.” Thank you for that gem.

It’s not my cup of tea, but give it a try and see for yourself.


Many thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for making an ARC available to me, I was not required to leave a positive review.

'We all assume it happened on a moonless night, when the board was hoodwinked by ghouls'
I absolutely adored this gem of a book.
It delivered vivid and romantic descriptions of gorgeous towns in North Carolina. A waterside way of life which is the stuff of bucketlists. This wonderful story also delivered a gripping tale with hints of intrigue plus a dashing but grieving Curtis Gage and the strong willed but closet romantic Rae Alden. I would have loved for the romantic connection in this story to have gone a totally different way, but from this story we learn the universe doesn't always deliver what we want.

This was the first book I’ve read by Davis Bunn. I was not real sure when I started the book, but it didn’t take long to get caught up in the story and I was hooked! The author was deliberately ambiguous in descriptions on what was happening, which only served to keep me reading to find out the details! I loved the characters - Rae, Curtis, Amiyah, Dana, Emma - they were all so down to earth and real. Hunting for possible treasure, outwitting the bad guys, winning over the locals. I loved this book and highly recommend it!

I pretty much read this In one sitting, I was hooked from the beginning. I loved that it was based around the Carolina Beaufort area, be still my heart. The writing pulled you in and gave you hope of old lost love of was it new love.. While I sat I loved the book and will recommend it to others as I finish, I was disappointed, let down, didn't get what I needed ...was I expecting to much, I don't know. This was still a pleasure to read but a loss as well.

Don’t be fooled by the cover on this book, nor by the tag line that it’s by the author of the Miramar Bay books… I thought from both those “clues” that this would be like Miramar Bay, just set on the east coast. However, this book’s setting bears no resemblance to Miramar Bay, nor is the “flavor” of this story anything like what you find in the Miramar Bay books.

Fortunate Harbor is fast paced and intense, with a large cast of characters. It took me awhile to figure out what was going on, which characters were the important ones to keep track of, and what details I needed to remember. I read the whole thing in one day. It’s not my favorite Davis Bunn book, but he does tell a good story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #FortunateHarbor #NetGalley

While the beginning did not necessarily immediately draw me in, I'm really glad I stuck with this one. FORTUNATE HARBOR is such a lovely story. I really enjoyed getting to know Curtis and Rae, and the setting on NC Outer Banks is beautifully conveyed. I'm personally familiar with this setting, and the author does a wonderful job of conveying its eccentricities and natural beauty. Toss in a second-chance romance and buried treasure and you've got a surefire winner. This manages to be a page turner and a compelling character study all wrapped up in a cozy package -- highly recommended for fans of small town romance.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.