True Love by Jude Deveraux (4 out of 5 stars)

For my first blog post, I’m going to review an upcoming book from one of my long-time favorite authors.

True Love Front Cover (hardcover edition, Ballantine Books)

I’m a Jude fan from waaaaaay back. I loved many of her books, and some I didn’t. I think this one is a winner, and NOT just because we get reintroduced to the Montgomery-Taggert clans, although they are very welcome.

There are elements of Sweet Liar, Remembrance, and Lavender Morning to this book, supernatural elements included. Female protagonist Alix is to spend a year in a house on Nantucket with Jared Montgomery Kingsley, a world-famous architect. Alix is a just-graduated architect herself, so Kingsley is her hero. She doesn’t realize that she’s been to this house before. She’s met Jared before, and her own parents have spent tons of time there without her.

Jared doesn’t want to be a hero; he just wants to be “a guy.” Let me add here that Jared doesn’t know he’s one of THOSE Montgomerys, and doesn’t meet his extended family for the first time until halfway through the book. He’s much more concerned with the Kingsley side of the family, which includes a ghost, a legacy, and a mystery.

Don’t laugh, but one of the most important characters in this book is…Nantucket. Yes, Nantucket takes on a life of its own, and you FEEL as though you’re there. I was only there once in my life when I was too young to appreciate it, but I certainly feel now as though I’m familiar with it! Note: If you’re driven to go there for Downyflake donuts, bring cash because they don’t accept credit cards. (But there’s a cash machine on the premises.)

As far as Montgomerys and Taggerts, you get to see a Taggert who I thought was getting her own book long, long ago; visit with Mike and Kane Taggert and their wives (I can’t believe those guys are in their 50s now–time does fly!); and hobnob with the royal family of Lanconia.

BOTTOM LINE: Very happy with this first book of a new trilogy, and can’t wait for book 2. Without giving too much away, one of the main characters is the descendent of some other beloved Jude couples, and “the one who can tell the twins apart” still runs in the family!

NOTE: I received this advance reading copy from the Amazon Vine program.