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Echo Lake (Swift River Valley), by Carla Neggers
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In snowy Swift River Valley, unexpected romance is just around the corner…
Heather Sloan has landed her dream job—the renovation of Vic Scarlatti's stately 1912 country home overlooking the icy waters of Echo Lake in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. It's the perfect project for the family business, but for once, Heather is in charge.
Diplomatic Security Service agent Brody Hancock left Knights Bridge at eighteen, a few steps ahead of arrest and the wrath of Heather's older brothers. Though Brody had never planned to return, Vic, a retired diplomat and friend, needs his help.
Staying at Vic's guest house makes it impossible to avoid running into a Sloan at every turn—especially Heather. Seeing her again has affected Brody more than he wants to admit. But Heather is wary of Brody's sudden interest in her, and she suspects there's more to his homecoming than he's letting on….
Set against the scenic backdrop of a New England winter, Echo Lake is a captivating tale of family, friends and the possibility of new love
- Sales Rank: #623448 in Books
- Published on: 2015-01-27
- Released on: 2015-01-27
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 6.61" h x .91" w x 4.21" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Mass Market Paperback
- 352 pages
Review
"Neggers' Sharpe & Donovan series has developed a wide following, and her books maintain a potent combination of suspense and romance." -Kirkus Reviews
"Neggers' beautifully flowing and skillfully narrated novel is rich with dialogue that emphasizes the sights, sounds, culture and panoramic views of Ireland."-RT Book Reviews, Top Pick on Declan's Cross
"Heron's Cove gives romantic suspense fans what they want...complex mystery with a bit of romance. Neggers skillfully create[s] a compelling puzzle, refusing to reveal all the pieces until the very end."
-RT Book Reviews, Top Pick
"Saint's Gate is the best book yet from a writer at the absolute top of her craft." -Providence Journal
"Heron's Cove is...gripping and suspenseful....Readers [will be] riveted to the pages from the first ominous late night phone call to the searing climax."-Nashua Sunday Telegraph
"Neggers captures readers' attention with her usual flair and brilliance and gives us a romance, a mystery and a lesson in history."
-Top Pick, RT Book Reviews on Secrets of the Lost Summer
"Only a writer as gifted as Carla Neggers could use so few words to convey so much action and emotional depth."
-Sandra Brown
About the Author
Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 60 novels, including her popular Sharpe & Donovan and Swift River Valley series. Her books have been translated into 24 languages and sold in over 35 countries. A frequent traveler to Ireland, Carla lives with her family in New England. For more information, visit CarlaNeggers.com
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
A s much as Heather Sloan loved a bright New England winter day, chasing a puppy through knee-deep snow in seventeen degrees wasn't her idea of fun. Rohan—the runaway puppy, a twelve-week-old golden retriever—wasn't quickly tiring of his romp or sticking to the plowed driveway and shoveled walks, either. Not a chance. She spotted his tracks, leading through the woods straight for quiet, frozen Echo Lake.
She wasn't following a rabbit or deer by mistake. They definitely were puppy tracks. She paused, noting that the trail veered to the right, parallel to the lake. Something must have caught Rohan's attention. A bird, a breeze, a noise.
Great.
Heather followed the tracks through a deeper drift, but they disappeared under the low-hanging, snow-laden branches of two gnarly hemlocks. Rohan could easily fit under them. She couldn't. The trees grew so close together that trying to squeeze between them meant getting snow down her back. Going around them would risk a delay in finding the tracks again.
She was already cold. She wasn't dressed for a puppy rescue. Ankle boots, leather gloves, a wool scarf and her three-quarter-length chocolate-brown wool coat. Why? Of all days, why hadn't she worn her Car-hartt jacket and L.L. Bean boots? It wasn't as if her attire would impress Vic Scarlatti, the newly retired diplomat whose renovations she was overseeing. His 1912 lake house was out of sight now, up through the trees past a small guesthouse. He was searching the garage, shed and porches. Adrienne Portale, the wine-expert daughter of one of Vic's Foreign Service friends, was searching the house, in case Rohan hadn't slipped outside, after all.
But he had, and he would be in serious trouble in this cold if Heather didn't get to him soon. What was a little snow down her back? With five older brothers, it wasn't anything she wasn't used to. They'd had an epic snowball fight on New Year's Day.
She plunged between the hemlocks, moving as fast as she could, but there was no way to avoid disturbing the snow clinging to the evergreen branches. She got a spray in her face and a clump down her back and almost lost a boot, but when she emerged on the other side of the hemlocks, she was practically standing in Rohan's tracks.
She went still, quieting her breathing as she listened. Her cheeks were numb, and her fingertips and toes ached with the cold. She'd pulled her scarf over her head as best she could in lieu of a hat, but it was loose now, one end dangling down her front. The late-January afternoon sky was cloudless, the air as crisp and clear and cold as it had been since the latest storm earlier in the week. She glanced to her left toward the snow-covered lake. Echo Lake wasn't big, but it was one of the largest lakes in out-of-the-way Knights Bridge, Massachusetts.
There.
Heather spun around at a sound up ahead and forced herself not to move. She listened, positive she heard something besides her own breathing.
Yips.
A high-pitched, mournful cry. It had to be Rohan.
With a mix of worry and relief, she surged in the direction of the distressed yips and cries, following the tracks through bare-limbed maples and oaks and past white pines. The ground was uneven, the snow sometimes drifting up past her knees. Snowshoes or back-country skis would have helped, but she had left hers in her truck and Vic wasn't much on winter sports. "I like looking at the snow," he'd told her. "I don't necessarily like going out in it for fun."
She came to a shallow, rocky brook that emptied into the lake but now was mostly frozen. Water trickled and swirled in a few spots among the snow and ice where the current was stronger.
"Rohan," Heather called softly, not wanting to startle him by yelling. "Where are you, buddy?"
She heard panting then a whimper. She eased closer to the edge of the brook and peered upstream. Her heart jumped when she saw a golden ball of fur—little Rohan, struggling to climb out from the midst of the water, snow, ice and rocks.
"Oh, Rohan. You are in a mess, aren't you?"
Trees crowded the bank, and it was steeper up where Rohan was stuck. Getting to him wasn't going to be easy. Staying close to the brook, she grabbed hold of saplings and branches, using them to help her keep her balance in the difficult conditions.
Once she was parallel to Rohan, he let out an eager, full-fledged bark.
He must have frolicked his way out here, got stuck in the ice and snow and had run out of steam. He was, after all, only a puppy. Heather could see there was no way he could get out of his predicament with just a bit of encouragement from her. She would have to grab him—preferably without ending up trapped in the cold brook herself.
"Easy, Rohan," she said, holding on to a thin tree and reaching with her free hand to the shivering puppy. "Let's get you warm and safe, okay?"
She stretched, her fingertips within inches of him, but she slipped in the snow. She couldn't regain her footing and went down on one knee, planting her free hand in the snow to keep herself from falling in the brook. She felt cold water flowing into her left boot and up her lower leg but bit back a yell lest she panic Rohan. She finally righted herself, losing her glove in the process.
She didn't hesitate. She scooped up the puppy and moved quickly, launching past the tree she was using for balance then sinking against another one. She anchored her feet in the snow to prevent her and Rohan from skidding back into the brook.
She cuddled the furry dog against her. She could feel his little heart racing. "I've got you," she whispered, her own heart thumping madly. "I've got you."
She wanted to sit in the snow and catch her breath, but she knew that wasn't wise. Her shivering was a warning she was in danger of hypothermia. It would be a cold, wet trek back to Vic's house, so she had to get on with it and keep moving.
As she stood straight, she thought she smelled wood smoke—from a fireplace or a woodstove, perhaps. How was that possible? She was too far from the main house. It had to be her imagination or her natural optimism at work.
She heard the snap of a twig and looked up through the trees behind her, away from the brook. A man she didn't recognize stepped comfortably down to her and Rohan. He wore a black suede jacket and solid boots but no hat or gloves.
He scanned her from head to toe before he spoke. "Nice job with the puppy rescue."
"You watched?"
"Yes, ma'am. I didn't want to startle you."
Heather felt Rohan stir in her arms, but he didn't bark. Probably too tired. "Ready to come to my rescue if I fell in, were you?"
"You did fall in," he said, pointing to her wet lower left leg.
"Not all the way in."
"You'd be a popsicle if you fell all the way in. I was on my way to rescue the little guy myself. I'm staying at Vic's guesthouse. I got in late last night. My name's Brody, by the way."
"Heather Sloan," she said. "Good to meet you."
Except she felt as if she should know him. Did know him.
He narrowed his eyes—dark, flecked with gold—on her. He had short-cropped dark hair, a square jaw, a cleft chin. She shook off the idea that he was familiar somehow. She didn't know anyone who would be a guest of Vic Scarlatti.
He stepped past her and picked up her fallen glove out of the snow. She took in his broad shoulders and his dark canvas pants covering muscular thighs. He looked strong and incredibly fit. Another diplomat? Somehow Heather didn't think so.
He stood straight and tucked her glove into her jacket pocket. "It's filled with snow. It's not going to keep you warm. I can take the pup if you'd like. Give you a chance to pull yourself together."
"I'm fine, thanks, and I can handle Rohan."
"Rohan?" Brody stroked the soft fur behind the puppy's ear. "He doesn't look much like a rider of Rohan at the moment, does he?"
Heather agreed the Tolkien-inspired name was in-congruently regal for such a rambunctious, cute-as-the-devil puppy. He was getting heavy in her arms, but she noticed his heart rate had settled down.
"He's not my puppy," she said. "I just helped look for him."
"Vic Scarlatti has a puppy?" Brody grinned as if the prospect both amused and surprised him. "I guess retirement will do that even to a guy like Vic."
"He's a stray. Rohan, I mean. Vic found him wandering around alone out here a few days ago and took him in."
"Well, good for Vic."
"Another guest named him Rohan. Adrienne Portale. Are you two friends?"
"Nope. Don't know her."
Rohan snuggled deeper into Heather's arms. "I should get back. It's cold even for January."
"I'll walk with you."
She sucked in a breath. When it came right down to it, she had no idea who this man was. "Thanks, but I can manage."
"Mind if I walk with you as far as the guesthouse?"
"How do you know Vic?"
"We go back a ways."
A vague answer. "You're a lot younger than he is."
"Yes, I am."
Heather hesitated. "I should let Vic know that Rohan is safe."
"I already texted him that a dark-haired woman in a brown coat had just rescued a puppy from the brook."
"That was efficient."
"He hasn't responded. I also told him you could use some dry clothes." Brody nodded up through the woods toward the main house. "Shall we?"
Heather could feel Rohan settling into her arms. He wasn't a light puppy. She needed to get moving if she was going to carry him all the way back to the house.
She took a step up the hill. "I guess if you're one of Vic's friends, it's safe to go off with you. You're not going to bonk me on the head and dump me in the guesthouse cellar. It doesn't have a cellar, for one thing."
"That's a dramatic imagination you have there."
"It's not drama. It's being practical. I'm very practical."
"Do you say everything you think?"
"No. Do you?"
His gaze slid over her. He smiled. "No." Despite the frigid temperature, she felt heat in her cheeks. Maybe she should think before she spoke. She adjusted Rohan in her arms again as she took another step up the hill. "I'm also good at taking care of myself."
"Come on. You pushed hard through the snow, and you're frozen. Let me take Rohan."
Heather didn't protest when Brody scooped up the half-asleep puppy. She tried not to shiver or let her teeth chatter, but with the cold weather and her partial dip in the icy brook, she had to admit she was frozen. "I didn't expect Rohan to end up down here by the lake."
"He bolted past the guesthouse. I saw him out the window but couldn't get out fast enough to grab him before he hit the brook. You're okay to walk, aren't you?"
"Yep. No problem."
"Didn't think it would be. Tough as nails, right?"
"Just used to New England winters."
"Sure thing."
There was something in his tone Heather couldn't quite place. Familiarity? Sarcasm? Amusement? A mix of all three? She couldn't deny she was madly curious about him, but maybe he just had funny ideas about Knights Bridge and the people who lived there.
She resisted asking him the four thousand questions she had. She needed to get Rohan back to Vic's. With her wet pants and case of the shivers, she ought to get dry and warm herself She was happy to let Brody lead the way back to Vic's house, thus allowing her to step in his footprints instead of in virgin snow. It was much less tiring, and the snow didn't seem to faze him.
"How do you like Knights Bridge so far?"
He glanced back at her. "Do you really want to ask me that right now?"
"Seventeen degrees, snow, ice, a golden retriever puppy on the loose?" Heather grinned at him. "What's not to like?"
"Oh, yeah, Heather Sloan." Just the faintest of smiles. "What's not to like?"
Vic Scarlatti bought his house on Echo Lake twenty years ago, when he was a rising star in the US diplomatic corps, and had done virtually nothing to it since. That suited Heather. The previous owner, the granddaughter of the Boston financier who'd built the house, had updated the plumbing, wiring and heat about ten years before the property went on the market upon her death. It was classic Arts and Crafts, oriented to take in the best views of its long-neglected garden and the lake.
Brody showed no sign of appreciating the house's charms and potential as he set Rohan on his puppy bed in the small, cluttered mudroom off the kitchen. The little golden retriever immediately gave a deep sigh and rolled onto his side, dozing.
"The bed looks new," Brody said.
"It is," Heather said, walking past him through the open doorway into the kitchen. "I bought it at the country store in town. I figured Rohan needed a bed."
"Does Vic plan to keep him?"
"He says absolutely not."
She sank onto a chair at the kitchen table. She was stiffer than she wanted to admit after her adventure, but at least she was warming up fast. She pulled off her ankle boots. Both socks were wet, but her left one was sopping. Another of her out-into-the-cold sins was her choice of thin cotton socks. She peeled them off and stuffed them in her boots. She'd figure out what to do about them later, when she didn't have Brody for an audience.
He grabbed Rohan's water bowl and filled it at the deep porcelain kitchen sink, one of the granddaughter's additions. He brought the bowl to Rohan and set it close to his bed. The puppy stirred. At first he was too lethargic to care about anything except yawning, but he managed to get onto all fours and lap at the water.
"You should have some water, too," Brody said as he rejoined Heather in the kitchen. "It's easy to get dehydrated in this dry cold and not realize it."
"Water would be nice."
Before she could stand, he had a cupboard open and a glass in hand. He filled it with water and set it on the table in front of her. "Drink up."
"You remind me of my brothers. They never look cold, either. You don't even have a red nose. I do, don't I?"
"You were out in the cold longer than I was."
"A diplomatic answer. My brothers won't go easy on me for almost freezing to death while chasing a puppy."
"What would they have had you do?"
"Not take chances. Wear wool socks, at least." She smiled suddenly. "But all's well that ends well, right?"
"And you don't have to tell your brothers."
"True, but it's too good a story not to tell. I wish I'd spotted your footprints instead of Rohan's, though. I'd have let you do the rescuing."
Brody unbuttoned his jacket but didn't take it off. He had on a dark sweater over his taut abdomen. Heather was accustomed to fit guys, and he was obviously and decidedly fit. She averted her gaze and drank her water. She was noticing too much about this man. Maybe dehydration and adrenaline had put her senses on overdrive.
"Do you have dry clothes here?" he asked.
"Why would I?" She snapped up straight, almost knocking her water glass off the table. "Wait. You don't think—" She gulped in a breath. "I'm almost forty years younger than Vic. No. Absolutely not."
Brody grinned, his dark eyes sparking with humor. "That's not what I was thinking. I was just wondering if you kept a change of clothes here given your work. You and Vic Scarlatti? Damn, that's funny. Seriously funny."
"What do you mean, seriously funny? You say that as if I'm not. " She stopped herself, abandoning that train of thought in the nick of time. "Never mind."
"As if you're not attractive, you mean? That's not what I'm saying." He paused, warmth replacing the humor in his eyes now. "Trust me."
Heather jumped to her feet, baffled by why she was blurting out things she had no business blurting out. She'd never been good at policing what she said, but she didn't know this man—never mind that he seemed familiar. A trick of her imagination, no doubt.
"Right. Well." She took a quick breath. "Main point is, I'll be fine in these clothes. Obviously, I didn't show up here dressed for a puppy rescue. I'm from Knights Bridge— I live in the village a few miles from here."
"Have you always lived in town?"
"Except for college, but I went to UMass Amherst.
That's not far."
"No wanderlust?"
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Ope's Opinion of Echo Lake
By Margie
This is a quick, easy romantic read with a little mystery in it. This is the fourth book in the Swift River Valley series. It is the first one I read. I did not feel lost. The author did a good job of introducing each character and letting you know how they are related to others. I did feel like I might want to go back and read the other characters stories.
The first half of the book felt very repetitive. I think I was told several times that Brody had a pumpkin incident with the Sloan brothers. I never did hear that whole story.
The second half of the book was great! I loved how strong and independent Heather Sloan was. I liked that she fell in love, but continued with her life and her dreams. She didn't get swallowed up by Brody.
The story was predictable, but had a lot of fun along the way. There was an adorable pup, a lot of Sloan brothers and Brody's friends that all add a lot of enjoyable characters to Brody and Heathers story.
I would read Carla Neggers again.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
A Fun Love Story
By Marsha @ Keeper Bookshelf
It’s hard not to fall in love with Rohan right at the first page. Really. Who can resist a frisky Golden Retriever puppy leading humans on a merry chase through the snow?
*I received an e-ARC of Echo Lake from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange
for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
Read on for my thoughts on Echo Lake. No true spoilers, promise.
We meet the most adorable character in this novel at the very first page. Rohan, an abandoned Golden Retriever puppy has escaped from his rescuer’s home and taken off for a romp through the snow.
The major characters are introduced rather quickly through the search for the happy, cuddly, mischievous Rohan. Vic Scarlatti, Adrienne Portale, Heather Sloan are searching in various places for the escaped puppy. Somehow, Heather has gotten the outdoor search area. Following puppy tracks in the snow, Rohan is leading her where she hopes he did not end up… the water. Sighting the pup caught in the icy water causes Heather’s heart to sink as she quickly, but cautiously slides down the snowy bank to reach Rohan. Gathering her dwindling strength she grabs the pup from the water and turns to slowly make her way back up the bank – hopefully without them both falling back into the frigid water. Seeing a shadow above her, she looks up into the eyes of Brody Hancock.
Brody had left Knights Ridge years ago, back when a very young Heather had a serious crush on the bad boy. He is back in town temporarily to help his friend, Vic Scarlatti, a retired diplomat who took up residence here a short time ago. He has owned the home for a few years, but while he was traveling around the world’s hot spots Adrienne did house-sitting duty for him. The daughter of a friend and former lover, Adrienne is a wine expert who can do her work pretty much anywhere – so the house-sitting job fits right into her lifestyle.
Since Vic retired he has been noticing small things happening around his home. Nothing major, nothing that has him worried for his safety but enough to ask Brody, a DSS agent to come to town for a visit and do some investigating. While in town, Brody not only has to worry about Vic, but running into the Sloan brothers again – Heather’s 5 brothers – who don’t exactly see him in a good light. Which makes falling for the grown up Heather a bit, shall we say, interesting.
Echo Lake is at heart, a love story – Heather and Brody’s love story. With a small mystery to solve along with falling in love.
Since Swift River Valley is an ongoing series about an entire community, I worried a bit about keeping characters straight since I have not read all of the books in the series. I didn’t have to be concerned. Characters from the past novels were introduced naturally throughout the story, with a sentence or two about how they got together and where they are today. So it was a nice backstory and update rolled up in a very brief, but flowing into the storyline result.
I enjoyed Echo Lake and would recommend it. It is a love story, a charming love story and who doesn’t need that in today’s world. A side mystery that really isn’t that serious, but does add to the tensions of the story – but this is Brody and Heather’s happily ever after. So enjoy. Oh, and fall into puppy love with Rohan ‘cos he is adorable.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Echo Lake - Resonance Of Love
By Alima Livzletlivz
For the very longest time, I’ve wanted to read Carla Neggers and finally, finally was able to do so, with “Echo Lake”, the fourth in the Swift River Valley Series. The waiting was worth it, the first read was pure delight and Agent Hancock and the resident builder Heather Sloan are just perfect for each other, with a life with each other.
DSS Agent Brody Hancock returns to Knights Ridge at the behest of his diplomat friend Vic Scarletti. Eighteen long years has changed a lot in Knights Bridge, yet nothing has changed. The essence of a small town has not changed, but Heather Loan sure had grown up into a lady giving him sleepless nights. There are a few things in his life at Knights Bridge that need to be put to rest, before he can succumb to his love for Heather.
Heather Sloan is the only girl and youngest of the Sloan clan, and helps with their construction business. So renovating the stately 1912 country home of Vic Scarletti is a great opportunity for her family business, and for her as she heads the project. But she did not budget in the fact that Brody Hancock could skyrocket her heart to a different proposal.
Set against the New England winter, Echo Lake is a charming story of love, patience and family. It is a beautiful story of two wonderful people meant to be together. And it is a captivating story steeped in emotions, love, subtle humor and unconditional support of family and friends.
Received an ARC from Harlequin via NetGalley for an honest review.
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