GRR Reviews Melody (North Shore Book 1) by C. L. Stone

Melody is a hard book to describe. It's a bit fairy tale, a bit paranormal, a bit mystery, and a bit romance.

Melody spent all she had to get away from her drugged out husband and finally walked away with divorce, even as her mother constantly nagged about finding a job and keeping a husband. She has little more than clothes on her back, and she ended up on Juniper Island, with maybe 3 dollars in her pocket. The bus driver dropped her at Mayana, a restaurant that serves hard-working locals... and tourists. The owner Tonac makes delicious meals, but he doesn't always charge for them... he doesn't serve what people want... but what they need. And when Melody tasted the food, she knew why... Tonac's food affected people in unique ways... visions, courage, precious memories... She just had to get a job there, and Tonac accepted her without question. Locals started coming in droves, and people are happy... But there are folks on the island who do NOT want Tonac to succeed, and when Melody is caught in the middle, she'll discover just how deep the secrets really run on this island...

Without spoiling anything, let's just say Tonac is... a bit of a disguise, and so are many of the friends of Tonac that Melody got to know. As for what, you'll have to read the book.  Once you get through the weird but slow beginning, you'll start to appreciate the book a bit more.

Category: Contemporary / Paranormal

Primary Plot: Woman arrived on the island and found work at a cafe run by a mysterious chef, what secrets is he hiding?

Tropes: family secrets, protector, woman in peril, chef, evil enemies

Overall Rating:  4/5