A Charmed Place by Antoinette Stockenberg

A Charmed Place by Antoinette Stockenberg
From goodreads.com:
"Maddie Regan and Dan Hawke were college lovers who were compelled to go separate ways after a horrific event for which Dan was blamed. She settled down and raised a family; he roamed the planet as a war correspondent. But a near death experience brings Dan in search of the only woman he has ever loved. His plan to win Maddie is simple: take up residence in a lighthouse just a stone's throw from her family's summer home, and then make her fall back in love with him. He knows her family will object and suspects that her daughter might; but he refuses to believe that Maddie herself -- the woman who has haunted his dreams for two decades -- can be any less in love with him than he is with her.
It's not that simple for Maddie. She has a jealous ex-husband to deal with ... a feisty, resentful teenager ... a widowed mother unable to emerge from mourning ... and the ongoing heartbreak of her father's unsolved murder. Is it possible to throw all of that aside for the chance to be happy?"
Kindle Edition, 359 pages
Published February 21st 2012 (first published June 15th 1998)


Leona's Review:
This was a fairly quick read even with a lot of happenings in the book. Michael is a jealous ex-husband of Maddie and their 14 year old daughter is sometimes unsure of which parent is best for her. Dan and Maddie are college lovers and he has rented a place next to her home on Cape Cod.
The reader deals with hurricanes, psychic research, teenagers, saving a lighthouse, Maddie's pregnant sister-in-law and stubborn brother, murder, Michael as a jealous ex-husband, nostalgia, sex on the beach, sex, friendship, women around the age of forty, old flames, Cape Cod, near death experience for Dan, a lighthouse and borrowing sugar. Even with the number of things happening, it did not overwhelm me. 
I am giving it a 3 star because of the unnecessary sex between Maddie and Dan. Not needed at all and some circumstances were (I thought) "pathetic" as was said on Kindle page 214. This would have been a 4 star from me if not added. We are dealing with a teenager in this book and I think it would have been a good read for younger readers if omitted. Maybe as an almost Hallmark movie type would have helped. 
A professional note. Why would Edward Timmons have a Carnival Cruise Line cruise brochure? As a travel professional, I would have suggested a cruise line like Celebrity or Holland America for his age. I love Carnival and have sailed them many times but usually not for his age group as a first cruise, if this was a first cruise.
I would read other books from Antoinette Stockenberg and appreciate the free download.
The main characters are:
Maddie Timmons Regan- mother, ex-wife and love of Dan
Dan Hawke- an ex-war correspondent who has been in love with Maddie since college
Tracey- the 14 year old daughter of Maddie and Michael
Michael Regan- ex- husband and involved in a psychic study
Edward Timmons- murdered father of Maddie
Sarah Timmons-mother of Maddie
George- brother of Maddie
Claire- sister-in-law of Maddie
Norah and Joan- friends of Maddie
I downloaded this free book from amazon.com. The opinions are my own.
You may find Antoinette Stockenberg on facebook and her site www.AntoinetteStockenberg.com
Leona Olson
www.mnleona.blogspot.com