The Island Sanctuary: A Sweet Small Town Opposites Attract Romance

Michelle MacQueen · Ann Maree Craven

Feb 2022 · Maine Mornings Book 3 · Twin Rivers Press

About this ebook

Welcome to Superiore Bay, Maine, your little slice of heaven on the coast. Come visit us for the best small-town gossip, all the wine you can drink, and wild horses. Once you’re here, you’ll never want to leave.

 

They’re strangers…

…nothing more.

Leyla Priestly observes life rather than participating in it. As an award-winning photo journalist, she travels the world, seeing many things others refuse to acknowledge. It’s her dream, to bring light to darkness and actually make a difference. 

But it comes at a cost. 

When a particularly heartbreaking mission leaves her an emotional wreck, her boss orders her to either take time off or accept an easy assignment. 

A puff piece. Leyla doesn’t do puff pieces. Or vacations. So she chooses the job and finds herself headed to a small coastal town where the people are too friendly—a wee bit nosey—and the rugged, reclusive veterinarians far too good looking. 

Conrad Ashford, the wayward son of the wealthy Ashford family, has forsaken everything expected of him to run the Corolla Wild Horse Sanctuary situated on a small island across the bay. 

And he is her assignment. 

Or rather, his horses are.

As Leyla spends time at the sanctuary, despite Conrad’s less than warm welcome, she realizes the horses might not be the real story behind this island oasis.

Because here is a man who hides his heart deep within the wild sandy shores, and she’s determined to reveal it in the images she captures.

Leyla has a life in the city and a difficult job she’s eager to get back to. But she might learn that sometimes one can make the biggest difference right where they are.

Come to Superiore Bay for an escape into this heartwarming, small town romance with beautiful sunrises, lovable town-gossips, a complicated love story, and a herd of wild horses who will steal your heart.

The Island Sanctuary is the book three in the Maine Mornings series. It’s a standalone story.

Keywords: small town, sweet romance, clean and wholesome romance, inspirational romance, love, opposites attract, beach romance, grumpy hero, horses, Maine, coastal romance

Ratings and reviews

I easily read this in one day. I have been intrigued by the horses and Conrad since the first book. I loved how in depth the authors got to show what wild horses can be like but also how the sanctuary can be healing. Conrad is an Ashford but didn’t want anything to do with the family business. He currently lives on an island and runs a horse sanctuary. He doesn’t have a lot of friends besides Amelia and Red the fox. I personally think it’s pretty cool that he has a fox as a pet; Conrad is unique so he needs a unique pet/companion. Leyla is a photographer for the Boston Globe who has been to some pretty dangerous places. Her last assignment was Sierra Leone and the diamond mines. It didn’t end well and she was struggling with the aftermath. Her boss thought it was best to send her to the sanctuary for an easier assignment. Conrad didn’t want her there at all in the beginning. Things began changing when they had an orphaned foal who ended up with colic. Plus Leyla began enjoying her time on the island and working with Conrad. I really enjoyed this story and now I’m interested in finding out what is going on with Jorgina. I think more is going on with her than she was letting on at the end.

Leyla the photojournalist and Conrad the veterinarian who runs the wild horse sanctuary are from totally different worlds and at first they do not understand each other. As Leyla spends more time with the horses, she finds the behind-the-scenes story of Conrad and what makes him tick. Being used to danger and excitement in her stories, it is hard for her to slow down and just find the peaceful tempo of the horses and their world. When Conrad and Leyla fall in sync, it opens up a new world to them and a relationship starts to fire up. The characters are complex with what they show the world and how they truly are inside, with what they have dealt with in the past. The storyline is well written with impressive visuals of locales and intense feelings and emotions. Some good drama, surprises and a red fox also keep the story entertaining. Great ending. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is the 5th book I've read written by Michelle MacQueen; I can’t wait to read more of her books. This is the 3rd book in the Maine Mornings Series; it is a stand-alone book. The story is about Leyla & Conrad; she’s a photo journalist, she’s travels the world but after a heartbreaking mission leave her a wreck her boss assigns her an easy piece about horses at the Corolla Wild Horse Sanctuary. I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.