After enjoying Liz Johnson’s “Prince Edward Island Dreams” series published by Revell, I couldn’t wait to read the first story (entitled “A Sparkle of Silver”) in her brand new series of “Georgia Coast Romance” novels. With a unique treasure hunt and a secondary story in the form of diary pages, “A Sparkle of Silver” promised to be a great story. . .

Millie Sullivan, the heroine, is definitely a girl I should relate to – she’s the same age as me, loves reading novels in her every spare moment, and has a rather ‘active’ imagination (both a good thing and a bad thing!). When an unlikely treasure hunt escalates into something more than she bargained for, the secrets of the past collide with the present in a way she never could have expected.

Surprisingly, and unexpectedly, I did not adore “A Sparkle of Silver”. . . which is strange because it had so many elements that I normally can’t get enough of! A dual storyline, a treasure hunt connected to the past, an old mansion filled with secrets, etc. However I didn’t feel that all of these elements merged together into a truly great story – instead it felt disjointed, even awkward at times, and I was never truly able to step inside the main characters’ lives; no matter how relatable their personalities were. Also, the romance elements of the story were a bit overdone for my preferences, and became downright uncomfortable in a few instances.

Overall, I much preferred Liz Johnson’s previous series to the first installment of the “Georgia Coast Romance” stories. Other readers may enjoy it, especially if they are familiar with or have a special connection to the setting of Georgia – but for me, I will most likely not be continuing with the series.

“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”