Book Forty-Five of 2014: HURRICANE HOLE by R.P. Dahlke

While anxiously awaiting confirmation on the renewal of her TV contract, Leila Hunter Standiford, opts for a sail on the boat she and her sister co -own in Mexico. But when she impetuously invites a family friend, and fugitive from justice, Gabe Alexander, as crew, she has no idea of the trouble that will follow. Now, at the end of her vacation in Puerto Felice, all she wants is to get Gabe off her boat. 
Then a beautiful vintage Alden sails into the anchorage, and though she admires the boat, and the handsome captain, she doesn’t realize the lovely yacht will soon burn to the water line, or that a dead body will be found below, or that the captain, who may or may not be the killer, might also be the man of her dreams.

You would think from the blurb that this book is a romance, but really, it’s not. It’s more of an adventure/mystery that has romantic elements. Leila is an actress, vacationing in Mexico while she waits for her contract to be accepted. Gabe is her dead beat ex-brother in law who has a bad history with crime. And Leila’s love interest is Ari, a cute diver with other issues.

The mystery is a hodge-podge of two things. There is the mystery of the Contessa, a woman whose boat sank during a hurricane. The mystery is that she wants something up from her sunken boat, but divers keep disappearing once they are in her employ. The next mystery is the death of a friend of Leila’s, who happened to be on Ari’s boat on the time (a stranger to Ari, mind you). And, of course, there is the romance between Ari and Leila.

Honestly, I only found the issue with the Contessa interesting. There was something about her that kept naggling and I wanted to explore that. I wish the author was able to delve into that as well as the romance a bit more. Though you do get answers and they are good answers, I just wish there was a bit more beef. However, I love a certain scene with Gabe having to go incognito (it’s funny).

This book is a quick read with more excitement towards the end. It’s a tad bit slow moving, but that doesn’t take away from the story. I’m sure I would like it more if I read the first book in the trilogy before this one. I can’t wait to see who the third book is about. I’m kind of hoping Gabe is in that one too. I’m liking Gabe.