Chamberlain spins an absorbing tale of romantic obsession and betrayal. Beautiful artist Annie O'Neill is known as St. Anne on North Carolina's Outer Banks for her selfless devotion to any cause that comes down the pike--she's even donated bone marrow to a stranger in need. Her murder leaves her husband, Alec, shattered. Also broken are Olivia Simon, the emergency room physician who tried to save her, and the good doctor's husband, Paul, who idolized the victim. To recapture Paul's love, Olivia begins to emulate Annie in every way, from learning the craft of stained glass to being a good Samaritan. Readers will long to shake the physician, as lovesick Paul is not worth her efforts; this is a man who tells his wife that he can make love to her only if he pretends that she is Annie. As exasperating as these characters are (chief among them the dead goddess), the novel's cache of dark secrets and hidden passions keeps the pages turning. An old lighthouse keeper's climactic revelation adds a final surprise. -Book Description

After the dramatic opening of Annie O'Neill's death in the Kill River Emergency room under the care of Dr. Olivia Simon, the book became very slow. There was a great deal of narrative describing the setting of the outer banks and the fictional Kiss River Lighthouse. I had a hard time focusing on the story because it was very long and drawn out. I was very angry at Paul, Olivia's husband, and his obsession over Annie. However, after almost 200 pages, the book really kicked in for me. I was drawn into the story of Olivia, Alec, and Annie. There was suspense but not in a murder/mystery sort of way. A suspense in what is going to happen to these people, what does Mary Poor (the lighthouse keeper) know and why is she holding it a secret, and will someone do something dramatic. By the end of the book, I was on the edge of my seat worrying about what was going to happen. I was very happy with how the book turned out despite it's slow start. I would recommend it to anyone who likes contemporary fiction or books set in the Outer Banks. Very good read!