In Past Tense

In Past Tense photo

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As Meagan Poe prepares Rose Cottage Books for the annual Christmas Stroll, she finds a book belonging to a customer who recently passed away. The tale sounds alarmingly similar to the book club’s winter choice, an edgy nautical thriller involving buried treasure on Nantucket. The more Meagan learns about the story, the more tangled she becomes in a century-old mystery involving hidden gold.

Meanwhile, sisters Lauren Douglas and Kristen Montgomery return to Nantucket to fulfill their grandfather’s final wish of being buried at sea. But the two bring more than memories with them. 

Discharged from military service after a terrible tragedy, Lauren welcomes the time on the island as a chance to rest and explore her next steps. Then her first love reappears, and Lauren’s world is upended again. To survive her visit, she must keep Alex Warden at arm’s length—a task easier said than done. 

Kristen, on the other hand, struggles with a secret. She hopes reconnecting with her sister will bring her some peace. To add to the sisters’ troubles, a stranger keeps visiting their property, calling their inheritance into question.

Helping them on their journeys are the women of the Rose Cottage Book Club. The ladies remind Meagan, Lauren, and Kristen that they can find joy in difficult situations, and Christmas is a time for miracles.

The Characters

One year ago, 34-year-old librarian Meagan Poe followed her dream of opening her own bookshop on beautiful Nantucket island and she couldn’t be happier with her decision. Her outgoing personality, positive attitude, and knack for knowing just the right book to recommend to curious readers helps her easily connect with her customers. But as she settles into her new surroundings and role as the owner of Rose Cottage Books, she realizes she lost something in the move—her close circle of friends. She starts a book club, hoping to connect with like-minded people, and through this shared love of books she meets three amazing women who soon feel like old friends. Together they navigate life’s ups and downs, marriage, love, careers, and more. Through it all they learn to embrace the unexpected, live each day to the fullest, and find humor in life’s adventures.

When she meets Nantucket’s newest resident, handsome and single attorney Luke Harris, Meagan also learns that opening her heart to the possibility of love again might not be such a bad thing.

33-year-old family nurse practitioner Olivia James brings a calming, encouraging warmth to the book club. Her enthusiasm for medicine and her love of friends and family make her an ideal companion in times of need. She and her husband Kyle fully embrace island life and all it offers them—including its occasional twists, turns, and dashes of mystery.

Avery Sheridan, single real estate expert and social butterfly, enjoys sharing her bubbly personality with everyone she meets. She never hesitates to help Meagan and the other book club members when they need her. Her positive attitude and infectious nature make her a reliable member of the book club. She attends meetings as often as she can, and when she can’t, she’s sure to have a good reason for her absence. In her free time, she loves listening to the ocean waves outside her house and spending time with her cat, Beatrix, and daughter, Katie.

60-year-old book club member Piper Watts is learning to adjust to her role as a beauty columnist after spending most of her journalism career as an investigative reporter. Her company’s been bought out and she’s been relegated to what she calls “beauty product guinea pig.” She tests everything from eyelash enhancers to shapewear, rather than the hard-hitting stories she’s researched for years. With the help of the book club, Piper must decide how to cope with her unexpected career change and live in the moment.

Single attorney Luke Harris is looking forward to making a fresh start in Nantucket. When he moves into his new office in the building next door to Rose Cottage Books, he meets Meagan and is immediately captivated by her beautiful smile and quick wit. His typical reading preference is anything related to history and the Constitution, but he decides there’s no harm in expanding his reading preferences—especially if it means getting to know the intriguing bookshop owner better.

Having been a resident of Nantucket for decades, Nell Poe provides a guiding light and a comforting voice in her granddaughter Meagan’s life on the island. Meagan looks up to Nell and relies on her kindness and wisdom. The busy 77-year-old enjoys spending time with her granddaughter, reading book club novels, serving as a member of various committees, and solving the occasional mystery. Her presence at Rose Cottage Books delights all who meet her.

Meagan’s sidekick and the unofficial ambassador of Rose Cottage Books, Hash Brown welcomes everyone he sees with a perky doggy grin and a wag of his stubby tail. The French bulldog is well known around the bookshop, enjoying belly rubs, resting in his shark bed, and spreading joy and happiness whenever he goes. He’s Meagan’s constant companion and a real favorite with locals and visitors of all ages.