2,99 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: Two Hearts Press
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
njoy this steamy, small town 20
th
century historical mystery romance set in 1952 Swan Harbor.
A lost sailor.
A waiting heart.
One guiding light.
Terri Campbell is no stranger to heartbreak—or the stubborn sailor who left her behind. But after years of broken promises and stinging words, she’s determined to protect her heart. Now Dean’s back in town, looking at her like she’s still the only woman for him, leaving her to decide: can she forgive the past, or is the risk of loving him again too great?
Dean Patterson has returned to Swan Harbor, not just to heal—but to find his way back to
Terri, the woman he’s never stopped loving. But love alone might not be enough to heal the past. As whispers stir about ghost ships and the lighthouse that shouldn’t shine, Dean must make peace with his mistakes and hold on to hope that love—like the sea—always finds its way home.
Terri Campbell and Dean Patterson were each other’s everything—until misunderstandings, pride, and the pull of duty tore them apart. In a town where the lighthouse once guided sailors home, a stormy night and three mysterious flashes rekindle more than memories. With hearts still connected and an old family ring lost to the sea, they’ll need courage, truth, and a little Swan Harbor magic to find their way back to each other.
In a town where the past lingers like mist and a lighthouse guards its secrets, love is the one light that never fades.
Welcome to Swan Harbor
Guided by Light is part of the Historical Romantic Suspense Series from Swan Harbor. It is a small town, second chance, 20th century historical mystery romance with a guaranteed happy ending. In this small town series, you’ll find layered plots, complex characters, town gossip, and a strong sense of family.
Download a copy and travel back to 1952 Swan Harbor.
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025
Ähnliche
GUIDED BY LIGHT
A SMALL-TOWN, SECOND CHANCE MYSTERY ROMANCE
HISTORICAL HOPE & HEARTS FROM SWAN HARBOR
BOOK 1
SOPHIE BARTOW
CONTENTS
Some Residents of Swan Harbor
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Other Books by Sophie
About the Author
Sophie’s Heart
SOME RESIDENTS OF SWAN HARBOR
Terri Patterson – She’s a waitress at Granny’s Diner.
Dean Patterson – He’s in the Navy and home recuperating from a training accident.
Lena Patterson – She is Dean’s mother and periodically helps out Granny.
John Patterson – He is Dean’s father and is a physician at Swan Harbor General Hospital.
Pops Patterson – He is a lobsterman and owner of The Beachside Inn. He is the father to John and grandfather to Dean and Joan.
Nana Patterson – She owns The Beachside Inn with Pops. Mother to John and grandmother to Dean and
James Prince – He is a Deputy with the Swan Harbor Sheriff’s Department and married to Margaret. He is also friend’s with Dean.
Margaret Prince – She is married to James Prince and pregnant with her first child - a boy, Robert.
Thomas Prince – He’s the Sheriff of Swan Harbor and father to James.
Rose Dawson – She is researching information on the Spanish galleon located in the center of town, and her family. Rose is married to Ray, mother to Grace and raising her brother, Jack. She is also friend’s with Terri. Some of her story is explained inKisses, Family & Hope.
Louise Carmichael – She owns Granny’s Diner and has an agenda of her own.
ONE
QUICK NOTE: If you enjoy Guided by Light and my writing style, be sure to check out Guide to Swan Harbor at the end. It gives you a hint of what you’ll find in the series.
With that, enjoy!
* * *
Granny’s Diner
April 15, 1952
4:00 p.m.
You!
Terri tightened her hold on the tray she was carrying.
Just listen.
Go away.
Come on, Terri.
The diner door opened, their eyes clashed, and her heart flipped.
“You should have listened.” Terri tossed the milkshake she was holding in Dean’s face. Then shoved the tray into Granny’s hands and stormed towards the back of the diner. If she hadn’t, she might have said something she’d regret later.
The urge to run out the side door was strong. But she was no shrinking violet. Instead, she ducked into the ladies’ room and locked herself in the stall.
Dean Patterson, the man she’d fallen for at fifteen, had returned to town. Except every time she’d thought they were ready to take the next step, he’d left her confused and hurting.
“TTTTerri!”
The ladies’ room door banged against the wall, and the surrounding space seemed to shrink.
“TTTTerri!” Dean stuttered. “We need to talk.”
She took a deep breath and tried to ignore him. Tried to ignore the fact her heart felt as if it were literally reaching for his. He’d been home for a week, and she’d been expecting his call.
“Go away!” Terri repeated. “I’m trying to work.”
“I know.” He was quiet for several minutes, then she heard him sigh. It was a sound she couldn’t interpret. Especially without seeing his face.
“I’m working,” she reiterated. “Granny’s isn’t the place to air our grievances.”
“I ccccalled you,” Dean told her. “You refused to answer.”
He was right, she internally grumbled. She’d heard the phone ringing several times, but hadn’t answered. Somehow, she’d known it was him.
“Why are you still here?” she finally asked.
“I’ve …” He hesitated for a beat before coming back with, “It’s not time.”
Not time? What did that mean?
“You mean your leave isn’t over?”
Dean first broke her heart when he was twenty and she was about to graduate. They’d talked about getting married so often she’d began planning their wedding. Then on the night she’d expected a proposal, he’d told her he was enlisting in the Navy.
Two years later, he’d returned to Swan Harbor, and she’d hoped for another chance. However, he’d found out what she’d done, and instead of putting a ring on her finger, he’d gone back to Virginia and the Navy.
The war started not long after his return to Virginia, and she’d worried.
Yet, with the war still being fought, he was home. Why?
“It’s not time,” Dean repeated.
Which was typical. He wasn’t one to elaborate, and while initially, she’d thought it was because of his stutter, she’d learned ... that was just him. When Dean had something to say, he said it.
“Why are you here?” she repeated.
“To tttalk to you.”
It was quiet for several moments, and then she heard footsteps. He hadn’t left though, as she could see the toes of his black shoes under the stall door. Spots from the milkshake covered them, and while she felt slightly remorseful, she shoved it away.
“Come out, please.” His voice cracked on the last word. The only reason she considered his request.
“Before I come out,” Terri retorted. “You need to move across the room.”
“Okay.”
Her heart raced while she waited for him to do as she’d asked. It was a handful of beats before he moved. Once she could no longer see his shoes, she unlocked the door. Yet, she couldn’t work up the courage to open it.
* * *
Dean nervously wiped at his uniform shirt with the wad of napkins Granny had shoved in his hand. If Terri didn’t like the way he looked, that was too damn bad.
“TTTerri. Please.”
The mulish look on her face when she stepped out of the stall, had him fighting not to smile. However, since he knew she wouldn’t appreciate that, he tossed the dirty napkins in the garbage.
“You made extra work for Granny.”
“Granny understands.”
She didn’t plan on making it easy for him. Then again, he should have expected that.
“Why wouldn’t you answer the phone?”
He’d been home for several days before he’d felt like talking to anyone. When he’d tried, Terri refused to answer.
“So you could say what?” Terri tossed back. “That you were wrong? That you understood? That you shouldn’t have said what you did?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Excuse me? What was that?”
“What you said.”
“Which was?”
“That I shouldn’t have said what I did,” Dean finally admitted. Except whom was he kidding? He couldn’t remember exactly what he’d said.
“You’re right,” Terri continued. “You shouldn’t have.” Her gaze trailed lazily over his face. “What was it you said again?”
Dean’s breath caught, as he’d not expected her question.
“What was it I said … when?”
Terri threw up her hands in frustration. “I didn’t think so.”
He looked away for a beat, before once again meeting her dark-eyed stare. “You know I’m not great with words.”
“I know you have the memory of an elephant,” she snapped.
“Not always.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said,” Dean replied with a little more force. “Not always. Sometimes when I’m angry ... or hurt … my mouth gets ahead of me.”
“That’s the game you’re playing?” Terri sighed. “Look, you said you want to talk, so talk. Otherwise, I need to go back to work.”
The hurt between them had been there for so long, he didn’t know what to say … or how to say it. He just knew he wanted to make things right again. She was a part of him, and he’d missed her.
“I heard your parents and brother moved to New York,” Dean offered, thinking it might be an easy subject.
“A church in Buffalo offered daddy an opportunity he couldn’t turn down. They left last summer.”
“But you didn’t go with them?”
“No, I …” she hesitated. “I didn’t want to leave Rose and Margaret.”
“No?”
“No. Rose has her hands full with the baby. And with her brother living with them, it’s been a big adjustment.”
He couldn’t help but think she was rambling. Which usually meant she was nervous. Was his mother right that Terri still had feelings for him?
“And Margaret?” He took a step toward Terri. “I know she married James, and he’s a deputy with the sheriff’s department. How is it she needs you?”
Terri dropped her gaze to the middle of his chest. When he was a foot away, she lifted her chin, and once more, they were eye to eye.
“She, she’s pregnant.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
“My mother told me.”
“How is your mother?” Terri surprised him by taking their conversation in a different direction. “I bet she’s happy you’re home.”
“I suppose she’s happy I’m home.”
The superficial conversation was getting them nowhere. Yet until they’d talked about everything, he couldn’t make decisions about his future. To do that, he had to figure out what to say that wouldn’t make things worse.
* * *
Something was going on with Dean. What that was, she couldn’t say. What she did know, though, was that he still took her breath away.
He was tall, fit, had bright blue eyes, dimples, and close-cropped sandy hair. A few new medals adorned his chest, and there was a gold patch on his sleeve.
Except it wasn’t his looks that were giving her pause. It was more in the way he held himself. In the look in his eyes. There was a haunted look in them … on she hadn’t seen before.
“Why are you really here, Dean?”
Since he’d been back in town, her senses had been on high alert.
“WWWe need to talk.”
“So you’ve said. Yet, when I give you the opportunity, you remain silent.”
Dean’s blue eyes mesmerized her, and every time he quirked his mouth, his dimples popped. He was uncomfortable, something she could tell by the ruddy hue dotting his high cheekbones.
“When you figure out what you want to say.” Terri tried to step past him. “Come find me.”
His long arm snaked around her waist and tugged her against his side. Their eyes clashed. He bent his head, and his lips hovered over hers.
“It’s still there,” he murmured, almost in surprise. “I didn’t believe.”
A large part of her wanted to lean against him. Wanted to feel his arms pressing her close. Wanted to go up on her toes, so their gazes aligned.
Except to do that meant putting her heart out there again. Something she was loath to do until she knew where he stood. Something she was loath to do until she knew what was going on inside his head.
“That was one of our problems, Dean,” she whispered. “You didn’t believe enough.”
Terri dug deep inside for strength and pushed him away. Then, because she wasn’t completely sure she could trust herself, she left him standing in the middle of the ladies’ room.
She found Granny, the owner of the diner, waiting for her in the kitchen, her dark eyes all-knowing.
“What?”
“You’ve settled.”
“Meaning?”
“It means since that boy arrived home, you’ve been a might unsettled. Now that you’ve seen him, you’ve settled.”
“I’m not sure what you’re seeing,” Terri sputtered.
“Just remember.” Granny side-eyed her. “The heart wants what the heart wants. Listen to it.”
As soon as Granny disappeared, Terri had to wonder if the older woman was right. Had seeing Dean settled her?
* * *
The Patterson’s
April 15, 1952
4:00 p.m.
Dean methodically dunked his peanut butter cookie in his milk, took a bite, swallowed, and repeated the process. If he focused solely on the action, he didn’t have to think about the mess he’d made with Terri. He readily acknowledged his role in causing many of their problems. Except it wasn’t a one-way street. Some of the blame was hers. Why couldn’t she understand that?
Are you sure about that?
He wasn’t ready to dive fully into that question and reached for another cookie.
“Oh, hi, honey.”
The grin on his mother’s face as she entered the kitchen told him she’d heard the gossip. It wasn’t until she’d put on her apron that she faced him.
“You cleaned up well. I gather your conversation with Terri didn’t go as planned.”
The urge to smart off had him biting his tongue and draining his glass.
“How did you hear?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how fast gossip travels in Swan Harbor.”
“NNNo,” he sighed. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”
“Oh, Dean,” she chuckled. “You’ve not embarrassed me. But the look on your face says you’ve embarrassed yourself.”
“I just …” Except what to say still eluded him.
Lena picked up his plate and glass, then wiped the table. The fact she hadn’t jumped in to solve his problems surprised him. Why was that? Had she changed her mind about wanting him with Terri?
“I don’t know what to say to Terri,” Dean finally admitted.
“No?”
That his mother didn’t immediately take a seat next to him and give him her full attention was something else that was new. Instead, she continued adding various ingredients to a bowl. A behavior atypical for his mother.
“There’s just so much hurt …”
Lena said nothing while she mixed the contents of the bowl. Several minutes later, she wiped her hands and leaned against the counter.
“Do you think you’re the only one hurting?”
He shrugged, unwilling to give voice to his thoughts.
“Did you ask her why she didn’t move with her family?”
“She said she didn’t want to leave Rose and Margaret.”
“And you believed her?”
“NNNo reason not to.”
Lena arched a brow. “Think about what you just said. Do you really believe Terri would have stayed behind just for her two friends? Her two married friends,” she reiterated.
“Why else?”
“You’re not ignorant,” Lena replied. “But she’s right. Granny’s isn’t the place to air your grievances.”
“I know, but …”
“Supper will be late tonight. Why don’t you get the ruby ring that’s been in your father’s family for generations and go talk to her?”
At the mention of the ring, Dean fought to keep his expression neutral.
“It’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“To be with Terri?”
“Yes, to be with Terri.” Lena sent him an exasperated look. “When you returned to Swan Harbor last time, I thought that was why you took the ring. However, instead of telling us you were getting married, you went back to Virginia.”
“So.”
“So, perhaps you don’t know what to say because you don’t know what you want. You need to decide. If it’s Terri Campbell, you need to fight for her. If not, someone else just may.”
The thought of Terri being with someone else caused an ache in the center of his chest.
“Don’t like that idea?” Lena hummed.
“No.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
What was he waiting for? That was easy to answer. He was waiting for confidence, courage… and a miracle.
TWO
Terri’s Home
April 16, 1952
2:00 a.m.
A spring storm had appeared, knocking out power in most of the town. While the rain had stopped by the time she’d gone to bed, Terri’s sleep was fitful. She kept waking every few minutes, almost as if she were waiting for something ... or someone.
That was the only reason she wasn’t frightened, when someone knocked on the door in the middle of the night. She lit the candle next to her bed, slipped on her robe, and started toward the front room.
Terri pulled open the door, surprised to find Dean’s mother standing on her porch.
“Lena?” She opened the door wider and invited the older woman inside. “What’s going on? Is Dean ...?”
“You don’t know where Dean is?”
“No,” Terri frowned. “But why would you think that? I’m not Dean’s keeper.”
“You haven’t seen him tonight?” Lena repeated.
Terri took a minute and lit several more candles in the front room. When she turned back toward Dean’s mother, she noticed something she hadn’t before—Lena looked worried.
“I haven’t seen him since Granny’s,” she replied. “Which I’m sure you’ve heard about.”
“Oh, that.” Lena waved away the incident as if it was yesterday’s news. “When he left the house last evening, I got the impression he was on his way to talk to you.”
“After our little ... talk.” Terri let go of a dry laugh. “I would think that’s the last thing he’d want.”
“I don’t know what happened between you two in the past,” Lena began. “But I know my son hasn’t forgotten you.”
The memory of Dean’s arm being around her earlier still caused chills to race up her spine. As did the way their hearts immediately connected. It was as if a few days had passed instead of more than three years.
“And I haven’t forgotten him,” Terri surprised herself by admitting. “However, Dean’s a grown man. Why are you worried?”
“John thinks I’m being melodramatic,” Lena replied, referring to Dean’s father. “But my mother’s intuition is screaming, much like it did the last time—”
“Just like last time?” Terri interrupted. “It’s why he’s back in Swan Harbor, isn’t it? Was there an accident?”
When Lena didn’t immediately answer, Terri wrapped her arms around her waist. She’d known something had happened to Dean when he was away. But her pride kept her from putting him on the spot.
“Your parents took most of the furniture, didn’t they?” Lena guessed regarding the mostly empty room.
“They did. And since the house belonged to my grandparents, they didn’t want to sell it.”
“Is that why you didn’t go with your parents?” Lena asked. “Because you didn’t want to leave the house?”
“Partially,” Terri murmured absently, her thoughts still on Dean. “Lena, was there an accident?”
“On the ship.” Lena nodded. “However, that’s Dean’s story—”
“You can’t—,” Terri interrupted.
“It’s his story,” Lena reiterated. “All I will say is yes. There was an accident, and that’s why Dean came home.”
“Was he hurt?”
Lena just nodded, not giving voice to the answers she wanted.
“And?” she prodded, circling back to Lena’s earlier comment.
“The night it happened,” Lena replied. “I woke up feeling his pain.”
“Just like you did tonight?”
“Not exactly.” Lena frowned. “While I woke up thinking about Dean, it wasn’t quite the same feeling as before.”
“Then why are you worried?”
“It doesn’t feel as if Dean’s hurt,” Lena explained. “More like he’s lost and can’t find his way home. That’s why I came here. I thought perhaps he’d spoken to you, but it hadn’t gone as planned.”
“You think Dean’s lost?” Terri frowned. “Because of me?”
“I think he’s lost,” Lena answered, but in a cryptic manner. “If he’s not been here, though, where is he?”
* * *
Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean
April 16, 1952
3:00 a.m.
Dean opened his eyes, and besides a small cluster of stars, all he saw was black. The sky was cloudy, and the world spun. Except, he wasn’t sure if that was the copious amount of whiskey he’d consumed or the storm.
Swan Harbor was south, or at least he thought that was true. He hadn’t been prepared for bad weather, and when the storm hit, it blew his ship off track. So much so that in his current condition, he wasn’t sure of his whereabouts. Wasn’t even sure of which direction he was facing. Normally, when he took the ship out to sea, he relied on Swan Harbor’s lights. This time, even those had failed. Just one more issue in his life he’d not handled well.
Why don’t you get that ruby ring ....
How could he tell his parents and grandparents he’d lost the ring? That he’d been angry and tossed it in the Atlantic Ocean. That while it survived in the Patterson family for generations, it hadn’t lasted in his care for twenty-four hours.
If he’d not let his anger and pride get in the way, everything would be different.
Swan Harbor’s Mountains
Three Years Previously
Dean stared at Terri, where she sat on the flat rock high above Swan Harbor.
“Whuh-What did you say?”
Her dark eyes flashed with excitement. “Granny sent me on a courier assignment.”
Granny worked for a shadowy government agency. Something no one in Swan Harbor really understood. All they knew was periodically she’d disappear for days. Only to return a week or more later, behaving like nothing had happened. While many had questions, only a few knew the truth, and apparently, Terri was one of them. It made him feel ....
“That’s what I thought you said,” he retorted. “How could you?”
“Excuse me?”
“How could you?”
She pushed off the rock and took a step in his direction. “What was I supposed to be doing while you were off playing sailor?”
“I’m a sailor in the United States Navy,” he shot back. “There’s no playing.”
“Okay.” She nodded slowly. “What am I supposed to be doing while you’re off in the United States Navy? Sitting at home waiting for my man like a good little girl?”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
Terri laughed. “You know, I’m not one to sit home twiddling my thumbs, right?”
What was wrong with wanting your woman to wait at home for you? His mother was always there when his father needed her.
“ThThThat’s always bbbeen the problem with us,” he growled. “You have to wear the pants and be in control.”
She reared back as if he’d grown two heads, and several expressions crossed her face.
“If that’s the way you feel,” Terri snapped while she threw everything in the picnic basket. “I won’t waste your time.”
Dean was too angry to call her back and rushed to the docks. They were preparing to take the seventeenth-century Spanish galleon out to sea.
The ship had been a centerpiece in Swan Harbor for many years. Every one assumed there was a story behind the ship. To date, though, what that was, remained hidden. When their little town was ready to share, she would. Until then, all they could do was wait.
He spent the next several hours checking the ship’s sails and keeping to himself. Once they were on their way, he played the conversation with Terri over and over in his mind. It seemed he’d read their relationship wrong. Not only did it make him angry, but foolish as well.
Dean pulled the ring from his pocket, its ruby stone as red as blood. But the thought of slipping the ring on anyone’s finger but Terri’s made him nauseous. In a fit of anger, he heaved the heirloom into the Atlantic Ocean. He’d re-enlist. There wasn’t anything left for him in Swan Harbor.
Present Day
It had been almost three years, and she’d never left his heart. When he’d taken the ship out, his plan was to find the ring and beg her forgiveness. But, after searching the ocean floor for hours, he’d given up and helped himself to the liquor cabinet.
“Lost the girl, lost the ring, and lost your way home,” Dean toasted himself and drank the last of the whiskey. “Aren’t you a winner?”
He looked around, attempting to discern in which direction Swan Harbor lay. When suddenly, off the side of the ship, he saw three long flashes of light.
Dean blinked several times and opened his eyes wider. Once again, he saw three long flashes of light.
Then a chill raced over him as what looked like an apparition of the Spanish galleon, turned toward the light.
“What the hell?”
Dean searched for the thermos of water he’d brought. Instead of drinking it, he poured it over his head.
Had he just seen a ghost? He was used to unexplainable happenings in Swan Harbor. But a ghost of a seventeenth-century ship? That made no sense.
He lost track of how long he sat there, waiting to see if the lights would come again. Just as he’d been ready to give up, the flashes reappeared.
The ghost-like ship seemed to sail directly for him. Then, in response to the flashes, it turned. Almost as if it was being guided by the lights. Once it passed, a chill followed in its wake.
Were the lights from Swan Harbor? If so, the flashes were closer to the ground than he would have expected. Were they sending a message? If so, was it meant for him?
Once more, the lights flashed, and the same eerie sight rushed through him. Should he follow?
* * *
Terri’s Home
April 16, 1952
4:30 a.m.
After Lena left, Terri gave up the possibility of sleeping. With the power still out, she put on a pot of coffee and waited. However, her thoughts were heavy, making it a struggle to settle.
His mother had come seeking answers as to Dean’s whereabouts. Except within the conversation, there were pieces of information she couldn’t forget.
Why had Lena thought Dean was with her? Had he said something to make her think that? If not, then who?
There was also the news of an accident that had occurred on his ship. Was that what she’d noticed at Granny’s? Had he been holding himself differently because it was painful to stand tall? Was it the accident that accounted for the sadness in his eyes? A look she’d never seen on Dean’s face before.
My son has never forgotten you ….
Was it possible for them to push past the pain? Could she forgive him for the hurtful words he’d thrown at her?
In the years since, she’d tried to understand. While a part of her realized he’d expected a wife to behave like his mother or her mother, that wasn’t her. She’d always had an independent streak. Something she’d thought Dean knew and loved about her.
Could she change her personality for the love of a man?
The question sent her back into the kitchen, where she randomly pulled items from the cabinet. She grabbed the flour, eggs, butter, vanilla, sugar, a bowl, and a rolling pin. It wasn’t until she had the pie dough rolled out and was cutting banana slices she realized what she was making.
A banana cream pie ... Dean’s favorite. A thought that brought her back to the question. Where was he?
She’d wait until the pie was done before she made any phone calls. If she’d heard nothing by then, ….
While she waited for the pie to cook, Terri took her coffee onto the veranda and settled on the swing. She lost track of how long she sat there, thinking about her relationship with Dean Patterson. For years, she’d tried to get over him, but with connected hearts, that was easier said than done.
“Where are you, Dean?”
Almost as if to answer, the sky suddenly lit up with three long flashes of light. A shiver raced up her spine, and several thoughts ran through her head.
The flashes had come from the direction of the lighthouse. The old lighthouse that hadn’t worked in years. How could that be? Was she dreaming?
The oven timer went off, sending her rushing inside. Before she’d completely regained control of her breathing, the phone rang. Goosebumps skated across her arms, and fear lodged close to her heart. Was Dean hurt? Or had something else happened?
Terri grabbed the phone. “Hello.”
“Terri, it’s Margaret. I thought you might want to know about Dean.”
Terri’s heart dropped, answering some of her questions. She hadn’t gotten over him, and she wasn’t willing to change who she was. If he really loved her, he had to decide. Could he love the woman she was? If the answer was no, the future they’d talked about didn’t have a chance.
“How do you know about Dean?”
“My husband’s a deputy,” Margaret reminded her.
“Is Dean alright?”
“Well …”
* * *
Download a copy and discover the
magic of Swan Harbor.
Guided by Light
These books are available in Epub, and print. Many are available in hardback and Large Print. From Darkness into Love is available in audiobook.
Hope & Hearts Historical Novellas
GUIDED BY LIGHT - 1952
GUIDED BY HEART - 1964
GUIDED BY LOVE - 1969
WELCOME TO SWAN HARBOR- 1979
FINDING HER LOST HEART- 1983/1990
GUIDED BY A KISS - 1995
Contemporary Hope & Hearts
SAVED BY LOVE
FROM DARKNESS INTO LOVE
KITTENS, PUPPIES & LOVE
BROTHERS, HOPE & HEARTS
KISSES, FAMILY & HOPE
A TREE, MISTLETOE & A SUNSET
HOPE, HEARTS & FOREVER
THE MEMORY OF LOVE
THE INNOCENCE OF LOVE
THE FORGIVENESS OF LOVE
THE POWER OF LOVE
THE CHRISTMAS LOVE SONG
THE KISS OF LOVE
THE LESSONS OF LOVE
THE HEART OF LOVE
THE JOURNEY TO LOVE
Bonus Hope & Hearts
CYGNETS & DREAMS
WHISPERS OF LUCK
WHISPERS OF THE PAST
October 31, 2025
WHISPERS OF A MIRACLE
December 2025
WHISPERS OF LOVE
February 2026
THE PROMISE TO BE THERE
Series Prequel - May 2025
THE PROMISE OF TOMORROW
Book 1 - June 26, 2025
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sophie crafts small-town mystery romances that weave intricate plots with richly developed characters. Her female leads are intelligent, resourceful, and resilient, while her male characters, often stubborn, exude sexiness, wit, and a protective nature. She delights in building slow-burn romances, savoring the tension and delaying that first kiss for as long as possible. No matter the trope, every story she writes has a happy ending.
After a fulfilling 30-plus-year career as a speech-language pathologist, working with adult post-stroke and Parkinson's patients, she is enjoying her new journey. With their four children spread out, Sophie and her husband live in South Florida. They share their home with a pampered cat named Irma.
You can find her on her website: https://sophiebartow.com/Sophiexo
X (Twitter)
Goodreads
BookBub
