jana d. barrett

Genevieve Vandermere- Anderson lives in an elite world carefully crafted by her stepfather. While other girls her age are ecstatic to revel in the freedom of summer break from college, Genevieve is forced to return to her childhood home in Hilton Head, South Carolina to play sidekick to her vindictive stepfather. Forbidden from social media and isolated from her peers, she returns home from college, disheartened and oppressed by the actions of her past; the secret that her stepfather uses to control her. Though she is fearful of the repercussions, Genevieve decides it is time to start making her own choices. She sneaks out of her fortified house to attend the annual beach bonfire. There she meets a handsome stranger and follows him to an abandoned boathouse hidden in low country marshes. Little does she know that this small act of rebellion will be the catalyst for unraveling the truth about her regretful past, and the layers of deception her stepfather has masterminded. When she begins to investigate the boating accident that tragically killed her mother and two other people, she discovers that her stepfather's suspicious behavior and control tactics are all part of a greater agenda.