The Reef

Nora Roberts

Tate Beaumont and her parents are diving in the Caribbean waters. They are hoping to find treasure. To her dismay, they are joined by a couple of adventurers, Buck Lassiter and his nephew, Matthew. In their first meeting, Matthew snatches a sword out of the sand that Tate had been diving towards. Underwater sparks fly. But soon the Beaumonts and Lassiters are working together.

Tate finds herself drawn to Matthew. It appears mutual. The group makes a fantastic and wealthy discovery. Tate begins to see her dreams coming true. She weaves Matthew into those dreams. They did not anticipate the actions of Silas Van Dyke. Van Dyke had murdered Matthew's father when he was a teen, but he was unable to prove it. Now Van Dyke steals their claim and the five of them are helpless to stop him. Matthew breaks off with Tate and disappears with his uncle.

Eight years later, Tate's father brings the group together again. He is certain he knows the location of the missing sister ship and the fantastic jewel, Angelique's Curse. He wants the old team to dive and retrieve the treasure. Buck is certain the Curse has been part of their problems. Tate wants nothing to do with Matthew. Matthew cannot see past his hatred for Van Dyke. Still, Tate's parents pull them back together to dive again.

This is another of Roberts' fascinating mystery/romance novels. I learned a lot about deep water treasure hunting and rescue of ships sunk in centuries past. The tension between Tate and Matthew is believable, although obvious. Van Dyke is especially despicable. The character was real enough on paper to send chills up my back. (Maybe this is because I was listening to the audio version.) Angelique's Curse is an extra twist that enhances the story.

Notice: Non-graphic violence, Strong sexual content