It was sweet at times but at other times it was painful. Maggie and Coop’s love story is beautiful. So The To-do List is a second chance romance as the two main characters meet again after a gap of 20 long years. Maggie and Coop were friends with feelings for eachother in their high school and they went their separate ways after Coop pushed her away. Coop is unorganised and likes to have his office table or anything he uses messy whereas Maggie is very organised and can’t tolerate messy places. I loved both Maggie and Cooper’s characters. The To-do List is a fine mixture of romance and suspense with nice plot. If you want a meaty mystery, a truly heart-twangy romantic storyline, and a little light comedy thrown in, this book should already be in your ereader, waiting. If that's your thing, you're looking in the wrong place. The sweetness of that journey leads up to that moment it all comes together (and then you're STILL in for a couple of surprises) without relying on the hot and heavy sex scene that, IMO, is never necessary if you've written a satisfying romance. The romance is all about getting Maggie and Coop out of the past, and back into one another's lives after all secrets have been shared and (hopefully) put behind them. Sharon Struth knows how to draw out a mystery without ever making it too much. There were times I thought I knew who was doing what, and then-blam! Nope, I was wrong. Hometown comfort, an old flame rekindled, secrets that seemingly have nothing to do with the mystery of who's trying to run Maggie out of town, and yet everything. Romance? Mystery? It's hard to categorize a book that has a little bit of everything. If I could, I would give this book ten stars. The characters and story line ring true to life. As with each of her books, this story played out in my mind's eye as if it were playing on a big screen.

Struth has written a story filled with emotion, affection, angst and just enough mystery and humor. Had I not been running on little sleep, I would have had to finish this book on the very first day of reading. With each twist and turn the book had me turning the pages not wanting to stop. As Maggie readies her bookstore, BOOKS, BEANS, and BEYOND for its opening, a mystery unfolds, and Detective Stanton is assigned the case.

Roxy, in one of her escape acts, is returned to Maggie by Detective Cooper Stanton, who is a part of Maggie's past. An inherited bookstore gives Maggie the new start she needs after her divorce. Maggie Harris is beginning a new life in her hometown of Brockport, Connecticut with her teenage daughter, Brooke and their Labradoodle, Roxy, far from her ex, Ben. This book begins with a great energy that continues to the very last word. I was generously provided an ARC of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Hourglass by Sharon Struth