Heart Marks the Spot - Softcover

Hubscher, Libby

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0593547241 ISBN 13: 9780593547243

Verlag: Penguin Publishing Group, 2025

Inhaltsangabe

A treasure hunter and the bestselling adventure novelist who broke her heart after one successful expedition reunite for a summer to search for lost riches.

Treasure hunter Stella Moore dreams of having it all—wealth, love, and a flourishing career—but knows she’ll never be that lucky. Every summer she and her childhood friends travel to search for hidden treasure, but she can barely manage her bills, let alone a relationship. Then, a chance encounter with alluring novelist Huck Sullivan during an expedition in Iceland has Stella thinking maybe her fortune has changed.

After his last book bombed, Huck hasn’t written a word. Joining Stella and her crew on an adventure seems like the perfect distraction from his problems, and when the crew finally uncovers hidden treasure, he is certain that he’s found more than just inspiration for his next novel. Huck and Stella’s undeniable connection gives way to an unforgettable night on a black sand beach.

After Huck disappears without a goodbye, Stella vows to put the heartbreak behind her—but that’s easier said than done when, a year later, every bookstore has a life-size cutout of her ex-lover next to stacks of his latest record-breaking bestseller. Good thing it’s time for another summer treasure hunt. Stella throws herself into mapping the path to a shipwreck off Key West, but the last thing she expects is an extra crew member showing up in search of material for a sequel and a second chance. 

Stella and Huck are prepared for storms, sharks, sea sickness, even a tentative truce. But facing the feelings they buried and confronting the devastating truth about why Huck left is the only way to find what their hearts have been searching for all along.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Libby Hubscher

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

One

Stella

I've made a life out of searching for lost things. Not tonight, though. After nearly two weeks of trekking around the wilds of western Iceland in the hopes of unearthing the fabled Gunnarsson's treasure and coming up empty, my friends have forced me into a laid-back evening in a bar in Selfoss. I protested at first, but then Zoe presented her blistered feet, Gus muttered something about how this November trip was supposed to be a vacation, and Teddy fixed his deep blue eyes on mine, his expression half-pleading, half-dare. I caved like a bridge made of tissue paper.

Gus parked the camper van at the edge of a small gravel lot, and we pulled on our coats and headed into the damp cold toward the bar Teddy had heard about from a local while picking up groceries at Bónus. Hlýjar Nætur-Warm Nights, according to Zoe's pocket phrase book-was housed in a squat metal building next to an outdoor outfitter. The interior lived up to its name, with rich wood accents, fireplaces, and a variety of subdued, eclectic lights ranging from chandeliers to bare bulbs hanging from the ceilings. It was cozy. We found a dim nook in a corner and plunked down on soft vintage couches.

"Aren't you glad you listened to us, Stella?" Teddy asked, pulling off his hat and leaving his sandy blond hair in disarray. He tousled it back into submission. "This place is perfect."

A small group of women standing nearby eyed him. "I'll say," one with a distinctly Australian accent said before clapping a hand over her mouth. Her companions giggled and then migrated out of earshot.

Zoe pushed back her cloud of dark curls and scrunched her face. Over the years, we'd grown accustomed to having an audience when Teddy was around. The amalgamation of his James Dean looks and charming charisma often proved magnetic. He enjoyed the attention, and as a result he was never lonely, even if his admirers never stuck for long.

"What's everyone drinking?" I asked. "My treat."

"Beer," Gus said.

"Vodka on the rocks." Zoe tipped her head toward her feet. "For the pain."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I did warn you to break in your boots."

"She feels no remorse," Zoe said, a smile playing on her lips.

"If Stella's buying drinks she must feel pretty bad," Gus told her. "When was the last time she took us out?"

"Three seasons ago, Key West," Teddy said.

"Oh yeah." Zoe reached down to massage her socked foot. "It was so rough that day and we were in that tiny boat, the one we had before the Lucky Strike. Stell refused to go in because the metal detector we were towing had turned up something. Gus and I were both so sick. He threw up in the cooler."

The image of Gus's hulking figure hugging the Igloo to his chest had been impossible to forget, and that something had turned out to be nothing exciting, just some chain. I'd spent the rest of the trip trying to atone for the bad call.

"Stella's very focused," Teddy said, draping an arm around me. "And we love her for it. Without her leadership, we'd all have soft hands and no stories. C'mon, vicious leader. Let's fetch the refreshments."

"I do feel bad about Zoe's feet, and Gus having to throw up in a cooler," I confessed to Teddy once we were clear of our friends.

"Bad enough to call it quits on this trip?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"I knew you'd say that. I also knew that the whole vacation thing was complete bullshit and you'd have us wandering near and far looking for the next clue to the location of the Stolen Treasure. Hence why I broke in my boots."

I glanced over at Teddy, trying to maintain a neutral expression.

He raised his eyebrows and stared me down comically. "Admit it. I'm right, aren't I? Gunnarsson's treasure is a clue, just a means to an end . . . if we ever find the damn thing, that is."

"You know me best," I admitted. He did. Me being so

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Penguin Publishing Group
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2025
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0593547241
• ISBN 13: 9780593547243
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 385
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Penguin Random House LLC; penguinrandomhouse@penguinrandomhouse.com; ; 1745 Broadway; New York; NY 10019; USA
• Verantwortliche Person: gpsr@libri.de; gpsr@libri.de; ; Friedensallee 273; Hamburg; 22763; Deutschland