Beatriz Williams’ novels set on Winthrop Island are a perfect combination of fabulous stand-alone reads, as well as part of the Winthrop Island books; they return Williams’ fans to Winthrop Island, where many of her books are set, and bring back the fabulous characters we met in those previous novels. “When You Loved Me,” introduces Lucy Cooper, whose father has lived on the island his whole life. Bud Cooper stayed on the island because he was determined to find the legendary pirate’s treasure that was rumored to be buried somewhere on the property.

The search for this treasure has taken on mythical proportions. Lucy’s great-grandparents searched for the treasure to no avail. Her father has filled the house with maps and historical books and documents and his notes. He always seems to be on the verge of success, but in the meantime the grand old house of Windward is falling apart with repairs that are sorely needed, but for which there are no funds. The Cooper fortune that Lucy’s great-grandparents accumulated has been spent on the lavish lifestyle of their descendants.

Lucy Cooper’s plan had been to visit her father on Winthrop Island, but when he died, she and her very precocious daughter Elise came to plan the funeral and take care of his affairs. Lucy’s partner, Elise’s father, had been murdered in France and they were at loose ends. When Lucy was five, her mother had had enough of living without any source of income. Bud Cooper’s “job” was searching for treasure. Their finances were such that either the New York home or the Winthrop Island mansion would have to be sold, and Bud Cooper was determined to keep the one where there was most definitely buried pirate treasure. Lucy’s mother left him and moved with Lucy to Paris. She has since lived in Europe with a succession of stepfathers, all very wealthy.

As a teenager, Lucy returned to visit her father each summer until she turned eighteen. As she spent time on the island, she and Laura Peabody, the teenager next door, became best friends. Laura was obsessed with her older brother’s friend, Ben Ressler, a Dartmouth football player who spent summers as a guest of the Peabodys. But while Laura fancied herself in love with Ben, Lucy and Ben struck up a friendship that slowly became more. Lucy felt like a terrible friend because of Laura’s infatuation with Ben.

There are several story lines in this tightly crafted novel, and by deftly juggling them all, Williams keeps us rapt, reading until late in the night to see what finally happens (I was up until 1:30 am reading). There is the connection that Lucy makes with Ben, now living on the island after a tragic end to his brilliant professional football career. There is the question about the death of her father, who disappeared with his clothes folded neatly on the beach, making it seem as if he had committed suicide by drowning. The problem with that is that Bud did not like to swim, and he’d never swim naked. But without evidence, the police don’t necessarily believe it’s foul play. There are the disturbing incidents that affect Lucy and Elise at Windward, strange plumbing issues and a fire. There are the mysterious clues about the pirate treasure her father left her, including a safe deposit key and a laptop left at a computer repair shop, as if he was worried something would happen to him.

There are also chapters which are excerpts from “The Great Snow: A Romance” which narrative takes us back to the original inhabitants of the island, the Winthrops, and the two women who lived there. Beulah marries Silas Winthrop, a man more the age of a grandfather than a husband to the teenager. Her older sister Hephzibah accompanies her to the isolated island to live with her as she has no other option; their parents had been killed by pirates and they were left with nothing. Their story is told in bits and pieces throughout the other story, and the different typeface serves as an excellent method of separating the two story lines.

When it seems as if the story is almost over, we realize that there is still almost a third of the novel left. There are surprising twists and beautiful turns. Williams excels in writing about non-traditional families, and Lucy’s family fits that mold perfectly. Her mother has married and divorced many men, all wealthy. Lucy has many half-siblings, all of whom come from very wealthy fathers, so her situation is not that of the rest of the family. But when her current stepfather is charged with fraud, it’s Lucy who must help her mother. Family is everything to Lucy. Laura, estranged from Lucy since they were eighteen, returns to the island, bringing back all the doubts Lucy had about Ben. But overshadowing the problems with family and friends is the elusive danger that seems directed at Lucy and Windward. Is it connected to what happened to her father? Was he getting close to finding the treasure? Can she keep Elise safe? Can she trust Ben?

This is a novel that has it all. There’s plenty of action, plenty of romance, plenty of family drama, and a peek into the lives of the rich and famous. It’s engaging, fascinating, moving, and above all, entertaining. This is Beatriz Williams at her best.

For more Winthrop Island novels by Beatriz Williams, read “The Summer Wives,” “Under the Stars,” and “The Beach at Summerly.”

This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.