Jake believes that Kyle has betrayed him, so he decides that all Donovans are evil liars, including Honor. By the time he gets around to trusting her, she finds out that Jake is not just a fishing guide, so she doesn't trust him. There is a brief interval before Honor finds out who Jake is, and they both trust each other. This is where Lowell tucked in her nice love scene. After that there isn't much until the slap-dash ending where both characters quickly profess their love before exiting stage right.
Amber Beach has a couple of major flaws.
I hated all of the boating details. During the whole first half, Jake is teaching Honor how to drive Kyle's boat. Every possible step is explained. Again and again. In fact, I have never driven a boat, but I believe I could march down to a marina with a copy of Amber Beach in my hands and make a pretty good show of it.