The popular Bayberry Island series, which so far has
featured as shorter works in collections like Christmas on
Main Street continues in this full-length tale, and I
found it good fun while presenting very genuine people. A
festival on the Atlantic-battered island celebrates the
local mermaid legend, and the famous statue is supposed to
bring romance to those who visit it. Rowan Flynn doesn't
mind raking in cash from tourists who visit her B&B, but
she thinks they are innocent and gullible if they
believe all that guff about the SEA OF LOVE.
Rowan has reason to be cynical. A few years ago at this
festival she met a handsome man who whisked her away from
her Boston recruiting job... and then vanished with her
savings. She had no option but to return to the cash-
strapped family business, where her mother's worsening
arthritis puts Rowan in charge of day-to-day running. She's
had no time for the legend since, but that doesn't mean she
should spoil it for others.
Ash sails to the island under false pretences. If Rowan's
family will just sell their home and land, a major tourism
redevelopment can get under way. His job is to persuade
them that it's for the best. He wanders around as a summer
storm hits, but the traditional grabbing of a single male
tourist and obliging him to ask the mermaid to bring him
love is on... and Ash is grabbed! On camera, in front of
crowds, he has to co-operate. It's just a game, right?
Cranberry and blueberry scones, salt spray and stunted oak
trees add to the vibrant atmosphere. With the fishing
industry closing due to overfishing, the locals are living
on their wits - art, writing, tourism, boat maintenance.
Annie, a shopkeeper who met her love Nat in a previous
story, reappears. Similarly the sparks fly when Rowan
meets Ash during the storm, and they can't believe how much
they want each other. But the big question is whether Rowan
will see through Ash and confront the sale issue that is
tearing her family apart... and if she'll still want him
when she does.
Strong women and modern issues are at the heart of this
adult romance, with a blackout to push lovers together and
a hint of fantasy. An island way of life and preserving the
marine environment deserve to be discussed. SEA OF LOVE is
another good one from Susan Donovan.
New York Times bestselling author Susan Donovan welcomes you to Bayberry Island, a special place between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket where a bronze mermaid statue promises to grant true love to anyone who asks with an open heart…
For years Rowan Flynn distanced herself from Bayberry Island and its infamous mermaid legend. But after her investor fiancé lost what was left of her family’s fortune, Rowan reluctantly agreed to run the Safe Haven Bed-and-Breakfast, determined never again to fall for the ridiculous fantasy of the mermaid matchmaker.
Now Rowan is just biding her time until she can return to her “real” life in New York, fixing up the B and B and avoiding neighbors who are angry that the Flynns won’t sell their land to a developer set on turning the island into a glitzy vacation destination.
But when a handsome stranger arrives at the B and B the night before the annual Mermaid Festival, Rowan’s life takes a turn for the interesting. Could it be the divine hand of the town’s patroness? Or is Rowan being set up for another disappointment?
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