Emily Donovan's life has been turned upside down. Her
estranged celebrity sister has died, leaving her custody
of her daughter, Juliet, whom Emily has never even met.
Emily and her sister had a sad childhood, and Emily
suffered a tragic event that left her determined never to
love, and certainly to never have children. She has just
lost her job, and her lukewarm relationship has ended.
The press are anxious to find Juliet, so Emily takes off
to Puffin Island, to stay at the home of a friend until
she can figure out how to put her life back together.
Puffin Island is off the coast of Maine, and since Emily
has a great fear of water, getting there is torture for
her.
Brittany owns the cottage where Emily is staying, and she
knows that Emily will be having a rough time of it. She
asks her friend, Ryan Cooper, to keep an eye on Emily,
and to help her out when he can. Ryan has been a
journalist who has reported from war zones. He has
suffered his own injuries and traumas, and has come back
to Puffin Island to heal. As a young teenager, his
parents were killed, and he had the responsibility of
raising his younger siblings. He never really got to
experience being carefree, and his plans for the future
definitely do not include children.
Ryan is attracted to Emily as soon as he sees her, and
he's more than willing to have a casual relationship. At
first Emily only wants Ryan to go away, but soon, she
comes to depend on him, and to like him. Emily has some
heavy baggage. She is surrounded by water, which
terrifies her. She is afraid to let Juliet (whom she now
calls Lizzy) out of her sight. She is beginning to feel
love, both for Lizzy and Ryan, and she's scared to death.
Lizzy is starting to love Ryan, too, and that's not good,
as he's the man who has already raised children, and
doesn't want more.
Author Sarah Morgan has a lovely writing style. Her
descriptions of the island and its people are vivid and
lifelike. She skillfully draws you into Emily's and
Ryan's minds to let you know what they're feeling. Ryan
is caring and generous, and Emily begins to be brave and
face her fears, one by one. They are both likeable
characters that you badly want to see end up together. I
was wholly engrossed in FIRST TIME IN FOREVER, as I
devoured the pages, waiting to see if and how Emily and
Ryan would find their happy ever after. This was a very
satisfying, romantic read, which I highly recommend.
Windswept, isolated and ruggedly beautiful, Puffin Island
is
a haven for day-trippers and daydreamers alike. But this
charming community has a way of bringing people together
in
the most unexpected ways.
It's been a summer of firsts for Emily Donovan. From
becoming a stand-in mom to her niece Lizzy to arriving on
Puffin Island, her life has become virtually
unrecognizable.
Between desperately safeguarding Lizzy and her
overwhelming
fear of the ocean—which surrounds her everywhere she
goes!—Emily has lost count of the number of "just breathe"
pep talks she's given herself. And that's before
charismatic
local yacht club owner Ryan Cooper kisses her.
Ryan knows all about secrets. And it's clear that newcomer
Emily—with her haunted eyes and the little girl she won't
let out of her sight—is hiding from something besides the
crazy chemistry between them. So Ryan decides he's going
to
make it his personal mission to help her unwind and enjoy
the sparks! But can Puffin Island work its magic on Emily
and get her to take the biggest leap of trust of all—
putting
her heart in someone else's hands?
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