Set in Maine, where the spring sun is just thawing out the
depths of Blueberry Cove, this tale introduces us to Brodie
Monaghan, a boat builder who lives by the wharf in HALF
MOON HARBOR. An unexpected visitor one morning turns out
to be Grace Maddox and her terrier dog. Grace has just
bought one of the old boathouses and intends to convert it
to an inn of character. Brodie is unsure of this idea - he
likes the historic wharf as it is. Splinters, rotting
fish, pesky pelicans and all.
With a name like Brodie I assumed this man had a Scots
ancestry but we then get a reference to his Emerald Isle
looks. Still, the Irish and Scots intermarry a lot, so
maybe that explains the name. This man is a practical,
salty type with few refinements which may explain his
single status. Grace, an amateur rower, has been an estate
attorney so she is well versed in the difficulties and
disputes of splitting up family properties. She's a new
arrival in town and hadn't realised that Brodie thought he
owned all the boathouses - the council had this property
for sale to cover back taxes. They both need to check the
paperwork as Grace can't risk offending local people from
the start.
I enjoyed all the woodworking and harbour details in this
romance tale, which really set the scene. The Maine
natives are presented as being clannish but not unfriendly.
On the other hand, one lady is over-friendly with men
outside her marriage, and Brodie has no intention of
accepting her advances, which could make life awkward for
him. I liked seeing this woman get grease stains on her
designer suit at the working boathouse. Brodie thinks that
compared to her vision of selling off all the wharf for
development, maybe Grace's idea isn't so bad.
The author Donna Kauffman has chosen to make this a book
almost entirely consisting of conversations, rather than
action. A brief boat trip is mentioned; while the
fishermen are catching eels at this time, we don't see
anyone enjoying the famous Maine seafood. I did miss this
aspect of exploring the locality but I'll probably find it
in a cosy mystery instead. Overall I liked the vision and
romance in HALF MOON HARBOR which is second in The
Batchelors of Blueberry Cove series; the first book is
Pelican Point.
Bold, brash, Irish—Brodie Monaghan's been breaking hearts ever since he arrived in Maine to rebuild the family business. Still, there's one woman he just can't wow. Grace Maddox claims she's now part owner of Monaghan Shipbuilders, and she has her own dreams for the weathered dockside buildings. Tiny Blueberry Cove has a way of welcoming strangers with wide open arms, but is the sleepy coastal village ready for the fireworks these two spark?
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