Thank to Sarah Bennett, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising this blog tour.
Synopsis
Bestselling author Alex Nelson is slowly coming apart at the seams after a failed marriage and an abrupt change in career leave him at a crossroads in life. When an unexpected opportunity arises to escape to the idyllic village of Mermaids Point, he’s hot on the heels of his brother, Tom, who has recently moved there. Buying a rundown bookshop might be just his latest harebrained scheme, but Alex has never been one to do things by halves.
After spending her early years caring for her mother, Ivy Fisher is finally ready to start living her own life. But when the impossibly charming, impossibly good-looking Alex Nelson swoops in and snatches her dream out from under her nose, it really is the last straw. Forced by circumstances to spend more time with him, Ivy finally gets a peak of the real man beneath the confident exterior, and she likes what she sees.
But just when things are starting to come together for them, Ivy is reminded why men can never be trusted. Is Alex who he says he is, or is he using Mermaids Point as nothing more than research fodder for his next bestseller?
Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/31ZLqTm
My Thoughts
Sarah Bennet is one of my favourite romance authors (she may have the most appearances on my blog) and the Mermaids Point series is definitely a firm favourite with me so I was so excited to be back again, visiting old friends (and a few newer ones).
The Mermaid’s Point series works in any order. Each novel has a focus on a different character but is linked by location and other recurring characters from previous books, so it doesn’t really matter what order you read in. The main benefit from reading in order is chronology as it does put things into a timeline, and you may find out how a previous book ended by where the characters are later in time. To be fair – you can’t stop at one anyway so you may as well just resign yourself to the fact that resistance is futile, and you will read them all.
This is Ivy and Alex’s story. Ivy has recently lost her mother and is trying to grieve whilst thinking about taking over the bookshop. Alex is struggling after coming out of bad marriage and is spending time in Mermaids Bay whilst considering a new business venture. Can they both heal their broken hearts, or will other things come between them?
I loved Ivy and Alex. I loved how Alex was dealing with his own issues but knew Ivy would need a firm hand and some support. Alex and ivy had strong chemistry between them and I enjoyed the journey of their growing relationship from friends who realised they felt more than just friendship for each other. They are both sweet characters and I found myself rooting for them from the beginning. It was so much fun seeing recurring characters too and finding new bits of information out about how their lives were going.
I felt completely welcomed back to Mermaids Point with open arms and it’s just like belonging to a community. I love the place! It sounds so picturesque and quaint and it is definitely somewhere to visit.
I also adore books about bookshops!
I had a great time visiting Mermaids Bay again and I highly recommend you escape there yourselves for a while.
Author Bio – Sarah Bennett
Sarah Bennett is the bestselling author of several romantic fiction trilogies including those set in Butterfly Cove and Lavender Bay. Born and raised in a military family she is happily married to her own Officer and when not reading or writing enjoys sailing the high seas. The first book in her new Mermaids Point trilogy for Boldwood was published in Spring 2021.
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