When the appearance of a mermaid brings more than just tourists…

Synopsis

‘Delightfully romantic and touching.’ Phillipa Ashley

Laurie Morgan runs a café in the small seaside community of Mermaids Point, named after the beauties rumoured to live in the waters a few miles off the top of the point. When a hazy image is posted online of what appears to be a mermaid, the café and the village are soon full to bursting with curious sightseers. 

The most eye-catching of the new arrivals is handsome author, Jake Smith, who has rented a cottage for the summer while he works on his new book. Or so he says. In fact, he is a journalist, burned out and disillusioned with life, whose editor has sent him on a crack-pot hunt for mermaids…

Jake quickly finds himself drawn to village life, and to the gorgeous woman who runs the local café. But he soon suspects there’s trouble lurking beneath the idyllic façade, and when it looks like Laurie’s family might be involved, Jake faces a difficult choice. Pursue the truth, or protect the woman he’s beginning to fall in love with…

Warm, escapist, feel-good and altogether brilliant story-telling from bestselling author Sarah Bennett. Perfect for all fans of Trisha Ashley and Milly Johnson.

My review

Laurie Morgan loves running her café in the community of Mermaids Point. Legend goes that mermaids were actually living in the waters there and that Laura and her family are even linked to the mermaids.
When a hazy image with what appears to be a mermaid goes viral, everyone comes to the little village trying to spot the mermaid themselves.
Also Jake Smith has found his way to Mermaids Point and has rented a cottage for the whole summer. With the white lie of being a writer, he is trying to discover the truth about the pictures for his story in a paper.

What he doesn’t expect to discover, is a village who accepts him with open arms. And on top, to start developing feelings for Laurie Morgan. But when his discoveries may involve Laurie’s family, he has to decide what matters more to him: his career, or protecting the woman that stole his heart…

Before I started to read this story, I made sure I was sitting somewhere comfy, ready to enjoy a beautiful story. Because I knew I would love every bit of what this author wrote.

I instantly liked Laurie. She is the kind of person everyone would like to have around. She loves her family and she would fight like a warrior to protect them from anyone that wants to cause them harm.
She is not afraid of a new challenge, as proven by her determination to open a café, and is not afraid when it appears to become one of the busiest moments. and even when things are a bit too calm, she doesn’t lose her faith that it will all be all right.
Yet her one mistake of the past is holding her a bit back, as she doesn’t open easily her heart. She was made a fool once, and will not allow anyone to break her heart again. Not even if when Jake appears in the story.

Jake is someone that I liked very quickly. He needs a break after his last article disillusioned him a bit. This shows that he is not just after sensation, but that he cares about those he writes about. He also has a good sense about right and wrong.
The more is revealed about Jake and his childhood, the more I longed to get into the story to just give him a hug. But luckily he had Laurie around…

The chemistry between Laurie and Jake is truly palpable. I loved reading about how these two people, with both luggage, find each other and slowly are learning how to dare to love again. Whenever these two lovely characters appeared together, I found myself smiling of contentment.

Yet there was one tiny bit I was left a bit disappointed… The end came a little too abrupt for me. I loved the sense of family and belonging, but I would have loved to read just a bit *more*. But that’s just because I loved each character so much I wasn’t ready yet to say ‘goodbye’…

This book was wonderful to read, not only because of our main characters, but also because of the mysterious yet wonderful setting. I wished I was staying at Mermaids Point myself, with all the beautiful inhabitants. And maybe while staying there, starting to believe that mermaids truly exists, why not?