Starting in August 2021, I’m changing up my book review format just a bit. In the past, I would write fairly lengthy reviews, but I’ve come to realize in this busy world of ours, that people just don’t have the time any more – or the desire – to read such long reviews. Hence – “Mel’s Mini Reviews” will now be the name of the game on this blog!
My reviews will always be about a book I rated with either 4 or 5 stars on Goodreads and/or BookBub and/or Amazon. There are soooo many books available for readers to choose from—and to choose to buy—that I want to save you readers both selection time and hard-earned money. I want to give you “the best bang for your buck.” So, even though there are some 3-star books that are still “good,” I’ll only post reviews about the “better” and “best” books I’ve read.
***** 5 STARS *****
Book Summary
When Meg Whitaker’s father decides to sell the family’s lobster-fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should inherit it instead. Though she’s never had any interest in running the small fleet–or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness–she can’t stand to see Oliver Ross take over. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.
Oliver isn’t proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg–an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he’s not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.
Meg’s father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg must work the business together, and at the end of the season, he’ll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren’t what they expected.
Bestselling author Liz Johnson invites you back to Prince Edward Island for a brand-new series about family, forgiveness, and the kind of love that heals all wounds.
My Thoughts
Beautiful. Moving. Relatable.
Author Liz Johnson masterfully weaves so many touching, emotionally deep pieces together in this story. There’s a husband following through with the “in sickness” part of his marriage vows to his wife of 37 years; there’s a daughter willing to give up her career to tend to her parents’ needs; there’s the “good” son who helps provide for his mom and younger brother after the dad and oldest brother leave … and oh so much more!
This novel hit home with me on various points, as there were so many similarities in my own life to those events and feelings that occurred in this book. The author did an excellent job showing how it’s extremely trying and painful for a child, spouse, or friend to see a parent or loved one go through the loss of both physical and mental capabilities that happens with diseases similar to Parkinson’s and dementia.
The romance aspect of novel was done at just the right pace – often times contemporary novels have the hero and heroine falling for each other way too fast. I love how Johnson shows that sometimes the most romantic gestures are the ones that involve a person showing you how much he cares for the people you care about the most.
Note: I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) of this novel for being a part of Revell Read’s Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.