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tnhayes's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
ashleydwilliamson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
For Evie Abbott, Moonflower Bay was a summer haven. Staying with her aunt in her magical, aptly named, Mermaid Inn, Evie grew up with summers at the beach, watching The Little Mermaid, and falling in love with Sawyer Collins. Then Sawyer broke her heart, and Evie left for college without looking back.
Ten years later and Evie is back to settle her late aunt's estate which includes the Mermaid Inn. But, as always, there's a catch. Evie must wait a year before she can sell the Inn. Normally, Evie would have been happy to be back at Moonflower Bay, but now it means confronting the person she left behind: Sawyer Collins.
Sawyer never intended to be the villain in Evie's fairy-tale. But he was happy to play the role if it meant getting her out of Moonflower. While he hasn't ever really gotten over Evie, his job as Chief of Police and legal guardian to his younger sister take up a lot of his time, time that will soon be freed up a little when his sister starts college next year. But when Evie walks back into his life, he's loathe to remember why she needed to leave in the first place.
Second-chance romances are probably my favorite. I thought that Jenny Holiday did a really great job of showing the distinction between young/first love, and adult love. And it's not that young people cannot feel love or cannot feel it as much as adults, but we're all shaped by our experiences, so it would go a long way to say that the more experiences you have, changes the way you view things. In Evie and Sawyer's case specifically it changes the way they view their previous relationship. Don't get me wrong, it's not looking back and realizing their relationship was not great the first time around, but it's looking about and realizing that they both had a lot to learn about being in relationships, mainly with finding your voice within the relationship. Vocalizing your wants and needs, being comfortable enough to tell someone the thoughts and opinions that you carry deep within your soul. Jenny Holiday really went a long way to make sure the past deftly felt without even a single flashback sequence.
I've always loved the small-town romance filled with charm and quirky characters. That's certainly the case for Moonflower (dubbed Matchmaker) Bay where a lot of the long-time residents are very invested in Evie and Sawyer seeing what's right in front of them. There's been a lot of good setup for more of the featured secondary characters and I really look forward to going back to this fictional world.
The one thing I still feel a bit iffy about is the idea that things are supposed to proceed a certain way within this romantic realm. I'm trying not to be too spoilery, but in reading many romances and books in general, you can kind of spot some of the more formulatic story threads. Mermaid Inn follows one such thread at the end, but I wanted it to go a different way, and it started to be set up in that it would, but in the end, it followed a tried and true path. It still made me happy, it was still a fun, sexy, sweet read, but I wish it could have gone a bit extra.
Still, I'm so very much looking forward to the next book which will seemingly feature Sawyer's taciturn friend Jake who really deserves to get an HEA.
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ten years later and Evie is back to settle her late aunt's estate which includes the Mermaid Inn. But, as always, there's a catch. Evie must wait a year before she can sell the Inn. Normally, Evie would have been happy to be back at Moonflower Bay, but now it means confronting the person she left behind: Sawyer Collins.
Sawyer never intended to be the villain in Evie's fairy-tale. But he was happy to play the role if it meant getting her out of Moonflower. While he hasn't ever really gotten over Evie, his job as Chief of Police and legal guardian to his younger sister take up a lot of his time, time that will soon be freed up a little when his sister starts college next year. But when Evie walks back into his life, he's loathe to remember why she needed to leave in the first place.
Second-chance romances are probably my favorite. I thought that Jenny Holiday did a really great job of showing the distinction between young/first love, and adult love. And it's not that young people cannot feel love or cannot feel it as much as adults, but we're all shaped by our experiences, so it would go a long way to say that the more experiences you have, changes the way you view things. In Evie and Sawyer's case specifically it changes the way they view their previous relationship. Don't get me wrong, it's not looking back and realizing their relationship was not great the first time around, but it's looking about and realizing that they both had a lot to learn about being in relationships, mainly with finding your voice within the relationship. Vocalizing your wants and needs, being comfortable enough to tell someone the thoughts and opinions that you carry deep within your soul. Jenny Holiday really went a long way to make sure the past deftly felt without even a single flashback sequence.
I've always loved the small-town romance filled with charm and quirky characters. That's certainly the case for Moonflower (dubbed Matchmaker) Bay where a lot of the long-time residents are very invested in Evie and Sawyer seeing what's right in front of them. There's been a lot of good setup for more of the featured secondary characters and I really look forward to going back to this fictional world.
The one thing I still feel a bit iffy about is the idea that things are supposed to proceed a certain way within this romantic realm. I'm trying not to be too spoilery, but in reading many romances and books in general, you can kind of spot some of the more formulatic story threads. Mermaid Inn follows one such thread at the end, but I wanted it to go a different way, and it started to be set up in that it would, but in the end, it followed a tried and true path. It still made me happy, it was still a fun, sexy, sweet read, but I wish it could have gone a bit extra.
Still, I'm so very much looking forward to the next book which will seemingly feature Sawyer's taciturn friend Jake who really deserves to get an HEA.
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
katielady's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
deanapotter's review against another edition
4.0
Librarian Eve Abbott is determined and a bit angry. Upon inheriting her aunt's home all those things she left in Matchmaker Bay are brought to the surface putting her determination to sell the house in high gear. Due to a stipulation in the will, Eve now finds herself stuck in the last place she what’s to be. In the proximity of the last person she wants to be around in a town full of meddling people who think it’s their job to match make.
Mermaid Inn is a sweet second chance romance. Eve was an amazing heroine. Life through her A curveball and she went with it. Her character develops so much from the beginning to the end of the book it was like watching a new flower blossom. I love that she decided to take her fears head-on, push through the bad parts, and was able to overcome. Eve pushed herself on many levels throughout this book and I think that’s part of why I enjoyed her so much. Sawyer was noble in his thoughts but his execution pretty much sucked. I love the reasons he did what he did but like a man if they would just learn to talk things would be different. I also enjoyed the tenderness that he had for Eve. They were truly a couple that was meant to be.
A charming lakeside town in Canada sets the stage for a fun and heartwarming second chance at love in Mermaid Inn. Eve and Sawyer take a slow dance around the attraction and chemistry they share. They are truly a wonderful couple together. The lake scenes with Sawyer and Eve are some of my favorites of the book. They show trust and caring along with determination and Hope. Jenny Holiday spin a wonderful tale of second chance love.
Mermaid Inn is a sweet second chance romance. Eve was an amazing heroine. Life through her A curveball and she went with it. Her character develops so much from the beginning to the end of the book it was like watching a new flower blossom. I love that she decided to take her fears head-on, push through the bad parts, and was able to overcome. Eve pushed herself on many levels throughout this book and I think that’s part of why I enjoyed her so much. Sawyer was noble in his thoughts but his execution pretty much sucked. I love the reasons he did what he did but like a man if they would just learn to talk things would be different. I also enjoyed the tenderness that he had for Eve. They were truly a couple that was meant to be.
A charming lakeside town in Canada sets the stage for a fun and heartwarming second chance at love in Mermaid Inn. Eve and Sawyer take a slow dance around the attraction and chemistry they share. They are truly a wonderful couple together. The lake scenes with Sawyer and Eve are some of my favorites of the book. They show trust and caring along with determination and Hope. Jenny Holiday spin a wonderful tale of second chance love.
writtenechoes's review against another edition
3.0
More like 3.5. It was cute and escapist which is what I was looking for so I can’t really be mad.
brandypainter's review against another edition
3.0
If you enjoy Holiday's books, this is a fun, entertaining read. I wasn't completely sold on all the character motivations and why they did what they did all the time, but it's still highly enjoyable. I will read the next book.
bookishlychar's review against another edition
3.0
A cute Hallmark-esque type of book set in Ontario.
hollynichole88's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a cute story. I really loved the characters in the whole story, not just the main ones, so I was really excited to find out it was part of a series. I can’t wait to read the next one.