REVIEW: Sea of Love by Susan Donovan

In Sea of Love by Susan Donovan, after a bad relationship and some bad choices, Rowan is back on Bayberry Island. She is running Safe Haven, her family’s Bed and Breakfast, trying to help save the B & B and the family from financial ruin. Besides being obviously unhappy with how her life is at this point, Rowan has to deal with the fact that a developer wants to buy the B & B, but her mother is having no part of that – no matter what the community wants. There is also the matchmaking Mermaid legend, which Rowan has no tolerance for.

When Ash appears one stormy night looking for a place to stay, Rowan is determined to ignore the sparks between them. Ash obviously has money to spend when he offers Rowan a ridiculous amount of money for any room for a week…something Rowan reluctantly accepts. Ash has his own issues he’s running from, but he is keeping secrets too. As he spends more time with Rowan he begins to regret his duplicity. He is not planning on staying around Bayberry Island, but the heat between Rowan and Ash is impossible to ignore for both of them. As hard as Rowan tries to keep her distance from Ash, they have heat that can’t be denied. The chemistry between Ash and Rowan is hot…but it will take more than that for them to move forward.

Will Rowan finally be able to move on from the past and trust again? Will the Matchmaking Mermaid make a match? Can she forgive Ash his secrecy, or will what they’ve started be over as soon as it’s begun?

Susan gives us lots of unique characters in Sea of Love. It took me almost the whole book to warm up to Rowan…I alternated between disliking her and just feeling sorry for her. It took a little while to figure out her whole story, but she is letting the past rule her present and future, and her bitterness is obvious through most of Sea of Love. I really wanted her to mature and move on, and found myself hoping that Ash would be the man for her.

Ash is being deceptive though, and even though he develops feelings for Rowan, he keeps putting off telling her everything. A relationship that starts off like that is bound to be rocky if it survives at all! I liked Ash, if only he would be more honorable! He’s a bit fixated on past happenings also though and needs to decide for himself what the right thing is. He seems to have good intentions, but sometimes actions speak louder than words.

There are a lot of great secondary characters in Sea of Love that I can’t wait to meet up with again. Rowan’s parents are divided on selling the B & B right now, and it is severely affecting their relationship. I’m hoping to find out in future books in this series how they’re doing! I also am looking forward to reading Rowan’s brother’s stories.

Sea of Love is full of interesting, complicated characters and relationships. At times the story line was difficult to follow though and some of the characters are fun even if a bit unbelievable. I did read the novella that precedes Sea of Love and really enjoyed it…but you don’t need to read that first to read Sea of Love. I love the setting of Sea of Love. Susan paints a vivid picture of the island and small town life on it…and I love the ocean!

If you’re a romance reader looking for a romance in a small town with some quirkiness thrown in, you’ll enjoy Sea of Love by Susan Donovan!

Book Info:

Published December 3rd 2013 by Signet Select | A Bayberry Island Novel

New York Times bestselling author Susan Donovan welcomes you to Bayberry Island, a special place between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket where a bronze mermaid statue promises to grant true love to anyone who asks with an open heart…

For years Rowan Flynn distanced herself from Bayberry Island and its infamous mermaid legend. But after her investor fiancé lost what was left of her family’s fortune, Rowan reluctantly agreed to run the Safe Haven Bed-and-Breakfast, determined never again to fall for the ridiculous fantasy of the mermaid matchmaker.

Now Rowan is just biding her time until she can return to her “real” life in New York, fixing up the B and B and avoiding neighbors who are angry that the Flynns won’t sell their land to a developer set on turning the island into a glitzy vacation destination.

But when a handsome stranger arrives at the B and B the night before the annual Mermaid Festival, Rowan’s life takes a turn for the interesting. Could it be the divine hand of the town’s patroness? Or is Rowan being set up for another disappointment?