| Title | : | Mermaid Inn (Matchmaker Bay, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1538716518 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781538716519 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 465 |
| Publication | : | First published January 28, 2020 |
Eve Abbott has a problem-actually, make that a lot of problems. And they're all going to get worse the moment her toes hit the sand in Matchmaker Bay. Once a blissful summer escape, now the tiny town just reminds Eve of loss. Inheriting her aunt's beloved Mermaid Inn is the only reason Eve is coming back. She's definitely not ready to handle nosy neighbors, extensive renovations, or the discovery that a certain heartbreaker still lives down the street...
Police Chief Sawyer Collins always does the right thing, even when it costs him everything. Like Evie. He's spent the past ten years trying to forget her--to forget how right she felt in his arms, to forget the pain in her eyes the day she left. The last thing he expects is to see her back in town or to find that the spark between them is as strong as ever. Sawyer knows this is his only chance to prove that his feelings have always been real... before Eve turns tail and leaves for good.
Includes the bonus novella Meant to Be by Alison Bliss!
Mermaid Inn (Matchmaker Bay, #1) Reviews
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Sweet and sassy small town second chance romance. Jenny Holiday has written a enchanting entertaining story with a little mermaid vibe. Eve returns to Moonflower Bay after being away for 10 years. Her beloved aunt has left Eve her inn. Eve’s plan is to sell and get out of town as quickly as possible. But her aunt had other plans, Eve cannot sell the inn until after a year. And this is a problem because Eve absolutely does not want to run into her ex boyfriend Sawyer. I know you probably know where this is going. But this was so much more than the HEA it was the delightful journey getting there.
Loved everything about this engaging story. The characters especially the main characters Eve and Sawyer were lovable and relatable. Their friends were fantastic and added so much to the story. And I would be remiss if I did not mention the determined yet delightful group of senior citizen matchmakers. This is a book that made me smile and laugh, definitely looking forward to the next book in this small town cozy romance series.
This book in emojis 🧜🏻♀️ 🏖 🧜🏼♂️ 🛶 🏊♀️ 📚 🚨 👩❤️💋👨
*** Big thank you to Forever for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. *** -
I’m going to say it. Even though it’s only February, I’m going to say it. This book will be one of my favourite reads of this year. Again, I know it’s only February but this book was beyond anything that I could have hoped for.
Each time that I read a novel written by Jenny Holiday, I always have the same experience: I find myself fully immersed in the story and while I’m racing through it, I physically force myself to put the book down because I don’t want it to end. This is also my rationale for having read only two (now three) of her books: I don’t want to finish them all without having more in the line up. Does that make sense? No, but alas. My whole point behind this lengthy explanation is that if I didn’t physically force myself to put this book down, it would have been read in one sitting without question.
Everything about this story spoke to my heart—in a way that’s indescribable but for the sake of this review I will attempt to describe.
First off, the novel was set in a small beach town. In both fiction and in real life, this is one of my favourite settings. There’s something magical and more romantic about a story set in such a place. Also, there’s something that is renewing and refreshing about the beach and it’s where I feel the most like myself.
Aside from the setting, the romance and the relationship between the two main characters was unlike any other. The tropes of “first love” and “second chance” are often two of my favourites to read but the author created a romance that was unique and truly selfless and beautiful. The history between the two characters elevated the emotions and made it more than any ‘typical’ romance. Also, for those wondering: there is HEAT and it’s steamy.
To switch gears in a totally opposite direction, there was something else about this novel that could be the true reason for why I loved this book as much as I did. Well, one of many reasons clearly because I could go on. That reason is the sibling relationship between Sawyer and Clara. The relationship between this brother and sister duo brought this story to another level for me. Unlike this pairing, I have an amazing relationship with my parents and I always have but I also similarly have an amazing older brother. I found the closeness that the two of them shared for each other accurately reflected what I have with my brother which made the story that much more meaningful for me.
Even though I suspected that I would enjoy this novel, there are no words to explain how much this story affected me. Without a doubt, Jenny Holiday continues to become one of my favourite authors and I will eagerly await and anticipate each novel that she writes.
***Thank you to Forever Publishing for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review*** -
Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday is the first book in the new contemporary romance Matchmaker Bay series. As with a lot of contemporary romance series the theme to the series is the setting and the main characters will change with each new book so they all can be read and understood as a standalone.
Mermaid Inn opens the series with Eve Abbott who is returning to Moonflower Bay, Ontario after the loss of her aunt. Eve has inherited her aunt’s business, the Mermaid Inn, and is not sure what to do with it. Growing up Eve is familiar with the town and the town busybodies who fancy themselves matchmakers and is hoping to avoid them and her ex, Sawyer Collins.
It’s been ten years since Eve left and her break up with Sawyer and both have been trying to forget one another and the break up. Not long after returning though Eve crosses paths with the one man she can’t put out of her mind and finds out he’s now the police chief of Moonflower Bay and the spark between them certainly hasn’t gone out after all these years.
Ok, two things I absolutely love are combined in this opening of the Matchmaker Bay series, second chance romance and an amazing small town beachy setting so I was hooked. Well, perhaps that should even be three things when you factor in the humorous older crowd in the background matchmaking along the way, adorable! I loved the main couple and the connection rekindling between them and thought this was just a wonderful opener to the series giving it all the stars.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit
https://carriesbookreviews.com/ -
Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday is everything I needed and more. It is the HEA I needed that was both charming and hot, sweet and sassy, yet is also cute and sexy! Oooh Holiday can really make me blush in this second chance story about Eve and Sawyer who reconnects after ten years, when she has to return to Moonflower Bay (in Canada) when her great aunt leaves her The Mermaid Inn.
I loved Eve’s character and her obsession with making lists, her ability to always get in trouble, and she is a librarian - dream job!Sawyer is now the small town Chief of Police who once broke Eve’s heart; he is handsome, charming, sensitive and amazing with kids. What’s not to love!
I loved reading about Eve and Sawyer, though some parts were a slow burn, I enjoyed the groveling and certainly their attraction was undeniable! Swoon worthy read!
It’s a cute story that I enjoyed and exactly what I needed to get me out of a slump! -
2.5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
“The inn is yours… but you can’t sell it for a year.”
The Matchmaker Bay series starts off with a second chance romance between visiting her great-aunt in the summer Evie and local boy Sawyer. They meet very young, grow up as friends, and when puberty hits, so does their love. Their last summer before high school graduation, Evie starts talking about skipping college to come waitress and stay in Moonflower Bay but Sawyer doesn't want her to give up her dreams for him. Sawyer decides to publicly make-out with a girl on a float during the big town parade, therefore making Evie want to leave and go chase her dreams. Ten years later, Evie's great-aunt has passed away and left her Mermaid Inn to Evie. Evie is finally forced to return to Moonflower Bay, where she gets stuck on the Inn roof and has to be rescued by the town's police chief, who just so happens to be Sawyer.
It was just that she had loved him so much. And now, she reminded herself, she was angry at him so much.
The first 30% of Mermaid Inn felt like one big set-up for the series as a whole, instead of narrowing the focus to Evie and Sawyer. It seemed to want to veer into women's fiction but there are povs from Sawyer, so I would make up a new sub-genre and call it town's fiction (this does fit strongly in the romance genre). There's the meddling elders, the themed town festival, the slightly wack woman, Maya, who becomes friends with Evie and has a “hate” you relationship with one of Sawyer's two handsome friends, and our childhood sweethearts who the whole town knows should still be together. These are extremely well tread tropes and characters and for the first half I struggled a lot; the ground work for the whole series and read before characters didn't feel fresh or excite. There was also the intense anger from Evie towards Sawyer over, yes, a huge heartbreak of hers but it happened ten years ago and was one moment in an apparent ocean of love and good memories with Sawyer. I thought Evie and Sawyer came off a bit immature, they felt very early twenties more than late twenties at times with their thoughts.
“Kiss the girl.”
It was around the 40% mark that Evie starts to thaw towards Sawyer and I thought the flow and story improved a lot from there, the story moves from setting up the series and focuses more on Sawyer and Evie. Sawyer's background had him growing up with an abusive father, his mother died in childbirth. At eighteen, he moves out with his seven year old sister, gets full legal custody, and with the help of the town he raises her. There were some good moments between him and his sister but I craved even more because of how deep the emotions between this relationship could have gotten. Evie comes from a loving home but we get very few glimpses with her and her parents and because the impetuous to get her back to Moonflower Bay is the death of her great-aunt, we don't get any great scenes between the two. There were at times I felt depth and meat to the characters was missing.
He kissed the girl. And the girl kissed him back.
The beginning was too much series set-up that frankly made it boring, the middle had better interactions between Evie and Sawyer that started to draw me into their second chance romance, but the ending fell somewhat flat because so much of the emotions from characters felt surface. The story takes place over a year but there are time jumps and it didn't feel like I had necessarily struggled and triumphed with Evie and Sawyer in their romance because of lack of depth. I'm in my late thirties and there were at times I felt like some of the characters and the tone had a manic pixie, bubbly, and Instagram (I don't know how to really describe this but if you're on Instagram you'll know what I'm talking about) vibe that just didn't always connect with me, younger readers could easily feel different. With the town set-up out of the way, the next in the series should have the freedom to focus more on the main couple and luckily, Sawyer has two hunky friends that should fill the hero spot nicely. -
Thank you Forever and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Mermaid Inn
By: Jenny Holiday
*REVIEW* 🌟🌟🌟.5
Mermaid Inn is a second chance romance, and it's set in Canada, which is a nice change from the normal stuff I read. Eve and Sawyer were a thing once, but that ended in heartbreak. Now, Eve has inherited The Mermaid Inn, and she is back in town. Obviously, Eve and Sawyer run into one another because, how can they not in a small town full of terribly nosy gossips. Seriously, the interference and opinions of know it alls was a bit annoying here. This story is a classic trope, so I'm sure you know where it's going to end anyway. Despite this issues, Mermaid Inn is an entertaining, engaging story to make you smile, and that is always a good thing. I recommend this book for a little dose of happiness and cutesy fun. -
Lately I’ve been super into small town romances and if they’re part of a series I’m allllll in. I love cute and quaint little fictional towns and a cast of quirky secondary characters that I can get to know over time, plus a new budding romance with each installment? Yes please! On the surface this book had everything I’ve been about lately but it in the end I found it to be lacking.
This started out really strong for me, I really liked both Evie and Sawyer and the opening chapter was both funny and charming and really set a great tone for the story. Second chance romances are one of my favorite tropes and Evie and Sawyer’s backstory was sweet. Really there was plenty to like here for me but my one gripe was that it just felt a bit too long. Parts from the middle to the last quarter dragged on a bit and for something that felt long for me, I wanted more depth. Look, I knew going into this that I would be reading a predictable book, I’m totally ok with that, in fact it was what I was in the mood for, but there was something missing for me in the end that made this one just ok for me instead of a good, solid game book. I did like it enough that I plan to continue on with the series though, the author is a good writer and I’m curious to see where things go. I know beginning a new series sometimes requires setting the stage a bit so I’m definitely willing to give this another chance, I’m hopeful that the next book will win me over and make me a firm fan. -
Second chance romances is very hard to pull off--you need to show a real reason why the break up happened, but enough growth that we'll believe it will work out now. And for me, this book really delivered. I think it helped that they were 18 and dummies when they broke up, and that they both had interesting lives in the intervening 10 years. I think Jenny Holiday is a very talented writer, and this book is funny, and heartfelt, and emotional and all the things at once.
One last point: This is a romance that really takes its time, which is not something you see that often anymore in romance. Here's the set up: Evie inherits an inn and has to stay in town for a year. And you know what, the book takes that whole year to play out, and I for one really appreciated the sense that this is book that fully used the time it gave itself, if that makes sense. Even in books that aren't "insta love" people get together really fast, and the pacing of this felt so real.
anyways. another great read from Jenny Holiday for me. -
Librarian and list maker Eve Abbott was determined to never set foot in Moonflower Bay again. But she's back, a decade later, after inheriting the Mermaid Inn, her great-aunt's B&B. Eve will just sell the place and go back to Toronto. But there goes her plan... There's a clause in the will stating she can't sell it for a year. So instead she'll stay to do the necessary repairs but she didn't count on the meddlesome townfolks and the presence of her first love and heartbreak.
At 18, Sawyer Collins moved out of his father house and took his 7 years-old sister with him. He did a terrific job raising her and became the town Police Chief. Just like with his sister, his actions has always been about doing what's best for the ones he love. Even if it cost him the love of his life. So now that she's back, even only temporarily, Sawyer intend to use the time he have to convince her to give their story an other chance.
This Little Mermaid theme book is the start of a new series by Jenny Holiday. So why does the town is called Moonflower Bay if the series' name is Matchmaker Bay? It's for you to discover with a delightful from friends to lovers to heartbreak and then second chance romance. Your heart will break for the hero when you'll learn his family's story but for the bookworms, I bet you'll feel a kinship with the heroine's bookish quirks😉. -
Eve Abbott kehrt nach zehn Jahren nach Moonflower Bay zurück, um sich um das Mermaid Inn zu kümmern, das sie von ihrer Großtante geerbt hat. In ihrer Kindheit und Jugend verbrachte sie ihre Sommer dort, aber seit ihr damaliger Freund sie betrogen hat, hat sie keinen Fuß mehr in die Stadt gesetzt, nur um ihm nicht begegnen zu müssen. Dafür hat sie sogar ihre Großtante vernachlässigt.
Nun ist sie aber zurück und trifft Sawyer wieder und die Gefühle für ihre erste Liebe sind immer noch so stark wie früher und Sawyer geht es da nicht anders. Damals musste sie ihn verlassen, damit sie studieren und sich ihren Traum erfüllen kann, Bibliothekarin zu werden, aber jetzt ist Eve zurück und Sawyer sieht ihre zweite Chance gekommen.
Moonflower Bay bietet viele niedliche Traditionen und Aktivitäten, aber auch ein paar ältere Damen und Herren, die sich zu gerne in die Angelegenheiten anderer Leute einmischen und Eve dazu bringen wollen, in der Stadt zu bleiben und wieder mit Sawyer zusammenzukommen und das ging mir schon ein bisschen auf die Nerven. Auch Sawyer hat Entscheidungen für Eve getroffen, weil er meinte zu wissen, was das Beste für sie ist, statt einfach mit ihr zu reden.
Nun steht eine Menge zwischen ihnen, aber Sawyer will Eve wieder helfen, so gut er kann, er hätte sie gern wieder in seinem Leben. Eve will die Stadt eigentlich so bald wie möglich verlassen, aber nun kommen all die Erinnerungen wieder hoch, an ihre Tante und ihre gemeinsame Liebe zu Meerjungfrauen und Märchen, an das Mermaid Inn und natürlich all die Erinnerungen an ihre Zeit mit Sawyer.
Die Liebesgeschichte der beiden fand ich am Anfang ganz süß, aber sie konnte mich nicht immer überzeugen. Gerade zum Ende hin werden ihre Konversationen auch so seltsam, dass mich die Chemie zwischen den beiden einfach nicht überzeugen konnte. Eine andere Sache, die ich nicht so gelungen fand, war das Tempo. Man bekommt kaum mit, wie schnell die Zeit vergeht, überspringt so viele Ereignisse, die vorher so oft erwähnt wurden, dass ich einfach mehr erwartet hätte.
Fazit
"Still into you" bietet eine Kleinstadt mit witzigen Traditionen, die immer viel zu schnell vorbei waren, und sympathischen, aber auch aufdringlichen Bewohnern, die zu allem eine Meinung haben. Die Liebesgeschichte, die nach zehn Jahren eine zweite Chance bekommt, fand ich am Anfang ganz interessant, und obwohl die Protagonisten einzeln wirklich sympathisch waren, fand ich sie zusammen einfach nicht überzeugend. -
Eve and Sawyer, childhood friends, teenager lovers. That is until that fateful summer when Eve was visiting the small town on her annual visit with her Aunt, when Eve spotted the love of her life, Sawyer, kissing another girl. And, that was that. Or was it?
I love second chance stories. I especially love small, quirky towns with equally eccentric citizens. What made this story even more interesting was seeing both our hero and heroine re-discovering each other as adults and the fateful decisions that were made in haste in their youth. It was a perfect, sweet, funny romance that had all the desirable elements for a Valentine's Day read. Actually, it is a great second chance romance for any time of year! And, another new author for me! Win-win. ;) -
A light, sweet romance. I liked it. Maybe some of the characters were stereotypical but it was still ok for all that.
-
After a ten-year absence, Eve Abbott has returned to Moonflower Bay to say goodbye to her great aunt Lucille, who passed away, leaving Eve the Mermaid Inn. Eve spent every summer living with Lucille at the Mermaid Inn, until she was 18 and saw the love of her life, Sawyer Collins, kiss another girl. After that, she went off to college and refused to return to the town that brought so much joy to her life. But even in death, Lucille hasn’t given up on making sure Eve is happy, even if it takes some meddling. Eve must own the Mermaid Inn for one year before she can sell it. Now she is reconnecting with past friends and associates, including the police chief, Sawyer Collins.
Mermaid Inn is an absolute joy to read. It’s sweet and easy, with some light moments and some not-as-light moments. It’s about Eve learning who she really is after holding on to youthful heartbreak for ten years. The results of this - staying away from Moonflower Bay - shaped her life. Now she has to figure out what she really wants, past the heartbreak. She’s growing and discovering what really makes her happy.
I love watching Eve learn how to be an adult in this town that holds so many memories for her. She decides to take on the extended stay with grace, working to rebuild friendships and even better herself along the way. She takes chances and gives into desire. The chemistry between Sawyer and Eve evolves from the joy of first love to an adult passion that smolders.
Overall, I really enjoyed this kickoff novel of the Matchmaker Bay series . Mermaid Inn hits all my buttons - small town, second chance, solid emotions, lots of fun. I enjoyed the slow-build as Eve and Sawyer learn to be friends and lovers as adults.
My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
Review copy provided by the publisher/Netgalley
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About -
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kimberlyfaye reads.
I fell in love with Jenny Holiday's writing while reading her Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series. When I saw she was launching a new series with a small-town beach setting, I was all in. As soon as I learned the first book, Mermaid Inn, was a second chance romance, I was even more excited. I didn't get to it before release, but I am so happy I read it when I did. Not only was it absolutely delightful, but it also helped break me out of a bit of a book slump.
Y'all know I love the second chance romance trope. But I'm also seriously picky about my second chance romances. I need to know the "why" and it has to make sense. Even if it's not necessarily pretty or a reason I can support. When the characters are face-to-face again, I want to see that chemistry. And I want at least a little bit of a grovel. The size of the grovel I desire is based on what went down previously. But, I digress. Eve and Sawyer gave good second chance romance in Mermaid Inn. It checked all my boxes.
Honestly, everything about Mermaid Inn was flat-out wonderful. I was super invested in Eve and Sawyer's story. I was totally enamored with the small beach town — and the Inn itself! — and its nosy, meddling residents. I swooned my way through this book with a big cheesy grin on my face. (Hello, Sawyer builds Eve a Little Free Library! 😍) The Matchmaker Bay series is off to a strong start and I can't wait for more!
I really enjoyed the audio for Mermaid Inn, too. Meghan Kelly is a new-to-me narrator and I thought she did a great job bringing Eve, Sawyer, and the other characters to life. The bottom line is I think this book would be enjoyable no matter how you read it, but if you're an audiobook fan it's absolutely worth a listen.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. -
I am so excited about this new series from Jenny Holiday. It’s definitely different than the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series but it has the Jenny staples: great friendship, amazing romance, and grilled cheese.
The voice is fresh and fun, and you immediately want to be best friends with heroine Evie. ALSO it is sexy as hell.
The book sets up so much of the look and dynamics of Matchmaker Bay, and I’m ready to book a visit myself. 😂
Second chance romance; high school sweethearts
The hero builds a Free Library. 😭 -
ARE WE EVEN SHOCKED THAT I LOVED ANOTHER JENNY HOLIDAY?????
FULL REVIEW TO COME LADIES!!! HOT COPS GALORE!!! -
**Mermaid Inn generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
3 "This place had made her." Stars
This story comes as a fun, enjoyable read. It's a second chance romance that started out really great for me even though almost from the beginning I could predict what was going to happen. Jenny Holiday's writing was engaging, thorough, and convincing. The characters are ones you want to root for and spend time with. The second chance aspect of the story fit well with the drama that happened to them as kids even though I wish it would have been a bit more fleshed out and dramatic so I could really feel that old connection. However, the chemistry they had once in the same town again was ever present. The entire cast of characters was colorful and motley creating a true sense of friendship and understanding. The setting itself and the very aptly named Mermaid Inn was as fitting as it was charming. The predictably of the story was a strike for me and then the book really drug on from around 50-75% with the forward motion being stunted. I started to get bored with it because I wanted something a little deeper for these two adults. I was so invested in the characters though that I had to see how it ended and I'm really glad I did. It's a great beach type read for holiday or a relaxing reading experience. I'll look forward to more from Matchmaker Bay particularly a couple of secondary characters that Holiday really left interesting breadcrumbs about. -
I liked a lot about this unassuming (all white) small-town contemporary romance that's one dog short of going full Jill Shalvis on us. Lovely slow burn, second-chance romance, that really takes its time, which I like. The thing that really sells the book, tho, is that the hero is aware of his feelings and super into the heroine. That said, this book does that incredibly obnoxious thing of ending a chapter right when something is about to happen (they're about to kiss! he's about to confess something!) but then the next chapter is a few hours or days later and the character will be remembering what happened and kind of, but not really, tell us about it (we didn't kiss because our helmets were in the way and it was sooo awkward!) and it makes the flow super choppy and kills the narrative momentum. Not the best way to sustain tension.
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Gute 3,5 Sterne | Irgendwie war es zwischen mir und diesem Buch so eine Sache. Einerseits mochte ich es echt gern, andererseits habe ich so lange daran gelesen & es ständig pausiert, weil es mich nicht richtig fesseln konnte. Dabei war es sogar echt süß, humorvoll & cozy. Wenn ich darin gelesen habe, empfand ich es nie als negativ, aber der Drang weiterzulesen hat mir einfach gefehlt. Das Buch ist für die Geschichte, die es erzählt, auch ziemlich lang & manchmal etwas zäh. Als Hörbuch hätte mich das vermutlich nicht gestört, aber zum Lesen war es mir doch zum Teil etwas zu ruhig🫣.
So kam es dann jedenfalls, auch dadurch dass ich immer super viel gleichzeitig lese, eher zu meinen anderen Büchern gegriffen hab & dieses Buch ständig lange rumlag. Es hat sich grundsätzlich nicht so fest in meinem Kopf verankert. Teilweise hatte ich beim Lesen, trotz des sehr angenehmen Schreibstils, auch Probleme konzentriert zu bleiben😩. Es hat sich trotzdem richtig gut lesen lassen. Auch den Humor & Arielle-Details fand ich cool eingebaut. Nur die personale Erzählperspektive war nicht so optimal für die Bindung zu den Charakteren. Wären beide Perspektiven aus der ich-Form geschrieben gewesen, wäre es mir wesentlich leichter gefallen, einen besseren Zugang zu den Protas, und vermutlich auch zum Buch, zu finden. Ich mochte beide nichtsdestotrotz gern, wobei mir Eve anfangs etwas kindisch vorkam. 🙊 Ihre Abwehrhaltung Sawyer gegenüber kam mir für eine erwachsene Frau etwas übertreiben vor. Als sich dies aber legte, mochte ich sie immer mehr. Ich hatte auch das Gefühl, gegen Ende immer besser ins Buch zu finden.
Obwohl ich also ewig gebraucht habe, um das Buch zu beenden, fand ich die „enemies-to-lovers/Second Chance“ - Romance wirklich niedlich. Vor allem das Setting ist sehr schön gewählt. Auch die Nebencharaktere waren mir sympathisch. Echt schade, dass der Funke bei mir nicht übergesprungen ist.
Auch, wenn mich das Buch nicht ganz so stark an sich binden konnte, war es ein ein süßes, leichtes Buch mit Wohlfühl-Setting, das sich sehr gut für zwischendurch eignet. -
Mermaid Inn is a witty, small-town second chance romance that I absolutely adored. It has a charming lakeside town setting, interesting characters, humor, and heart. Eve and Sawyer were childhood sweethearts, but Sawyer betrayed Eve and broke her heart ten years ago. Eve left Moonflower Bay and didn't return for ten years until she inherited her beloved aunt's Inn. Now she is back in Moonflower Bay, she can't escape Sawyer, who is the town's police chief. Sawyer wants to make amends with Eve and their chemistry is as strong as it was when they were teenagers, but will Eve be able to forgive Sawyer for his betrayal? Second chance romance is my favorite trope and Jenny Holiday nailed it! I cannot wait to read more books set in Moonflower Bay.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley -
After the death of her beloved Aunt leaves librarian Eve in ownership of the falling apart Mermaid Inn, she must return to the the place she once loved but left forever after her high school sweetheart destroyed her heart. Now the police chief and sporting a stupid stupid beard that Eve absolutely does not like, not one bit, Sawyer Collins is an inescapable nuisance who also seems to be doing everything in his power to make sure Eve is happy, despite what he did all those years ago.
A slow burn romance full of heart that pays off on steam after making you die for it, this is a great series starter from Jenny Holiday! I cannot wait for more as I delighted in all the secondary characters. I especially enjoyed watching Eve and Sawyer learn to talk to one another and communicate their desires. Super sexy and I adore a second-chance romance. This one is done quite well, and Sawyer's big mistake is thoroughly explored and the grovel fits the crime.
As far as this being a small town, very White romance, I enjoyed it as a White reader. While I liked how the conflict between the heroine's desire for a certain library job versus staying back in her hometown to run the Inn played out, I was bracing myself.
Edit: What does the above paragraph mean past Beth? I'm usually writing these while at work and I think what I meant to write was this is a very white, small town romance. I'm white, I've read a ton of these in the past and this story definitely does not try to subvert or advance this "small town" trope. I wish it did more work on this part.
Also! I am in the mentions of this book! I was so lucky to help Jenny just a bit, talking about library jobs! Thank you Jenny.
I reviewed a free copy from the publisher. Thank you.
CW for -
Coming back to your home town where you experienced a devastating teenaged heartbreak is tough, but when Eve inherits the Mermaid Inn from her beloved and recently deceased great-aunt, she has no choice but to face up to the past and maybe, finally, put it where it belongs. Except that Sawyer, the young man who broke her heart, is still there. Is there enough between them to rekindle what they had and give them a second chance?
Jenny Holiday has the knack of giving the reader a roller coaster of emotions on the way to a couple's HEA. Laughs, tears, bittersweet memories, heartache and forgiveness, all combined in a small town romance that is compelling from start to finish. The inn itself has a starring role, with its quirky mermaid theme (in every corner) and the year Eve spends fixing it up (a clause in the will means she can't sell it right away) is her re-introduction to what she always loved about Moonflower Bay, the resort lake town, and the many characters who make up this story.
The reasons why Sawyer felt he had to push Eve away are understandable and while he regrets that he hurt her, he doesn't regret the decision. He still loves her and finds little ways to show her, like arranging for just the right contractors to show up when she needs them. Gradually Eve lets Sawyer in, and eventually they settle into a friendship, then a friendship with benefits while Eve figures out whether she can trust Sawyer with her heart again. It's a lovely second chance story and a great start to this new series. Looking forward to reading the next one! Highly recommended if you're looking for a summer beach read.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. -
It's funny, I don't really care for second chance romances, and Jenny Holiday has gone on record saying second chance is her least favorite trope (and that this book was hard for her to write). And yet, somehow, I still really enjoyed Mermaid Inn. Likely because the first half-ish reads very enemies to lovers, followed by a deliciously slow burn.
I adore the town of Moonflower Bay. My favorite thing about small town romances is that they tend to have a fun cast of quirky neighbors, and Jenny Holiday doesn't disappoint on that front! The book opens with Eve standing on the roof of the inn she's inherited from her aunt, only to find that her ladder has disappeared! That's right - it didn't just fall down, it is gone. Of course her meddling elderly neighbors couldn't have anything to do with that... Or with calling the police chief Sawyer, Eve's ex, to come rescue her... The meddling of Pearl and Karl and the other old folks in "Matchmaker Bay" is hilarious and exactly the sort of small town I'd want to live in. The extra complexity of Moonflower Bay being a summer tourist town was really interesting.
The growing friendship and rekindling of their former flame for Eve and Sawyer is just *chef kiss.* They were together when they were teenagers and it's been 10 years, so they've both done a lot of growing up. The way the get to learn each other all over again, and change things for the better, was really well done. Sawyer is also SOOOOOO cute, I adore him and his self-sacrificing little heart. I just wanna pinch his cheeks, he's such a sweet, silly, infuriating man.
Mermaid Inn is the first book in the Matchmaker Bay series. I'm very much looking forward to the next book, Paradise Cove. I also *NEED* Maya and Law's book, which I have been promised will be the third book in the series, so you know I'm in it for the long haul!
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review. All opinions are unbiased and my own.
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Elley the Book Otter -
Ugh, this one hurts. I love Jenny Holiday – her Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series is utterly delightful, from the first book to the last.
However, Mermaid Inn, the first in her newest Matchmaker Bay series, leaves a lot to be desired. I was lured in by the blurb – a second chance romance is one of my top 3 favorite tropes, especially because it brings with it the possibility of an excellent grovel scene and I adore a great grovel novel.
Sadly, not only did this book not have the requisite grovel scene I was looking for, it also made me realize that I’m not really interested in reading small-town romances by white authors. They feel incredibly generic and bland and to be perfectly blunt, forgettable. If I’ve read one small town romance where the heroine inherits a house/bed and breakfast/inn, I’ve read a million. And I get that tropes exist for a reason but the idea, I think, is to turn those tropes on their head and make them feel fresh and brand new and inventive. This had all the quintessential elements of a small-town romance, where everyone knows everyone else’s business and there are a group of nosy, interfering busybodies who make meddling in other people’s lives their daily hobby.
So, onto the actual plot and characters. I actually really liked the heroine, Eve, a Toronto based librarian who heads back to Matchmaker Bay upon inheriting her recently deceased aunt’s Inn. I liked that she was fierce and angry – I loved that she was angry about what her high school boyfriend had done to her 10 years ago and she was more than willing to show him just how pissed off she was. But, when the truth comes out about why Sawyer, her ex-boyfriend turned town police chief had broken her heart, his response is not to grovel or acknowledge he messed up and should have talked to her. No, his response is to essentially tell her that he did it FOR HER OWN GOOD. And look how well things turned out! Why, she should be thanking him for his high-handed, patriarchal ways instead of getting mad! One could potentially read this book and say “well, his INTENTIONS were good” but you know what, I’m not that person and in 2020, I’m tired of men making decisions for women because THEY KNOW BETTER. It doesn’t get a pass from me in real life and it doesn’t get a pass from me in the romance novels I read. I want equal partnership between characters, I want them to treat each other with respect, and to acknowledge that each person should have the right to individual autonomy over their life. Sawyer’s actions from a decade ago and his insistence in the present day that he not only did the right thing but that his manipulation of the situation somehow led to Eve’s success made me irate and incapable of rooting for the hero.
Oddly enough, it’s the sex scenes between the two main characters that keep this book from being a 2 star. Not necessarily because they’re overwhelmingly hot but because of the honesty and realistic way in which they are handled. Having newly discovered that Eve hardly ever achieved sexual satisfaction back when they were teenagers, they have a very frank discussion about sex and Eve’s inability to get herself off back then, much less give instructions to someone else on how to do it. Instead of getting huffy and defensive, Sawyer decides that he owes her a few orgasms to make up for and honestly, it’s one of the best parts of the book. He asks her to tell him what feels good so that he can do exactly that and their frank sex talk, while not particularly explicit or overly dirty, give the reader a good idea of why these two characters could have worked so well together had their reunion not been so epically bungled.
This book is forgettable at best, and at worst, features a misguided hero who I just don’t think was worthy of the heroine. Which is ironic because his decision to push her out of his life was born of that same idea – he felt himself unworthy of holding her back from going after her dreams. Unfortunately, while I adore this author, I don’t know that I care to continue with this series. -
This was just what my heart needed after coming off of a heavier read. It was sweet and quirky and had me smiling throughout. I can never resist a second chance romance featuring childhood friends to lovers. Throw in some forced-ish proximity and even a little hate love to start and I was sold. Yes, Sawyer and Evie's story was fairly predictable, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. Sawyer was pretty much one big swoonfest for me. He was all the things I love in my heroes and then some. Seriously, how can anyone not fall in love with a man who builds them little free libraries?? Evie was a relatable and hilarious heroine and I just about died of laughter when she discovered the note she left for herself on her phone.
There isn't a ton of angst in Mermaid Inn and I appreciated that Jenny Holiday gave Evie and Sawyer time to reconnect and gradually get to know each other again as adults. It felt truer and more natural and really helped build up the anticipation. I also loved how much the characters grew throughout the book and how they faced their personal demons. Even though I don't agree with the reasoning and aftermath behind the initial separation (it is a second chance romance after all), I can understand it. Young love, especially first love, is so all consuming that I can recognize how earth shattering that "betrayal" would feel. I think both characters come to see that regardless of the pain, they both needed that time to grow and mature.
I laughed out loud at all the meddling townspeople and loved the colorful cast of secondary characters. Maya and Law have definitely piqued my interest with their bickering and back and forth, but it's broody and quiet Jake who I'm dying to find out more about. This was a great start to the series and Jenny Holiday has set the stage perfectly for subsequent books.
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book* -
RATING: 4 STARS
First of all, I love that Mermaid Inn is set in Canada, even if it's in the East. The cover first drew me in, but it was the complimentary copy of the second book
Paradise Cove, that motivated me to sneak it into my reading stack. I listened to this one on audio and fell in love with the characters and the small tourist town. Eve Abbott is the heroine in this novel, and she has returned to her aunt's inn after her death. She is set upon selling the inn and getting out of Matchmaker Bay as quickly as possible. Sawyer Collins, her reason to get out of dodge, has other ideas. He lost Eve once, and plans to win her over again. It was a sweet romance that reminds me a bit of a Hallmark movie (in a very good way!) and I am excited to read the next book in this contemporary romance series. -
This was so charming and sweet! It was light and fun with the right amount of emotion mixed in. I found myself smiling and laughing all the way through. Eve and Sawyer were fantastic. I loved them reconnecting and going through all their ups and downs as they figure out their feelings. A really great second chance romance!
I loved learning about Sawyer and Eve’s history, their struggles, and their motivations. There were a lot of entertaining scenarios happening as they get to know each other all over again. I really liked the internal dialogue; it was excellent and had me chuckling. I liked watching their feelings grow and enjoyed them become not-not friends. Eve and Sawyer coming together had a delicious slow burn happening that I thought was great. It was just a joy to read!
I thought all the townspeople were a delight, it was such a fun yet meddlesome group that had me laughing at their antics. I loved how they were all there for one another and the bonds they have. I loved Jake with his sister and their precious relationship, I loved his best friends and see more stories in the future for them. There was a nice build and thought the timeline of everything was great. I like all the mermaid references, there was a lot but they were pretty amusing.
This was a wonderful story about reconnecting, healing, and moving on from the past. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Complimentary copy received for honest review. -
The kiss didn't happen until 213 pages in. I don't care for a slow burn. They only work for me if there's an emphasis on the burn but this was more of a simmer which is okay but just not my jam. Another thing that is a hard sell for me is second chances. The reasoning behind the separation was dumb, it was the usual 'I'm saving you from me so I'll push you away.' I seemed too flimsy a reason to stay away for ten years when she is supposedly the love of his life. I needed Sawyer to be more assertive, his wishy washyness was a huge turn off. The conflict was all internal, it was a push and pull that lasted until the very end. The matchmaking townspeople were cute, the story was cute, the dialogue was cute. If you like fluffy, sweet, zero angst romance then this is a great book. I have to be in the rare mood for those things.
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*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Mermaid Inn was an okay read for me. It took me a while to become invested in the romance, but I do think that Sawyer and Evie got the second-chance they deserved. To be honest, I was more entertained by the side characters and their scheming ways to get Evie and Sawyer back together. They were a riot. -
A small town decorated with moonflowers and Little Free Libraries? Sign me up.
I was going to hold off reading this until spring/summer when the weather is warmer and I can fully immerse myself in a beachy state of mind, but when some of my trusted reviewer friends started raving about it, I couldn't wait.
This is a second chance, small town romance. It takes place in the fictional Moonflower Bay where everyone knows everyone, town festivals happen almost weekly, and gossip spreads like wildfire. Moonflower Bay reminded me of Stars Hollow or Bluebell, so if you're a fan of Gilmore Girls or Hart of Dixie, you're going to love this.
The two main characters, Eve and Sawyer, are totally likable. Eve is smart and independent, and Sawyer is sweet and charming. Their relationship is rocky in the beginning of the novel after an incident that happened 10 years ago, but it was so fun to watch them overcome their past and fall in love again.
I think the eccentric supporting characters were my favorite part of Mermaid Inn. Moonflower Bay is full of interesting people (again, think Stars Hollow) and each person lights up the story with their own personality and quirks. I especially loved Jake, Maya, and Law, and I can. not. wait. to read their stories.
Mermaid Inn is the perfect beach read. In mass market paperback, it's small enough to throw in your bag and get lost in on a warm day. But if you're like me and you're just over this winter season, I'd start reading it today for a little lakeside reverie.
Big thanks to Forever for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
