I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler Published by Simon and Schuster on June 2nd 2015
Pages: 416
Goodreads
The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.
Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one.
Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life.
When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . .
My Thoughts:
This book wasn’t at all what I expected. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like it! I really did. It surprised me in good ways.
I think the main thing that threw me off was that the main character couldn’t speak. At all. Throughout the whole book. I was really wondering how she would get to know the other characters and kept waiting for her voice to come back. That was so silly of me! Of course there are other ways to communicate. I guess because her voice loss was so new and she hadn’t accepted it I had some misgivings. Like I said, totally silly of me.
Once I started The Summer of Chasing Mermaids everything about it drew me in… the beach setting, the mermaid aspect, the characters, the small town feel… it was all excellent. I was especially interested in the connections to Trinidad and Tobago. I am embarrassingly uneducated about this country. Each glimpse the main character gave us was new to me. The musical aspect was particularly interesting. So many things all tied together in this story!
Yet another solid and engaging read from Sarah Ockler. You can’t go wrong with her stories!
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