Publisher: 4th February 2021 by Aria & Aries
Pages: 263 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: Romance, Women's Fiction
My Rating: 3 cups
Synopsis:
Love comes when you least expect it...
Tressa Buckland likes her quiet life in Port Lowdy, with its cobbled streets and colourful terraced houses overlooking the sea. Her job at the local paper allows her to pursue her art in her free time, with no one but her tabby cat Ginger Pickles to mind her in Mermaid Terrace. But then the owner of the paper is called away on an emergency, and it's up to Tressa to run the paper for six months. Her first task: find a new part-time journalist.
Dan Byrne is the angriest man in Ireland – or so the readers of his very successful column, 'Dan takes on the world', think. But after a story goes south and he loses his job in Dublin, Dan has no choice but to start afresh. When an opportunity comes up in sleepy Cornwall, Dan and his Golden Retriever Ritchie set off for a new adventure.
For Tressa, Dan's arrival to Port Lowdy changes everything. Tressa tries not to look too deeply at her own life, but Dan sees a story to uncover in absolutely everyone – even her. The two of them couldn't be more different... yet, if they can find a way to work together, they may just breathe new life and joy into this sleepy seaside village.
Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace is a heartwarming new village romance about the power of love and kindness, from the bestselling author of Starting Over at Acorn Cottage.
My Thoughts
‘I can see why you love it here,’ he said as they walked. ‘It’s like a made-up place. You said your cat was named after a Beatrix Potter animal, well this village feels like a Beatrix Potter sort of a place.’
Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace is a heartwarming story about love, loss and misunderstandings. The story is told from several characters' points of view, each having their unique contribution to make to this sweet tale.
‘Dan looked out at the view of the village below. ‘I don’t know, it’s pretty special. I think I get why you stay here. It’s almost made up in some ways. Magical as though it’s been bypassed by the rest of the world.’
A definite highlight of the book would be the town of Port Lowdy - both its location and residents. The setting was idyllic and really lent itself to the poignant theme of mermaids referenced throughout the book. With the central couple being at times perplexing and wanting through their obvious lack of communication, it was good to have multiple storylines to engage the reader. Yes, Tressa and Dan both had personal obstacles to overcome but at times it was a tad slow. A surprise character would in fact be Tressa’s mum, Wendy, who really had a terrific story arc. Perhaps the strongest and most engaging storyline would in fact belong to Remi as it had real depth.
‘I feel like a different person now but I don’t know who I am. People think I should be something or they have expectations of who I am based on who I was but why can’t people change? I know I have but I don’t know who I am now.’
All up this multilayered romantic story provided both escapism and a reprieve from heavier reads. Predictable HEA maybe, however, the setting and range of characters allow this book to provide a gentle pause in the life of its readers.
‘Take as long as you need, George; I’m just going to just sit here and be with you if that’s okay?’ ‘I couldn’t think of anyone I would rather sit with at this moment,’ he said and they finished their tea and the biscuits in silence.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
We all need a little escapism at times, thanks for sharing your thoughts
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