Review Detail

Elyse d’Abreau was on her way to becoming a star with her twin sister, a singing duo, when a tragic accident stole her voice. With too many memories around her island home, Elyse flees to Atargatis Cove to stay with a family friend. All she wants is quiet, to move on, to forget, and she can do that in the small town where everyone is too polite to ask questions. Except one. Playboy Christian Kane is arrogant but girls still flock to him. And Elyse can see why. He is charming and has no problem showing affection for his little brother Sebastian. When Christian needs a first mate for the Pirate Regatta, Elyse is willing to brave her fears of the water to help. But facing her fears means facing her past and all that she’s lost.

I flew through this book. I picked it up, thinking I’d read a few chapters before bed and finish it the next day. Middle of the night later and I’m turning the last page of the book. There were no more words to read. And I had no idea how that happened. It was a really cute story and made for a great summer time read.

Elyse had already been through a lot when the story started. Her whole arc was about accepting what had happened, forgiving, overcoming, and opening herself up. She was trying at the beginning but it was never going to work until she was ready. Even as she struggled with what had happened to her, she had a quiet strength and showed compassion for the people of the cove. She came to care about them and about the town.

I really liked the chemistry between Elyse and Christian. It was playful and fun and it made me smile. They were helping each other in so many ways, just by being together. There were so many colourful characters in this book, unforgettable characters. Christian’s brother Sebastian was a precious highlight, the friendship between Elyse, Kirby, and Vanessa, and Christian and Noah, and all five, was so great and fun, and felt realistic since it wasn’t all happy times between them.

I absolutely loved the small coastal town feel. It was a very familiar feeling, living by the coast myself. There was also a lot of island influence, which I loved. There were mentions of the music, the food, the people, the atmosphere, the culture, the language. I loved it all.

It was definitely an enjoyable read. A loose, contemporary retelling of The Little Mermaid and it was fun to see the references. It wasn’t just a fluffy summer read either. The book said a lot of using your voice, silencing voices, and I highly recommend reading the author’s acknowledgments in this one. Definitely worth it.