Thursday, April 17, 2014

Two People Dealing with Past Mistakes and Loss

Carolyn Marcum has come back to Wellfleet Harbor to care for her dying mother. Not only is it difficult to see her mother die, but being in Wellfleet revives the memories of the auto accident that changed her life. Ridley Neal has made mistakes of his own that landed him in jail for a time. Now he's also back in Wellfleet working his father grant where he harvests oysters and clams.

Ridley and Carolyn meet during a hurricane that threatens to destroy his oyster and clam beds. Their brief interlude leaves Carolyn with a tie to Rid she can't break. While Carolyn's life is complicated by the death of her mother. Rid is facing a different loss. One of the rich landowners, whose property is situated above the flats where Rid and his partners farm oysters, initiates a lawsuit to drive them off the beach thereby destroying their livelihood.

For me, the best part of this book was the detailed picture of how oysters and clams are farmed off the Massachusetts coast. The author has done a lot of research to make the background authentic. In addition, the story is based on an actual lawsuit.

The characters are interesting. Carolyn is devastated by her mother's approaching death. Rid is fighting his demons and trying to steer clear of entanglements when he meets Carolyn. I found the characters
believable: Rid more so than Carolyn. Her upset at her mother's death seemed over the top.

If you enjoy a romantic novel with an interesting setting and believable characters, you'll enjoy this book.

I reviewed the book for Net Galley.

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