Guest Review: Summer Kisses at Mermaids Point by Sarah Bennett.

Laurie Morgan runs a café in the small seaside community of Mermaids Point, named after the beauties rumoured to live in the waters a few miles off the top of the point. When a hazy image is posted online of what appears to be a mermaid, the café and the village are soon full to bursting with curious sightseers.

The most eye-catching of the new arrivals is handsome author, Jake Smith, who has rented a cottage for the summer while he works on his new book. Or so he says. In fact, he is a journalist, burned out and disillusioned with life, whose editor has sent him on a crack-pot hunt for mermaids...

Jake quickly finds himself drawn to village life, and to the gorgeous woman who runs the local café. But he soon suspects there’s trouble lurking beneath the idyllic façade, and when it looks like Laurie’s family might be involved, Jake faces a difficult choice. Pursue the truth, or protect the woman he’s beginning to fall in love with…

Review: I always enjoy a book from Sarah Bennett and was pleased to find that a new one was in the offing. This is the first book in her latest series, set in the seaside village of Mermaids Point, a warm and welcoming community where I would love to spend some time. I was instantly drawn into this book and found it a quick read. 

Central to the story is the Morgan family, all of whom live in the village. Laurie runs a cafe serving the most delicious-sounding cakes, while her mum and dad run the gift shop next door. Brother Nick takes tourists out on his boat to view the coast and islands off the point. Unfortunately, a couple of wet summers have left businesses that are dependent on the tourist trade worried about the future. Reporter Jake Smith arrives in Mermaids Point to recharge his batteries and at the same time follow up on a strange report. Somebody has posted on social media a series of pictures apparently showing a mermaid slipping off the rocks at the end of the bay into the sea. He is interested to establish if this is a stunt perhaps intended to attract visitors to the struggling seaside village. When he arrives in the village, Jake is instantly attracted to Laurie and soon becomes friendly with the whole family. However, when it seems that Nick may be at the centre of strange goings on, Jake is conflicted between his job as a reporter and his connection to the family, Laurie in particular. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and can highly recommend it to other readers, whether fans of Sarah Bennett or new to her work. There are many interesting and eminently likeable characters in the story, Laurie and Jack taking centre stage. They are a lovely couple, but there is always the worry that Jack’s job may come between them. I enjoyed the mystery associated with the mermaid sightings and was surprised when the answer was revealed. The Morgans are a delightful family unit, always looking out for each other and considerate of the community where they live. I was very moved by the way in which they supported Jack when he needed help. I’m now looking forward to the next story in the series; the prologue, which appears at the end of this book, suggests that we are going to learn more about the characters we have met in this story. 

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