Sit back and allow yourself to be whisked away to the tiny coastal village of Muir Harbor in Autumn by the Sea by Melissa Tagg!
What I loved:
The characters—what a brilliant cast! Even the less-endearing characters were interesting and multi-dimensional, and the most loveable ones still had their fair share of flaws.
The setting—a blueberry farm in Maine overlooking the sea. Need I say more? Not convinced? I’ll say this: I first fell in love with Maine when I read Whose Waves These Are. Melissa Tagg has just confirmed that I absolutely need to visit Maine at least once in my life (although if it’s as charming in real life as it is in Autumn by the Sea, then once might not be enough).
The humour—this book was just so fun! Although there were several serious and emotional themes going on, the tone of the story as a whole remained light, with humour threaded throughout expertly.
The emotions—so well balanced with the afore-mentioned humour. The story was neither overly light and fluffy, nor heavy and dark. The more serious scenes pushed through at just the right moments and the emotional impact of each felt organic and genuine. So well written—nothing contrived or unrealistic. None of the melodramatic overreactions that have somehow become a norm in contemporary romance. No, these characters faced serious issues and handled them reasonably, further endearing themselves to me in the process.
The romance—adorable! All the warm fuzzy feelings! I love nothing more than watching romance bud between two people who just deserve that HEA so much! The pacing was perfect, fitting in with the other aspects of the plot, but never being eclipsed completely.
The mystery—just a light dash that kept me glued to the page. While this is by no means a suspense nor a mystery novel, I did enjoy the underlying threads of intrigue that promise to continue in the next books.
And speaking of the next books, I cannot wait for A Seaside Wonder to release (Book 2)! I absolutely loved this book and hope to return to Muir Harbor soon.
5 Stars
(Note: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.)