Sweet and sassy small town second chance romance. Jenny Holiday has written a enchanting entertaining story with a little mermaid vibe. Eve returns to Moonflower Bay after being away for 10 years. Her beloved aunt has left Eve her inn. Eve’s plan is to sell and get out of town as quickly as possible. But her aunt had other plans, Eve cannot sell the inn until after a year. And this is a problem because Eve absolutely does not want to run into her ex boyfriend Sawyer. I know you probably know where this is going. But this was so much more than the HEA it was the delightful journey getting there.

Loved everything about this engaging story. The characters especially the main characters Eve and Sawyer were lovable and relatable. Their friends were fantastic and added so much to the story. And I would be remiss if I did not mention the determined yet delightful group of senior citizen matchmakers. This is a book that made me smile and laugh, definitely looking forward to the next book in this small town cozy romance series.

This book in emojis 🧜🏻‍♀️ 🏖 🧜🏼‍♂️ 🛶 🏊‍♀️ 📚 🚨 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

*** Big thank you to Forever for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

Received in exchange for a honest review

So I had some issues with Eve. they were small issues but they were there. Eve is a smart, nice person but her grudge on Sawyer lasted a wee bit to long. And letting that get in the way of coming to see her aunt was all kinds of wrong. Not only that she never really, in all those years, thought about what he was going through at that time. It was her feelings only. Never in all those years did it occur to her that maybe something was going on. Since she had left, she became a successful librarian and is going for a promotion. I understand that coming back to Matchmaker Bay is difficult I do especially under the circumstances but she carried it a wee bit far with her Sawyer issue. I love that she was there for Sawyer’s sister. I love she is there for her friends and sees what Matchmaker bay is all about and faces her past and feelings.

Sawyer is a great guy. He doesn’t see himself as one that is worth much though. He had a rough childhood and raised his sister on his own. He let go of many dreams so he could raise his sister and he became a sweet, kind man. Very protective of his sister and his town. He is fair and honest and has worked hard to get where he is. His sister is older and he is soon to be on his own but he is not dwelling on it. when Eve comes back to town, he teases her and is kind to her even when she is not so nice. He helps her and tries to get her to see he isn’t a bad person. At first she only sees the high school moment but over time she sees the Sawyer that is in front of her. the kind, caring sweet man. Eve does keep trying to remind herself of her heartache. Am I glad he wore her down? Yes but I also think she held the grudge longer than necessary.

The attraction between them is tension filled and sizzles. The banter at first is a little stunted due to Eve’s feelings but still good. Watching them both struggle with things shows they are real and not perfect. Sawyer struggles with feeling like he isn’t worth it and with his sister leaving for college. Eve with where she belongs and her past. Together they help each other heal and find their way to one another and to seeing who they are meant to be. I love the friendships Sawyer has and how close they are and are there for each other no matter what. I love how the town has always been there for Sawyer and are there for one another. such a great story .

The story as a whole is fun, entertaining and sweet.

This was cute and fun and charming. It reminded me (in the best way) of the Christmas/holiday romantic movies that Netflix has been releasing the past few years. It took me a while to get through, in part because it's over 400 pages, in part because of life events.

The witty banter was on point.

Lately I’ve been super into small town romances and if they’re part of a series I’m allllll in. I love cute and quaint little fictional towns and a cast of quirky secondary characters that I can get to know over time, plus a new budding romance with each installment? Yes please! On the surface this book had everything I’ve been about lately but it in the end I found it to be lacking.

This started out really strong for me, I really liked both Evie and Sawyer and the opening chapter was both funny and charming and really set a great tone for the story. Second chance romances are one of my favorite tropes and Evie and Sawyer’s backstory was sweet. Really there was plenty to like here for me but my one gripe was that it just felt a bit too long. Parts from the middle to the last quarter dragged on a bit and for something that felt long for me, I wanted more depth. Look, I knew going into this that I would be reading a predictable book, I’m totally ok with that, in fact it was what I was in the mood for, but there was something missing for me in the end that made this one just ok for me instead of a good, solid game book. I did like it enough that I plan to continue on with the series though, the author is a good writer and I’m curious to see where things go. I know beginning a new series sometimes requires setting the stage a bit so I’m definitely willing to give this another chance, I’m hopeful that the next book will win me over and make me a firm fan.

3.5 Stars

Sweet, small town romances with second chances may just be my crack. I love reading these, maybe because it’s night and day different from anything I’ve known. 🙂 But I was really looking forward to this book. Our heroine’s aunt dies and leaves her an inn back in the small town she used to spend her summers at. All that stopped when a boy broke her heart and she didn’t come back since. Now she has renovations to do and planning before selling it and that puts her right in the path of the now Police Chief and old flame. Of course with the help of the old meddling folks of the town.

That last part right there is what I enjoyed the most about this book. I love seeing the situations our main characters were being thrown into together because of other people trying to get them back together. The romance was pretty laid back, which also makes it a great beach read. However, I think it was missing sizzle and spark. I wasn’t a big fan of the past issue that forced them apart.

If you like books with quirky lovable characters and fun towns with some adorable traditions, you’ll enjoy this one. It has all the small town charm you can hope for.

MERMAID INN is a slow-burn second chance romance centering on Evie and Sawyer. When Evie’s great-aunt passes away and leaves Evie her inn, it forces Evie to take a break from her life in the city. She moves to the quiet beach town of Moonflower Bay with a goal of fixing up the inn, putting it on the market, and heading back to her job in Toronto. While she spent her summers in Moonflower Bay as a young girl and teenager, she hasn’t been back since her childhood sweetheart, Sawyer, unexpectedly and quite publicly broke her heart.

Their reunion definitely has some bumps. Sawyer has to confront his demons from the past (and present) when Evie shows back up in town. And Evie was guarded, as she was understandably upset by what had happened in the past. I particularly liked learning more about Sawyer’s backstory and how that shaped his choices not only as a teenager but as an adult, too.

While this one didn’t blow me away, it was still an enjoyable read. The beginning was a little slow for me, so I skimmed a bit, but once stuff started happening, the story moved at a quicker pace. I am interested in a couple of the side characters’s stories, so I’ll definitely be picking up more in the series.

If you're a fan of Gilmore Girls, read all of Jenny Holiday's books! I loved the Mermaid Inn. Perfect for an enjoyable afternoon of reading.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Mermaid Inn 🧜🏻‍♀️

First off, this book had Harry Potter references in the first chapter so you knowwww I was going to be in love from the start!
A huge shout out to my friends over at @readforeverpud for an e-copy of this new release! #partner

I have a feeling this year is going to be the year of highly rated MMP and this one did not disappoint! I love a good second chance romance and this one was fast paced and so so sweet. One of my favorite things about MMP books is how quickly I can read them and I was able to read this one in two days!
Unfortunatelyyyyy I felt like this one ended too soon! I did not want these characters stories to end!
Thanks again @readforeverpub for the copy!

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Jenny Holiday consistently writes books that tug at my heart strings, make me laugh out loud, and make me fall in love over and over again. Mermaid Inn is no exception. I really liked the characters, the conflicts, and the setting. Holiday is a Canadian author who is unafraid of setting her stories in Canada, and refuses to hide the little Canadianisms that help make the story authentically Canadian. All in all, a joy to read

This was a really fun book. I loved all the mermaid references, and I got seriously hit in the feels with all the delicious second-chance goodness! Some parts I felt were a little slow pacing-wise, but I really enjoyed this sweet love story

I truly enjoyed this book, with it's easy read, small town romance. Or main character is left an Inn with one drawback. She can't sell it for a year. She also has to try to avoid a guy that hurt her as a tender teenager. If you like friendship and young love, this is the book for you. There is no drama, which allows you to read this and totally relax. Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the chance to read this very enjoyable book.

DNF at 70%. Sadly, I found myself dreading picking up this book, I wasn't connecting with the writing style, my brain was having a hard time with the time jumps from chapter to chapter. I might try again when I can handle it.

I discovered Jenny Holiday through her swoony Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series in 2018. She's become an auto-read author for me ever since and there's really never a moment when I'm not excited for a new book from her. With Mermaid Inn, Jenny Holiday brings her romance to a small town. It's a charming story with plenty of light-hearted moments and as always, tons of witty dialogues. I love a good small-town romance with nosy meddling neighbors and tight-knit communities and the author definitely delivers with this new series.

Particularly memorable were the friendships in Mermaid Inn that left me with a permanent grin on my face. Yes, I love a good romance but give me a million scenes of friends being all lovely and supportive of each other and I could not care less if the romance is terrible. Fret not though, the romance in Mermaid Inn is the opposite of terrible. It featured one of my favorite tropes - the second chance romance - and Jenny Holiday tackled it well. With a lot of second chance romances, there's a risk that the reason the couple broke up in the first place isn't all that believable. That wasn't the case here and I understood where both Evie and Sawyer were coming from. It also helped that they were genuinely likable characters. Evie was smart, stubborn, and very goal-oriented. I think a lot of readers will relate to her with her love for libraries (she's a librarian) and mermaids! Being back in Moonflower Bay brought back all sorts of memories for her, happy and sad, and it was a really sweet journey watching her learn to find herself again in her cherished childhood town. Evie did not expect to rekindle her connection with her childhood sweetheart, but with the way fate kept bringing them back together, it was inevitable. I loved Sawyer - he was honorable, kind, and his pure love for his younger sister just about melted me. Evie and Sawyer's second chance at love was a slow-burn one that really relied on building trust between each other again. I loved how they communicated with each other and the chemistry they shared was palpable. It's safe to say that it didn't take much to convince me that these two were meant for each other and they desperately needed that happily-ever-after. :)

Mermaid Inn was an all-around lovely read for me and I look forward to being back in Moonflower Bay and reading how all the other side characters find their happily-ever-afters.

mermaid inn was a highly anticipated book for me. i wanted to love it, but i just couldn't get into this one like i hoped. maybe i should have waited for summer.

Mermaid Inn was one of the books that I've been looking forward to reading the most the past couple of months. I adored Jenny Holiday's Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series in 2018/2019. She's definitely an author that you should keep an eye on if you're a fan of romantic comedy. Her books have a slight sizzle to them with witty banter and characters that are easy to fall in love with. Going into Mermaid Inn, I was hoping for the same romance I loved. In a weird way, it felt like Mermaid Inn had a different vibe than Holiday's previous series. It had the banter and the lovable characters I adore. It was also sizzling in it's own way. What I think made this book feel different from others was the amount of time that passed, which I enjoyed but it also made the book feel just a tad long.

Setting: The best element of Jenny's books is that they take place in Canada. So fun! Mermaid Inn is a small town romance. Yes, please!

Characters: Sawyer and Eve were adorable. Their small group of friends were fan-freaking-tastic, especially Maya and Law. My favorite part was the friendship and bond that held the friends together.

Writing Style: I love romantic comedy so I think it was inevitable that I would fall in love with her writing. What can I say? She makes me giggle.

I had been waiting so long for Mermaid Inn and Jenny didn't disappoint. With all that said, I enjoyed Mermaid Inn so much it inspired me to crochet a mermaid. More on her in the week!

The story by Jenny Holiday is not unique however the list making Eve does along with her renegade mouth and the sexting between Evie and Sawyer make it an enjoyable read. The characters Jenny has created for the town, Pearl, Karl, Art, Maya, Law, Jake and Clara are a hoot. Good beach read.

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy of Mermaid Inn in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed the slow burn and second chance romance between Sawyer and Evie. I also really liked how smoothly the author was able to change between the two main characters as they spoke. I loved Sawyer as a character. He just seemed like the all around good guy. I appreciated how the author gave Evie and Sawyer time to rekindle and learn about each other as adults.

I have to admit, it did take me a little bit to actually get invested in the book, but once I did, I couldn’t stop reading it. 3.5 stars!

I really enjoyed this book - the characters were real, the setting was charming.... This is a full meal deal book as it has it all! I would love a series set in Moonflower Bay with the different characters - and Clara!!! What an amazing character she is!
Thank you so much for letting me read this and discover a new author!

DNF at 20%. I liked Holiday's previous series and the voice, but this is not working for me AT ALL. I'm not the biggest fan of second chance romance (especially when it hinges on the breakup caused by one person lying to the other). It's not terrible, but I wasn't hooked enough to keep going. YMMV.