Member Review

Mermaid Beach is #7 in the delightful Moonlight Harbor series and can be read as a stand-alone. Bonnie and her band, The Mermaids, are the house band at The Drunken Sailor in coastal Moonlight Harbor. Bonnie’s daughter, Avril, and mother, Loretta, are part of the band, and music is the family business. When Bonnie was younger, she tried to make it big in Nashville. Now, Avril has big musical dreams of her own. There’s a new owner at The Drunken Sailor that wants to try out a new house band. Job security, a young adult daughter chasing her dreams, and a slow-burn romance challenge Bonnie’s stable, happy life.

What are your favorite tropes? Two of my favorites are found in Mermaid Beach: slow-burn romance and enemies to lovers. Tropes certainly make for predictable stories, but it’s also comfortable reading when looking for an escapist or low-stress read.

In Mermaid Beach, we enjoy a cast of multigenerational characters: a grandmother, a mother, and a YA daughter. They comprise the popular local band, The Mermaids, but each one has different challenges and aspirations. Loretta is looking for a golden years romance; Bonnie is trying to keep the band afloat as the bar is under new ownership; and Avril is outgrowing Moonlight Harbor and envisioning a music career in Nashville. Through uncertain times, they share a strong bond.

If you’re looking for a dependable author who writes sweet romance and inspiring women’s fiction, please consider Sheila Roberts. Her trademarks are profanity-free narratives, closed-door romances, likable characters, and strong, independent women overcoming obstacles. I entered this series with installment #4 and immediately caught up with books #1-3. Mermaid Beach is #7, and I’m not sure if this will end the series. However, I’m all in if it continues.

Do you love a good series? I’m a reader that falls hard for a good series! With most series, I think reading in order brings the most reading satisfaction. I’m a die-hard read-in-order reader even though I jumped into this series at #4 and had to backtrack. Generally, Moonlight Harbor installments can be read as stand alones, however, #5 and #6 should be read in order.

Each book addresses a different issue that women face, but it’s not “trauma lit.” OK….I made that up! I’m sure you’ve all read books that make you “ugly cry” and contain trauma after trauma. Sheila Roberts writes realistic fiction with likable characters that overcome life’s obstacles and find their HEAs which are typical of the romance genre. Although compelling and poignant, they haven’t made me cry.

I appreciate a sweet closed-door romance! I’m confident I can recommend this series to any fan of women’s romance fiction. If you prefer a lot of “steam,” you might find this is not the right series or author for you.

Throughout the series, thoughtful and poignant themes include women supporting women, friendship, overcoming obstacles, chasing your dreams, new beginnings, community support, romance. and HEAs (or happy for now).

Overall, I rate the series a solid 4 stars, so I can enthusiastically recommend it for fans of light women’s fiction and closed-door romance. If you are looking for light reading over the summer, you might be pleased with the Moonlight Harbor series.

Thanks #NetGalley @HarlequinBooks (Mira) for a complimentary e ARC of #MermaidBeach upon my request. All opinions are my own.