Date published: July 3, 2012
ISBN 9780451237385
Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Gina
Obtained Via Publisher
Mary Joyce started out writing her selkie books because she needed to tell the stories. Coming from a long line of storytellers in the old Irish tradition she sought to carry it on through her writing. When her books began to be made into movies, it only made sense the lovely Irish actress would play the part of the Selkie queen. Now, a famous Hollywood actress Mary longs for the simpler days but if this is how she must tell her stories, she will. When the town council of Shelter Bay, Oregon invite her to their film festival she immediately says yes. How would she not when her home town in Ireland is the sister city to Shelter Bay.
In preparation for Mary’s visit the town Sheriff, Kara Conway enlists her soon to be brother-in-law, J.T. Douchett to stand as Mary’s bodyguard. J.T. isn’t interested. Not in the least. While his tours of duty in the Middle East as a Marine were emotional, his stateside last duty is what eats away at him. To cope with the emotions he will not let himself feel he runs and run and runs…and drinks. But rather than let his family and older brother Sax’s fiancé down, he agrees.
When J.T. first lays his eyes on Mary he buries his feelings even deeper, telling himself she is nothing more than a spoiled Hollywood starlet. Mary, likewise has few pleasant thoughts about the enigmatic Marine. But she is an actress and can make all see just fine. More than that, she is a writer and part of her writing is to find out what makes people tick. Mary’s biggest problem with J.T., however, isn’t so much his attitude toward her career. No, it’s that before her visit to Shelter Bay she has been having dreams, dreams of a warrior, a warrior who comes to her from the grit, smoke and destruction of a battle. When she looks into J.T.’s eyes her world is turned on its axis.
I felt like I waited for years instead of months for MOONSHELL BEACH, the latest in Joann Ross’s Shelter Bay series. The problem is that because I love this series I immediately dug into MOONSHELL BEACH and read it cover to cover in two days. I just couldn’t put it down. I’ve enjoyed each book in the series, but this one is definitely the best so far.
We have a chance to catch up with Kara, Sax, Maddy and the rest of the Douchett clan as well as some of the other secondary characters that really deserve their own story. I liked Phoebe and Ethan in ON LAVENDAR LANE and was hopeful for their story. For a few pages there I thought I was going to have it in MOONSHELL BEACH, kind of a double romance story. Don’t get me wrong, there definitely is more than one romance in this story and we do witness the growing relationship between Ethan and Phoebe, but something happens. At first I thought “oh no” and then I realized Ms. Ross was tempting her readers to read on. Well done!
Ms. Ross has some really fun references to other movies and events and I have to admit after J.T. talks about eating an oyster po’ boy sandwich I had to go out and have some oysters for dinner. Shelter Bay is the kind of town I’d love to live in myself.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series and to see just what is in store next for Mary’s movies, Maddy’s television show, Ethan’s romance and just what those Douchett boys will do next.
This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.
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