Carly Hutch used to be a fisherman and a very good one at that. However, in her early twenties she developed an illness that left her blind within a year. Her gold digger of a girlfriend promptly left her. Now in her mid-twenties, Carly lives on her beloved boat, Feeling Desire, has a lifeline in her loyal friend Jewel Roberts, and has unusual friendships with a devoted pelican, Scully, and an equally devoted mouse, Cheddar.
Avery Johnson has lived her life being shuffled from one
foster home to another. She's new in town and has taken up a job of running a mobile
bait store.
Lily Ann Bailey, oldest of four siblings, became responsible
for her younger sister and two younger brothers when their parents died in an
accident. To provide for her family, Lily Ann works as an 'escort' at nights in
addition to a day job as a secretary in a law firm. She suspects her sister,
Suzy, knows about her night job, but they don't speak about it.
These different lives intersect in this lovely book.
The relationship between Carly and Avery is sweet and
tender. It was beautiful the way Avery doesn't ever see Carly disability but
treats her absolutely normally while ensuring she is sensitive and
accommodating of the limitations. She flirts, she teases, she banters in ways
that make us want to hug her.
Carly is a likeable character. We liked that she hires an
escort to bring someone into her world -- i. e. spend time blindfolded and
experience the world as she does -- only to realise that her true feeling of
fullness comes from what Avery gives her.
Lily Ann and her struggles with being responsible for her
siblings are so empathiseable. We were warmed by the realness of the
relationship between all four Baileys and their individual arcs.
Honesty and communication between all the characters was
also one of the many plusses in this book. Another plus, not too much of drawn
out angst.
For what promises to be one more instalment, there is
a developing relationship between Lily Ann and Jewel, who just happens to be
Lily Ann's youngest brother, Bobby's teacher (Bobby's reaction on seeing his
sister and teacher kiss -- “Eww! Teacher girl cooties!” -- totally cracked us
up).
And the fierce friendship and protectiveness from a pelican
and mouse? Yep, totally wishful and totally adorable.
The book is as much a romance as it is the story of a
family. Shelton and Williams have created a soft, pleasant world in this
ongoing peek into Lily Ann's life and we look forward to the next part.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
