Did I just finish the Beach Read of 2025 ? I think it's possible that I did!
In keeping with my Water theme of 2025, I saw this book on Net Galley and again broke my rule about only requesting audiobooks this year. I do not regret this at all. Many thanks to Harper Collins/Harlequin Trade Publishing for the Advanced Copy - I am delighted to provide this honest and spoiler free review!
For me, this is a perfect beach read. It has everything I want for a vacation read. A beautiful setting, compelling story, engaging characters and a touch of mystery and magic!
Penner gives readers a dual narrative, with a modern day nautical archeologist travelling to the gorgeous Positano Italy for a ground-breaking project that she believes is critical for her career. She does, of course, have one ulterior motive that brings her to these shores, and of course there might also be a smidgen of romance (I mean I did say Beach read, didn't I?) Juxtaposed against the modern narrative, is a story of seemingly star crossed lovers in the 1820's when Positano was just a small fishing village, one with unusual good luck! Indeed the residents of this earlier Positano never seemed to have a bad fishing season, or raiders attacking the coast line, only a few people understood where this "luck" came from, and as the reader, you get ALL the details!
Underwood & Underwood, Publisher. "Where the waves and mountains meet"-Positano, southern Italy. Italy, 1900. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2020683062/.
Penner toggles between both storylines eventually bringing them together through events of maelstrom and magic - moving the reader gently to a peaceful, satisfying ending. There are even some recipes at the end, so if you can't travel to the beach, you can fix yourself a treat and FEEL like you're right there as you devour this treat!
This was my first book by Sarah Penner, and I was concerned that it might not live up to the hype. I can say that I really enjoyed reading it, and I can definitely recommend it for friends, readers of most ages (probably not for the 5 yr old set), and book clubs!
STATS
First Published : Coming April 29, 2025
Pages: 336
Available as an Audio Book : YES
Trigger Warnings: gun violence, death, death at sea, Death of parent, kidnapping,
(this is not a full list, read responsibly)
Love how you include all the old time pics in your posts! It was published by Harlequin, is it just a romance? I remember seeing rows and rows of them at my library. The cover is so attractive, and not at all like the romance covers I saw at the library,.
ReplyDeleteHi There! I get all those pictures from the Library of Congress - ones that are no longer Copywrite are free to share- they give a really helpful way to attribute them! SOOOO, Harlequin has expanded greatly and I think they still offer a lot of romance but this book I'd more file under that weird category "women's fiction" There is a relationship in both timelines (2 different ones!), but it is not on page romance. I never felt like it dominated the story- and I really liked that, because there are only so many 3rd act breakups we can weather on page! This had more of a mystery, history flair and I think it will actually have a broad appeal in part because there is some normal people in relationships, and then there is a gorgeous story that connects over generations.
Delete