My Bookshelf: Mermaid Moon by Colleen Coble

Mallory’s mother died fifteen years ago. But her father’s last words on the phone were unmistakable: “Find…Mother.”

        Shame and confusion have kept Mallory Davis from her home for the last fifteen years, but when her dad mysteriously dies on his mail boat route, she doesn’t have any choice but to go back to Mermaid Point.

        Mallory believes her father was murdered and childhood sweetheart Kevin O’Connor, game warden in Downeast Maine, confirms her suspicions. But Kevin is wary of helping Mallory in her search. She broke his heart and left—without a word—years ago.

        When Mallory begins receiving threats on her own life—and her beloved teenage daughter, Haylie—their search intensifies. There’s a tangled web within the supposed murder, and it involves much more than what meets the eye.

        As answers begin to fall into place, Mallory realizes her search is about more than finding her father’s killer—it is also about finding herself again…and possibly about healing what was broken so long ago with Kevin. She just has to stay alive long enough to put all the pieces together.

        Mermaid Moon is the second book in Colleen Coble’s Sunset Cove series, coming after The Inn at Ocean’s Edge. I read the first novel just a few weeks ago, and absolutely devoured it, so I was extremely excited to be able to read the second installment. Colleen always does an amazing job of weaving together wonderful, intricate mysteries that keep you hooked until the last page, and Mermaid Moon is no exception.

        Mallory Davis is beyond strong. Although she does have a little problem when it comes to killing herself with guilt over things beyond her control, she has so much internal strength and backbone! Throughout everything that she faces during the course of this story, she is always resilient and determined to find a way out so she can continue to provide a better life for her daughter. She is so inspiring, and yet at the same time, she is so easy to relate to because of her insecurity and struggle with guilt.

        Kevin O’Connor is such a wonderful man! Although I had to hold in my irritation a few times at the way he was so reluctant to forgive Mallory—he was a little justified, I will give him that, especially since he wouldn’t have been able to be distant without hanging on to his anger—I still couldn’t help realizing his worth. He is so sweet and protective, of both his adorable daughter and Mallory and her daughter, and that makes him even more of a lovable character.

        One of my favorite things about this story was the history between Mallory and Kevin. It lent so much more to the chemistry between them, and made this story even more interesting and unique than it would have been without that factor. There were things about this book that I loved more than the previous novel, but at the same time, there were elements of that one I enjoyed more than this one, so I cannot pick a favorite. But I will tell you that I liked Mermaid Moon enough to give it all five bookshelves, be extremely glad that I own my own copy, and that I cannot wait for the next novel to release! This was a wonderful mystery that I recommend to anyone, and know I will definitely be reading again!

        Happy reading!

I received a copy of this novel from the Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for only my honest review.

Photo creds go to my awesome sister, Allie, whose blog you can visit here.

To see where I’m linking up, check out my Where I Party page.

All credit for the italicized synopsis goes to Colleen Coble and Thomas Nelson Publishing.