3*
Possible spoilers
Nina Lejeune, former champion gymnast, has been stewardess on the charter yacht Serendipity for 9 years. It’s where she met both Ollie, her long-time love interest (otherwise undefinable, as you’ll see if you read this story) and her best friend Jo (heroine of Book 1) and is the figurative lifeboat that saved her from drowning in debt and despair after the worst sort of betrayal by her parents, the people who should have loved her most. Irishman Ollie, at times surly and other times charming, is the yacht’s chef and has been in love with Nina for years. However, her inability to commit to a future with him has driven him to despair. With both of them carrying some pretty heavy baggage from the past, will Nina be able to give Ollie what he wants before it’s too late?
I was so excited for this sequel after absolutely loving Love, Lists and Fancy Ships. So I can’t help but feel let down by Nina and Ollie’s story for so many reasons. I found it exceedingly difficult to have any sympathy for Nina given how long she treated Ollie with such disregard and flippancy. I’d say that Ollie is a saint for having put up with her, but, by the end of the book, I understand his (for lack of a better word) co-dependency. Nina seemed unwilling to make any changes in her life, still deluding herself that her two rules were in effect: always have fun and don’t rely on anyone. As a result, her near-constant deflections from anything serious and her lies (even to herself) concerning her real feelings had her coming off as exceedingly selfish, immature, and cruel. If I hadn’t cared so much for Ollie, I would have preferred that this not end with a happily-ever-after.
Ultimately, this just dragged on too long, shifting back and forth from present day to chapters showing their relationship’s development and stagnation over the years. I felt like I was reading a version of Groundhog Day, with the same scenario on repeat with no forward progress. It’s very telling, for a fast reader, that I was shocked to see that it was only 335 pages. It’s such a huge disappointment when the sequel to one of my favorite romances is one that stressed me out rather than uplifted me.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
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