Scan barcode
kaveeshabandara's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
stephanietoerien's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A cozy little read. Makes you want to take a vacation in a small little town.
cassidyserhienko's review against another edition
3.0
Y’all, I’m officially a bookstagrammer. This is the first arc I’ve received via netgalley (still waiting for my Love on the Brain approval btw @netgalley), and this was also my first Sarah Bennett novel. Love Blooms in Mermaids Point is the third book in the Mermaids Point series but I personally think it’s fine to read it as a stand-alone. The other couples feature pretty heavily in the story and so I would definitely have had more appreciation for their cameos had I read the other books but I was by no means confused about the plot or who they were to each other and the community.
This was a really lighthearted read, which seems like an odd thing to say considering we have one mc who’s dealing with the aftermath of her mother’s passing and another who is shaking off a disastrous divorce, but Bennett somehow manages to make the book charming and fun. It’s a very easy-going read and I LOVED the setting.
Considering their mountains of baggage, Alex and Ivy decide that jumping into a serious relationship probably wouldn’t be a great idea. However, they’re very attracted to each other and are just entering into a joint business venture involving the local bookstore (you heard that right, a small-town bookstore complete with imperious cat), and so they decide to start a very ill-defined, friends with benefits but less casual relationship. Basically, they’re in a serious relationship but refuse to call it that. To be honest, Alex and Ivy (particularly Ivy) can both be prize idiots about the whole thing, but they’re both well-meaning and charming enough to pull it off. Considering their backgrounds I found it understandable why they would start their relationship this way when normally this kind of trope feels a little unrealistic. A little PSA: this book is very fade to black. I enjoy all variations of spice levels so I wasn’t let down by that but I thought I’d mention it for my smut-reader’s consideration.
The ending definitely wraps up a little quickly - the big climax is brought up and then resolved within a couple of chapters, and well it felt a touch rushed, I think it fit with the feel of the story. The issues that Ivy and Alex are dealing with are big enough to move the story along and I don’t think it needed big drama throughout to be interesting, so it worked for me.
Definitely a great book to read on a snowy day, Love Blooms in Mermaids point releases March 16!
Thank you to netgalley and Boldwood Books for the arc!
This was a really lighthearted read, which seems like an odd thing to say considering we have one mc who’s dealing with the aftermath of her mother’s passing and another who is shaking off a disastrous divorce, but Bennett somehow manages to make the book charming and fun. It’s a very easy-going read and I LOVED the setting.
Considering their mountains of baggage, Alex and Ivy decide that jumping into a serious relationship probably wouldn’t be a great idea. However, they’re very attracted to each other and are just entering into a joint business venture involving the local bookstore (you heard that right, a small-town bookstore complete with imperious cat), and so they decide to start a very ill-defined, friends with benefits but less casual relationship. Basically, they’re in a serious relationship but refuse to call it that. To be honest, Alex and Ivy (particularly Ivy) can both be prize idiots about the whole thing, but they’re both well-meaning and charming enough to pull it off. Considering their backgrounds I found it understandable why they would start their relationship this way when normally this kind of trope feels a little unrealistic. A little PSA: this book is very fade to black. I enjoy all variations of spice levels so I wasn’t let down by that but I thought I’d mention it for my smut-reader’s consideration.
The ending definitely wraps up a little quickly - the big climax is brought up and then resolved within a couple of chapters, and well it felt a touch rushed, I think it fit with the feel of the story. The issues that Ivy and Alex are dealing with are big enough to move the story along and I don’t think it needed big drama throughout to be interesting, so it worked for me.
Definitely a great book to read on a snowy day, Love Blooms in Mermaids point releases March 16!
Thank you to netgalley and Boldwood Books for the arc!
sarahthereadingaddict's review against another edition
5.0
This book starts with heartbreak but blossoms throughout the book.
I love the ever-growing friendship between Alex and Ivy.
I've always wanted to own a shop and Alex and Ivy's shop sounds perfect. What better mix than books and handmade clothes. Reading and sewing are two of my favourite hobbies.
Really enjoyed this book. I've read books by this author before and I had a feeling I'd like this one too, I like Sarah's style of writing.
I love the ever-growing friendship between Alex and Ivy.
I've always wanted to own a shop and Alex and Ivy's shop sounds perfect. What better mix than books and handmade clothes. Reading and sewing are two of my favourite hobbies.
Really enjoyed this book. I've read books by this author before and I had a feeling I'd like this one too, I like Sarah's style of writing.
jo_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
Following a series means that you can get really involved in the characters lives as you see them pop in and out of the differing books. Last time I met Alex he was helping his brother, Tom the new Doctor at Mermaids Point settle in. He was at a crossroads in his life and could see that this little gem on the coast had healing properties. Even more so when he meets and flirts unashamedly with Ivy.
Ivy is having a tough time and her immediate future is all she can care about.
Time has moved on, Alex has made the decision to move to Mermaids Point and restart his life away from the city, away from the rash decision to publish a book under a pseudonym and also from his ex wife Jo. Buying a rundown bookshop seems like the perfect choice for Alex, it seems that rash decisions follow him everywhere.
Ivy is coming to terms with the death of her mother and the massive hole caring for her that has left. Now she can start to focus on herself. What she doesn’t realise is that the home, the life she has known is suddenly upended and she finds herself looking for everything home, job but most definitely not love.
However love has a funny way of finding you and that comes in the form of Alex, who can provide everything Ivy needs. Trouble is Ivy needs to see it first and Alex perhaps needs to be truthful about who he really is.
Being back in Mermaid’s Point is like returning home. The Morgan’s who feature strongly in the first couple of books are of course quite present in this novel, but it is very much the story of Alex and Ivy. You are on their side from the beginning and if I could have stepped into the book I would have certainly have shook both of them at some points, where the misunderstandings were just that.
Of course the path of true love never runs smooth and this relationship whilst off to a fast and fantastic start has to face some stumbling blocks. Some people don’t like this genre of fiction because it is making life to be too perfect, this is not true here. The author shows us life in all it’s ups and downs and realities most importantly and where doubts about people and trust issues can be affected by ones past. Both Alex and Ivy have that in abundance to resolve for them to be able to move on together of course.
Another strong read to this series of books and I highly recommend. Now if I could find my own Alex………
Ivy is having a tough time and her immediate future is all she can care about.
Time has moved on, Alex has made the decision to move to Mermaids Point and restart his life away from the city, away from the rash decision to publish a book under a pseudonym and also from his ex wife Jo. Buying a rundown bookshop seems like the perfect choice for Alex, it seems that rash decisions follow him everywhere.
Ivy is coming to terms with the death of her mother and the massive hole caring for her that has left. Now she can start to focus on herself. What she doesn’t realise is that the home, the life she has known is suddenly upended and she finds herself looking for everything home, job but most definitely not love.
However love has a funny way of finding you and that comes in the form of Alex, who can provide everything Ivy needs. Trouble is Ivy needs to see it first and Alex perhaps needs to be truthful about who he really is.
Being back in Mermaid’s Point is like returning home. The Morgan’s who feature strongly in the first couple of books are of course quite present in this novel, but it is very much the story of Alex and Ivy. You are on their side from the beginning and if I could have stepped into the book I would have certainly have shook both of them at some points, where the misunderstandings were just that.
Of course the path of true love never runs smooth and this relationship whilst off to a fast and fantastic start has to face some stumbling blocks. Some people don’t like this genre of fiction because it is making life to be too perfect, this is not true here. The author shows us life in all it’s ups and downs and realities most importantly and where doubts about people and trust issues can be affected by ones past. Both Alex and Ivy have that in abundance to resolve for them to be able to move on together of course.
Another strong read to this series of books and I highly recommend. Now if I could find my own Alex………
fierce0bsession's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loved Alex from day one and his book didn't disappoint. Though i felt sorry for Ivy it took me a while to warm to her, and when everything hit the fan she did exactly what i thought she'd do which made me want to scream. Still a very enjoyable book though, can't wait for the next one
hookedbythatbook's review against another edition
4.0
Alex and Ivy had to overcome a lot of heartache and they did so with grace and love.
Alex isn’t really riding high after the success of his book loosely detailing the breakdown of his failed marriage. Mostly he just wants to put it behind him and start over. A great opportunity presents itself in the form of an old bookstore in Mermaids Point. It will bring him closer to his brother, Tom, his new friends there, and hopefully it will give him the kickstart he needs. And maybe he can be closer to Ivy too.
Ivy’s world is also in shambles. Her mother just passed away and her affairs aren’t quite in the order that Ivy expected them to be. Alex offers her the chance to run his new store with him and sell her own wares there. With her father breathing down her neck, Ivy needs a new start just as desperately as Alex does.
Ivy is a strong woman. She kept going even after getting hit with so many disappointments all at once. Alex only knew about some of her struggles, but he supported her and made sure that she could rely on him. He never pushed for more and respected her boundaries. I really like these two together. They made each other better. It was also wonderful seeing all the old faces again and the way they all support each other.
This is book three in the Mermaids Point series. It will help to read the others first, but it’s not really necessary. I can recommend this if you like a sweet, clean romance where the characters have to grapple with difficult issues.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
donnareadathon2021's review against another edition
5.0
The story
Ivy’s mother has just passed away, and when she gets a knock on the door just before leaving for the funeral, it’s Alex Nelson. He is the brother of the town’s doctor Tom, and he is there is make sure she is cared for on this sad day. Alex is divorced from Jo, and then wrote a bestseller book about the experience. Alex is keen on buying the local bookstore and revamping it. He ropes in Ivy to help him, but they end up helping each other move on from the sadness of their respective lives.
My thoughts
I have just adored the other books in this series, and this instalment was no exception. I can just picture this cute series being made into a charming BBC-type series. Alex is a total sweetie, although he isn’t proud of his divorce and tell-all and really wants to move on. Ivy has lived with sadness for so long, and things are hard when her mother dies. But the sweet relationship between the two is heartwarming and gave me the all the warm and fuzzy feelings. A definite recommend although I would suggest reading the books in the series in order to get the full effect. ❤️
I read an eARC copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.
Ivy’s mother has just passed away, and when she gets a knock on the door just before leaving for the funeral, it’s Alex Nelson. He is the brother of the town’s doctor Tom, and he is there is make sure she is cared for on this sad day. Alex is divorced from Jo, and then wrote a bestseller book about the experience. Alex is keen on buying the local bookstore and revamping it. He ropes in Ivy to help him, but they end up helping each other move on from the sadness of their respective lives.
My thoughts
I have just adored the other books in this series, and this instalment was no exception. I can just picture this cute series being made into a charming BBC-type series. Alex is a total sweetie, although he isn’t proud of his divorce and tell-all and really wants to move on. Ivy has lived with sadness for so long, and things are hard when her mother dies. But the sweet relationship between the two is heartwarming and gave me the all the warm and fuzzy feelings. A definite recommend although I would suggest reading the books in the series in order to get the full effect. ❤️
I read an eARC copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.
cleg11's review
5.0
Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.
The third book in the mermaids point series and it didn’t disappoint.
Ivy Fisher is ready to start her own life after losing her mom. The local bookshop is up for sale and Ivy has her heart set on buying it until Alex brother of the local GP Tom buys it from under her nose. After started to spend time with Alex she starts to see a different side of him and after finding out that Ivy wanted to buy the bookshop they come to an agreement for her to sell her goods out of the store as well as his books. There relationship blossoms into something more but is Alex all as it seems.
The third book in the mermaids point series and it didn’t disappoint.
Ivy Fisher is ready to start her own life after losing her mom. The local bookshop is up for sale and Ivy has her heart set on buying it until Alex brother of the local GP Tom buys it from under her nose. After started to spend time with Alex she starts to see a different side of him and after finding out that Ivy wanted to buy the bookshop they come to an agreement for her to sell her goods out of the store as well as his books. There relationship blossoms into something more but is Alex all as it seems.