Fox's latest Blue Moon Harbor book definitely deals with a difficult topic.  A good portion of it addresses what happened to Julian, how it affected him (then & now), and how it has caused problems for him in his relationships throughout his life.  It's ugly and painful but I felt like Fox handles it very well.  Julian needs to come to terms with it in order to have a healthy future and it's an emotional journey for him & those who love him.

Even though I'm not the most outgoing person, as introverted as I can be I still had a little trouble connecting to Iris.  I know that the Japanese have certain characteristics that most (and definitely the typically brash Americans) can't understand or really grasp.  I think that Fox does her best explaining Iris and her outlook - and I really love how she describers their history in the area and its impact, even today - but I think that someone that shy/reserved can be hard to understand.  She is a great complement to Julian, but it isn't easy making her a relatable character.

Full of traumatic issues and a wide range of emotions, Sail Away with Me isn't the most peaceful read but it is definitely one worth doing.  The end makes up for any pain that the journey causes.

Sail Away With Me is a very well written romance. I throughly enjoyed t plot, setting and the author’s writing. Romance readers will enjoy this book. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc this is my unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book. Just because someone is different doesn't mean they can't have a chance at love. The lead characters blended wonderfully and I was glad for this happy ending.

Sail Away With Me by Susan Fox
Blue Moon Harbor #3

Friendship – that is what shy Iris Yakimura offers famous musician Julian Blake when they meet and spend time at an abandoned hippie commune. She knows they are too disparate to be more than friends and he is unwilling or unable to be more than a friend or lover. So, they embark on a friendship that will change both of their lives.

Julian is home to help care for his injured father. Home to him is a place that he has avoided since his teens because it has more bad memories than good ones. Panic attacks still threaten when he thinks about what happened to him long ago. His music reflects emotions that speak to many who hear them.

Iris is shy and on her own bath to spiritual enlightenment. She is an interesting if rather solitary person who sells books in the family bookstore. When she meets Julian she feels his emotional turmoil and does what she can to bring him some peace.

This is a story of abuse that speaks of the trauma abuse has on the abused and as such it was not always easy to read. The feelings were raw and real. The decision to expose those emotions publicly could not have been easy just as it was not easy for shy Iris to stand by Julian when he did so.

Even knowing that this would have a happily ever after ending – eventually – it wasn’t easy watching Iris and Julian deal with the “how” of doing so. I think that Iris’s aunt may be up next for a story and I do hope she will get her happily ever after, too. This book speaks of things I have heard about but also about an issue I had not heard of before. I knew Japanese internment happened in the USA but did not know that it happened in Canada, too. Anyway, this book left me happy and also wanting to seek my own personal enlightenment, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Julian Blake was a famous musician but now he was back on Destiny Island. He carried his acoustic guitar in its old traveling case. Would he share a mic with his father- Forbes again? Forbes band was B B Zee. Forbes had taught Julian to play a miniature guitar before he was forming full sentences. The doctors gave Forbes a fifty percent chance of ever being able to play again. Julian was there to help with his dad on Destiny Island. Forbes had been walking on the side of the road when a drunken off-lander had lost control on a curb and smashed into Forbes two weeks ago. Forbes entire left side- shoulder, arm, lower back, pelvis and leg- had been shattered by the drunken driver. Julian fled this island as a teen but came back for visits a couple times a year to see Forbes and his stepmother Sonia But now Sonia and Forbes needed full time live in assistance. Today Julian got a break as Sonia was home In the late sixties and seventies there had been a commune on the island but that had been deserted and was now overgrown but Julian like to go there to play and figure out a song. It was the end of October and he told his band and label he’d have some new songs by Christmas but the pressure was crippling his talented flow. The Julian Blake Band ad booked tours for next year promising new music. Iris had done some tai chi which was a perfect way to center herself and exercise. She also came to the spot of the deserted commune for solitude and quiet. Tai chi needed a discipline where Iris knew exactly what to do next. Her life was governed by order and control. Iris had been taught by her family to vale conformity, to never stand out. Iris’s family owned Dreamspinners book store and Iris had at least skimmed most every book that skimmed in. She was a voracious reader and knowledgeable bookseller. Her favorites were romances next spring Iris was to travel to Japan with her Aunt Lily as she kept in contact with her relatives there. Iris was a shy woman. When Julian got to the grownover commune he noticed a woman napping there. It was his stepbrother’s Luke’s fiance Miranda’s friend. He had seen her when he played with his father at the community hall in May. When she woke off she offered to leave but Julian talked her into staying. Iris and Julian had gone to the same school briefly he had been three grades ahead of Iris. Iris had noticed Julian he was so handsome but he acted like a boy from the wrong side of the tracks - skipping school and not seeming to care about anything then Julian quit school and disappeared. Iris felt he would either end up self destructing or doing something amazing. Then Iris heard him on the radio. He had won two of the Canadian music industry prestigious JUNO awards. His songs were poignant woven of pain and beauty. Iris told Julian her name and he said her parents could not have picked a more perfect name. Usually Julian’s composing was a solitary process yet he felt right with Iris being there. Julian said Iris was a romantic and he was a realist. Julian’s mother had run out on him and Forbes when Julian was four, his mother had only been a groupie Julian was attracted to Iris and she did not let him know. Iris wanted romance and love and Julian shunned those concepts. People did horrible things in the name of love and he was a victim of that horror, he was too damaged, too wary, to contemplate anything more than casual relationships. He was deemed lucky he’d at least came out of the hell able to have a normal sex life. Julian hated the thought of Jelinek much less seeing him here on the island. Julian told Iris she was a loner and she asked how he put up with the media that came with being a celebrity. Julian told her it was a performance he put on when talking to reporters. Jelinek had been his teacher, forcing young Julian to don a mask that hid the dirty, broken, terrified part of himself. Remember Julian this is our secret… Julian told Iris she gave him something pleasant to focus on, at times when things were stressful.
I really loved this book there was so much to it. The one bad thing -the sexual abuse was finally handled. The author did a very good job on the way she portrayed the whole issue of sexual abuse and repercussions. I advise you to read the first two books of this series for an easier read. I loved that Julian found Iris and she is the strength he needs. This had a great plot and fast pace. This choked me up with Julian’s past with someone he should have been able to trust i was glad Julian could at least tell those he cared about at last he could tell about his horrible past. I loved how close Iris and her family were. I also loved how music saved Julian. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend.

Susan Fox writes such emotionally rich stories with characters that you just want to give a hug which is exactly what she has done again with Sail Away with Me. The title did not give away the plot; a very intriguing title for this story.

Iris is a dreamer, a romantic but also a strong, loyal, smart woman too. People are never just one trait and I love how Ms. Fox is able to give her characters so many sides that fit together to be one complete person. Julian Blake is as complex with what the world sees being only a small part of who he really is.

The story is romantic, sweet and one that tackles some tough stuff. The time has come for Julian to stand up to his. True to life, genuine and compassionate this is one great read that will stick with you long after you have closed the book.

A truly enjoyable story of two very different people finding their way in life and learning to love. Painfully shy Iris will make you smile and break your heart. The one place she feels comfortable in the world is her little bookshop on Destiny Island. She also believes in love. Deep down, soul touching love and she feels that one day she will meet the man that can love her just that way. Never did she expect that love to come from a bad boy celebrity musician who has secrets. Secrets he's ready to expose to the world. Will she stand by Julian's side or will she hide away in her shop leaving him to face things alone?

This is a well done book and a fantastic addition to the Blue Moon Harbor series. Each of these books can be read standalone so don't worry if you haven't read the previous books. Be warned though once you experience this one you will want to go back and read the others. I highly recommend all of them.

This review will appear on the Romance Reviews Today site in early Oct: http://romrevtoday.com/index.htm

SAIL AWAY WITH ME – Susan Fox
Blue Moon Harbor, Book 3
Zebra
ISBN:
September 25, 2018
Contemporary Romance

Destiny Island, British Columbia – Present Day

Bookseller Iris Yakimura grew up on Destiny Island and figures that is where she’ll remain, especially since she is shy and feels safe there. No one knows that this romantic at heart has a secret crush on rock musician Julian Blake, so when she runs into Julian one day, she’s nervous. Julian and Iris both went to the same school on Destiny Island and certainly they should have things in common. One thing leads to another, and the two are soon friends. But can it turn into something more?

No one knows Julian’s dark secret of being sexually abused as a child, not even his father. He thought he’d put the past behind him once he left Destiny island, but now that his father needs his help after an accident, he’s back to care for his father and stepmother. Of course, this means running into his demon. Iris is beautiful and sweet, and Julian finds himself attracted to her. After they start out as friends, Julian realizes that he wants more than friendship. But he can only promise her that he’ll stay until the holiday’s end because he can’t be around the man who nearly destroyed him psychologically.

In SAIL AWAY WITH ME, Susan Fox pens an emotional and gripping tale of a man dealing with the horrible abuse that happened to him as a child, and how it still has a hold on him as an adult. Iris also grew up on Destiny Island, but she has no inkling of what happened to Julian. Iris is painfully shy and has tried to overcome it, which is why she didn’t run away when he started talking to her that day they ran into one another. Friendship builds, which feeds their mutual attraction. But the inexperienced Iris feels overwhelmed by the idea of Julian being her lover. Will she overcome her trepidation?

Music has always been a big part of Julian’s life; his father plays in a band and it led to father and son moving to Destiny Island. Julian is now a star in Canada, having won numerous awards. His stardom and music lifestyle is a bit overwhelming to Iris. How can she compete with all the pretty women who throw themselves at him? She has no plans to leave the island and he can’t give up his music. Is there any chance of a future together?

A deeper part of SAIL AWAY WITH ME is the subject of child sexual abuse. It’s a dark, deep secret that can destroy its victims. Julian’s abuser is a prominent man in town who has managed to keep his pedophilic tendencies from being found out. Julian suspects there are more victims, but how can he find out? If he goes to the police, will they believe him or side with the abuser? For readers, this might be a tough subject to tackle in a romance, but Ms. Fox has done an excellent job. Julian soon realizes that part of his healing will be confronting the past.

While SAIL AWAY WITH ME is part of the Blue Moon Harbor series, it can easily be read as a standalone. As Julian tackles his demons, he’s also finding love—and a possible future—with Iris. Will it include a happily-ever-after for them? Readers are taken on a phenomenal journey as Julian and Iris tackle their path to love. Grab a copy today.

Patti Fischer

Lovely characters and an uplifting message made this a good romantic read. Iris and Julian couldn't appear more different on the surface but together they made a very good pair. Iris is a shy woman but she's got a lot of depth and a family history that makes her unique. Julian had a tough adolescence and now he's home to help his dad and must deal with those ghosts even as he prepares for a concert. You know these two were fated to meet (and they meet cute) and that they can work through their differences but it doesn't matter because there's a good story here. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Sail Away With Me is the third book in the series. I had not read the previous two, but I am definitely going to go back to do that! If you are a fan of Susan Mallery or Jill Shalvis, this is a must read. The setting is in the Pacific Northwest, and it brings together two very different people who are both struggling on the inside. I loved this story and how Iris and Julian were together. It was a quick read that was full of the feels! Highly recommended.

Sail Away with Me is the most recent book in Susan Fox’s Blue Moon Bay series. Julian Blake, song writer and performer, has returned to Destiny Island near Vancouver BC after a drunk driver left his father, Forbes Blake, in dire shape. He will be there to help until New Years, when he and his band have a big engagement.

Julian spent as little time on Destiny Island as possible. As a teen, he had left school, home, and gone off on his own with dark thoughts plaguing him, never expecting to return. But his music and the kindness of a lonely widow saved him from himself. His music brought him success. And now he is back where he had hoped never to be. He left for a reason that made him feel less than alive.

To relieve the stress of being back and the worry over his dad’s recovery Julian retreats to the ruins of a 70s commune on the island to play and write his music. He never expected to come in contact with the shy, sweet Iris Yakimura as she does her yoga routine in the quiet of the old site. Interestingly, they strike up a conversation and find common ground. Iris is pleased that they can be friends. Being friends is more comfortable for shy Iris. Besides, what would a rock star want with a wall flower?

As their friendship, and relationship, grows, Julian finally opens up about his reasons, and guilt, for having left the island. But it is through shy Iris that Julian learns to let go and fight back for what he has suffered.

In this lovely holiday story about the meaning of love and how forgiveness, especially of one’s self, family, and following through on the courage of your convictions, can bring a person out of the dark and ready for new beginnings. I very much enjoyed this book and do recommend it!

In Sail Away With Me, we have a return to Blue Moon Harbor. Julian is dealing with serious issues from his past. Iris had learned to live with her extreme shyness. Together they find a connection that helps them both move forward and discover love. Susan Fox has done a nice job of dealing with sensitive issues while creating a moving story of love.

Gorgeously lyrical and elegant, kind of like Julian and Iris together. Their story is not one of words and actions so much as a gentle build-up of looks, feelings, and understanding.

Although much of the drama centers around Julian's painful past, there is a gorgeous gentle strength about the shy, reclusive Iris that really appealed to this introvert romance reader:
A voracious reader and a knowledgeable bookseller, she at least skimmed almost every book that Dreamspinner stocked, but her favorites were romance novels. They reinforced her belief that even a shy woman like her could realize her dream of finding a loving partner and raising children together.
Much of the beauty of Julian and Iris's love story is how much Julian accepts Iris's need for quiet and solitude, despite his successful career as a popular musician.
So he told her something that few people knew. “You may not believe this, given my public persona, but I’m an introvert, too, and a private person.” He didn’t go on to say that, while she’d said she liked people, he had trouble trusting and getting close to anyone.
Julian not only gets how Iris is in her small world of family and books but he wholly embraces her world and relishes her serenity and strength. This is a broken man who realizes that the shy quiet woman next to him is the pillar of strength he needs.

Aside from the slowly unfolding friendship and romance between Julian and Iris, I most enjoyed the celebration of Iris's Japanese-Canadian heritage. There are no cliched or fetishized moments; instead there is a true sense of respect for Iris and her family's customs: how they chose to speak French, English and Japanese amongst themselves and celebrate both Japanese and Canadian holidays. Iris's heritage is part of her but isn't a cheap plot hook; this made her story that much more layered and enjoyable.

To enjoy the fiercely quiet and private romance between Iris and Julian, I highly recommend this book for a quiet moment with a cup of tea, soft blanket, and rain outside, if you can.

Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed this eARC generously provided by Netgalley and the publisher.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough comedy & sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

An interesting book that deals with some interesting issues.
I love the chracter of Iris and her family, and it was interesting to read about their heritage and the issues the family had faced in the past.

First book I have read by this author and looking forward to reading more

Susan Fox's Sail Away with Me was amazing! It was enthralling and sweet. It tastefully touched on a tough subject, while shedding a light on something that is unfortunately so common.

Beautiful love story between two unlikely people. The story touches on cultural diversity as well as childhood sexual abuse in a sensitive manner.
Well woven and enjoyable. Not simple or easy but worthwhile.

Another great strory from Susan Fox. I really enjoyed this story as it is a notable theme in the world at the moment.