DNF at 30%.

Maybe I’m not in the mood for small town second chance romance or something, but I’m at 30% and the main characters aren’t talking. The heroine has as many flashbacks to her recently deceased aunt (who left her the Inn) as to her love interest. Holiday’s last series was funnier and I felt chemistry between the leads. This unfortunately fell flat for me.

CWs: death of a relative, past: child abuse

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Mermaid Inn was such a fun book to read. I enjoyed it to the last word. It is a second chance love story and the characters are so well written. The corny reference to a certain mermaid tale will leave you wanting more. I look forward to more books in this series and will be looking for more books by Jenny Holiday! Thank you netgalley for the complimentary arc, the opinions in this review are my own .

Early Copy provided by Forever Pub in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

“So she looked down again at the town to come and rescue her. And when he did, she would call him by his name. Sawyer Collins.”

The title of this book was enough to make me giddy. My biggest worry was that there would not be enough mermaids. I had no need to be worried. There’s so many mermaids. Like- so many. Just putting it out there that this book really delivers on what the name promises.

Evie grew up spending summers in Moonflower Bay with her Great-Aunt Lucille. But after a particularly disagreeable moment during the Annual Mermaid Parade, she left to Toronto and had no plans to return. Then, Lucille dies and leaves her the beloved Mermaid Inn. Torn in her decisions and distracted by one very handsome ex, Sawyer, Evie tries to grapple with what she wants her life to look like.

Aside from just mermaid themed events and knickknacks, Mermaid Inn uses the story of The Little Mermaid as a larger metaphor for what people are willing to give up for their dreams or someone else’s. I really liked this because it pitted the original story to the Disney one in a really fun way. Aside from countless references to the movie and the songs, the book debates what we learn from fairy-tales and how we think about the world as a result.

I did like how much Evie grew over the course of the book, but I also felt that it was so inevitable it became tedious to read. LIke- I knew how the book was going to end, which doesn’t bother me, but the book took so darn long to get to the point. My biggest complaint about the book is that it dragged on a bit too long for my taste. If the book was going to be this long, I wish there had been plot twists or at least something to focus on in the meantime.

The book actually has a lot of time taken up by the town’s fun antics. The town itself, and all the people in have a lot of personality and have countless mermaid and/or raspberry traditions. It’s pretty crazy and it is to a certain extent really entertaining. However, it lost it’s charm at certain times and the book just spent so much time on it. The book felt like it was spending excess energy on the quirkiness of the town and taking attention away from the romance.

Speaking to the romance, there wasn’t enough there. I thought that the characters themselves were really well developed, but developed as individuals, not really as a couple. The characters communicate well and there were so many cute moments, but the romance didn’t always feel present. The was constantly feeling like it was about something else, namely Evie’s and Sawyer’s separate personal journeys.

Which actually makes the a pretty fabulous book, but a poor romance book, if that makes sense? Basically, if I was told this book was a women’s fiction book, I would have loved it more. The focus was just in different places, which isn’t bad, just not very focused on the romance-y stuff. It feels very family/ found-family focused. All of which I very much enjoyed.

TL;DR: Come for the mermaids! Stay for this absolutely ridiculous town! Not the best romance, but the familial love does a lot to make up for it.

This was so charming and sweet! It was light and fun with the right amount of emotion mixed in. I found myself smiling and laughing all the way through. Eve and Sawyer were fantastic. I loved them reconnecting and going through all their ups and downs as they figure out their feelings. A really great second chance romance!

I loved learning about Sawyer and Eve’s history, their struggles, and their motivations. There were a lot of entertaining scenarios happening as they get to know each other all over again. I really liked the internal dialogue; it was excellent and had me chuckling. I liked watching their feelings grow and enjoyed them become not-not friends. Eve and Sawyer coming together had a delicious slow burn happening that I thought was great. It was just a joy to read!

I thought all the townspeople were a delight, it was such a fun yet meddlesome group that had me laughing at their antics. I loved how they were all there for one another and the bonds they have. I loved Jake with his sister and their precious relationship, I loved his best friends and see more stories in the future for them. There was a nice build and thought the timeline of everything was great. I like all the mermaid references, there was a lot but they were pretty amusing.

This was a wonderful story about reconnecting, healing, and moving on from the past. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

When I saw that Jenny Holiday was writing a new series, I was so excited. I loved her Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series and couldn't wait to read whatever she wrote next.
Mermaid Inn is a second chance romance and the first book in a new series set in a small coastal town. Sawyer and Eve were so in love when they were teenagers, they thought they'd have a romance that'd last their whole lives. Unfortunately something happened that tore the two apart and made Eve leave town and never want to come back. Eve is back in town after the unexected death of her aunt, all she wants to do is get in and get out without running into Sawyer, unfortunately that's hard to do since he's the police chief.
I really liked the setting of this novel. Moonflower Bay gave me so many Gilmore Girls vibes. It's a small town where everyone knows everyone and there's a lot of meddling in people's lives. Eve is back in town after 10 years away, and everyone is doing what they can to keep her for good. Mermaid Inn was also hilarious. One of my favorite things about Jenny Holiday's writing is her humor. I was cackling at so many parts of the book.
One thing that took away some enjoyment from the book for me was that I couldn't really connect with either of the characters as much as I wanted to. I enjoyed reading about Eve and Sawyer and was rooting for them to finally get back together, but there wasn't that connection that I've gotten with other couples in Holiday's books which bummed me out.
Overall this was a funny novel, and I can't wait to continue with the series and get to know Matchmaker Bay and it's residents better!

This was the perfect romance. I loved the subtle and not so subtle corny references to The Little Mermaid. I couldnt help but cheer on Evie and Sawyer from the beginning! All the way down to the mermaid tail. Evie and Sawyer made a perfect second chance at love pairing.

Sawyer has always put himself last. He did everything for his sister and those that he loves, even if it means breaking his heart. He wasnt expecting Evie to show up after the death of her Aunt. He really shouldn't be surprised. Evie is back in town, the town where she spent her summers growing up, learning around love, life, and heartbreak. Lucille always had a wild hair and threw a punch in her last will, Eve must stay for a year.

Eve does everything to distance herself from Sawyer and their past. But with every move she feels like she is finally able to find peace with her past. But will it be enough to let her fall in love again, possibly with her first love. I cannot wait to see what else comes out of Matchmaker Bay and the nosey elderly neighbors.

Mermaid inn

This is a second chance romance story. It was my first by Jenny Holiday but it certainly won’t be my last! I loved all of the characters in this book and the small town feel it has. Sawyer is such an awesome guy who stepped in to raise his sister Clara and always has the best of intentions. I love the way he loves and protects his people. Jake and Law, Sawyers best friends are so awesome and I hope they both get their own story. Maya is the friend every girl needs. She is there with a bottle of wine and a shoulder to cry on or an encouraging gesture. I adored this book and would love to read more about this small town!

This was a sweet, second chance Romance and a great kick-off to, what looks to be, another fun series from Jenny Holiday.

Forced proximity, meddling towns-folk and a fantastic cast of secondary characters set the tone for this low-angst, slow-burn, small-town romance that left me with a full heart and an anxious mind. I can’t wait to see what’s to come for the people of “Matchmaker Bay”.

I loved this book. It had it all and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I definitely recommend this book, and this author.

Imagine if Stars Hollow was a touristy Lake Town in Canada and you have Moonflower Bay (nicknamed Matchmaker Bay by the younger single people who are constantly being set up by the older folks in town), the setting of this book. Eve (a librarian living in Toronto) returns to the summer home of her youth when a family member dies and leaves her a kitschy mermaid-themed inn that has fallen into disrepair. Her great-aunt’s will indicates that Eve must wait at least a year before selling the inn, so she decides to stick around and fix it up. She tries to avoid her first love, who broke her heart before she left for college, but he’s everywhere because he’s somehow now the police chief even though he’s in his late twenties. I would recommend this for fans of Holiday’s first series am definitely for fans of Lauren Layne’s Love Unexpectedly series of standalone novels. The town and the characters have enough charm that I’m interested in reading more in the series.

Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday is the first book in the Matchmaker Bay Series. This is the story of Sawyer Collins and Eve Abbott. Sawyer and Eve were young friends / sweethearts but Sawyer ended up breaking her heart and Eve left Moonflower Bay. That was about 10 years ago and now she is back in the small town because her aunt Lucille left Eve her Mermaid Inn. We learn that Sawyer is now the Chief of Police and both are surprised that there are still such strong feeling between them. Eve isn't planning to jump back into anything with Sawyer so he has to work to get her back.
Sweet second chance at Love.

Sweet Small Town Hope & Romance

Mermaid Inn is a sweet small-town, second-chance romance, and the beginning of a new series by Jenny Holiday. Meet Eve, our heroine who’s returning to Moonflower Bay following the death of her great-aunt Lucille. She’s found out she’s inherited her aunt’s Mermaid Inn – but it comes with a catch. Eve must stay in town and live at the Inn for a year before she’s allowed to sell it. The last thing Eve wants to do is leave Toronto and her promising career path to take up residence in the town where she lost her heart to summer love at age 18. Especially since the break-er not only still lives there, but is now the Chief of Police.

The second-chance romance trope rarely lets me down, and this book is no exception. Holiday paints a vivid picture of this charming town and it’s inhabitants with her wonderful storytelling, bringing laughter, tears, frustration and cheers to our slow-burn smitten, romance-loving hearts. Sometimes the best things in life come to us when we’re busy making other plans! I enjoyed the timing and build up to the HEA; it didn’t feel rushed. After everything these two went through in their younger years, jumping right back to a relationship would not seem very natural.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Holiday has set us up for more Moonflower Bay books in the future, and I’m looking forward to checking out what else the meddling townspeople have in store for us and our future H&h.

Unfortunately I did not finish Mermaid Inn. I struggled to get into the book and ultimately decided to set it aside.

For Evie Abbott, Moonflower Bay was a summer haven. Staying with her aunt in her magical, aptly named, Mermaid Inn, Evie grew up with summers at the beach, watching <i>The Little Mermaid</i>, and falling in love with Sawyer Collins. Then Sawyer broke her heart, and Evie left for college without looking back.

Ten years later and Evie is back to settle her late aunt's estate which includes the Mermaid Inn. But, as always, there's a catch. Evie must wait a year before she can sell the Inn. Normally, Evie would have been happy to be back at Moonflower Bay, but now it means confronting the person she left behind: Sawyer Collins.

Sawyer never intended to be the villain in Evie's fairy-tale. But he was happy to play the role if it meant getting her out of Moonflower. While he hasn't ever really gotten over Evie, his job as Chief of Police and legal guardian to his younger sister take up a lot of his time, time that will soon be freed up a little when his sister starts college next year. But when Evie walks back into his life, he's loathe to remember why she needed to leave in the first place.

Second-chance romances are probably my favorite. I thought that Jenny Holiday did a really great job of showing the distinction between young/first love, and adult love. And it's not that young people cannot feel love or cannot feel it as much as adults, but we're all shaped by our experiences, so it would go a long way to say that the more experiences you have, changes the way you view things. In Evie and Sawyer's case specifically it changes the way they view their previous relationship. Don't get me wrong, it's not looking back and realizing their relationship was not great the first time around, but it's looking about and realizing that they both had a lot to learn about being in relationships, mainly with finding your voice within the relationship. Vocalizing your wants and needs, being comfortable enough to tell someone the thoughts and opinions that you carry deep within your soul. Jenny Holiday really went a long way to make sure the past deftly felt without even a single flashback sequence.

I've always loved the small-town romance filled with charm and quirky characters. That's certainly the case for Moonflower (dubbed Matchmaker) Bay where a lot of the long-time residents are very invested in Evie and Sawyer seeing what's right in front of them. There's been a lot of good setup for more of the featured secondary characters and I really look forward to going back to this fictional world.

The one thing I still feel a bit iffy about is the idea that things are supposed to proceed a certain way within this romantic realm. I'm trying not to be too spoilery, but in reading many romances and books in general, you can kind of spot some of the more formulatic story threads. Mermaid Inn follows one such thread at the end, but I wanted it to go a different way, and it started to be set up in that it would, but in the end, it followed a tried and true path. It still made me happy, it was still a fun, sexy, sweet read, but I wish it could have gone a bit extra.

Still, I'm so very much looking forward to the next book which will seemingly feature Sawyer's taciturn friend Jake who really deserves to get an HEA.

I received a copy of Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I give this book 5 stars! A quirky, second chance romance set in a small town, this book is sure to steal your heart. I recommend this fun, enjoyable read!

This book was my first from Jenny Holiday, and I hope it will not be the last. I really adored this cute, fun romance.

The book is set on a lake in Canada, and the small town denizens make the most of their town's moonflower charm. The main character, Eve, a librarian from Toronto is drawn back by the inheritance of her beloved great aunt's inn. Eve spent many a summer in Moonflower, eventually falling in love with Sawyer but has not returned in 10 years since his betrayal on a float in the annual parade.

Once back, it's minutes before Eve sees Sawyer, now chief of police, again, and her and his old feelings begin to resurface. And with an inn to rehab before selling and a new job in the works, Eve already has plenty on her plate.

The book has a cute cast of characters and the author does a great job with the romance and dialogue. The book was really fun.

After a ten-year absence, Eve Abbott has returned to Moonflower Bay to say goodbye to her great aunt Lucille, who passed away, leaving Eve the Mermaid Inn. Eve spent every summer living with Lucille at the Mermaid Inn, until she was 18 and saw the love of her life, Sawyer Collins, kiss another girl. After that, she went off to college and refused to return to the town that brought so much joy to her life. But even in death, Lucille hasn’t given up on making sure Eve is happy, even if it takes some meddling. Eve must own the Mermaid Inn for one year before she can sell it. Now she is reconnecting with past friends and associates, including the police chief, Sawyer Collins.

Mermaid Inn is an absolute joy to read. It’s sweet and easy, with some light moments and some not-as-light moments. It’s about Eve learning who she really is after holding on to youthful heartbreak for ten years. The results of this - staying away from Moonflower Bay - shaped her life. Now she has to figure out what she really wants, past the heartbreak. She’s growing and discovering what really makes her happy.

I love watching Eve learn how to be an adult in this town that holds so many memories for her. She decides to take on the extended stay with grace, working to rebuild friendships and even better herself along the way. She takes chances and gives into desire. The chemistry between Sawyer and Eve evolves from the joy of first love to an adult passion that smolders.

Overall, I really enjoyed this kickoff novel of the Matchmaker Bay series . Mermaid Inn hits all my buttons - small town, second chance, solid emotions, lots of fun. I enjoyed the slow-build as Eve and Sawyer learn to be friends and lovers as adults.

My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot

Eve Abbott returns to the Mermaid Inn after her aunt passes away - her aunt left Eve the inn but put a clause in her will saying Eve couldn’t sell the inn for a year. And wouldn’t you know, this inn is in the town where Eve’s first love - who broke her heart - Sawyer Collins, still lives, and is now the Chief of Police. ⁣
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Eve is holding a pretty big grudge against Sawyer at the beginning of the story, but the author worked through that quickly while still having it seem natural. Since Eve will be in town for a year (hello, clause in the will), she and Sawyer call a truce and actually start to be friends. I love a good friends to lovers trope, and because they have a history, watching them get there seemed even sweeter. ⁣
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The romance between Eve and Sawyer is the main plot of the book but it is also rich with other story lines and well-developed characters - all of which tie back to them. There was a lot happening in this book and I was impressed with how seamlessly it was all woven together; I’m looking forward to seeing these characters again in the rest of the series. ⁣
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This story took place over the span of a year, which gave Eve and Sawyer time to truly be friends, lovers, but not in a super abbreivated time frame.⁣
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This was overall delightful! ⁣

A book about second chance romance? I’m all in! This was my first book by the author and it was charming and sweet with witty dialogue. Yes it was predictable and cliche, but it’s a perfect read if you are in the mood to just smile and swoon over love. I’m looking forward to seeing what other books come of the Matchmaker Bay Series.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Eve Abbott and Sawyer Collins are about to get a second chance at love. Oh, I know this is an often-used trope, but no worries, Jenny Holiday delivers this to readers with excellent writing, witty dialogue and a delightful conclusion.

Eve is back in Matchmaker Bay. She is a librarian with career aspirations and is targeted on a dream job, so she hopes to sort out the reason why her Aunt Lucille left her the Mermaid Inn. Unfortunately, Eve realize that it needed a lot of renovations and I hope was to get the major issues taken care of and put this thing on the market so that she can get back into her life. What is she does not like is the fact that she is going to be forced to face her first love Sawyer and the fact that he broke her heart isn’t that she will never forget.

Sawyer is none too pleased to see Eve back in town. He is a good man through and through and he has as it turns out very good reason for why he let Eve go all those years ago. Running into each other they find that spending time together is makes it clear that they still have something between them. But Sawyer can never let even know why he did what he did all those years ago.

As serious as this sounds, Mermaid Inn is threaded with humor throughout and it made for a very good read. The path to love in this romance was a pleasant one and a very nice journey. The fact that the town is called Matchmaker Bay, lends to the fact that there is indeed a plot that neither Eve nor Sawyer could ignore. The town is a place where everybody minds everybody else’s business. This was a fun and enjoyable story and I was glad that I had the opportunity to read it.

This is the first book in a new series and I am more than eager to read the following books. As this is my second novel by Jenny Holiday I am realizing that she could easily become a favorite.

Many thanks to Forever and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.