Sand, Sea and Second Chances by Catherine Michaels ~ Review & Blog Tour

◆ He guards the island.

◆ She protects her heart.

◆ But can sizzling arguments and moonlit turtle patrols melt their defenses?

As soon as 30-something Kate Fiore steps foot on Gull Island, North Carolina, she knows this summer will be anything but ordinary. Eager for a fresh start after a painful divorce and job loss, she’s ready to embrace the tranquil coastal life and her summer marketing job at the aquarium.

Paradise found? Not quite. A locked door and a set-in-his-ways islander named Luke McAllister, wary of city newcomers, greet her instead.

Luke is fiercely protective of his family and community, and he’s not about to let some woman who thinks she knows it all disrupt island life. But when he’s forced to work with Kate on the community fundraiser and sea turtle patrol, their clashing personalities and undeniable chemistry make for some explosive encounters.

As Kate learns to appreciate Luke’s passion for the environment and he lets down his guard, their feelings for each other grow stronger. But just as they find happiness, Kate’s contract ends. Luke fears letting her go may cost him his one chance at forever.

Can their hearts rekindle across miles and months apart?

I really enjoyed this read. I really liked our main characters, Kate and Luke; you could tell that they were destined to be together from the very beginning - even if they couldn't! I liked how we knew Kate was really upset from her split with Jon, but there was more to it which was revealed as the storyline developed, and I thought that things were shared in such a lovely, touching way.

I enjoyed reading the descriptions of Gull Island. It sounded like such a beautiful place, and I also liked the conservation and wildlife elements covered in the book as they are definitely something that needs highlighting. I loved Luke's passion for this and think that his initial reaction to Kate and her being from the city with her ideas was understandable at first.

I liked how it was told from both of their points of view and the fact that we knew what they were thinking even when they didn't! I thought the supporting characters were great and loved Dawson and Boo. Dawson gave me some laugh-out-loud moments.

All in all, a great, fun read, and I'm glad to see that it's not the last we will hear of Gull Island. It's now just waiting to see who from the island we are reading about - my money is on Annie, Luke's sister, as I feel that she needs some romance in her life, so fingers crossed!

You can grab a copy here #Aff (If you buy a copy through this link I get a teeny commission of the sale from Amazon)

Huge Thanks to Love Books Tours and Catherine Michaels for my place on the blog tour.