“It is absolutely love. For me, certainly.”
Kit believes her sister is dead. Josie had died in a train wreck in France. Then both she and her mother see Kit on the news about a nightclub fire in New Zealand. They decide Kit should leave California and see if she can find if this person is Josie. Kit goes, knowing she will probably leave empty-handed, but can maybe finally enjoy a vacation. It’s been a lonely life, ever since the earthquake destroyed her family by killing her father and sending her mother and sister spiraling out of control in their own worlds. If only their semi-adopted brother, Dylan, had still been around to help take care of Kit, she maybe wouldn’t have felt all alone, but he had left their lives before the earthquake.
A friend told me she had really enjoyed reading When We Believe in Mermaids, so I put it on my to-read list. I saw I could listen to it for free through Audible as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription, so I decided to download both Audible and the book. The story had me captivated and kept me guessing as to what would happen next.
Josie’s “vacation” does start on an interesting twist when a Latin man asks her out. She feels a connection to him, but that is against her personal rules. Date, yes, but fall in love, no. She tries to resist, but he breaks down her barriers bit by bit. In the midst of spending time with him, she starts searching for her sister. She only finds dead ends until she remembers there is no way her sister would give up their common love – surfing. It is at a local surf shop that Kit finds out that her sister is indeed alive and living nearby, but not as Josie. She’s Mari now. Will they reconnect or will Mari not want Kit to disrupt her life? What other secrets could Josie be keeping?
I enjoyed reading When We Believe in Mermaids; however, it is a book for adults. There is slightly descriptive romance, dysfunctional families, drug use, child abuse (physical and sexual), affairs and alcoholism. Yet, the overall message is of hope, forgiveness, love and second chances. None of us need to really ever be alone.
Have you ever thought of starting over somewhere new? Where would you pick? Share on the blog!