About The Shark Club
How do you choose between your first love and a sizzling new romance?
On a summer day in 1988, two extraordinary things happen to twelve-year-old Maeve Donnelly. First, she is kissed by Daniel, the boy of her dreams. Then, she is attacked by a shark.
Eighteen years later, Maeve is a world-travelling biologist, swimming with the animals that once threatened her life. She is on the brink of a relationship with a fellow diver. Yet, as she returns to the idyllic island where she grew up, she is haunted by memories of Daniel, her first love, and what might have been.
A meeting with a sweet six-year-old girl fascinated by sharks draws Maeve back into Daniel's life. Suddenly she's awash in old feelings. Will she forgive Daniel for the mistakes of their youth? Or will she open her heart to Nicholas, the handsome colleague who shares her passion for the ocean.
My review of The Shark Club
What an absolutely beautiful novel. I adored reading The Shark Club, a leisurely romantic read about childhood love, romantic love, deep rooted passions and family. This really is a perfect summer beach read that allows you to simply submerge yourself in this story, and to forget about the rest of the world.
The novel revolves around Maeve, a thirty year old marine biologist with a passion for shark conservation. This love of sharks stemmed from when she was bitten by a shark, aged onmy twelve, the day that changed her life forever. It was on this day that she kissed Daniel, her childhood frurnd, then aged only thirteen, who was her best friend and then eventually her lover.
Fast forward eighteen years and Maeve is now a high profile biologist doing what she loves best, working with sharks. She spends her days diving in the world's oceans, recording and monitoring sharks, and helping to protect them. This aspect of the book fascinated me, with its attention to detail, showing clearly the bond and passion that Maeve had for her beloved sharks.
While on diving trips she has a diving partner, the handsome and dark haired Nicholas, a British man from London, and it soon becomes appararant that they have a love for each other, just as they do for the sharks (Maeve ) and rays (Nicholas). From the moment I met Nicholas I fell a little bit in love with him.
The story really begins when Maeve heads home to her childhood home in Florida. Here she lives with her grandmother, Perri, and twin brother, Robin, amongst the splendour of The Hotel of the Muses. Perri is an artist and book lover, Robin a soon to be published novelist, and Daniel is now the hotel's chef. As soon as Maeve steps through the door she is greeted with memories of her past, ,lboth happy and sad, and finds that first love is so very hard to forget.
This really is a beautiful romantic tale about growing up, first love and adult love. it also poses the question, can we ever truly go back to how things used to be? I liked and admired Maeve, and felt so sorry for her in the difficult decisions that she had to make. Should she go back to Daniel and rekindle their old love? Or should she she take a chance with Daniel, the man who is so obviously in love with her? This broke my heart.
This really is a gorgeous book that will warm your soul. Perfect for those lazy hazy summer days and those who enjoy good old fashioned romance stories with so much heart.
With thanks to the publisher and Bookbridgr for the Advanced Reader Copy
The Shark Club is published on 22 Feb by Headline Review and can be found on Amazon here.
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