WISHES ON THE WAVES

Sparks fly when a store owner meets her charming new neighbor in Michaels’ series romance.

Annie Lawson’s life in Gull Island, North Carolina, revolves around raising her 9-year-old son, Dawson, and running Gift and Garden, a small family-owned business that her grandfather started. Although she enjoys an active social life—including regular visits with her brother, Luke McAllister, and his wife, Kate—the sudden death of her spouse, Evan, in a car accident seven years ago left a tremendous void in her life. But the predictable rhythms of Annie’s routine change the day she meets Cal Carter, her new next-door neighbor and a bestselling novelist who writes under the pseudonym Jackson Caldwell. His agent, Noah O’Brian, is eager for the next installment of his popular Trace C. Breal action-thriller series, but the newly divorced Cal is suffering from writer’s block. He spent time on Gull Island when he was young, and he hopes that returning there will provide inspiration for his writing and a sense of stability for his 13-year-old daughter, Riley, who’s staying with him for the summer. Annie and Cal’s relationship develops slowly as they navigate romance while also dealing with single parenthood. However, when Cal’s former wife, Sara, offers Cal joint custody of Riley, he faces a difficult choice that could affect his newfound happiness with Annie. This second installment of Michaels’ Gull Island Romance series is a delightful second-chance love story set in a vibrant coastal community. The relationship between Annie and Cal forms the heart of the novel, and their story unfolds in chapters that alternate between each of their perspectives as they come to terms with their pasts in order to find a new future together. Michaels incorporates Cal’s work as a writer in clever ways throughout, including beginning each section with a quote from one of his novels. Michaels’ prose throughout is also sharp and witty: “And you don’t let this writer break your heart,” one character advises Annie. “Or worse, write you as a character with a tragic backstory and great hair.”

A satisfying love story in a promising series.