A PORT OF NO RETURN

A young woman finds her course on the high seas.

Twenty-one-year-old Quinn Anne Carrigan has drifted far from her conservative Boston upbringing during her two years in Miami. Waking up one morning next to one of her restaurant coworkers, she realizes how far she’s drifted from her own expectations, and feels torn between the guilt drawing her back to Boston and a yearning for something else she can’t quite name. When she’s offered the opportunity, she takes a job as a cook on a yacht being delivered to its new owner in Jamaica. Aboard the 40-foot Zephyr, Quinn instantly feels at home and quickly becomes attached to life at sea and to her three crewmates: the kind, steadfast captain Tommy; the hard-luck Chip; and Noah, the devastatingly sexy Jamaican. Despite the physical and emotional drama of the journey, Quinn is soon convinced that she’s finally found her true calling. She’s powerfully drawn to Noah, despite what she knows about his past, but she doesn’t want to jeopardize her new career or the dynamic among the crew, knowing that their lives depend on their loyalty to each other. Reaching Jamaica, of course, does nothing to quell the drama. McKellar skillfully brings the characters to life, and she clearly knows not only the technical details of living and working on a boat, but also the heady thrill of life at sea. Though the conclusion is unsatisfying, with far too many threads left dangling, new adventures are on the horizon in this adventure series.

A sexy, thrilling ride.