Veena’s review of First Time In Forever (Puffin Island, Book 1) by Sarah Morgan
Contemporary Romance published by HQN Books 24 Feb 15

Ms. Morgan consistently delivers heart warmingly romantic stories that touch the heart. The sparkling wit,  clever repartee, and well-developed characters simply give me no choice but to put them first on my reading list every time I see a new book release.  Tortured Emily Donovan, with her deep-seated fears and her need to do the right thing, despite the price she has to pay, grabbed a piece of my heart from the moment I met her on the ferry crossing to Puffin Island.  It is so uplifting to see her face down every single bogeyman and come out on top.

Emily is a successful management consultant who gives up her successful life in New York and boyfriend to become a full-time guardian to her young niece upon the death of her famous sister. Paranoid about keeping her niece safe and deathly afraid of the ocean, it’s pretty rough going, even if the cottage on Puffin Island is a sanctuary from happy times vacationing with her friends. Thank god for Ryan, who’s around to help her navigate the complexities of communicating with a young person and living on an island.

Ryan, a Puffin Islander by birth, who couldn’t wait to leave it behind and travel the world, has come full circle.  The island is now his sanctuary, where he’s running a successful restaurant and yacht  club. Having spent his early years bringing up his siblings upon the death of his parents, the last thing he wants is commitment, especially one which comes with a ready-built child, but Emily and Lizzy burrow their way into his heart, despite all his best intentions.

This is a great story of second chances as Emily assimilates into the life of the island and makes friends. She learns to conquer her fears and actually use some of her skills to help a single mother who is struggling to raise her children.  There are so many sweet, tender moments, like the story with Lizzy’s bear or the show and tell when Ryan’s sister takes him to her classroom as her favorite thing.

He might want to pursue Emily as a notch on his bedpost, but, poor guy, he is sucked into their lives as he holds Emily’s hand through her panic attack on the beach and then goes on to help her overcome her fear of water as he teaches her to swim.  Emily, of course, has her own brand of courage as she slowly emerges from the shell she’s built around herself and faces her fears, sharing her story first with Ryan and then his grandmother.

Lizzy definitely steals the show in her young adult manner who proceeds to win over Ryan, even if the last thing he wants is to play guardian to a young child. Her affection and bonding with the little puppy who belongs to Agnes, she, in her own way, emerges from shell created by her beautiful, famous mother who is somewhat indifferent to her.

Not only is Ryan afraid of committing and Emily knows that, but he is hiding a secret that will have devastating consequences on her new-found confidence and their budding relationship. I did not warm up to Ryan at the beginning of the story for all his charm, because he was in denial for way too long, but what can I say, he really is charming……

We’ve definitely seen the sparks between Skylar and Alec and I can’t wait to read her story, but Brittany and Zach are on deck and their story sounds like it’s going to pack a punch. Can’t wait.

Grade: B

Summary:

Windswept, isolated and ruggedly beautiful, Puffin Island is a haven for day-trippers and daydreamers alike. But this charming community has a way of bringing people together in the most unexpected ways…

It’s been a summer of firsts for Emily Donovan. From becoming a stand-in mom to her niece, Lizzy, to arriving on Puffin Island, her life has become virtually unrecognizable. Between desperately safeguarding Lizzy and her overwhelming fear of the ocean—which surrounds her everywhere she goes!—Emily has lost count of the number of “just breathe” pep talks she’s given herself. And that’s before charismatic local yacht club owner Ryan Cooper kisses her…

Ryan knows all about secrets. And it’s clear that newcomer Emily—with her haunted eyes and the little girl she won’t let out of her sight—is hiding from something besides the crazy chemistry between them. So Ryan decides he’s going to make it his personal mission to help her unwind and enjoy the sparks! But can Puffin Island work its magic on Emily and get her to take the biggest leap of trust of all—putting her heart in someone else’s hands?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: