{Review} SILVER BAY by Jojo Moyes

ISBN #: 978-0143126485

Page Count: 384

Copyright: August 26, 2014

Publisher: Penguin Books

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Liza McCullen will never fully escape her past. But the unspoiled beaches and tight-knit community of Silver Bay offer the freedom and safety she craves—if not for herself, then for her young daughter, Hannah. That is, until Mike Dormer arrives as a guest in her aunt’s hotel.

The mild-mannered Englishman with his too-smart clothes and distracting eyes could destroy everything Liza has worked so hard to protect: not only the family business and the bay that harbors her beloved whales, but also her conviction that she will never love—never deserve to love—again.

For his part, Mike Dormer is expecting just another business deal—an easy job kick-starting a resort in a small seaside town ripe for development. But he finds that he doesn’t quite know what to make of the eccentric inhabitants of the ramshackle Silver Bay Hotel, especially not enigmatic Liza McCullen, and their claim to the surrounding waters. As the development begins to take on a momentum of its own, Mike’s and Liza’s worlds collide in this hugely affecting and irresistible tale full of Jojo Moyes’s signature humor and generosity.

Mandy's Review:

My first foray into Moyes' writing style was when I read Me Before You and it wrenched my heart. Silver Bay affected me in a similar way.

Mike's analytical personality results from a childhood where he witnessed his father losing the family's wealth by one bad decision. Mike rarely makes a decision based on feelings. Instead, he looks at all options, facts, and figures. So when his property investment company looks for a new place to build a new hotel getaway, Mike analytically determines that Silver Bay would be the best option.

Liz considers Silver Bay her sanctuary. It's the place she came to in order to escape her life and the horrible incident precursoring her arrival. Hannah, Liz's daughter, doesn't understand why she's not allowed to leave the Silver Bay area. Unfortunately, it's not something Liz or Kathleen, Liz's aunt, knows how to explain to Hannah. In order to further protect herself, Liz keeps her distance when it comes to the opposite sex. Giving her heart over to someone who could further hurt her is not something she's interested in.

Mike and Liz are only two people in a love triangle. There's also Greg, who has thought, if he's patient enough, he's had a chance with Liz for the past few years. Kathleen's been running from love in the form of the lovably persistent Nino Gaines, which makes me wonder if this is a family trait.

Silver Bay is a lovely novel. The characters are complex enough to give them dimension without being so dense that you cannot understand them. I rooted for Mike and Liz the entire novel and cried for them towards the end. Yes, I cried. I seem to do that with Ms. Moyes' novels. They offer a wide range of emotions with characters believable enough to be based on people you already know. I would recommend this novel to all you romantics out there.


*A paperback copy of this novel was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.