Review: 'The House on Mermaid Point' by Wendy Wax (2014)

Maddie, Avery, and Nikki first got to know one another—perhaps all too well—while desperately restoring a beachfront mansion to its former grandeur. Now they’re putting that experience to professional use. But their latest project has presented some challenges they couldn’t have dreamed up in their wildest fantasies—although the house does belong to a man who actually was Maddie’s wildest fantasy once...
Rock-and-roll legend “William the Wild” Hightower may be past his prime, estranged from his family, and creatively blocked, but he’s still worshiped by fans—which is why he guards his privacy on his own island in the Florida Keys. He’s not thrilled about letting this crew turn his piece of paradise into a bed-and-breakfast for a reality show... though he is intrigued by Maddie. Hard as that is for her to believe as a newly single woman who can barely manage a dog paddle in the dating pool.
But whether it’s an unexpected flirtation with a bona fide rock star, a strained mother-daughter relationship, or a sudden tragedy, these women are in it together. The only thing that might drive them apart is being trapped on a houseboat with one bathroom...
Thanks to the wonderful Deb at Joan Schulhafer, I received the opportunity to review author Wendy Wax’s latest novel, ‘The House on Mermaid Point’, which was released on the 1st of July. I think this book has to have one of the most colourful and summery covers I’ve seen in a long time, and it immediately made me long for a trip to a faraway island to sit on the beach with nothing to worry about! I had heard of Wendy Wax before, particularly her novel ‘While We Were Watching Downton Abbey’, which many people on Twitter seemed to be enthusiastic about. I love Downton Abbey, so look forward to picking up that novel myself, but I was really happy with the chance to check out Wendy Wax’s work in the form of ‘The House on Mermaid Point’!
Maddie, Avery and Nikki have become good friends since they started working on the restoration of houses together. They have managed to turn their love for make-overs into an actual reality show called ‘Do Over’ and they are ready for their next challenge. At least, they think they are, until they meet ageing rock legend William Hightower, who just got out of rehab and is not in the mood for company as he is busy trying to come to terms with his troubled past. His home, a beach house on a small island called Mermaid Point in the Florida Keys, desperately needs a make-over, which is where Maddie, Avery and Nikki come in. While dealing with their own individual troubles at the same time, the ladies try to take on this new challenge with a positive attitude, but it seems both William Hightower and the producer of the TV-show aren’t planning on making things easy for them...
I had no idea this book is actually the third part of a series when I started reading it. The group of characters first starred in ‘Ten Beach Road’, followed by ‘Ocean Beach’, short story ‘Christmas at the Beach’, and are now back in ‘The House on Mermaid Point.’ The fact that I didn’t read the other novels before sitting down with this one didn’t spoil the reading experience for me; it can definitely be read as a stand-alone, even though I have to admit it did get me really curious about the previous books! Wendy Wax is a fabulous author with a captivating writing style and a true talent for storytelling. I easily warmed to all three leading female characters in the novel (Maddie, Avery and Nikki) and loved that each of them had their own story to tell and their own individual issues to deal with while working on the same project.
There’s a great group of characters at the core of the novel, mainly consisting of strong and intriguing women. I really liked reading the different storylines and seeing how it was all brought together in the main storyline, namely the make-over of William Hightower’s house.  I enjoy watching shows like ‘Extreme Home Make Over’ and I thought it was a lot of fun to read about that particular concept instead of seeing it on TV. The novel had me interested from beginning to end, and I was even quite shocked by some of the things that happened near the ending of the story. Overall, ‘The House on Mermaid Point’ is a thoroughly enjoyable and well-written novel, perfect for a day at the beach, and part of a book series I can’t wait to check out! Rating:

8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.