Review: 'Some Kind of Wonderful' by Sarah Morgan (2015)

Her whole life, Puffin Islander Brittany Forrest has dreamed of adventure. And at the age of eighteen, she thought she'd found it in bad boy Zachary Flynn. But after just ten tempestuous, smoldering days, their whirlwind marriage went up in smoke, and Brittany resolved to put him out of her mind forever.
Zach knows he let Brittany down, but being back on Puffin Island and seeing Brittany again stirs up long-buried emotions. This daredevil pilot has never felt worthy of her, yet he can't stay away—even when he knows the chemistry between them will only complicate his life.
As long, hot summer days on the beach dissolve into sultry, starry nights, Brittany and Zach find that the sparks between them are more powerful than ever. Could it be that the second time around, their dreams of a happy-ever-after will finally come true?
I keep adding names to my list of authors who I’ve heard and read a lot of positive things about but haven’t actually read a novel from, and I always look forward to finally being able to check out the highly-praised work of these writers. So, when I found a review copy of Sarah Morgan’s ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ on my doorstep I was delighted. I’ve heard so many positive things about Sarah Morgan’s work and I was really excited to finally sit down with one of her novels and be introduced to her writing. ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ was released on July 2nd by Mills & Boon and is actually the second part of the Puffin Island series. I have to admit I usually never pick up second or third parts of series if I haven’t read the first book (I prefer to know the whole background story, I can’t help it!), but I decided to make an exception for this one and hoped it would also work as a stand-alone novel (which it luckily did)!
Brittany Forrest loves her job as an archaeologist, travelling all over the world and making exciting discoveries. When she breaks her wrist, she has no other choice but to return to her home on Puffin Island, Maine. While Brittany looks forward to spending time in her grandmother’s cottage and catching up with her best friends, she quickly realises there are also unpleasant memories from her past waiting for her, most specifically in the form of her ex-husband, Zach Flynn. Brittany married bad boy Zach when they were young and in love, but the marriage only lasted for 10 days, when Zach ran off and broke Brittany’s heart. Now, 10 years later, Brittany wants nothing to do with Zach but this turns out to be quite tricky with both of them living on Puffin Island. From the start, it’s clear that the chemistry they had back in the day is still there and hard to ignore. But is Brittany willing to give Zach a second chance or should she spare herself the pain and trouble…?    
I love warm-hearted, easy romance reads that make you forget about the real world for a few hours and that’s exactly what Sarah Morgan’s ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ is. The novel is the second part of the author’s Puffin Island series, which started with ‘First Time in Forever’ and will end with ‘Christmas Ever After.’ Each part of the trilogy focuses on one of three best friends Emily, Brittany and Skylar and their love lives, which reminded me a bit of Linda Lael Miller’s ‘Brides of Bliss County’ series which I had the pleasure of reading earlier this year and also focuses on three best friends and the romances in their lives. I straight away liked Brittany, the independent and stubborn protagonist in ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’, and loved her friendship with Emily and Skylar. Zach is the perfect handsome bad boy that will undoubtedly make many readers swoon, but also a character with a complex and fascinating background that is further explored in the novel. The chemistry between Zach and Brittany was just great and resulted in quite a few well-written steamy scenes.
The story is set on Puffin Island in Maine (USA) which is described as a simply gorgeous place. I loved the feel of the island and all the inhabitants being up-to-date on each other’s lives and helping and supporting each other whenever necessary. It made me love the story and the characters even more and I just wanted to pack my bags and join all of them on the island. While ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ is the second part of a trilogy, it can be read as a stand-alone, which I did. I personally would have loved reading the first book first, just so I knew the background stories of all the characters and what they had already been through together, but the novel definitely also works as a stand-alone. Overall, ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ is a lovely summer read with a wonderful cast of characters at its core; perfect for romance fans or anyone looking for a romantic escapist read for a few hours!

Rating:9/10

  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.