I finally got around to diving into book four in this travel romance series by the wonderful Sandy Barker. I am a big fan of Sandy’s work and book number four did not disappoint.
In this book, we get to know more about protagonist Jaelee Tan after being introduced to her earlier in the series.
Nursing a broken heart and trying to come to terms with the loss of a close long-term friendship, Jaelee decides to go on sabbatical in Bali. She feels the need to disconnect from the crippling stress in her life, both personally and professionally.
When her boss calls with a crisis and demands she leave her island paradise and return to work immediately, Jaelee quits on the spot with no clear plan for the future.
While figuring out what she wants to do with the rest of her life, she makes new friends and meets sexy Alistair from Scotland who is also dealing with his own issues, including a recent breakdown of a long-term relationship and a family medical emergency on the other side of the world.
There are instant sparks between the two, but insecurities, wounded hearts, and family dramas for both of them make things complicated. Neither is certain the romance can blossom into something more permanent.
With the help and support of both her newfound friends and some older ones, Jaelee is inspired to start her own PR company and go freelance, picking up her first clients while in Bali.
When Alistair suddenly rushes off back home to Scotland to visit his critically ill father, Jaelee takes a leap of faith and books a ticket to visit him, but she has no idea if he will be happy to see her or not. Was it just a holiday fling or does he feel the same way?
As always, this book delivers feel good vibes, transports you to an exotic location, makes your mouth water with fabulous descriptions of the local cuisine, explores the often-complex nature of relationships and friendships, and unleashes the hopeless romantic in all of us.
Some of the reviews are critical of Jaelee as a protagonist because of her abrupt and sometimes judgmental behaviour, however, I found her to be a great main character.
Every single one of us is flawed, and we all have the capacity to grow. By the end of the story we see her grow in positive ways. She finally stands up to her demanding and controlling mother and becomes less judgmental of others before getting to know them. This shows the author’s ability to bring us a complex and engaging protagonist.
If you are a lover of adventurous books filled with romance and an in-depth look at how we all relate to each other, do yourself a favour and get your hands on these books.
I give it five stars.
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