Saving their home…
Healing their hearts!
Morgan’s mission to save Penguin Island, her South
African paradise, is personal. She just wasn’t prepared for how personal it
would be when striking a deal with tycoon Elliott! Both have something to lose
if they fail, so putting the island back on the map is their number one
priority. But working together has Morgan’s head and heart racing because with
every accidental touch, keeping things professional becomes more
challenging…and walking away feels impossible!
Good story about two people whose family issues affect
how they see themselves and look at relationships. Morgan blames herself for
messing up her parents' lives - they were teen parents. Even as a child, she
would do anything to make their lives easier. That carried over into looking
after her younger brother and sister. She still puts their needs over her own.
When she traveled to Penguin Island to help her grandmother, she worried about
how they'd do without her.
Elliott's brother and father own the development company
that purchased the area where Morgan's grandmother lives. Though he has nothing
to do with the company, he agreed when his brother Gio asked him to check on the
progress. Elliott always feels second best in his family, as his parents always
paid more attention to his certified genius older brother. Elliott is willing
to put his own business on hold and help but doesn't count on one little old
lady.
I liked the first meeting between Morgan and Elliott.
Both of them realize that they are caught in a dilemma. Elliott wants to finish
and leave as quickly as possible, while Morgan wants her grandmother's wedding
to be everything Edna wants. I enjoyed their negotiation, as Morgan points out
that, as a local, she wields a fair amount of influence. Her cooperation will
make his job more manageable. In return, she's willing to help him make things
better than his brother had envisioned.
As the two work together on the renovations, neither
expects the closeness that develops between them. Elliott is disturbed by how
easily Morgan sees past the façade that fools everyone else. She sees how his
parents' preferential treatment of his brother has made him doubt their love
and his lovability. He holds himself back from relationships, preferring not to
risk rejection. For her part, Morgan also holds back on relationships, unwilling
to risk making the same mistakes her parents made.
Both Morgan and Elliott fight the attraction and feelings
that build between them, afraid to risk their hearts. I enjoyed their
conversations and seeing them slowly open up to each other. Interestingly, each
one so clearly saw the other's problem but couldn't apply the same logic to
themselves. I enjoyed the sudden appearance of Elliott's brother Gio and the
eye-opening conversation they had. It gave Elliott a different perspective and
a willingness to look at his future differently. I loved that seeing Elliott's
changed outlook helped Morgan look at her relationship with her family in a new
light and make some important decisions about her future. A little shove from
Edna helped bring Elliott and Morgan together.
I enjoyed the descriptions of Penguin Island, from the
houses to the town to Morgan's hidden waterfall. I could almost smell the
flowers and feel the ocean breezes. I was sad that the penguin sanctuary was
gone, but by the end had a glimmer of hope that it might come back.
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