Ami's Hoard

I really loved Sarah Morgan’s previous romance-trilogy, so I was excited when I read that she would be releasing another trilogy this year. And it would be set on an island!! Small-town romance is my favorite kind of romance, and I love a story that is situated on an island because it makes the community-vibe stronger.

So how did this one go?

Well, I was absolutely LOVING it as well!!

In the beginning, I didn’t know whether I could warm up to Emily. Emily discovered that she has become a guardian for her 6-year-old niece and she didn’t know if she could handle the responsibility. She didn’t know if she could provide the love and emotional attachment that the kid needed – her ex-boyfriend accused her of being cold and unfeeling. Worse, she came to Puffin Island in order to protect Lizzy from intrusive paparazzo, but she is terrified of sea! So Emily in that first few chapters for me felt a little bit of a mess. Which is weird, because I would be seriously freaked out if I was in her position too!! I can’t see myself taking care of a child – I definitely don’t have that ‘motherly’ vibe. So maybe I was projecting myself in Emily, and I knew it would be hard for one to warm up to me as well.

But as the story went along, I became very proud of Emily. Despite the fact that she kept saying that she didn’t know what to do with Lizzy, it was clear that she wanted her niece to be safe and sound. Emily could be a tiger in protecting Lizzy and she was willing to overcome her fear to make sure that Lizzy got the best childhood experience. That made me admire her so much!!

There was a reason why Emily became as distant as she was – and I was glad that her secret was revealed in the middle of the book. One thing I dislike from romance is when the hero or heroine keeps a secret that drags along until almost the final chapter. It didn’t happen here which made me very happy. Instead, the reveal helped Emily to move forward and to heal and to embrace being Lizzy’s one and only family. There was one very significant moment between Emily and Lizzy that made me all teary eyed – right there on a public train (that I use for commuting to work).

Now, Ryan, gosh I loved him too! What can I say, when a hero is being sweet to kids and very good with them, I just melt. Ryan was really great with Lizzy (and Emily too!); despite him refusing to be in a committed relationship because he said that he wanted his freedom, it was clear that family kept him grounded. So I loved that he finally recognized his shortcomings.

All in all, this was a VERY GREAT start of a series. I loved the feel of the tight-knit community and the secondary characters that rounded up the town. I seriously can’t WAIT to read about Brittany and her ex-husband, Zach, in the second book. I mean, second-chance romance, people!! That is like, my kryptonite!