We are back in Mermaids Point, and I for one have truly missed being there, we get to see all of our old favorites, but this time we get the Story of Ivy Foster, if you have read any of the series before, you remember that she was the seamstress that came and saved the day when a blanket was torn. But in Love Booms, we find ourselves in the middle of a sad time for Ivy; as heartbreakingly her mother passes on and Ivy is faced with the possibility of seeing her father and dealing with the house all by herself, but then at the doorbell rings and there stand Alex, ready to be a shoulder to cry-on and the person to protect her.

But Alex is not just a friend and the object of her hidden desire, he becomes a business partner of sorts, but Alex has secrets of his own, ones that he wasn't ready to reveal, but ones that were unfortunately revealed for him, but where does that leave Alex and Ivy?

I don't know if it's me that's just been dying for this book since Autumn Dreams, but from the moment Alex met Ivy in the doorway of the kitchen, the sparks just flew, but oh! nothing truly prepared me for how their story truly was and just how much I came to love this book.

I loved this book was such an easy read. It was a lovely cosy read that I got into very quickly. And I love it was so easy and not complicated just what i wanted as the weather was turning and becoming sunny a perfect read I the sunshine book.

In Love Blooms at Mermaids Point, we meet Alex Nelson, brother to Doc Tom. He is a best selling author, who published a book under an alias, who is interested in purchasing a rundown bookstore in Mermaids Point. With his marriage in the past, he is ready to sell his home in the city and move. Ivy Fisher has spent years taking care of her mother and she recently passed away. Ivy is hoping to buy the same shop, but turn it into a place to refurbish furniture, make nick nacks and sell them. She and Alex are acquaintances, who decide they can share the building and operate both businesses. Ivy finds out that her estranged father never divorced her mom and he owns half the house. She will need to sell it as she can't afford to buy him out. This causes another problem, where will she live? As they spend more time together, Ivy begins to have feelings toward Alex, that is until she finds out that he has been keeping a big secret.

Mermaids Point is a small village on the coast, and it definitely has that small town community feel where everybody knows each other and they all step in to help and support one another. It is a great setting for this series. In this story we add one of my favourite elements, a bookstore and a secret author. I liked the characters of Ivy and Alex. They were friends and gradually became more than that. It was a lovely blossoming relationship that I enjoyed seeing develop. They had good chemistry and I enjoyed their banter. The family and friends all added to the story and were almost all likable. Of course, Lucifer the cat was an added bonus. He is the bookshop cat and plays a nice role in the story. The story itself is basically a 'friends-to-lovers' trope, and it was developed well. There was not a lot of angst, and the one problem when the secret is revealed is handled well. Both characters have their background and issues that make them hesitant to start something new, so it was interesting to see their relationship develop over time. Love Blooms At Mermaids Point isn't all sweet, as there are some heavy moments as well. There are themes of grief, infidelity, revenge, and betrayal as well, but overall it is uplifting and happy. I enjoyed this third trip to Mermaids Point and look forward to my next and final trip at Christmas time.

Sarah's books are always a guaranteed good read and this visit to Mermaids Point was no exception!

Ivy and Alex both have ideas for a business in mermaids point and it turns out that working together might just be the answer - not only to their business problems but to their broken hearts

A heartwarming, happy read and thought I hadn't read the first book, I enjoyed the setting and characters, and felt at 'home' pretty quickly. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this sweet book in exchange for an honest review.

So nice to be back at Mermaids point. I felt like I was back with friends and catching up on goings on over coffee and cake!

A really great story, charming, atmospheric, great characters. Filled me with warmth and spirit. Well written and flowed nicely, was romantic and funny, charming and full of fun. A great read, i really enjoyed it.

How cute is this cover?! 🌸

🌸Love Blooms at Mermaids Point by Sarah Bennett is set in the charming and warm community of, you guessed it- Mermaids Point!

🌸This is such a sweet setting for a thoughtfully crafted story and I fell in love with the town and the people within it.

🌸Alex and Ivy come together in Mermaids Point as they embark upon new chapters in their lives and as their lives continue to intersect they come to rely on each other and subsequently a lovely romance develops.

🌸Thanks to @bookandtonic and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book perfect for Spring!

This wasn’t as good as the first book, maybe I was thinking it would be slightly different but, it seemed to carry on in the same theme. I found I got quite bored with it and limped along to the end. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I loved every minute of this story and couldn’t stop reading it, while at the same time not wanting my time at the Point to come to an end. I am not sure my review can even do this book justice, so perhaps you are better off not reading my review and just grabbing this book to read instead.

This book is the story of Ivy and Alex, so although the characters we met in the previous books reappear, it can be read as a stand-alone, but quite honestly I would recommend reading the whole series. You won’t regret it!

Ivy is so lovely and a bit quirky and she makes everyone smile, so when she’s going through a hard time everyone is there for her. Ivy’s friend and then love interest Alex is also lovely. In previous books I thought maybe Alex would be a bit of a bad boy…. the wild uncle, counteracting the calm and sensible Tom (his brother, the male main character in Autumn Dreams, see link above) but that was not the case at all! Alex was not only eye candy but also super nice! What a pleasant surprise! The bad element or rather the trouble came from another character, but you will have to read the book yourself to find out who I am talking about.

This story had the ups and downs expected when reading a romance novel about friends to lovers and the community setting in Mermaids Point with all its lovely characters just made it that much better!
Highlights:
- lovely warm community at the Point
- everyone looks out for one another
- a bookshop to renovate
- funeral, grand re-opening of the bookshop and a wedding.
- family trouble... mainly Ivy's father causing trouble again and again
- Alex and his writing, can he keep it a secret much longer?
- a naughty cat named Lucifer!
- Romance.... friends to lovers, but will that jeopardize their friedship and their business?

Book Review “Loves Blooms at Mermaids Point” by Sarah Bennett
MARCH 25, 2022 ~ NIKIPRESTON

SYNOPSIS/BOOK BLURB

Love Blooms at Mermaids Point

Bestselling author Alex Nelson is slowly coming apart at the seams after a failed marriage and an abrupt change in career leave him at a crossroads in life. When an unexpected opportunity arises to escape to the idyllic village of Mermaids Point, he’s hot on the heels of his brother, Tom, who has recently moved there. Buying a rundown bookshop might be just his latest harebrained scheme, but Alex has never been one to do things by halves.

After spending her early years caring for her mother, Ivy Fisher is finally ready to start living her own life. But when the impossibly charming, impossibly good-looking Alex Nelson swoops in and snatches her dream out from under her nose, it really is the last straw. Forced by circumstances to spend more time with him, Ivy finally gets a peak of the real man beneath the confident exterior, and she likes what she sees.

But just when things are starting to come together for them, Ivy is reminded why men can never be trusted. Is Alex who he says he is, or is he using Mermaids Point as nothing more than research fodder for his next bestseller?

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/31ZLqTm

REVIEW ~ NIKI PRESTON ~ 4 STARS

As ever the Mermaid Point series is as ever the perfect romance. It is not that overly mushy, everything is perfect kind of book , oh no. it is very realistic with the characters suffering the usual ups and downs of life that we all go through. For this this creates much more believable characters. As book 3 in the series I feel it does work well as a stand alone but reading all of them makes the perfect Romance series as well, so I’ll leave that decision with you.

As you all know by now I don’t talk about the plotlines too much as that is all in the blurb but I do always discuss how a book makes me feel and love at Mermaids point really made me feel warm and cosy. This is a gentle no nonsense read that I read in a few hours. I adored the growing complexities between Ivy and Alex’s relationship. The beautiful descriptions of Mermaids Point are very enchanting and draw you in to the seemingly idyllic lifestyle, in fact I’m moving in. A big thumbs up for another heart-warming, feel good, with a bit of sad thrown book from Sarah Bennett


Author Bio –


Sarah Bennett
Sarah Bennett is the bestselling author of several romantic fiction trilogies including those set in Butterfly Cove and Lavender Bay. Born and raised in a military family she is happily married to her own Officer and when not reading or writing enjoys sailing the high seas. The first book in her new Mermaids Point trilogy for Boldwood was published in Spring 2021.

Social Media Links –

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SarahBennettAuthor/

Twitter https://twitter.com/Sarahlou_writes

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sarahlbennettauthor/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SarahBennettnews

With Thanks for the Advance copy to …..

Rachel Gilby https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/

Sarah Bennett https://bit.ly/SarahBennettnews

Boldwood Books https://www.boldwoodbooks.com/

Alex and Ivy had to overcome a lot of heartache and they did so with grace and love.

Alex isn’t really riding high after the success of his book loosely detailing the breakdown of his failed marriage. Mostly he just wants to put it behind him and start over. A great opportunity presents itself in the form of an old bookstore in Mermaids Point. It will bring him closer to his brother, Tom, his new friends there, and hopefully it will give him the kickstart he needs. And maybe he can be closer to Ivy too.

Ivy’s world is also in shambles. Her mother just passed away and her affairs aren’t quite in the order that Ivy expected them to be. Alex offers her the chance to run his new store with him and sell her own wares there. With her father breathing down her neck, Ivy needs a new start just as desperately as Alex does.

Ivy is a strong woman. She kept going even after getting hit with so many disappointments all at once. Alex only knew about some of her struggles, but he supported her and made sure that she could rely on him. He never pushed for more and respected her boundaries. I really like these two together. They made each other better. It was also wonderful seeing all the old faces again and the way they all support each other.

This is book three in the Mermaids Point series. It will help to read the others first, but it’s not really necessary. I can recommend this if you like a sweet, clean romance where the characters have to grapple with difficult issues.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

The story focuses on Ivy and Alex and the roller coaster journey they take with all emotions imaginable.

Alex has moved beside his brother and purchased a run down Bookshop but unbeknown to him he has just ruined Ivy's dream. The story starts when Alex turns up to offer support to her on the day of her mum's funeral.

Once Ivy discovers what Alex has done circumstances throw them together and they have to learn to work together but will this be possible.

I absolutely adored this book and once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I loved Ivy and Alex but there were also so many other lovely characters. I can't wait for the next installment at Mermaids Point.

Another outing to the charming Mermaids point. This story includes the main characters from the other novels while focusing on Ivy and Alex’s story. As with the other novels, this gave a slice of small-town life and romance. I loved Ivy’s friends, written so warm heartedly, coming across more like family.

As for the romance, sweet, and spicy in parts. Ivy and Alex’s love story was unconventional which provided something different from the run of the mill romance. I liked all the strands of stories that gave tension in Alex’s and Ivy’s lives, possibly these could have been made more of. However, this novel is a great, quirky, small-town romance. I must mention the bookshop, somewhere I would have liked to spend a couple of hours perusing the shelves. Lucifer the cat had his own role too, just purrfect! With thanks to Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources and Netgalley for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I have read so many Sarah Bennett books and I have loved every single book , this is no exception at all, in fact I think Sarah just keeps getting better, it’s so nice to visit Mermaids Point again. This one is touched with a bit of sadness as Ivy loses her Mum, but the community support is amazing and she realises she needs to grieve and find her way forward. This story that will capture your heart and you won’t want to stop reading. I know I didn’t

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The literary equivalent of catching up over tea and cakes with your best friend, Love Blooms at Mermaids Point is the latest wonderfully romantic page-turner from the fabulous Sarah Bennett.

Bestselling author Alex Nelson cannot seem to catch a break lately. With the acrimonious end of his marriage and an abrupt change in his career having left him at a crossroads, Alex desperately needs some time out from his life. With his brother having moved to an idyllic town called Mermaids Point, Alex decides to take a leaf out of his sibling’s book and start afresh somewhere far removed from his current life. Taking over the local bookshop and immersing himself in running his new business is just what Alex needs, however, he hadn’t counted on finding himself drawn to one of Mermaids Points’ residents, who isn’t exactly laying out the welcome mat for him.

Ivy Fisher had spent most of her life caring for her mother. Now free to live life on her own terms, Ivy had great plans for her future – only for incomer Alex to come along and pull the rug out from under her feet by stealing her long-cherished dream from under her nose! As keeping Alex at arm’s length isn’t an option, Ivy has to grin and bear it and spend more time in his company than she actually wants. Although Ivy was predisposed to loathe Alex, the more she gets to know him, the more she realises that there is more to him than meets the eye! Could Ivy be falling head over heels in love with Alex Nelson?

As the two of them find themselves getting closer, unexpected revelations come to light that threaten to put paid to any hope they might have had of having any kind of relationship. Is Alex merely using her and Mermaids Point as inspiration for his next book? Can he prove to Ivy that he genuinely cares for her? Or is it all going to end in tears?

Sarah Bennett’s books never fail to hit all the right spots and she is at her enchanting and addictive best with Love Blooms at Mermaids Point. A gloriously romantic, highly entertaining and wholly engrossing charmer full of of gorgeous characters, delightful humour and emotional intensity, Love Blooms at Mermaids Point is feel-good escapism at its best.

A witty and heartwarming tale about second chances, starting over and unexpected romance, Love Blooms at Mermaids Point is another must-read for the fabulous Sarah Bennett.

Alex and Ivy's story is an emotional rollercoaster of a read. The chemistry is present from their first encounter, but Alex threatens Ivy's new start, and when she begins to like and trust him, his past threatens to destroy their future.

With appearances from much-loved characters from previous stories, this is a must-read for fans of the series, but the love story is complete. I love the immersive setting and the believably flawed characters who draw you into their world and make you care what happens in their lives.

I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I was so excited to be back at Mermaids Point! This was probably my favourite book in the series. I really enjoyed learning more about Ivy and Alex’s characters and their growing relationship. A must read for all Mermaids Point fans!

Ivy Fisher has never felt more alone. Her beloved mother has died of cancer and her father may live in the same small village but they haven't really spoken since he ghosted her and her mother one day to move in with his girlfriend Wendy.

Alex Nelson is moving back to Mermaid's Point to be closer to his brother (the local doctor) after the break-up of his marriage. He wrote a self-indulgent, barely-disguised account of his marriage break-up which the publisher then edited to make it even more bitter and spiteful. Now he has a contract for two more books in a similar vein but all inspiration has deserted him.

Alex decides to use the proceeds of his house sale to buy the local bookshop, something that Ivy was hoping to do until the truth about her mother's will emerges. But the two of them decide to go into business, with Ivy helping in the shop but also selling her knick-knacks, re-purposed furniture and hand-made clothes. After his disastrous marriage, Alex knows he needs to be less impulsive and to take things slow, but everything seems so right with Ivy .. until his secret identity comes back to haunt him.

This is the third book in a series and it shows, there is a definite feel that the reader has walked in a on a conversation and missed half the story. We don't see how Ivy and Alex first meet, or even why Alex is already half in love with her when the story opens. Similarly, references to Alex's brother's wife who died and his new romance all expect the reader to have some knowledge of the previous books. This can be read as a stand-alone but be prepared to be updated about a whole load of people you don't know.

This was a cosy, small-town romance featuring an evil cat called Lucifer and a bookshop fer crissakes, but I just have this niggling irritation that there's a bit of female misogyny creeping in, from the tittle-tattling gossip Bev, to the leopard-print and tango-tanned Wendy, and even Alex's ex-wife Jo who is needy, a snob, money-grabbing, and wears so much make-up it makes Ivy's face itch. In contrast ,I can't think of a single man (other than Ivy's no-good father) who is anything other than kind and generous. Even Ivy gets a bit of subliminal bashing (from me as a reader) because after Alex supports her through one personal crisis after another she promises to be there for him, no matter what, then bails when his identity is revealed.

Overall, maybe I found it all a bit twee and, dare I say it, I thought Alex was a bit wet.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Once again, I was pulled into the lives of the characters and attracted to the town itself, with its welcoming feel. The story this time had Alex and Ivy centre stage, with some but not a great deal of involvement from other recurring characters. I read this book within a day, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters and the way I had to keep asking myself if I was right in how I thought the plot was turning out.