Review: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

Title: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids
Author: Sarah Ockler
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release date: June 2nd 2015
Source: Edelweiss
Format: eARC

Rating: 4/5

Buy on: Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

A talented singer loses her ability to speak after a tragic accident, leading her to a postcard-perfect seaside town to find romance.

The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.

Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one.

Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life.

When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . .

A summer read with substance. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Elyse d'Abreau was born and raised at Trinidad and Tobago, she´s a girl that until last spring, was a talented singer and was part of a duet with her twin sister Natalie, and everything was looking good, finally her dreams were going to become true, she would finally go on a tour accompanying a famous singer and she was going to record an album, but an accident snatched everything from her. Now Elyse will never sing again, will never speak again....so now she doesn´t know what will become of her life, and because now she´s just a singer without a voice, singing was her life and future, she never planned or saw a different future, but now her dreams are gone and while she mourns the loss of her voice and find a new meaning to her life, she decides to visit her aunt Lemon and her cousin Kirby, they live in Atargatis Cove, Oregon. And it´s there in a place where nobody knows her, nobody knows what she lost, no one meddle with her life, there she will live a summer that never saw coming because there she´ll meet  Christian's the famous playboy of Atargatis Cove,

Christian owns a boat, the same that Elyse been using as a hideout since she arrived to Atargatis Cove and after a while they start to spend time together.

Atargatis Cove is a small, picturesque and quiet town, which has a small marina that in the summer has various festivities, ending with a Pirate Regatta. And Christian end up participating along with Elyse as his first mate.

For most of story there are many references about mermaids and Christian´s younger brother Sebastian, is so sure that this is "the summer" where he will see the famous Atargatis Mermaid and he does several expeditions looking for her and then he meets Elyse and he´s almost certain that she´s a mermaid, because she doesn´t speak and always wears a seashell necklace to cover a scar on her neck.

This is the first book I read of Sarah Ockler and I really enjoyed it. It´s a perfect summer read and although it´s not a light read, it has its funny moments and it isn´t heavily loaded in the drama. The writing is beautiful and poetic, because Elyse writes to communicate with others and almost all her writing are poetic (because supposedly that´s the way she writes).

This book is on the line between Mature Young Adult and New Adult, because there are sex scenes (not very descriptive, but...) and Christian is college student.