Review: Making Waves

Making Waves
Tawna Fenske
Contemporary Romance
Sourcebooks/August 1, 2011

From the back cover ~

SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO BELONG...
JUST NOT TO A DYSFUNCTIONAL PIRATE CREW

Juli has trouble fitting in, though she'd prefer to keep the reasons to herself. But when she mistakenly stows away on a ship of misfit corporate castoffs, her own secrets become the least of her concerns.

HE KNOWS PLOTTING A DIAMOND HEIST MAY BE CONSIDERED UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR...

But Alex isn't feeling very normal when his unscrupulous boss kicks him to the curb. Meeting Juli doesn't do much to restore normalcy to Alex's life either, but it sure is exhilarating!

As Alex and Juli bare their secrets - and a whole lot more - they find that while normal is nice, weird can be wonderful.

When I picked up Making Waves I had no idea how fun a crazy adventure with a misfit group of wanna-be pirates would be. Tawna Fenske's debut novel takes the reader to the beautiful Caribbean where it seems everyone's a pirate. Not really but things do get a bit confusing when the real pirates show up. But Juli, Alex and crew are nothing if not resourceful.

Juli Flynn doesn't do well on boats. She would much prefer to stay on land but she has a request to fulfill that requires her to head to the Virgins Islands and out onto a dreaded boat. My first impression of Juli is that she is "different" and this comes from her inner thoughts of how she doesn't fit in but she desperately wants to. I won't spoil it by telling what makes her so different but her difference made for some interesting exchanges between Juli and Alex. I found her quirkiness amusing but I can see where other readers might get tired of it.

Alex Bradshaw is having a bad day. He's 42, alone, broke and now jobless. He's feeling desperate and so are a few of his former coworkers. Alex becomes the captain of the misfit pirates, slipping easily into the role of leader. He may not be as charismatic as Captain Jack Sparrow but I liked Alex. He's smart, funny and sexy with enough flaws to make him irresistible.

Juli and Alex meet in a most unusual setting. In a bar. What makes it unusual is they pretend to be married in order to play the bar's version of The Newlywed Game for a chance to win $1000. It's Juli's idea and Alex finds himself swept up in her enthusiasm. It won't be the last time he goes along with one of her crazy ideas and wonders why. Juli and Alex are such a amusing couple with Juli leaving Alex confused and Alex adorable in his confusion. They also have some serious heat rocking between them. Good thing Juli gets over her seasickness quickly.

Although the plot of Alex and his pirates concocting a plan to steal diamonds is far-fetched, it was very easy to just go with it and enjoy the ride. There are a number of coincidences and situations that bend reality but I was having too much fun with this zany group of characters to care. The characters rounding out the crew are an odd assortment adding to the romantic comedy element.

Making Waves is a fun, light romantic comedy that makes for a perfect end of summer read. This may be Ms. Fenske's first novel but lucky for us she has more on the way.

Rating: B+