Happy Endings at Mermaids Point – Sarah Bennett

It is with mixed feelings that I start to read this latest and last book in the Mermaids Point series by Sarah Bennett. It’s a rotten, wet day, and I really could do with an uplifting read, but this is the last book in the series; perhaps I need to ration myself in terms of chapters per day? Why kid myself. I know for certain, that once I get my nose into this book, there will be no extracting myself, until I have finished. The only saving Grace in my mind, is that Sarah Bennett, Author extraordinaire, will now have time to write a new series, which I am sure will give readers as much pleasure as the Mermaids Point series has given them.

Whilst I have enjoyed this series immensely, I found the list of characters past and present, extremely helpful. Full marks to anyone who can remember everything about each character, but I am not not one of them, so thank you for the list! As a side note, as an animal lover, I adored the fact that peoples’ pets were included in the character list. I have previously confessed to wanting to be an honorary member of the Morgan family, and to yearning to live in Mermaids Point, and this wonderful, uplifting tale did nothing but strengthen those (dream) resolves. I just found myself so completely overwhelmed by the Morgans’ sense of family and their sense of utter loyalty; would surely walk the ends of the earth for each other.

The return of Aurora was like a breathe of fresh air through this novel, although I would of course wish better circumstances upon her. I would however relish the chance for her to get together ‘properly’ with Mermaids Point’s seemingly most eligible bachelor, namely Nick. Nick is an all-round good egg, and it’s astonishing that he is still single. It’s about time he had a bit more fun in his life though! I couldn’t in fact think of a better place for Aurora to get away from her latest ‘issue’, than in the bosom of the Morgan Family. I just hoped that once they enveloped her in their industrial level care and loving, Aurora would never want to be away from them (and Nick) ever again.

Aurora is an utter delight – a mixture of fun but caring and beauty and loyalty. She is the perfect match for both Nick and the wider Morgan Family. It defies belief that her own Family don’t have time for her! I loved Aurora’s first reaction to the inside of Alex and Ivy’s bookshop – akin to a child’s reaction to Santa’s Grotto. Aurora is such an all-round beauty, who also appreciates other beautiful things in life – for example, the amazing clothes that Ivy has created, with which to fill her side of the shop.

Time for another confession – I loved the sound of the bookshop and it’s eclectic contents, and would have loved to have visited it…….

The situation with Aurora’s Parents was awful. I struggled to see how her parents could be anything but proud about her…..They evidently had some kind of mental health problem, making them very set in their ways and the manner in which they behaved towards Aurora made it clear as to why she allowed herself to be swept up into the unconditional love of the Morgans and their close family. I was however relieved that Aurora had the rather fabulous Dennis and Hetty firmly in her life.

The descriptions of the childrens party, particularly the costumes, were a delight and I almost felt as though I was there, such was the quality of the writing. I was particularly thrilled to see Gabriel and Lucifer getting on.

People can be so unkind and thoughtless about other people; with celebrities I get the impression that people think that they know people and what they or may not have done, just through their celebrity. Sarah wrote about how Aurora was treated so empathetically, but I still felt heartbroken that strangers should choose to treat a lovely, beautiful (inside and out) person so terribly. The worst thing for me, was the thought that this was such an accurate representation of real life. Emily summed things up to a tee, asking why people would be mean to Aurora, when she was so nice – and that is the sad fact of the matter – some people, don’t care how nice, or otherwise a person is! They simply do not care.

What I found immensely heartwarming, perhaps even inducing a tiny tear or two, was the village tradition, whereby the women of the village walked to weddings and funerals, with more and more women joining the main group along the way. I could fully understand why people would choose such a walk to the church, over a fancy car – people choosing to stand by one and other during events at opposing ends of the emotional scale.

All the while, Aurora and Nick seemed to be becoming closer than ever. I have become so fond of the characters in this series of books, that I felt myself willing a future together for the pair – but you will need to read this wonderful, heartwarming book for yourself, to see if my wishes were fulfilled.

Purchase link: https://amzn.to/3uGH8LP

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