New college grad Megan
McCormick just got dumped. Hard.
Swearing off men and
relationships, Megan is coaxed into performing on a cruise ship where she meets
the star performer, Bryant Johnson. Handsome and charismatic, he looks like
trouble, but she can't deny the intense attraction between them.
Urged to find a
wife and run the family lumber business, Bryant is torn between his family's
expectations for his life and his own. However, when he meets spunky, but
love-skittish Megan McCormick, settling down doesn't look so bad.
Just when Megan begins
to trust again, and Bryant makes some big decisions regarding his future, her
former fiance returns with a malicious surprise, taking Megan and Bryant to
their own CARIBBEAN CROSSROADS.
My Review
I've loved Connie's non-fiction books, so I was excited to dive into her first fiction novel. Connie Sokol writes clean, upbeat, fun romances. If this is genre you enjoy, then you'll want to write down Connie's name and remember it!
What I Loved
I enjoyed the characters in Caribbean Crossroads - from Megan & Bryant to all the sub-characters. When they were performing, I felt like I was right there in the line up with the dancers. There's some really fun sassy dialog sprinkled throughout the book. I loved some of the jobs Megan set Bryant up with through her temp agency after the cruise. There was definitely some good humor used. If anything, I wish there would have been more.
What I Didn't Love
About halfway through the book, I started to feel like Megan was getting a bit whiny, I was a tad tired of her relationship hang-ups, and the constant hot-cold relationship. There's one point in the book that Megan decides to help one of the maids who really wants to move to the USA and start her own cleaning business. Megan decides to champion her cause. She somehow gets Bryant to get her an appointment with the cruise ship bigwig to ask if she'll basically sponsor the maid & give her a loan to start the business. At this point, I didn't think she and Bryant had the type of relationship that she could actually ask for that kind of favor. I felt like this part of the story was unrealistic & some other problems that involve this same maid were wrapped up too conveniently. There were a few other parts of the book were I wanted to see a more emotional or clear reason why either Megan or Bryant made the choices they did or scenes that were a bit on the predictable side. I also wished there would have been a point that Megan and her mom had a good heart-to-heart talk about relationships and love.
Overall Recommendation
I think this book is great for teens & college students who are romance addicts. I think adults will either love it or like it, depending on their reactions to Megan's & Bryant's hang-ups, etc. I personally enjoyed the book overall.
About the Author
Connie Sokol is a mother of seven—a
national and local presenter, and a regular speaker at Education Week. She is a
monthly TV contributor on KSL’s “Studio 5” and regular blogger for LDSLiving
online. She is a former TV and radio host for Bonneville Communications, and
columnist for Deseret News and Utah Valley Magazine. Mrs. Sokol is also
the author of Motherhood Matters, Faithful, Fit & Fabulous, and Life is Too Short for One Hair
Color, as well as talk CDs and podcasts. Mrs. Sokol
marinates in time spent with her family and eating decadent treats. Visit her
website at www.8basics.com/
