Night Swimming

Rating:
Summary: Romantic read
Review: 'Night Swimming' is a truly enjoyable and nicely written contemporary romance with a bit of suspense added. It is the first book by Laura Moore that I have read but it will not be the last.

Lily Banyon reluctantly returns to Coral Beach, the home town she escaped from ten years ago, to complete an ecological study of the coral reefs. There she must confront her difficult past, her childhood nemesis, Sean McDermott, upon whom she had a devastating crush and a group of investors determined to sabotage her study. McDermott, now mayor of Coral Beach, is also bothered by Lily's return but the longer they work together the more attracted he becomes to the brilliant and beautiful marine biologist. Will romance blossom while they fight to protect the compromised coral reefs and prevent the town from approving a plan to develop the pristine shorefront?

Moore has written a charming story with two main characters who are extremely likable. This makes a great beach read. You won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Needs a lot of work...
Review: I had high hopes for this book based on several review sites. One gave it an A- and a gushing review. I love to find new authors. While many romance authors are going the way of Danielle Steele, just churning them out, there is always a gem to be found in romance if you care to dig deep enough.

This book was romantic suspense and it did maintain a good balance. My problem is with the style of writing and to stupid to live characters. Pet peeve number one for new authors. Lines like "she worried her lower lip" are passe. I don't think you need to impart such nonsense to the reader. And then to repeat such phrases is silly.

This book is a story of "lost" love found again years later. Unfortunately, the two main characters, Lily and Sean are immature and still act like taunting and teasing high-schoolers. Lily always liked Sean and vice-versa. For some inane reason they spend the whole book remembering the verbal jabs and continuing with this process.

Yes, they do have some "hot" thoughts on one anothers bods and such but this is all in their heads and they never seem to "talk" to each other about how they really feel. Until the end of the book that is. Lily has returned to Florida on a reef study. Sean is the mayor of the town. There are evil-doers afoot trying to throw a wrench in Lily's study.

That's about it folks. In closing I would like to add that if this author can cut down on the lame dialogue and write the characters like they are real people I would probably not be adverse to checking out her work. Until then this book is going to the used book store.

Rating:
Summary: A intelligent book
Review: Lily and Sean have grown up together...their mothers are best friends, and their grandmothers are best friends. Personally, I loved the grandmothers' plotting and conniving to get their way--I thought it was hilarious. That said, Lily & Sean have never gotten along. Then Lily is called back home to do a research project for her organization on the coral reefs in the area. Sean is the mayor of the town, and they must work together and battle their way through all the hurt feelings of their youth.

You will know what's coming, most of the time, but it is still a good read---it's fun just to see them try to get back at each other for supposed wrongs from the last 20 years.

Rating:
Summary: A intelligent book
Review: Lily and Sean have grown up together...their mothers are best friends, and their grandmothers are best friends. Personally, I loved the grandmothers' plotting and conniving to get their way--I thought it was hilarious. That said, Lily & Sean have never gotten along. Then Lily is called back home to do a research project for her organization on the coral reefs in the area. Sean is the mayor of the town, and they must work together and battle their way through all the hurt feelings of their youth.

You will know what's coming, most of the time, but it is still a good read---it's fun just to see them try to get back at each other for supposed wrongs from the last 20 years.

Rating:
Summary: Very good reading
Review: Ten years ago Lily Bannon escaped her small town home to go to college, never looking back; but now she is forced to return. The coral reefs that gave the town its name are being threatened by developers, and her skills as a marine biologist are the only thing standing between man's greed and nature's beauty.

In her mission, Lily finds an ally in the form of the man she has loved and never forgotten, sheriff Sean McDermott. The two try to conceal their love and lust behind animosity, but to no avail. Just as they are finding love again, her primary goal is threatened by man and nature both. A life and death struggle ensues, and love is the lifeline that may not be strong enough to save Lily from the dire consequences of her willingness to risk all for her cause.

***** Revealing a deep love of nature and appreciation for the dynamics of human conflict, Laura Moore tells a compelling story that will hold readers' attention from cover to cover. She develops her story well and realistically with dynamic characters who spring off the page. *****

Rating:
Summary: pleasant contemporary romance
Review: The first chance Lily Banyon could leave her hometown of Coral Beach, Florida she fled. It is several years later and she has become a highly regarded marine biologist renowned for her international work on coral reefs while working for the prestigious Marine Center in Massachusetts.

Coral Beach is in the midst of a controversy between the environmental leaning Mayor Sean McDermott and the business development leaning council over the reef. When the advisor Dr. Lesensky becomes deathly ill, the town obtains the assistance of the Marine Center to determine the health of the reef. Over her objection, a reluctant Lily is sent home to complete the study.

Immediately, Sean and Lily send attraction sparks to each other that could ignite the southeast. Both have secretly loved each other since their teen days, but circumstances and a lack of confidence has kept them from connecting. As they fall in love as adults someone tries to sabotage her efforts in favor of development regardless of the findings.

NIGHT SWIMMING is a pleasant contemporary romance that entertains on several levels besides the lead couple's skirmishes that hide their love for one another. Two engaging additional subplots (the health of reefs and the high school age "relationship" between Lily and Sean told in flashbacks) add leagues of depth. The villain is too greedy and sleazy to take seriously hurting the meaningful debate between environment and development. Still sub-genre fans will appreciate Laura Moore's fine tale.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: pleasant contemporary romance
Review: The first chance Lily Banyon could leave her hometown of Coral Beach, Florida she fled. It is several years later and she has become a highly regarded marine biologist renowned for her international work on coral reefs while working for the prestigious Marine Center in Massachusetts.

Coral Beach is in the midst of a controversy between the environmental leaning Mayor Sean McDermott and the business development leaning council over the reef. When the advisor Dr. Lesensky becomes deathly ill, the town obtains the assistance of the Marine Center to determine the health of the reef. Over her objection, a reluctant Lily is sent home to complete the study.

Immediately, Sean and Lily send attraction sparks to each other that could ignite the southeast. Both have secretly loved each other since their teen days, but circumstances and a lack of confidence has kept them from connecting. As they fall in love as adults someone tries to sabotage her efforts in favor of development regardless of the findings.

NIGHT SWIMMING is a pleasant contemporary romance that entertains on several levels besides the lead couple's skirmishes that hide their love for one another. Two engaging additional subplots (the health of reefs and the high school age "relationship" between Lily and Sean told in flashbacks) add leagues of depth. The villain is too greedy and sleazy to take seriously hurting the meaningful debate between environment and development. Still sub-genre fans will appreciate Laura Moore's fine tale.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A pleasant romantic read
Review: This is my first novel to read for this author, but found Laura Moore's tale of the reunion between Lily Banyon and Sean McDermott, after being apart for ten years, to be humorous and refreshing. Moore does a fine job of keeping the reader hooked on her pages of prose. I'll be looking forward to reading more of Moore's writing, and I'll pick up Chance Meeting as soon as possible. I always enjoy reading the work of a new author. I wish this one the very best.