Review: Some Kind of Wonderful

Some Kind of Wonderful is the second book in author Sarah Morgan's Puffin Island series. While I hadn't read book one, First Time in Forever, I was still excited to check out this small town, second chance story. Two of my favourite tropes together in one romance novel? Sign. Me. Up.

Here's the synopsis:

USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan will sweep you away with her Puffin Island series! In a town where anything can happen, sometimes love can be found in the most unlikely place of all...
Her whole life, Puffin Islander Brittany Forrest has dreamed of adventure. And at the age of eighteen, she thought she'd found it in bad boy Zachary Flynn. But after just ten tempestuous, smoldering days, their whirlwind marriage went up in smoke, and Brittany resolved to put him out of her mind forever.
Zach knows he let Brittany down, but being back on Puffin Island and seeing Brittany again stirs up long-buried emotions. This daredevil pilot has never felt worthy of her, yet he can't stay away - even when he knows the chemistry between them will only complicate his life.
As long, hot summer days on the beach dissolve into sultry, starry nights, Brittany and Zach find that the sparks between them are more powerful than ever. Could it be that the second time around, their dreams of a happy-ever-after will finally come true?

There's a small chance I was expecting more out of this novel as I was just the teensiest bit disappointed when I finished it. Don't get me wrong...I enjoyed reading the book and I was happy spending the time doing so but...something irked me. I think it was a combination of a couple of things. The first was one of the things I was looking forward to about the book: the small town. It was small and therefore everyone knew everyone else's business. Brittany dealt with it because she knew, deep down, the townspeople meant well. I didn't have the benefit of living on Puffin Island my whole life so I didn't get that. I felt like Zach. It was a bit suffocating and, holy man, people were so judgmental and rude. Speaking of Zach...this was another small issue for me. He wasn't quite as well defined as I would have liked. I didn't mind so much at the start because he was holding so much back when Brittany came back to town. But by the end? I still didn't quite feel like he gave himself over to her totally. Maybe I just expected more of him :)

All that being said, the story was a sweet one. I mentioned before that I really like second chance romances. This one was interesting because there had been zero closure when Brittany and Zach's marriage fell apart and, when you meet them, you can tell they haven't been able to let go of what happened so many years ago. I looked forward to seeing how the pair dealt with unresolved feelings and issues. I was on Skylar's, one of Brittany's best friends, side and wanted the two to give into the physical feelings. Of course, I also wanted them to talk things out but sometimes you just gotta, well, you know. ;)

Speaking of Skylar, I really need to look into the next book in the Puffin Island series, Christmas Ever After, because it focuses on Skylar and Alec and I find them both really intriguing. Plus, I'm fairly certain part of the story takes place in London (a city I'm desperate to visit but have only ever experienced through books, TV, and movies!) before moving back to Puffin Island. Might have to read a holiday book in the spring!

Even with those few little things, I still liked Some Kind of Wonderful. I will continue to read Sarah Morgan's books (in fact, I may investigate her backlist when I'm in the mood for a sweet, good romance). You don't have to read the first book in the Puffin Island series but I think I would recommend it. There are enough references that make me wonder if I would have enjoyed the book more if I had started the characters' stories from the beginning.

*An eARC was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, via NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are honest and my own.*