I bought this short story a while ago because I like Jeanne Felfe’s writing but also because the profits from this are going to what I believe is a worthwhile fundraising campaign. Jeanne has extended this fundraising period to cover the first quarter of this year and I’ve copied below the information she gave in her newsletter:
‘I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m devastated every time the news comes on showing injured koalas and other wildlife from the fires in Australia. I’ve wanted to travel there since I was a child when pictures of koalas and kangaroos sparked my imagination.
I found myself wanting to do something to help, so I decided to release one of my short stories as a single (went live yesterday) and donate all the profits between now and the end of January (now end of March) to a wildlife rescue organization in Australia. (I’m open to suggestions for a worthy one if you know of one.)
I selected Love at Sea because the story takes place in the ocean off the coast of Australia. My goal is $1K (US), which means a lot of sales in two weeks from a $1.99 short story, so it’s going to take a village.
If you’d like to help me achieve this goal, pick up your copy (or read it via KU), leave a review, and share the link below. I’ll report the progress in February (probably now April?), along with which organization received the donation.’
So, my review:
This is a love lost and found romance filled with mature characters. Tom is living a very steady life with Anne and when she leaves him abruptly he realises that he’s been nowhere and done nothing with his life. Remembering an ambition from childhood, and prompted by a work colleague, he starts sailing as a way to fill his time. One thing leads to another, as it so often does, and before he knows it he’s off on an adventure across the high seas.
Jeanne Felfe writes very well and her short stories are compact and pacey. I thoroughly recommend this one (I also love the cover) for when you’re just wanting to read something to make you feel good. Lovely.