Review: Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes

Silver Bay: A Novel by Jojo Moyes 

Published August 26th 2014 by Penguin Books

From the New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You and One Plus One, a surprising and moving romance set in an old-fashioned seaside town on the verge of unwelcome change

Liza McCullen will never fully escape her past. But the unspoiled beaches and tight-knit community of Silver Bay offer the freedom and safety she craves—if not for herself, then for her young daughter, Hannah. That is, until Mike Dormer arrives as a guest in her aunt’s hotel.

The mild-mannered Englishman with his too-smart clothes and distracting eyes could destroy everything Liza has worked so hard to protect: not only the family business and the bay that harbors her beloved whales, but also her conviction that she will never love—never deserve to love—again.

For his part, Mike Dormer is expecting just another business deal—an easy job kick-starting a resort in a small seaside town ripe for development. But he finds that he doesn’t quite know what to make of the eccentric inhabitants of the ramshackle Silver Bay Hotel, especially not enigmatic Liza McCullen, and their claim to the surrounding waters.

As the development begins to take on a momentum of its own, Mike’s and Liza’s worlds collide in this hugely affecting and irresistible tale full of Jojo Moyes’s signature humor and generosity. 

My Thoughts

I've been a huge fan of Jojo Moyes since she broke my heart with her amazing novel Me Before You, so it's no surprise that I'd be charmed once again with her writing in this novel as well.

In this book, we meet a heartwarming eclectic cast that includes Mike Dormer who is tasked to travel to the quaint bayside town of Silver Bay as part of a venture deal to build a multimillion dollar resort. When he checks into the Silver Bay hotel, he meets Liza McCullen, her daughter Hanna, and her aunt Miss Kathleen that run the hotel. Mike is careful not to reveal his true intentions for staying at Silver Bay and this ultimately allows him to get to know the inhabitants of this town and the rich history that adds to its charm.

When the plans are revealed to the townies, Mike Dormer is met with their feelings of betrayal. He ultimately attempts to find a way to right his wrongs without revealing some of the past that might hurt those he’s come to care for.

Silver Bay is character driven with so many unique voices. The plot and steady narrative kept me engaged and once again it was a true pleasure to ride along this journey as Moyes weaved her tale about a bay side Australian town that was rich with history and populated with a cast of unforgettable townies.

This story also included a meaningful element of how the sea life would be affected by a vacation resort. To learn about the whales and dolphins that inhabited Silver Bay added even more depth to this novel, and I appreciated how Moyes weaved that into her story.

Overall, I enjoyed Silver Bay quite a bit and I can’t wait to jump into another novel by Jojo Moyes.

3.5 Suns