Book Review: A warm and witty romantic comedy for holiday reading

What happens when a much-respected obstetrician, living the high life in New York, inherits a farm and surfing school at the other end of the world? This is the dilemma faced by our heroine in the latest romantic comedy Home to Turtle Bay, from Marion Lennox.

Dr Jennifer Kelly seems to have it all. She is a much respected New York obstetrician with all the accessories – the clothes, the shoes and a fiancé with just the right amount of blue blood.

It wasn’t always this way. Jennifer’s childhood was an odd one; she was raised by her grandmother. Grandmother Muriel is well known in the right circles, her American money coupled with her English aristocratic ancestry make her a force of nature. Muriel and Jennifer have a very strained relationship.

Life is running smoothly until a dog named Drifter delivers Jennifer an amazing inheritance!

When the grandfather she never met dies, Jennifer learns she now owns a dairy farm and surfing school on the Nautilus Islands off the coast of Australia, not a natural fit for a New York girl in ritzy Manhattan.

Fiancé Richard has the solution – put the property on the market for sale to the highest developer bidder. Jennifer, however, starts recalling her early life and decides to see her inheritance for herself. Grandmother Muriel tries to change her mind about going to Australia, but when her efforts to deflect Jennifer fail, announces “Then I’m coming with you”. After the obligatory shopping expedition to buy swimsuits, classy outfits and shoes, Muriel and Jennifer set off, accompanied by Drifter, who is as out of place as surfing in lower Manhattan.

What have they done? Jennifer’s luggage has gone missing, there is no champagne on the seaplane and to add insult to injury, the hire car booked to take them to the farm is a beach buggy!

As the seaplane flew over the Nautilus Island, however, Jennifer is taken aback by how beautiful the island is and by the sign that reads “Dr J R Kelly’s Surfing School.” Why did the grandfather she didn’t know name a surf school for her?

The house at the farm is in dreadful condition and whilst making it habitable, Jennifer finds a bundle of letters, birthday money and cards addressed to her. Clearly, Muriel has a lot of explaining to do about her husband and his lifestyle, but grandmother refuses to discuss the past or even to mention Jennifer’s grandfather.

As Jennifer reads the letters, she is astounded by how much this man she didn’t know existed knew about her, even about her school life. With grandmother not talking, is there anyone who can fill in the blanks about her grandfather’s life?

Each day Jennifer spends on Nautilus Island, swimming at her own private beach, venturing around the island, learning the routine on her farm, sees her settling into the relaxed way of life. But her future is in Manhattan with Richard – isn’t it?  Are you now wondering what happens to Jennifer aka Dr Kelly?

This book will have you reading until all is revealed. A beautiful story unfolds that you can actually imagine happening in the real world. 

Home to Turtle Bay, by Marion Lennox, is available in printed or digital editions from the publisher HQ Fiction.