Off Plan: Whispering Key Book 1, May Archer

Mason was surly, difficult, and completely misreading nearly everything to the point of his own misery.  I was immediately charmed by him and his vulnerable churlishness.  I just knew there would be more to his story and a huge part that he was missing and I was determined to find out just what he wasn't capable of seeing.  

Finn was stuck up, judgey, and stubborn.  I was less charmed by him and his arrogant self-righteousness.  He became interesting however, as he discovered what he truly wanted out of life and where he felt most like his truest, happiest self.

The story was fanciful while also feeling real.  There were so many amusing characters that made their tiny town so interesting.  It seemed like everyone was so starved for more that they were happy to get caught up in Big Rafe's big dreams.  Only Mason seemed to see the dark cloud and blind to the silver lining.  Finn was determined to find the silver lining if only to prove that he's not a failure at yet another thing.  Together they softened their edges, gave them a sense of belonging and acceptance, and pushed one another to see more than what was before them.  Their adventure and even the dramatic discovery was suitably chaotic and fit right into all the shenanigans and personalities that surrounded Finn and Mason.

It took a little while for the story to really gain traction, but once it did I was all in.  I found it difficult to not get sucked into everyone and everything.  I'm really looking forward to more from this series and felt we were left off in a good place with good people that are very worthy of all the excitement that's surely coming their way.

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I came to Whispering Key for a job. That was all. To show the world Mason Bloom could be more than a small-town doctor living a medium-sized life.

Private doctor on a swanky island with a posh resort? Check.

But from the moment I set foot on this island, nothing went according to plan.

I didn’t expect to find the resort falling apart.
I didn’t expect the people here to be so charming and crazy and welcoming and real.
I didn’t expect legends about shipwrecks and buried treasure.
And I definitely didn’t expect Fenn Reardon, the island’s incredibly attractive, incredibly infuriating, incredibly male resident tour guide, to become the one person I can’t live without.

Thirty-five’s a bit late for me to realize I'm not straight, though, right? And I have big dreams that won’t fit on Whispering Key, anyway—dreams that do not include tying myself to a tiny island stuck in the past or to a man who refuses to think about the future.

My head’s telling me I have to leave Whispering Key…
My heart’s telling me there might be treasure on this island after all.