It’s been five years since the original turtle lady, old Miss Lovie Rutledge, passed away, but her legacy lives on with some special women, especially Toy and her daughter, young Little Lovie.
Toy Sooner kept her graveside vow to her beloved mentor. She left behind an abusive, dysfunctional lifestyle to become a strong single mother and aquarist at the South Carolina Aquarium. But success has taken its toll, leaving Toy fearful of change and risks.
C… More >>
Tags: aquarist, dysfunctional lifestyle, lady old, left behind, legacy, Lessons, mentor, single mother, south carolina aquarium, special women, swimming, swimming lessons, turtle, turtle lady, vow
Toy Sooner finds new purpose in life when she becomes involved in Sea Turtle rescue operations. The single mother even begins to find romance with Ethan, a director at the aquarium where she works. Just as her life is on the upswing, a new wrinkle is added as her little girl’s father strolls back into the picture, apparently wanting a family for the first time. Toy is torn between choosing a man she does not love, but is tied to her child, or the man she trusts and loves. She has some lessons to learn from the dramas going on all around her, especially among the turtles.
** Perhaps if I was a bigger fan of turtles, this would not have seemed to be such a slowly paced story. The human drama kicks into relatively high gear quite far into the story, but even at the apex, still has the pace of a turtle. **
Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.
Rating: 2 / 5
this was an adorable story, though not as romantic and steamy as The Beach House it was again another classic by Mary Alice Monroe. looking forward to many more like this.
Rating: 4 / 5
The ailing sea turtles washing ashore by Charleston, South Carolina have become a media circus as reporters question why they came ashore and what can be done to save them. This, in turn, leads to the locals, especially children and their parents, demanding that something be done to save the sea turtles. The local South Carolina Aquarium selects Toy Sooner to find a way to obtain funding to set up sea turtle medical clinic.
Single mom Toy works on the grant while trying to care for her daughter, Lovie. She works directly with the aquarium’s director Ethan Legare on the project. When she succeeds in obtaining the funding, she is elated to be placed in charge of the sea turtle hospital at a time when she is attracted to Ethan and her former spouse Darryl, just released from prison, returns insisting he wants to be in her life and that of their offspring.
Turtles and location loosely connects SWIMMING LESSONS to the Southern Fiction family drama THE BEACH HOUSE, but readers do not need to obtain the previous South Carolina based tale as this delightful charmer needs no introduction. The story line is at its best when it either focuses on the plight of the sea turtles or on Toy’s complex relationships with the two men demanding to be in her life exacerbated by her daughter’s desires. Though late suspense seems an unnecessary detour, readers will enjoy Mary Alice Monroe’s fine contemporary tale.
Harriet Klausner
Rating: 5 / 5
This is a great book. It is a sequal to The Beach House” by Mary Alice Monroe. Now we know the rest of the story.
Rating: 5 / 5
I have read all of Mary Alice Monroe’s books. They are great down to earth stories that keep you interested until the last page. This one was no exception.
Rating: 5 / 5