Where the love gets in By Tara Heavey

A sleepy little harbour town of Clare, has an unexpected visitor, a dolphin. Fisherman Aidan is the first to spot her and christens her Star.

The dolphin’s appearance prompts him to give up his fishing business, and star a Dolphin boat tour instead. But before he could get started, he comes across a beautiful woman with her autistic daughter. She, he later realizes, is a famous actress, Sarah Dillon, recovering from breast cancer, had come to the little village, in the hope that the dolphin helps her daughter’s autism.

Aidan is married to Fiona, the GP, of the little town. Fiona, from Dublin, originally, had moved here when she got married to Aidan. Once a romantic, happy couple, they are now practically strangers, living together and bringing up their children, dreading the moment when they youngest, Tommy gets ready to fly the nest.

Fiona and Sarah, both strong women, would have been the best of friends, in another world, but here, things are very different. Emotions spill, hearts are broken, lives get changed, over the span of one summer. Star, the dolphin,almost feels omnipresent, working her magic, in more ways than one.

It was a very different and powerful book. Each of the characters beautifully etched. The internal struggle within Aidan and the dynamics of the different relationships and the way the village reacts to the goings on, is just beautifully written.In the background is Sarah’s daughter Maia, who was the reason, Sarah came to the little village, in the first place. The fragile quality of life, how things we take for granted could change like we can never imagine, of how love can come when one least expects it… how powerful love can be..It was a beautiful read.

I loved the look, and would recommend it to anyone who likes romantic tales, with a difference. It brings you to tears, makes you wish that everything works out. It has a haunting feel to it. I especially loved the way she ended the story.