The Shark Club

If you don’t even read this entire review, just read this next line…

THIS BOOK IS BRILLIANT – READ NOW

If you do have time to read the detailed review, carry on…

As a child, Maeve had her leg bitten by a black tip shark, leaving her with a permanent scar on her leg. For most people, fear would take over and they would never enter the sea again. Not for Maeve. Having lost her parents at a young age, she seems to have a surprising ability to embrace change and tackle her fears. Fast-forward to Maeve as an adult and we find that she is a marine biologist, itching to explore the wonders of sharks across the world.

Research trips mean Maeve never seems to settle and her past relationships have suffered greatly, including her first love – Daniel. Maeve struggles to get Daniel out of her head, even after all these years, but he’s moved on and has his own family now.

During a research trip in Bimini; The Bahamas, Maeve meets Nicholas – a marine biologist specialising in rays, although they manage to remain professional for the diving trips, the romance is bubbling away in the background and comes to boil on the last night.

Returning to her hometown for some downtime between research trips; where Maeve lives in a hotel owned by her Aunt Perri and ran by her brother Robin, Maeve suffers three shocks:

1. Daniel is back and working as the head chef in the hotel restaurant – single and accompanied by his adorable daughter; Hazel, who is obsessed with sharks
2. Her brother is about to be a published author – the problem: the main character seems to be shaped on Maeve and her disastrous love life
3. Over a hundred shark fins have been found in a truck – illegal finning is happening in the area

Maeve is up against the people that love sharks for the money that their fins provide, rather than their beauty and unique place in the ocean ecosystem. Can her passion help her find out who is behind the finning?

There are a surprising amount of twists that will creep up on you (as silent as a shark approaching!) in this plot which has the perfect balance of romance and the sheer passion an individual can have towards something. Not only will this book get you heated up about shark welfare, it will remind you how important it is to follow your heart – very calming and thought provoking.

With characters ranging over a wide age group, Ann’s ability to dial into each characters’ thoughts and opinions on a range of topics, and make them seem so natural, deserves wide recognition. With hidden feelings explored, I was able to analyse the true source of Maeve’s emotions and feel a connection to my fictional friend.  This is an author who knows how to write a good story: one that you’ll remember because of its quirks; one that you’ll recommend because of the main character and one that will leave you craving a holiday!

And I nearly forgot to mention the best bit, the love for books radiates from the pages of this tale, the book themed hotel is a bookworm’s paradise!

The Shark Club will be published and out to buy in paperback on Thursday 22 February by Headline

Many thanks to Headline for providing me with a copy to review through bookbridgr, I am very grateful to have the opportunity to discover so many new authors and spectacular plots.

Until next time, Chloé x