5
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Fresh Catch by Kate Canterbary
Romance
Vesper Press
February 20, 2018
204
Take a vacation, they said. Get away from Silicon Valley's back-stabbing and power-grabbing. Recharge the innovative batteries. Unwind, then come back stronger than ever.
Instead, I got lost at sea and fell in love with an anti-social lobsterman.
There's one small issue:
Owen Bartlett doesn't know who I am. Who I really am.
~~
I don't like people.
I avoid small talk and socializing, and I kick my companions out of bed before the sun rises.
No strings, no promises, no problems.
Until Cole McClish's boat drifts into Talbott's Cove, and I bend all my rules for the sexy sailor.
I don't know Cole's story or what he's running from, but one thing is certain:
I'm not letting him run away from me.
I don’t want to play pretend anymore…
At its heart, this book is a love story. It is the story of two people, who, despite coming from completely opposing walks of life- different coasts, financial strata, educational levels and beyond, and in spite of vastly different personality traits, interests and views about life in general, have found each other. And in spite of all the outside noise, and through all the internal debates, they manage to fall in love with not only each other’s physical selves, but with all of the baggage and doubt and fear that each retains. Two souls once adrift, manage to navigate rocky seas, weather the storm and find safe harbor, together. 
However, as with any Kate Canterbary book, the story is teeming with layers upon layers of meaning. Her signature elements are all present. Depth and breadth. Wit and sarcasm. History, art, geography and science.
And in its soul, this particular book, is something more. For this book is Ms. Canterbary’s first foray into the world of Male/Male. And I was almost hesitant to include that piece of information in my review. Because I fear that there are readers who will see that, and close their minds (and their Kindles) once they realize that this is a non-traditional love story. And I wish with all my heart that they wouldn’t. Because everything about this story is exquisite.
Owen Bartlett is an able seaman, an old salt. Born and raised in Talbott’s Cove, he spends his days lobstering and fishing and his nights reading, in quiet solitude on his porch. But there is so much more to this man than his love of the sea and his preference for silence.
Cole McClish is a landlubber. A tech mogul, with a history of angry outbursts, and a dim view of the fast-paced, silicon world he hails from. When he finds himself lost at sea, both literally and figuratively, Owen Bartlett comes to his rescue, in more ways than one.
Together the two explore what it means to adjust priorities, to reevaluate life choices, to rediscover passion and to be brave enough to fight for what, and who, they love. And Kate Canterbary weaves her magic through it all, spilling her inky spells onto pages filled with truth, and importance and feeling.
