Review - - Marooned

Marooned

by Louise Jane Watson

Publisher: Louise Jane Watson

Release Date: September 20, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

A Hollywood actor, a nerdy artist, and the ship's cat are marooned on a deserted island...what could go wrong?

Sunny Evans is a homely, practical girl with thick glasses and a tender heart. On graduating from art college, she is offered a job on a remote South Pacific research station. Being paid to illustrate the flora and fauna of the island, using her exquisite painting skills, is a dream come true. Life hasn't been easy for her in the last few years, but it looks as though her luck is finally changing.

Nicky "Kit" Kitson is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Voted "The Sexiest Man Alive" for three years running, Kit is beginning to tire of his artificial LA lifestyle. Using the excuse of doing background research for his latest blockbuster, he intends to join the scientific team on the island to get out of the limelight for a while. Something has to change, or he is going to burn out.

The two new island recruits are onboard a supply vessel headed toward the station when a devastating series of explosions wreck the boat and blast Sunny, Kit, and Pinky (the ship's cat) overboard. Kit and Sunny, together with Pinky the cat, have to find a way to work together and survive. But Sunny has lost her glasses, Kit is badly burned, and Pinky has a secret...

PJ's Thoughts:

What a fun book! Louise Jane Watson took some of my favorite romance tropes, sprinkled them with the vibe of my must-watch reality television show, then added in snappy banter, character growth, sweet romance, and a sigh-worthy happily-ever-after to create a book that felt like it had been written just for me. 

I love an opposites attract trope and, boy howdy, did Sunny and Kit fill that bill! These two couldn't have been more different, in looks, interests, financial - and social - status, education and the ability to navigate "real" life. But then Watson stranded them on a deserted island in one of my other favorite tropes - forced proximity - and the results...well, let's just say I had a really hard time putting this book down. 

Forced to fend for themselves, Sunny and Kit were stripped down to the bare essentials (not unlike my favorite reality TV show, Survivor), putting them on an equal playing field. Well, not at first. It's clearly evident that Sunny is much better equipped for their new circumstances. But over time, as they each evolve, master new skills, and reflect more deeply upon their own lives, the dynamic begins to shift as do the initial perceptions each had about the other when they first met. I loved the gradual deepening of their feelings for one another as well as the evening of their island partnership. It's handled so realistically, and believably, with plenty of humor, emotional care, and a few surprises along the way. 

And then there's Pinky, the ship's cat cast into the ocean along with Sunny and Kit. Scrappy, aloof, and hiding a few secrets of her own, she's on a journey that intersects with Sunny's and Kit's in some very interesting ways. If I'm ever stranded on a deserted island, I definitely want a Pinky of my own to help me along the way. 

Marooned is Watson's debut novel and launches her Lost and Found series. I have no idea where she plans to take readers next but I am ready and eager to follow along. This one has my enthusiastic recommendation.