Ari's Adventure

Laina Turner

Jun 2020 · Laina Turner

About this ebook

Welcome to Moonshire Bay - the small town lakeside community that has love in the air!

Finding out her husband of over twenty years is cheating on her? Check.

Laid off from her job the very same day? Check.

Ari had a very bad day and flees to Moonshire Bay to relax, heal and figure out what she really wants. At least she knows what she doesn’t want – a relationship.

Jack Callahan has been playing it safe in all aspects of his life after a failed business and a horrible misjudgment of someone’s character. Living in Moonshire Bay allows him to coast through life with his shields up and blinders on.

So what happens when Jack and Ari start working on a project together? Can their newfound friendship and attraction overcome their lack of trust?



“I enjoyed this book and watching a middle aged woman transform and continue her life when faced with adversity. Way to go Ari!!” -Goodreads Review

“Great characters you'll easily fall in love with and the story line is captivating and flows smoothly through the pages.” -Bookbub Review

“…if you enjoy reading about small town romances with some wonderful characters, you will enjoy this book.” -Bookbub Review

“From the first page, I didn't want to put this story down! This love story flows on the pages just like real life with all its hiccups.” -Booksprout Review

“The growing relationship between Ari and Jack was really lovely and I'm glad they got their happy ending.” -Bookbub Review

Moonshire Bay Small Town Clean Romance Series

All books in the series can be read as a standalone

Book 1 - Finding Rachel

Book 2 - Ari's Adventure

Book 3 - Photographing Kate

Book 4 - Lucy's Last Chance

Ratings and reviews

Mature, Small-Town Romance While this is only the second book in the series, I have to say that I love that the author is featuring romances between more mature characters. Not that I don't enjoy the younger love romances, but I really think having a hero and heroine who have had more life experiences adds a richness and complexity to both characterization and plot that just simply cannot happen in a story that revolves around a younger couple. This one was certainly no exception in regard to that. Our heroine is certainly having a hard few days at the start of the book. In the first scene, she learns that she has just lost the job that she's had for nearly 30 years because the business has been sold, but the new buyers only want the list of clients, not the employees or the actual business. The very next day she discovers her husband's two years of infidelity; they have been married for 28 years and have two children who are in college. After spending some time with her kids, she takes up a friend on a long-standing offer to visit; she’ll actually be house-sitting. Of course, we have a romance plot. Obviously, the heroine will have trust issues, and it turns out that the hero of the piece has some as well. Their meet-cute is, shall we say, interesting, but I'll let you discover that for yourself. I thought the author realistically portrayed what it feels like to have a raw and deep betrayal that you never saw coming; I can say this because something similar happened to me. I enjoyed watching both main characters try to untangle their pasts and their deep emotions as they try to break free from what holds them back. I do have one small quibble with the book. The book had an information dump right at the start, and I am never a fan of that. I think the details in those first paragraphs could have been easily woven into the story more gracefully. But other than that, I thought this was a well-written book with believable and sympathetic characters. I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

I was lucky enough to get to read a beta copy of this book. I loved this book. I so wanted deck Ari's husband. What a jerk! This book will have you cheering, fuming, plotting, longing, and wishing. Once I started reading, I had to keep going so that I could find out what was going to take place next. Ari goes from having a good job and good marriage to being downsized and learning her marriage isn't as good as she thought. Ari decides to take up her friend's offer to stay at their house in this quaint little town in order to figure out what she wants to do next. Where does she want to live and does she really want to stay an accountant? When she arrives at the house, Ari discovers that there is water standing in the basement. Enter the local handyman who turns out to have issues of his own that he is trying to overcome. Neither can deny the attraction between them, but will their individual issues stop them from finding a HEA together. I am sure that you will enjoy reading this book to find out. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ari's Adventure by Elle Sweet is a small town romance with wonderful characters. Ari has just lost her job and now she finds out that her husband of 28 years has been having an affair and he wants a divorce. She is devastated and a friend offers her the use of a cottage in a small resort town. Ari feels that she needs to regroup and get her life back together. Little does she imagine that this will be the best move of her life. The friendships and closeness of the small town residents is just what Ari needs. This is a sweet, feel good story that will warm your heart. I recommend this wonderful story. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

About the author

Elle Sweet is the pen name of mystery author Laina Turner. 

I started writing ten years ago, and it was always my intent and desire to write romance. However, in my first book, someone died. It just happened and turned the romance into a mystery.

Twenty-some books later, and I decided enough was enough. I was going to do what I'd initially set out to do at the start of my writing journey. Write a book where no one died (It's not as easy as you think). 

I can't tell you how much fun I had with Finding Rachel and the three others set in the small town of Moonshire Bay coming out later this fall.

How did I come up with my pen name? Elle for the "L" in Laina and Sweet was my grandfather's last name. I wanted something that had a story. I originally wanted to call myself LuluBell after a pet cow I once had, but the family shot that one down.

Born and raised in the midwest, I live in Indiana with my husband, three amazing children, and our dogs, Duke and Macy.