A Wild Sea

In 1999 Katherine Jenkins, a 34 year old, openly lesbian, financial investor living in Seattle, returns to Smith Island to empty the summer house her parents built there some twenty years ago. Located off the coast of North Carolina, Smith Island was the paradise of Katherine's adolescence. It was also the site of the accidental drowning of her first lover, Caroline, 15 years ago. Although Katherine has had her share of lovers since the loss of Caroline, she has never given her heart to anyone else. "A Wild Sea" is the story of Katherine finally facing her survivor's guilt as well as her grief over Caroline and allowing herself to love again. Shortly after arriving on Smith, Katherine meets Jennifer, the "kid sister" of an old classmate and friend from high school. But the adult Jennifer, an attractive, athletic, artist and gallery owner from Raleigh, is nothing like the annoying 13 year old from Kat's last summer on the island. Indeed, Jenn is the first woman since Caroline for whom Katherine has felt more than lust. Katherine fears those feelings because to love opens her to the possibility of hurt. Yet loving Jenn seems to hold the potential for Katherine's happiness in life.The vacation island setting is lovely, yet it allows glimpses of the stress living a closeted life in the more conservative parts of America can provide, even in a paradise. Montague's observations about being queer in the South are insightful. Her lead characters are interesting, intelligent and well rounded. The love scenes between Kat and Jenn are touching, arousing, and romantic. Even the extremely patient and enamored Jenn has enough self respect to limit what she will put up with from the stubbornly grief-ridden Katherine. Perhaps one of the more touching, and even mildly amusing, elements of this story is the role Caroline, or her ghost, plays in helping Katherine to heal. As Caroline says,"I'm dead, Katherine. It gives one an interesting perspective." (p160) "A Wild Sea" is a well written little romance. Montague resolves Katherine's struggle with herself and provides hope for the future. As a novel, "A Wild Sea" is worth the price of the ferry ride.

Katherine has returned to the outer banks of North Carolina to deal with the family beach house which is about to be swept back into the ocean. In returning there, she has to deal with the feelings churned up by the fact that the only woman she had ever loved died there fifteen years before. Then she meets Jennifer. Can Katherine free herself from Caroline's ghost and find happiness with a real woman? That's the story in this short, but enjoyable book. The story and emotions are well developed with just the right touch of erotica.

The sex scenes are worth the read alone. Very good 1 night read.

Katherine returns to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to tear down the family summer home and to hopefully lay to rest the ghost of her first love, Caroline, who drowned there. Katherine reacquaints herself with Jennifer, whom she knew years ago, and the two feel an intense attraction to each other. Kat struggles with her memories of Caroline and with the chance of a sort of catharsis that Jennifer offers. Montague has crafted a potent and sometimes humorous story of a woman reluctant to overcome her grief and move on with her life. Any reader who's a fan of books by the Naiad Press or Bells Books will adore this story!

What a great book! The combination of characters and story made it a page turner I couldn't put down. Even the secondary characters were fascinating. You really do get the feeling there's some autobiography in the plot. And the love scenes ... WOW! Whoever this Rebecca Montague is, she sure can write. I'd call this a definite gotta-read.