Fly Away with Me

June 19, 2017
Canadian author Fox (the Caribou Crossing series) launches a contemporary series with this thoughtful and sometimes ponderous novel set on picturesque Destiny Island, B.C. The overly earnest heroine, lawyer Eden Blaine, takes leave from her busy job in Ottawa to look for her long-lost aunt, who left home at 17 and headed for a commune on the isolated island. Aaron Gabriel, the handsome pilot of Blue Moon Air, likes his relationships as brief as his tourism flights. Eden recently broke up with her shallow boyfriend (who was dismissive about her mother’s cancer diagnosis) and is ready for a distraction; she and Aaron are very different, and she talks about herself so much that he clams up about his personal concerns, but they turn out to be compatible in and out of bed. After Eden returns home, Aaron locates her aunt and realizes he misses Eden more than he expected. The last third of the book deals with Eden and Aaron’s mutual realization that they want more than a fling, and their deep discussions of how and where they can plan a future together. Fox’s inclusion of serious issues such as cancer, cults, and abusive relationships is well-intentioned but heavyhanded and doesn’t always mesh with the escapist elements of the story, but readers will relate to the difficulties of the long-distance relationship and Eden’s family troubles. Agent: Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect Agency.

Starred review from June 15, 2017
Eden Blaine, a lawyer on a mission, is all business. Aaron Gabriel, a laid-back pilot, is allergic to the idea of anything serious. Can destiny help them find a happy middle ground on a small island near Vancouver?Just after her mother's cancer treatment, Eden comes to Blue Moon Harbor on Destiny Island (really) in search of her long-lost aunt, Lucy. As a teenager, Lucy ran away from home to join a commune with her boyfriend, Barry, and hasn't been heard from since. Aaron seems pretty easygoing on the surface, but a rough life has left him gun-shy about the idea of relationships. All his love is focused on his sister, a high school dropout working to support her daughter in Vancouver. As he flies Eden into Blue Moon Harbor on his small seaplane, Aaron and Eden start talking, and Aaron offers to help smooth the way with some of the pricklier residents as she tries to find her aunt. He also offers her a week of no-strings fun, which she opts into. As one lead after another fizzles out, the two get to know one another better and start to feel like their tryst could lead to something deeper. Unfortunately, both people are committed to their jobs and homes, and it seems like finding a compromise is impossible, especially after Eden's mom's cancer returns and Aaron's sister is evicted and forced to move in with him. But when Aaron finds Lucy and Barry, they suggest that moving to their retreat could help Eden's mom. Miraculously and unexpectedly, the two parts of Eden's life are combined and she can begin making a home for herself in Blue Moon Harbor. It's a slow, sexy build to a pretty great happy ending. As a bonus, this relatively diverse book has a hunky First Nations hero whose idea of foreplay includes asking for consent. This first book in Fox's Blue Moon Harbor series is the perfect scorching summer read.

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