LEX Copyright Iroda / LEX Copyright Office

BEWARE THE MERMAIDS
by Carrie Talick

BEWARE THE MERMAIDS by Carrie Talick

Crooked Lane/ALCOVE PRES * August 2021 * 352 pages

Romance, betrayal, and an epic yacht race make Carrie Talick's debut novel perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Susan Mallery.

Wealthy Hermosa Beach housewife Nancy Hadley is no pushover. So when her philandering husband, Roger, is caught in flagrante with an opportunistic widow on their racing yacht, Nancy sticks it to him. She tells him she wants a divorce—with the yacht, Bucephalus, part of the deal, too.

Roger would rather make Nancy's life a living hell than give up his boat. But Nancy has other plans. After moving out of their opulent home, she and her posse of girlfriends invest in a racing yacht of their own to live on, and she teaches them the fine points of sailing. Meanwhile, and unbeknownst to Nancy, a big real estate development is under way that would destroy her beloved harbor and new home. When scheming Roger returns to ask Nancy to help capture the last committee vote—held by Nancy's old college friend—Nancy prepares for battle.

Nancy is not skittish about taking a few risks, so in a bold gambit, she makes a bet with Roger: a showdown in the thrilling Border Dash Race from Newport Harbor down to Ensenada, Mexico. The winner of the race will get everything they want.

The stage is set for the race of a lifetime—and the tantalizing possibility of new romance for Nancy—in a novel as heartwarming as it is breathlessly exciting

Carrie Talick is an award-winning copywriter in advertising. This is her first novel.