Wednesday, June 16, 2021

About the Book

Book: Stealing the First Mate

Author: Tabitha Bouldin

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: June 29, 2021

Sometimes, happily ever after is as elusive as a pirate’s treasure.

Darcy Riggins dove headfirst into the online dating pool and sank. Every time.

Her lifelong dream of becoming a wife and mother becomes more elusive every year. So, taking the lack of a Mr. Right in her life as a decided “No!” from God, Darcy gives up altogether.

Single and happy is not an oxymoron. Right?

Nigel Jones has loved Darcy for ages, but her father (his boss, of course) ordered him to keep his feelings to himself, thanks to a stupid mistake that Darcy (thankfully) doesn’t know about. Too bad her dad does.

Being single and content turns out to be tougher than Darcy imagined, and when she begins doubting everything she’s ever known, Nigel decides it’s time to admit his mistakes, tell the truth, and trust God for the outcome.

In this “forbidden-love-meets-friends-to-more” novel, Stealing the First Matecontinues the Elnora Island romances of the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Tabitha Bouldin has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has been writing since 2015. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, you’ll find her curled up with a book. Tabitha’s genre of choice is Contemporary Christian Romance which she describes as: Adventure with heart.

More from Tabitha

I love the friends-to-something-more trope. There’s something invigorating about the challenges of stepping into a different kind of relationship with someone you already know and trust. The risk of losing the friendship if things go badly comes to the forefront and each character has to decide if they’ll take the risk or keep things as they are.

For Nigel and Darcy, there’s the added difficulty of Nigel’s unrequited love. They’ve been best friends forever, and he’s loved Darcy all that time. And she’s clueless! How does that happen?

I wish I could say this story came from my own experience, but that isn’t the case. While my husband and I knew each other for several years before we started dating, we were hardly friends. High school social circles are brutal things. Plus, he had a crush on my cousin, and I was dating someone else.

But it all worked out.

And we’re best friends now.

When it came time to write Stealing the First Mate, I knew Nigel and Darcy were friends. It wasn’t until I worked my way through the first chapter that the depth of their relationship started to emerge, and I realized they were best friends. Darcy runs to Nigel for advise (even dating advise, which became really awkward for Nigel).

Darcy has been looking for Mr. Right so long she can’t see the truth staring back at her in Nigel’s eyes.

Writing their story is one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had in writing.

MY REVIEW

There is nothing better than reading a story from this series. This one is particularly good because it has our two main characters as best friends. Nigel and Darcy have been friends since first grade. I thought it was so cute that they bonded and still to this day rely on each other. I have lost contact with all my friends from elementary school but still remember some of them. With a job as pirates on Darcy’s dad’s boat they seem to do most everything together.

Darcy sure puts up a fight about her feelings for Nigel and it did become frustrating at times. I know she was in love with Nigel but she keeps dating other people. She is looking for the right one. Guess she doesn’t know that she already has him. Darcy for some reason doesn’t think she is good enough for someone. Every date she goes on she finds fault with them. I think it is just a reason for her to avoid rejection and hurt.

Nigel is sure who he wants to spend the rest of his life with, but Darcy doesn’t get it yet. I love these type of stories because we get a glimpse into their past and see how God works things out for good. There is a secret he has been keeping from Darcy and when it is exposed I felt such empathy for Nigel. Darcy’s dad has something against Nigel and knows his secret. What is sad is that Darcy’s dad could have helped Nigel at a time he needed it most. The word judgmental plays a big part in this story and the author gives a great lesson on how it affects others.

I loved the faith element in the story and how it shows how God is there in our darkest moments. He heals our broken heart and exposes the enemies lies. Nigel was my favorite character because he was a compassionate person who always tried to protect Darcy from harm. The ending is good and made me smile. This is another great story in an amazing series.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.