Review: “Making Waves” by Tawna Fenske

~ By Deborah Blake

I love romantic comedy. Movies, books, you name it; if there is romance and humor, I’m there. Unfortunately, comedy and romance are a tough combination, and not everyone does it well. I have many paranormal romance authors I like, but up until recently, there were only three romantic comedy authors on my “must read” list: Jennifer Crusie, Lani Diane Rich, and Katie Fforde (she’s a Brit, in case you haven’t heard of her). Recently, I read a debut by a new author, and immediately added her to my short list. In case you haven’t “met” her yet, let me introduce you to the fabulous Tawna Fenske.

MAKING WAVES, Tawna’s first book (but clearly not destined to be her last) came out earlier this year. I’ll confess, the original reason I ordered the book was because we both belong to the same online group, and I was trying to be supportive. So you can imagine my amazement when the book knocked my socks off. I swear, I was laughing by page 6 (the Jell-O salad from hell…that’s all I’m saying) and I didn’t stop until the last page.

Juli doesn’t fit in anywhere, including her own family. Which is probably why she got stuck dragging her uncle’s ashes to the Caribbean to fulfill his final wishes. Too bad she gets seasick. And is afraid of the water. Not to mention that she just left yet another dead-end job, and Uncle Frank’s money was seized by the Feds, so she’s on a tight budget. Which is why it seemed like a good idea to play a Newlywed’s Game with a total stranger to win a thousand dollars. Of course, the mai tai’s probably had something to do with it too.

Alex wasn’t sure how he ended up with a fake wife on the boat he and his friends had rented. Especially since the whole point of the boat was to pull off an (admittedly amateur) pirate heist of diamonds from the unscrupulous boss that just fired them all and ripped them off in the process. But he couldn’t quite bring himself to regret her presence on the boat, cremated uncle’s ashes and all—no matter how inconvenient it was to have her around.

A cast of quirky characters, a touch of steamy attraction, and some of the funniest and most original writing I’ve read in ages made this book into an instant favorite. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it was one of the five best books I’ve read this year. And I read A LOT of books. So if you haven’t discovered Tawna Fenske and MAKING WAVES yet, do yourselves a favor and go get a copy. The Jell-O salad recipe alone is worth the price of admission. I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next. Ms. Fenske, if you’re reading this…write faster, please!

Deborah Blake is the author of Circle, Coven and Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice (Llewellyn 2007), Everyday Witch A to Z: An Amusing, Inspiring & Informative Guide to the Wonderful World of Witchcraft (Llewellyn 2008), The Goddess is in the Details: Wisdom for the Everyday Witch (Llewellyn2009), Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook (July 2010) and Witchcraft on a Shoestring (September 2010). She has published numerous articles in Pagan publications.

Her award-winning short story, “Dead and (Mostly) Gone” is included in the Pagan Anthology of Short Fiction: 13 Prize Winning Tales (Llewellyn, 2008). Deborah’s first novel, Witch Ever Way You Can, was the winner or finalist in many RWA (Romance Writers of America) contests and received the EMILY “Best of the Best” Award.Her fiction is primarily Paranormal Romance, although she also writes Fantasy, Mystery and Young Adult. She is represented by agent Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency.

Deborah had been interviewed on television, radio and podcast, and can be found online at Facebook, Twitter and http://deborahblake.blogspot.com

When not writing, Deborah runs The Artisans’ Guild, a cooperative shop she founded with a friend in 1999, and also works as a jewelry maker. She lives in a 100 year old farmhouse in rural upstate New York with five cats who supervise all her activities, both magickal and mundane.