Wind to Water

 Author's Summary

A United States military plane is shot down over the Iraqi countryside; its young pilot is presumed dead. A decade later, his fiancé, Maryn, takes a trip to Australia to finally say goodbye to her airman who never came home. The Seattle school teacher meets a divorced marine biologist named Grant on a tour. Grant soon discovers he's attracted as much to Maryn's wit as to her looks. But occasionally, a melancholy creeps into her eyes. Eventually, she allows Grant to read a letter from her fiancé--the kind soldiers write "just in case." Grant halts his romantic feelings and their frien dship blossoms. Later, they reunite in California, but Grant wonders if Maryn's past is truly behind her. 'Wind to Water' is a love story, travel adventure and romantic comedy. It chronicles an ordinary man's search for an extraordinary love in a world mostly unfit for such a venture.

MWSA Review

Wind to Water is a deeply absorbing love story. The first chapter grabs the reader's attention with an affecting account of a two-manned military aircraft that is tragically shot down over Iraq. The ensuing chapters focus on the pilot's brokenhearted fiancé, Maryn. Even after nine years, she is still struggling to say goodbye to the soldier she loved with all her heart. She knows that it's time to get on with her life, but in order to do that, she must first say goodbye to her past.  She decides to do that by way of a vacation to Australia. As part of a group tour, Maryn meets Grant, a marine biologist from California. The two feel an instant liking to one another, but neither is sure how to proceed. What follows is a tender telling of how love can not only break a heart -- but it can mend one as well.  
 
The cover of Wind to Water incorporates several aspects of the story including a map of Australia, which takes center stage on the outside of the book as well within its pages. The beauty of Australia is so vividly described and incorporated into the scenes that it takes on a persona of its own. There is also a nautical feel to the cover that represents both the setting, and Grant's work as a marine biologist.  
 
Maryn and Grant's tale is sweetly romantic and sensitive, but told with utmost practicality. The author's engaging writing style is masterfully fluid and poetic, which results in a flawless delivery of the story.  His setup submerses the reader in the setting, and his realistic characterization brings Maryn and Grant to life.  
 
Although I believe that both male and female readers will enjoy Wind to Water, Mr. Hamershock gives every female romance reader what she longs for most at the end of a fabulous love story--a deep, satisfying sigh and a burning desire for the hero's phone number. 

Reviewed by: Claudia Pemberton (2009)