Juli Flynn knew her family had some crazies in it (ok, she might be one of them), but she never expected her uncle’s last request to be for her to spread in ashes in the Caribbean. Between jobs, there’s no reason Juli shouldn’t go. When she meets Alex Bradshaw at a bar her first night, she thinks this trip might not be such a bad thing after all.

Alex isn’t in the Caribbean on vacation. He’s on a business trip, so to speak. Recently fired from the company he worked with for twenty years, Alex and his motley crew of former colleagues are out for revenge of a piratical nature. Finding Juli stowed away on board their boat is only the first of many mishaps that befall their mission, but, from Alex’s point of view, it’s certainly the most dangerous.

As an avid reader of Tawna’s blog, I’ve been looking forward to reading her debut for months – and she didn’t disappoint. The storyline was original and interesting. Every line sparkled with wit and fun. Juli is not your typical ditz and Alex is not your typical corporate businessman. The interplay between the two sends sparks off the page and tantalizes through the whole book. Tawna has done one of the most difficult things a contemporary writer can do – she’s created multi-dimensional characters who aren’t too bogged down in angst and problems to be sexy and sassy.

The cherry on top of this fun, frothy sundae definitely comes in the form of Alex’s crew. “Cookie” is an hilarious contradiction whose culinary creations had me reaching for snacks faster than a Food Network show. The romantic subplot held up to the main romance and provided a refreshing contrast that helped keep the narrative bubbling along.

If you’re looking to swap one type of heat for another, Making Waves is the book for you. This is a brilliant debut and I can’t wait to see what Tawna has in store with her next two books.

~ Taylor