Veritas by MJ Duncan

Top notch New York sous chef, Lauren Murphy is taking a seventeen day working vacation aboard a luxurious private yacht, the Veritas. Seventeen days of sailing around the Virgin Islands is just the break Lauren needs. Lauren is in her element, she has total responsibility for her own galley and all the menus.

 

When Lauren first meets Grey Wells, captain of the Veritas, she just can’t make her out. Grey’s manner is sharp and brusque one minute, wary and friendly the next. Lauren just can’t fathom out what she could have done to upset Grey or make her distant and remote. But, one thing Lauren does know, she is determined to get to know Grey better.

 

Lauren has no way of knowing that her working vacation will change both of their lives forever.

 

A nice and comfortable easy read, perfect for the beach or to curl up indoors with. I liked the two fully developed main characters, Lauren and Grey. They are so obviously made for each other and it’s a pleasure to watch their friendship grow.

 

I don’t want to add in any spoilers, so I won’t go into the actual story in any more detail. This is the second book I’ve read and enjoyed from MJ Duncan.

 

Both leading characters are multi-faceted and fully developed. The story is layered and more than a simple girl meets girl romance. There is some angst along the way, true love is rarely smooth sailing completely. There are some wonderful secondary characters integrated into the story. Including three young boys and their parents enjoying their cruise. The antics they get up to adds another nice dimension.

 

I loved the scenic descriptions of the beauty of the Caribbean. MJ Duncan has the knack of showing the reader the story rather than simply telling telling the story. I was easily able imagine myself on the Veritas sailing around without a care.

 

There are a few typos and errors, nothing that pulled me out of the story though. However, I do wish the author would stop using the characters hair color and use their actual names. A minor point I know, but one I find rather irritating. Describing a character once should be enough for any reader to be able to visualize them.

 

I am looking forward to more from MJ Duncan. This is her second book and I can see the improvement in her writing and storytelling.