Let It Simmer by Margot Johnson

Let It Simmer by Margot Johnson
Merilee Tours, Book 3
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A sensible, mature widow like Susan doesn’t belong on a tour bus seated next to her high school crush. Thirty years later, Phil is as charming and handsome as ever, but she doesn’t need a new partner, especially not a love-’em-and-leave-’em guy.

Happily single, Phil tags along to celebrate his matchmaking mom’s eightieth birthday. She’s embarrassingly persistent, but maybe she’s right he should, finally, settle down with the right woman.

Susan only wants a little family time with her two cousins and a scenic vacation to Northern Saskatchewan…so why does she feel like a fluttery teenage girl? Can Phil spark even more excitement than games, scenery, and wildlife?

Everyone deserves a second chance at love.

The thought of going on a tour bus vacation with dozens of strangers, some of whom seemed quite talkative and gregarious, overwhelms me a little bit as an introvert. I wasn’t expecting the author to acknowledge how someone who needs quiet time alone to recharge their social battery might respond to such an environment, so it was a thrill to see that pop up later on in the timeline. The fact that Ms. Johnson thinks to include little details like this in her work to flesh out her characters is one of the many reasons why I’m always excited to see what she’s come up with next.

Much of the conflict stemmed from miscommunications between various characters, especially the two protagonists. This was such a repetitive issue that it became distracting at times for me as a reader. It was hard to understand why they kept making assumptions about each other instead of speaking openly about their feelings and sorting out what everyone actually meant to say. I’m saying this as someone who has truly enjoyed getting to know the characters in this universe so far and would have eagerly given this story a higher rating if other reasons for conflict were included.

With that being said, I adored the slow and thoughtful trajectory of the budding romance. Susan and Phil both had logical reasons to be wary of diving back into the dating pool. When combined with the fact that they already knew each other, they both needed the chance to reflect on how they felt about each other and decide if this was something they actually wanted to pursue. It was nice to see them getting that opportunity, and I hope to hear more about their lives if any sequels are written.

This is the third instalment in the Merilee Tours series. It can easily be understood as a standalone work, but there were several fun references to the first two books included for long-term fans as well.

Let It Simmer was a heartwarming read.