About the Book

Book: Mishaps off the Mainland

Author: Tabitha Bouldin

Genre: Christian fiction, contemporary romance

Release Date: November 24, 2020

All Mel wants is to run the business of her dreams.

Melody Carmichael’s mobile pet grooming business might sink before it can sail when a favorite pet escapes her care. Doggie escape-artist, Daphne, got a taste of freedom, and the Afghan hound refuses to be found.

Enter Zeke Solomon. Desperate to bring the dog home for his grandmother, Zeke steps in to save the day.

And working together with Zeke would be a snap—if he would just stop blaming Mel for Daphne making a break for it.

Zeke is desperate to prove himself worthy of the Solomon name and step out from his father’s shadow. With his father breathing down his neck and demanding he return to the company business, Zeke must decide whether confronting the man he admires most is worth the risk of alienation.

Everything’s falling apart, and Mel’s dream transforms into a nightmare. She thought this was what God wanted for her life, but can you blame her for second-guessing everything?

Was it all just a mistake?

Mishaps off the Mainland is the fifth “Merriweather book” in a new series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

The Independence Island Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Tabitha Bouldin is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and an avid reader. When she’s not busy homeschooling her two boys, you’ll find her buried in a book.

More from Tabitha

Why mobile pet grooming?

I get this question a lot when I bring up Mishaps off the Mainland.

I mean, I could have chosen any occupation as long as it could be mobile. Anything from a mobile doctor office to a bug specialist. The world was wide open for ideas.

After just completing a rather serious series, I wanted to write something lighter, funnier, but with that same depth and heart that I love to read. I also needed something that fit my character, and Mel had some pretty strong opinions right out of the gate.

You see, Mel is one of those characters who spoke to me right away. She loves animals. All animals but especially dogs. They’re her happy place. Mel is also a giver. She will drop everything to help someone else.

When I asked her what her dream job would be, she answered me faster than any character ever has. Pet groomer! (Yes, I talk to my characters.)

And I thought, why not a mobile pet groomer? She gets to spend all her time with animals (which is a bonus for me as the author), and Mel’s character traits can shine through her actions and reveal her giving heart.

Once the job was decided, I knew there needed to be some drama. What would be the underlying fear of a pet groomer? I didn’t want to injure an animal, so I went for what felt like second most traumatic, an escaped animal.

While Daphne’s escape is serious and causes Mel no end of sleepless nights, it also provides some comedic relief for Mel and Zeke while they work through their own personal battles. I like to think of Mishaps off the Mainland as a mixture of quirky fun and serious truth. The story was a joy to write, and I hope you fall in love with Mel and Zeke.

My Thoughts

Mishaps off the Mainland by Tabitha Bouldin is book 5 in the Independence Islands series. I have read the other books. While they are all by varying authors, they can be read as a stand alone. I have been enjoying every single one of them. In this book, we meet Melody Carmichael is a young woman starting a mobile dog grooming business. I love that she has such a heart for dogs. What a fun idea for a business! However Melody has hit a few snags. One of the dogs runs away. I cannot imagine that. On top of that, her vehicle for the business is having problems. She is very worried that her business.

The next character we meet is Zeke Solomon. He is the grand son of the owner of the runaway dog. He sees Melody in a panic and offers to help. Zeke is also in the process of starting his own business. He did not want to join the family business. Zeke has a broken relationship with his father. I loved how the author put this part in there - because so many people have broken relationships with their families. Zeke and Mel are fun to watch together. They take little jabs at each other. Mel is struggling with her faith and does not believe that God hears her (especially since so much has been going wrong). Zeke works with troubled youth and God uses that for his purpose also to help Zeke deal with the broken relationship.

The author has done such a great job with the characters and storylines. She has woven a wonderful reminder of God's forgiveness of us and why it is important to forgive. I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit blogging program - all thoughts are my own.