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Love & Lobsters
Female lobsterman Charlie Pinkham is content with her seaside life in Christmas Cove, Maine. Surrounded by friends and community, she has always been more comfortable braving the bold Atlantic than diving into the messy business of romance. When she writes a post for her best friend's "Happily Ever Holidays" blog, Charlie’s decidedly unromantic piece goes viral. Readers connect with lobster behavior, and how they’re hardwired to protect themselves from their own species—a trait Charlie respects. Because love hurts.
Nevertheless, she can’t quell her growing interest in Logan, the mysterious and unavailable man renting her family’s lighthouse for December. Charlie looks for distraction by messaging an online stranger and by organizing Christmas Cove’s first annual holiday festival. But as her "Love & Lobsters" posts explore how lobsters show trust and commitment, Charlie must decide whether plunging into uncharted waters is worth the risk.
Nevertheless, she can’t quell her growing interest in Logan, the mysterious and unavailable man renting her family’s lighthouse for December. Charlie looks for distraction by messaging an online stranger and by organizing Christmas Cove’s first annual holiday festival. But as her "Love & Lobsters" posts explore how lobsters show trust and commitment, Charlie must decide whether plunging into uncharted waters is worth the risk.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2024
34 people are currently reading
7314 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
December 27, 2024
Wow. This is the best book I’ve read of 2025. I just finished this book and am left speechless.
It’s hard to find a “romance” book that isn’t cheesy, corny, or unrealistic. What I loved most about this book was its simplicity, its easy way to love and relate to characters, and the way she painted the beautiful Christmas Cove area. The love between all the characters was so heartwarming. As a Mainer myself she couldn’t have written a better book that encapsulates the beauty of Maine people, Maine land, and of course the Maine tradition of lobstering. Seriously LOVED this book!
It’s hard to find a “romance” book that isn’t cheesy, corny, or unrealistic. What I loved most about this book was its simplicity, its easy way to love and relate to characters, and the way she painted the beautiful Christmas Cove area. The love between all the characters was so heartwarming. As a Mainer myself she couldn’t have written a better book that encapsulates the beauty of Maine people, Maine land, and of course the Maine tradition of lobstering. Seriously LOVED this book!
November 20, 2024
I’ve been on Goodreads for a few years now, and I think this is my first book review, which says alot about how I felt about this book. As a Mainer from birth, I’ve read many books about Maine. It is very easy to spot books about Maine that are written by non-native Mainers. This book is truly different than those, and is a wonderful love story to Maine and the strength of its people. Being a lover of Midcoast Maine, I felt right at home in every page of this book. I recognized the personalities of many people I know who love the ocean and our coastline as much as Mem, Logan, Charlie and the rest of the characters do. One thing I particularly enjoyed about this book is the clear message of conservation in order to preserve this planet for future generations. I think that is something deeply ingrained in us even if we don’t realize it. I could go on and on about how much I love the book, but for now I’ll just look forward to the sequel next year!
January 10, 2025
Wow what a great book!! Such a light hearted easy read from start to finish! I never wanted to put this down (I didn’t, I read it in a day). This made me feel so connected to my family in Maine and look forward to my next trip to see them!! I highly recommend!
November 26, 2024
This book. There is such depth to this book. I picked it up in Maine thinking “oh, it’ll be a cute little Maine read”!!!! Little did I know it was going to be so GOOD. I’m quite obsessed with Charlie’s character development. It’s not just a book about her “falling in love”. It’s a book about so much more than that. I think everyone should read it. Literally everyone.
“You’re mocking me.”
“I’m enjoying you.”
This book only has 20 ratings on Goodreads and idk how because it’s THAT GOOD. It’s like a hidden gem.
“You’re mocking me.”
“I’m enjoying you.”
This book only has 20 ratings on Goodreads and idk how because it’s THAT GOOD. It’s like a hidden gem.
March 1, 2025
Charlie Pinkham is afraid to give up control. Her lobsterman father died when she was young, after her mother abandoned her. But Charlie believes she’s never lacked for love. Her grandmother Mem, has been her guiding light as she fishes the waters off of Christmas Cove, Maine.
When a stranger comes to the Cove and rents out the disabled lighthouse, Charlie is intrigued. Little does she know this stranger will make her question so much about herself; but one thing will remain the same-the love she has for her family and friends, and her unshakable community.
When a stranger comes to the Cove and rents out the disabled lighthouse, Charlie is intrigued. Little does she know this stranger will make her question so much about herself; but one thing will remain the same-the love she has for her family and friends, and her unshakable community.
December 17, 2025
Adorable love story set in Christmas Cove, Maine during the Christmas season. While it’s quite predictable and reminiscent of a Lifetime movie, I loved this story. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the harbor next to Christmas Cove, or because my dad is a lobsterman and the main character is a female lobsterman. Whatever the reason, this was an adorable story with a wonderful setting. One of the reviews said “this book is love letter to Maine,” and they’re not wrong.
November 7, 2024
This was one of the most beautifully written books that I've read in a while. I tend to gravitate towards the unserious side of the romance genre, but I was lucky enough to win a copy of Love & Lobsters and I cannot sing its praises enough.
Charlie, our bad ass, tough as nails, female lobsterman, is a complex, fully developed character. She's been grieving her whole life it seems, from the abandonment of her mother, the early death of her father, and pre-grieving the loss of her grandmother after a health scare. Even with that, Charlie is comfortable in her tiny village on the coast of Maine, comfortable with her job as a lobsterman, comfortable with her world exactly how it is. Throughout the novel, Charlie is confronted with the fact that the world is ever changing, and she cannot expect her world to stand still for her forever.
These changes start with the arrival of Logan, the handsome and mysterious renter of Charlie's family's lighthouse, right next door to the cottage she shares with her grandmother. He immediately shakes Charlie up, even though she knows he's off limits as she believes his wife booked the lighthouse for the month.
Charlie also has to come to terms with the fact that while her grandmother and best friend are her whole world... there is room in her grandmother's heart for romantic love as well.
As Charlie's world shift around her, she agrees to write blog posts for her best friend's lifestyle blog. Using Lobsters (of course) as her mode of storytelling, Charlie explores human relationships through the lens of lobsters.
This book is about community, about learning and letting yourself love, and about the late twenties journey of coming to terms with the fact that your parents/guardians in fact can and should have a life outside of raising you. It's also a love letter to coastal Maine, and even though I'm from away, I have lived in New England my entire life and hold a special place in my heart for Maine's rugged beauty.
Just a beautiful, excellent read.
Charlie, our bad ass, tough as nails, female lobsterman, is a complex, fully developed character. She's been grieving her whole life it seems, from the abandonment of her mother, the early death of her father, and pre-grieving the loss of her grandmother after a health scare. Even with that, Charlie is comfortable in her tiny village on the coast of Maine, comfortable with her job as a lobsterman, comfortable with her world exactly how it is. Throughout the novel, Charlie is confronted with the fact that the world is ever changing, and she cannot expect her world to stand still for her forever.
These changes start with the arrival of Logan, the handsome and mysterious renter of Charlie's family's lighthouse, right next door to the cottage she shares with her grandmother. He immediately shakes Charlie up, even though she knows he's off limits as she believes his wife booked the lighthouse for the month.
Charlie also has to come to terms with the fact that while her grandmother and best friend are her whole world... there is room in her grandmother's heart for romantic love as well.
As Charlie's world shift around her, she agrees to write blog posts for her best friend's lifestyle blog. Using Lobsters (of course) as her mode of storytelling, Charlie explores human relationships through the lens of lobsters.
This book is about community, about learning and letting yourself love, and about the late twenties journey of coming to terms with the fact that your parents/guardians in fact can and should have a life outside of raising you. It's also a love letter to coastal Maine, and even though I'm from away, I have lived in New England my entire life and hold a special place in my heart for Maine's rugged beauty.
Just a beautiful, excellent read.
November 21, 2024
The chapter in which they finally had (fade to black) sex was entitled “The Coitus” and I think that sums this book up nicely
August 11, 2025
Romance is definitely not my favorite genre, but there was a lot to like in this sweet romance set on the coast of Maine. I enjoyed learning all the lobster facts as well, and there were a couple of fun twists. One thing that really bugged me was the multiple typos in the book. The word “taut” was misspelled at least three times as “taught,” “peek” was misspelled as “peak,” there were some its/it’s problems, and “poured” was incorrectly used for “pored.” It’s hard for me not to be distracted by these errors, especially when there are so many. They could easily be fixed by having someone like me read through the book before it’s published. Spell check is not enough.
February 20, 2025
Recently, I had the best opportunity to meet Shannon at her book event in Windham at Sherman's where I was finally able to pick up physical copies of her gorgeous, heartfelt book.
To be honest, I don't enjoy the romance or rom-com genre, but some authors I do make the exeption for. Books set in Maine with relatable, strong female characters are an automatic hook for me.
When I say that this one gave me all the feels and that Shannon expressed so much in her writing that hits home, I mean it! This one is a keeper 😉🦞 One passage that rings true to me is a part of one of Charlie's blogs that says, "I learn so much from the people I meet and the love they share, and I think this is the point, this is why we risk everything. Because we are all only stories in the end, and all our origins and characters and plot twists are forged of love." (p. 323). Just meeting new authors, friends, or lovers and learning their stories, passions, and fears, they become a part of ours, too. We learn from each other, and sometimes in the process we also find ourselves navigating how to open up, share love, and take more risks as well.
Love & Lobsters has had me thinking that maybe a part of why I avoid the general theme of love and romance is because it makes me uncomfortable, maybe because I have never felt like I am good at it or will ever find my "lobster" myself. Another quote that caught me was, "...sometimes in the face of grief and in the midst of all the universal unknowns, there are no words to say." (P. 79). I think especially these days and in the midst of what's going on in the world right now, sometimes we can't find the right words at all, or there are no words and only silence or actions. Sometimes it's what is said through that silence or actions that really gets a message through to us or helps eliminate miscommunication, fear, and pain. The best books are always the ones that make you face your discomforts, challenge your thoughts and perspectives, and put your waves of feelings and fears into words.
As I began reading this, I was sucked right in. Maybe it's because I relate to Charlie Pinkham in so many ways, being a single, unmarried, childless woman at almost 34 still. Longing for a close, best friend relationship the way she shares with her bestie, Maia. Craving my own "meet cute", but feeling too afraid to fully open up and be out in the open ever again because I've been through a lot myself. Feeling stuck in so many ways, tied to the past and fears, using those as a shield and protection, but also having a burning desire to molt (I guess?) and shed the old in search for the new and bigger. To grow and learn and feel, even if it's sometimes out of control and unpredictable, uncomfortable, and potentially heartbreaking and lonely. There's this huge need to see the people I love being loved, even if I'm not as open to it myself.
Yeah, I think I relate to Charlie in a lot of ways. And not just because I enjoy writing, or because I'm also a Mainer with family ties for many generations and love living in Maine so much. A sentiment I echo is that, "Maybe it would be easier to be a lobster. To know our bodies and boundaries so intuitively we’d rarely need companionship. But we are not lobsters. We are young. Limitless. And wild at heart." (P. 200). Sometimes, it does feel like everything would be so much easier to just be less human, to have less emotion, but even the creatures of the darkest, depths and with the toughest shells end up finding their "lobster" sometimes. Whether or not things last forever, taking risks and being vulnerable is all part of the life we live, and even the ones who try to deny nature at its best and the motion of the ocean eventually feel a big thaw out in their sometimes a little icy, hardened hearts and souls. Sometimes that's from a lobster, a book, or both!
Here's to a fantastic read, that is going to become a movie, and here's to everyone finding their own version of love & lobsters 🦞 ❤️
To be honest, I don't enjoy the romance or rom-com genre, but some authors I do make the exeption for. Books set in Maine with relatable, strong female characters are an automatic hook for me.
When I say that this one gave me all the feels and that Shannon expressed so much in her writing that hits home, I mean it! This one is a keeper 😉🦞 One passage that rings true to me is a part of one of Charlie's blogs that says, "I learn so much from the people I meet and the love they share, and I think this is the point, this is why we risk everything. Because we are all only stories in the end, and all our origins and characters and plot twists are forged of love." (p. 323). Just meeting new authors, friends, or lovers and learning their stories, passions, and fears, they become a part of ours, too. We learn from each other, and sometimes in the process we also find ourselves navigating how to open up, share love, and take more risks as well.
Love & Lobsters has had me thinking that maybe a part of why I avoid the general theme of love and romance is because it makes me uncomfortable, maybe because I have never felt like I am good at it or will ever find my "lobster" myself. Another quote that caught me was, "...sometimes in the face of grief and in the midst of all the universal unknowns, there are no words to say." (P. 79). I think especially these days and in the midst of what's going on in the world right now, sometimes we can't find the right words at all, or there are no words and only silence or actions. Sometimes it's what is said through that silence or actions that really gets a message through to us or helps eliminate miscommunication, fear, and pain. The best books are always the ones that make you face your discomforts, challenge your thoughts and perspectives, and put your waves of feelings and fears into words.
As I began reading this, I was sucked right in. Maybe it's because I relate to Charlie Pinkham in so many ways, being a single, unmarried, childless woman at almost 34 still. Longing for a close, best friend relationship the way she shares with her bestie, Maia. Craving my own "meet cute", but feeling too afraid to fully open up and be out in the open ever again because I've been through a lot myself. Feeling stuck in so many ways, tied to the past and fears, using those as a shield and protection, but also having a burning desire to molt (I guess?) and shed the old in search for the new and bigger. To grow and learn and feel, even if it's sometimes out of control and unpredictable, uncomfortable, and potentially heartbreaking and lonely. There's this huge need to see the people I love being loved, even if I'm not as open to it myself.
Yeah, I think I relate to Charlie in a lot of ways. And not just because I enjoy writing, or because I'm also a Mainer with family ties for many generations and love living in Maine so much. A sentiment I echo is that, "Maybe it would be easier to be a lobster. To know our bodies and boundaries so intuitively we’d rarely need companionship. But we are not lobsters. We are young. Limitless. And wild at heart." (P. 200). Sometimes, it does feel like everything would be so much easier to just be less human, to have less emotion, but even the creatures of the darkest, depths and with the toughest shells end up finding their "lobster" sometimes. Whether or not things last forever, taking risks and being vulnerable is all part of the life we live, and even the ones who try to deny nature at its best and the motion of the ocean eventually feel a big thaw out in their sometimes a little icy, hardened hearts and souls. Sometimes that's from a lobster, a book, or both!
Here's to a fantastic read, that is going to become a movie, and here's to everyone finding their own version of love & lobsters 🦞 ❤️
December 13, 2025
I found this book accidentally while looking for a memoir on a female lobsterman and bought it at full price just based off the summary - rare for me. I really enjoy animal facts (and lobsters specifically for whatever reason) so I did really enjoy the blog posts where the main character is making analogies between lobster ecology and love; however, the last blog post is so unintentionally funny. I almost DNFed a time or two because I did not enjoy the non-blog post writing specifically the dialog of the best friend and love interest and most characters were rather annoying. The last chapter saved it for me.
June 10, 2025
This book felt like home...
I picked this one up at The Barn in Southport on a weekend visiting my girlfriend’s family. I love her town and where she grew up and this felt like a storyline of just that. I loved Charlie and Maia’s friendship, Mem and Charlie’s relationship, the community of Christmas Cove, and all the unexpected twists! This book was incredibly wholesome and was the best feel-good of 2025. Chapter 21 had me in tears 🥹 I can’t wait to ready the next one!
I picked this one up at The Barn in Southport on a weekend visiting my girlfriend’s family. I love her town and where she grew up and this felt like a storyline of just that. I loved Charlie and Maia’s friendship, Mem and Charlie’s relationship, the community of Christmas Cove, and all the unexpected twists! This book was incredibly wholesome and was the best feel-good of 2025. Chapter 21 had me in tears 🥹 I can’t wait to ready the next one!
July 21, 2025
Beautiful Maine
I have lived in Maine my whole life and this book reminds me of how wonderful it is growing up here. It really brought back my true love of this state and it's generations. I highly recommend this book.
I have lived in Maine my whole life and this book reminds me of how wonderful it is growing up here. It really brought back my true love of this state and it's generations. I highly recommend this book.
April 22, 2025
4.5 ⭐️! This story was beautiful! I loved the variety of relationships that were explored; from romantic, to friendship, to family. As a Mainer I loved the care and respect that was put into making sure the Maine way of life was represented accurately. A wonderful read!!
July 21, 2025
this is the sure winner for a great summer read. It is full of all the feels that make a book real. I loved every minute of it. I am looking forward to more great books from this wonderful author.
August 7, 2025
Cute!!!!!!
August 25, 2025
Very cute, very well written book about staying true to yourself, trusting yourself, and finding your 1 in 100 million 🦞
March 26, 2025
So very much enjoyed reading this book!
The characters and storyline and feel good moments it gave me while reading it were perfect!
Can't wait to read more books by Shannon M. Parker!
The characters and storyline and feel good moments it gave me while reading it were perfect!
Can't wait to read more books by Shannon M. Parker!
August 9, 2025
It was fine, pacing felt weird and it was hard to get through the last few chapters
August 16, 2025
I loved everything about this book! A strong female lead, a beautiful love story, great character arcs, fantastic writing, and the most incredible and heartwarming depiction of Maine. This is one of those books that I’ll forever be sad I can’t read for the first time again!
February 9, 2025
As a native Mainer, I enjoy reading books set in Maine. This book did not disappoint. Shannon Parker encapsulates life in Maine perfectly. Everytime Mem or Hermon said "ayuh," I thought of my own grandmother who grew up in the Mid Coast area. Shannon did a wonderful job weaving in information on lobsters and love.
This book is so much more than a love story. Charlie is learning to love and open her heart up. I enjoy love stories where the main characters are a little awkward. Charlie and Logan are relatable and realistic.
I am excited for her next book, Love & Lighthouses. I hope it is another Charlie and Logan adventure!
This book is so much more than a love story. Charlie is learning to love and open her heart up. I enjoy love stories where the main characters are a little awkward. Charlie and Logan are relatable and realistic.
I am excited for her next book, Love & Lighthouses. I hope it is another Charlie and Logan adventure!
December 27, 2024
Loved this book 🦞💙
February 24, 2025
This was such a great book! It really represents the feeling of simple life and genuine love that you get from Maine. I loved how realistic the story was & it was so easy/enjoyable to read.
September 22, 2025
I wanted to like this book much more than I did, because it's a cute concept, but the execution just didn't work for me.
The pluses: Maine as a setting; learning cool facts about lobsters. And the real romance in this book was Mem and Hermon. Hermon is absolutely a romantic and i'm obsessed.
The rest of the story just didn't come together for me. The romance felt flat and unromantic to me; this relied on the trope of "unknown info equals tension" but, as is too often the case, it was a flimsy premise. (Seriously, you can't just ask, "Where is your wife?") The male love interest was too perfect; how the heck was he so instantly good at lobster fishing? What on earth is his job: is he an engineer, or does he do social media for a lobster association? And because of complicated backstory, Charlie and Logan supposedly have trouble being vulnerable and getting close and this is the Big Tension between them. Yet there was barely any space dedicated to the backstory, so I just felt frustrated by the "will they won't they," because we had very little context for their wounds and how they could heal each other. (Her mother abandoned her at a young age; his fiance left after a ten-year relationship. These are huge wounds, but each gets no more than a few paragraphs in total. Yikes!) So their love and coming together felt completely unearned.
The intimacy scenes were cringe, and Charlie's best friend is somehow super perfect AND also annoyingly and repeatedly refers to herself in third person: "Mama has needs." Again, I wanted to love that a friendship was elevated and celebrated as being crucially important; however, something about Maia grated on me.
The book was also riddled with typos, the most prevalent being constant ridiculous homophone mix-ups. The author also insisted on using a structural conceit where every chapter title starts with a "C" word. This had literally no purpose and boxed her into having a chapter actually titled "The Coitus." Which is possibly the grossest word in the English language.
Just disappointing. The author's vision for this simply didn't come across on the page. I wish there hadn't been a romance plotline and that this was just about a community in Maine coming together to support each other at Christmas time. Or that the romance had been handled better. It's a shame because I love Maine and stories about it. Very cute cover though.
The pluses: Maine as a setting; learning cool facts about lobsters. And the real romance in this book was Mem and Hermon. Hermon is absolutely a romantic and i'm obsessed.
The rest of the story just didn't come together for me. The romance felt flat and unromantic to me; this relied on the trope of "unknown info equals tension" but, as is too often the case, it was a flimsy premise. (Seriously, you can't just ask, "Where is your wife?") The male love interest was too perfect; how the heck was he so instantly good at lobster fishing? What on earth is his job: is he an engineer, or does he do social media for a lobster association? And because of complicated backstory, Charlie and Logan supposedly have trouble being vulnerable and getting close and this is the Big Tension between them. Yet there was barely any space dedicated to the backstory, so I just felt frustrated by the "will they won't they," because we had very little context for their wounds and how they could heal each other. (Her mother abandoned her at a young age; his fiance left after a ten-year relationship. These are huge wounds, but each gets no more than a few paragraphs in total. Yikes!) So their love and coming together felt completely unearned.
The intimacy scenes were cringe, and Charlie's best friend is somehow super perfect AND also annoyingly and repeatedly refers to herself in third person: "Mama has needs." Again, I wanted to love that a friendship was elevated and celebrated as being crucially important; however, something about Maia grated on me.
The book was also riddled with typos, the most prevalent being constant ridiculous homophone mix-ups. The author also insisted on using a structural conceit where every chapter title starts with a "C" word. This had literally no purpose and boxed her into having a chapter actually titled "The Coitus." Which is possibly the grossest word in the English language.
Just disappointing. The author's vision for this simply didn't come across on the page. I wish there hadn't been a romance plotline and that this was just about a community in Maine coming together to support each other at Christmas time. Or that the romance had been handled better. It's a shame because I love Maine and stories about it. Very cute cover though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2025
Falling in Love — with Community, Sea, and Self — in Love & Lobsters
Shannon M. Parker’s Love & Lobsters is a quietly luminous romance set in the rugged, windswept town of Christmas Cove, Maine. Charlie Pinkham—the taciturn, fourth-generation female lobsterman—knows the sea better than she knows her own heart. So when a tongue-in-cheek blog post about lobster mating habits goes viral, she’s thrown into emotional waters she never expected to navigate.
What makes this tale stand out isn’t swoony declarations or last-minute confessions, but Parker’s deep exploration of love in its richer, broader forms. Charlie’s unwavering bonds with her grandmother Mem and best friend Maia are the novel’s emotional bedrock. Even as heartbreak lurks, it’s the supportive community and Charlie’s connection to her roots that resonate most.
Parker writes the Maine coast with such precision that you can feel its chill and charm in equal measure. She captures moments like “water transforming beads of light into a fitful sea of stars,” grounding the romance in nature’s own poetry. Lobster metaphors—like the molting shell as a symbol of rebirth or the elusive “cotton-candy lobster” representing a once-in-a-lifetime connection—add layers of meaning without ever feeling forced.
Pacing is spot-on. The narrative unfolds with quiet warmth, letting intimacy bloom like a slow sunrise rather than a scripted crescendo. Charlie’s gradual softening, her hesitance to love—and to trust—is believable, compelling, irresistible.
Love & Lobsters isn’t just a romance; it’s a hymn to family, friendship, resilience, and self-love. It reminds us that love often begins not with fireworks, but with finding the courage to stay open. If you crave romance infused with place, purpose, and heart, let this Maine-set gem anchor your next reading list.
Shannon M. Parker’s Love & Lobsters is a quietly luminous romance set in the rugged, windswept town of Christmas Cove, Maine. Charlie Pinkham—the taciturn, fourth-generation female lobsterman—knows the sea better than she knows her own heart. So when a tongue-in-cheek blog post about lobster mating habits goes viral, she’s thrown into emotional waters she never expected to navigate.
What makes this tale stand out isn’t swoony declarations or last-minute confessions, but Parker’s deep exploration of love in its richer, broader forms. Charlie’s unwavering bonds with her grandmother Mem and best friend Maia are the novel’s emotional bedrock. Even as heartbreak lurks, it’s the supportive community and Charlie’s connection to her roots that resonate most.
Parker writes the Maine coast with such precision that you can feel its chill and charm in equal measure. She captures moments like “water transforming beads of light into a fitful sea of stars,” grounding the romance in nature’s own poetry. Lobster metaphors—like the molting shell as a symbol of rebirth or the elusive “cotton-candy lobster” representing a once-in-a-lifetime connection—add layers of meaning without ever feeling forced.
Pacing is spot-on. The narrative unfolds with quiet warmth, letting intimacy bloom like a slow sunrise rather than a scripted crescendo. Charlie’s gradual softening, her hesitance to love—and to trust—is believable, compelling, irresistible.
Love & Lobsters isn’t just a romance; it’s a hymn to family, friendship, resilience, and self-love. It reminds us that love often begins not with fireworks, but with finding the courage to stay open. If you crave romance infused with place, purpose, and heart, let this Maine-set gem anchor your next reading list.
March 21, 2025
Love and Lobsters (Shannon M. Parker) This book was lent to me by a good friend; I honor such actions, even though she and I aren't always in synch with reading tastes. It was rather a sweet read, and Ms. Parker writes very well, except when she presents the lust scenes, which (for me) devolve into silliness and amateurish writing. But the characters at all other times are delightful, and love abounds in many forms. I learned an amazing amount about lobsters, all of it quite fascinating, and the creation of the fictional (even though there is a real town in the state) small town of Christmas Cove is heartwarming. Our main character is Charlie, a female lobsterman (that is what she calls her vocation), wounded by many things in her life and wary of love. Then appear in her life Logan, who has rented the lighthouse close to Charlie's house and waiting for the arrival of Hannah (who exactly is she in his life) and an online DM personality. She is drawn to both. Meanwhile we meet other denizens of this charming town (her BFF, Maia, and her Mem, the grandmother who basically raised her and recently survived a bout of near-fatal cancer).. and others, all of whom, aided greatly by Logan, create a downtown wonderland festival in December to attract tourists and earn money to pay off debts incurred because of Mem's hospitalization. A good getaway read which has a real flavor of Maine coastline life.
April 7, 2025
This has that hometown innocent love story that could be turned into a Hallmark movie for sure. It has all of the elements: small town, Christmas season, lovey dovey, at times cringey/corny actions/conversations. Honestly though, loved this one! I learned a lot about lobsters which I always appreciate a niche topic that shines through the whole storyline especially if it’s brand new to me. Lots of research into that topic, you can tell. When I reference corny/cringey conversations I specifically point to the ones between Logan and Charlie (seemed unrealistic and a bit of a middle school feel)- just wasn’t my cup of tea but it was cute overall and could absolutely see this turning into a movie.
It made me want to go to Maine in an off season though as you feel for the characters who are working so hard but struggle a bit during off seasons. With a town called Christmas Cove it was the perfect wintery location for a festival and it makes me want to see more of this country and see more of these places. Maine differs so much from where I live and would love to experience the small town, laid back vibe that was described in this story. I already found my 1 in a million in my husband and I hope others who haven’t yet hold out the hope that those people do exist. This story of the power of love and community is just so sweet and a lighthearted romance for those who enjoy! #goodreadsgiveaway
It made me want to go to Maine in an off season though as you feel for the characters who are working so hard but struggle a bit during off seasons. With a town called Christmas Cove it was the perfect wintery location for a festival and it makes me want to see more of this country and see more of these places. Maine differs so much from where I live and would love to experience the small town, laid back vibe that was described in this story. I already found my 1 in a million in my husband and I hope others who haven’t yet hold out the hope that those people do exist. This story of the power of love and community is just so sweet and a lighthearted romance for those who enjoy! #goodreadsgiveaway
December 24, 2025
Truly, what a treasure of a book! I think every small town Mainer, person who lives in a fishing town, fisherman’s daughter, and woman fisherman who loves romance should read this. As a Waldoboro, Maine lobsterman’s daughter, who literally grew up in a pack and play on a boat named after me (Brittney B F/V), this was a treat to read.
Did I see the twists and surprises coming, yes. Were they still so fun and exciting to read and unravel, also yes. For anyone who is new to romance or a romance pro, this is mild spice and almost closed-door. I’d relate it to when you see a movie spice season where it’s about 10 seconds and onto the next scene.
I love Christmas Cove and the community. After going through a workplace acquisition in my early 20s which brought me two hours north to *gasp* the big city of Bangor. It has made me miss and deeply appreciate a tight community, and be enraged by the big-city locals who think they are small town folk who poke fun at the tight community rural Maine communities hold. It’s truly a gift in a time of such isolation.
I also adored the acknowledgements to the community, and smiled to see Maia Z pop up. If you’ve met Maia Z, you know she is a light in her community and a joy to connect with!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Shannon Parker for this Christmas gift of a book this year. I can’t wait for Love and Lighthouses and will definitely be reading your other works too!
Did I see the twists and surprises coming, yes. Were they still so fun and exciting to read and unravel, also yes. For anyone who is new to romance or a romance pro, this is mild spice and almost closed-door. I’d relate it to when you see a movie spice season where it’s about 10 seconds and onto the next scene.
I love Christmas Cove and the community. After going through a workplace acquisition in my early 20s which brought me two hours north to *gasp* the big city of Bangor. It has made me miss and deeply appreciate a tight community, and be enraged by the big-city locals who think they are small town folk who poke fun at the tight community rural Maine communities hold. It’s truly a gift in a time of such isolation.
I also adored the acknowledgements to the community, and smiled to see Maia Z pop up. If you’ve met Maia Z, you know she is a light in her community and a joy to connect with!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Shannon Parker for this Christmas gift of a book this year. I can’t wait for Love and Lighthouses and will definitely be reading your other works too!
July 15, 2025
I really wanted to like this book but nothing ever happened. Or the things that happened happened so quickly and without fanfare--the narrator's 70-ish-year-old grandmother decides to get married to a guy who had asked her every year for 50 years and it's not a big deal. This upsets the narrator's entire life! How can she just shrug it off? The narrator is crushing on a guy whom she thinks is married because he wears a ring on his right hand. Very few wedding rings are worn on the right hand. And there were enough typos to make this editor grind her teeth! What happened to spellcheck? And to the good old its/it's dichotomy?
There were some lovely moments, like when the non-keeper lobsters are given a herring snack before they're thrown back. But how the guy immediately excelled at lobstering - which is wicked hard work and would tear up even a fit 30-something's back and arms - just didn't come together. I did, however, read the whole thing largely because it's one peninsula over from me and I wanted something to happen. Or maybe to feel that something happened, some emergency, and it just never did. Sort of like Waiting for Godot but with lobsters.
There were some lovely moments, like when the non-keeper lobsters are given a herring snack before they're thrown back. But how the guy immediately excelled at lobstering - which is wicked hard work and would tear up even a fit 30-something's back and arms - just didn't come together. I did, however, read the whole thing largely because it's one peninsula over from me and I wanted something to happen. Or maybe to feel that something happened, some emergency, and it just never did. Sort of like Waiting for Godot but with lobsters.
September 13, 2025
I just. I can't. It's TOO GOOD. Look, I read a lot of romance and I don't give a lot of 5 star reviews. Can there be a sixth star? It's not just good, it's different. It FEELS different. I mean, sure, there are all the classic elements -- adorable and quirky small town that takes on a Big Effort. Sassy best friend. Parental figures who stand in for parents. Mysterious love interests. Check, check, check, check. But somehow, Parker makes them all feel new. Different. Like I've never experienced that trope before.
I was transported. The writing is GORGEOUS. Poetic. And I don't just mean the scenery descriptors like the coastline, the ocean, the cove, the town in winter. Those are lush, for sure. But even in the banter, the DMs. The little gestures like the quick, half hug the grandma gives her--I'm right there, feeling that squeeze on my own shoulder and all it conveys.
Half way through I wondered how this engrossing story could possibly end, and I feared some gimmick would tear through these characters that would wreck and, honestly, disappoint me because, friends, I was INVESTED now. I shouldn't have worried. In Parker's capable hands, it ended perfectly.
I was transported. The writing is GORGEOUS. Poetic. And I don't just mean the scenery descriptors like the coastline, the ocean, the cove, the town in winter. Those are lush, for sure. But even in the banter, the DMs. The little gestures like the quick, half hug the grandma gives her--I'm right there, feeling that squeeze on my own shoulder and all it conveys.
Half way through I wondered how this engrossing story could possibly end, and I feared some gimmick would tear through these characters that would wreck and, honestly, disappoint me because, friends, I was INVESTED now. I shouldn't have worried. In Parker's capable hands, it ended perfectly.
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