Joni, Underway by Kelly Oran and Jonathan Harrow

Nineteen year old Joni Monday is loving life as an adult—living on her own, dealing with grown-up things like jobs, hook-ups, and doing her own laundry. Best of all: after finishing her first year at ASU, she will never again be called a freshman.

But when her brother is suddenly killed in a car accident, Joni’s adult life is turned upside down. Struggling to cope with loss, guilt, and anger—not to mention the meddling of friends and family trying to “fix” her—Joni is relieved to be presented with an escape in the form of a sailing trip her brother had been planning for months before he died.

With her first step onto the sailing vessel Lady Marguerite, Joni plunges into an adventure that will mark the beginning of her real adult life—a journey across the ominous dark blue of the Atlantic Ocean with a small, eccentric crew, and the young Captain Reid, whose gorgeous looks are only outmatched by his talent for care and kindness. Unfolding through the ups and downs of life at sea is an unforgettable story reminding us that love will always be a work-in-progress and coming of age never gets old.

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Kelly Oram is an author who knows how to write such vivid and real characters.  Her books are always witty and full of life.  In this book, she co-authors with Jonathan Harrow, her husband.  So, something new from her this go round.

This book takes on a more serious note, I think.  The vibe isn't gloom and doom but it's definitely not as light and fun as most of Kelly's other books.  The characters are still stand out though- with quirks, histories and stories of their own to tell.  I loved this sailboat full of such diverse people, each on their own journey.

The way the whole story unfolds from Joni's perspective is good.  It made me feel like I was really on the journey right along with Joni.  I became personally invested in the characters and the story.  Captain Reid is a truly a hero.  His heart is gold.  And the ending bit?  Ugh, rip my heart out!

My only hesitation with this book is the swearing and the sexual innuendo.  That's a personal thing for me though.  There are sexual situations although nothing described in detail outside of kissing.