He’s a firm rule follower. She paints outside the lines…, and now these opposites are forced to work together.

Lily Adams owns the Lily Pad craft shop, but she’s always dreamed of being a professional artist. After a devastating loss, she’s reprioritizing her goals. At last, she’s willing to put herself out there and enter the Bluestar Art Competition. The grand prize could open doors in the art community that were previously closed to her.

Mayor Tony Banks is happy to be living on the island once more and doing his best to help Bluestar thrive. However, when his events coordinator has a medical emergency, he finds himself working with his best friend’s sister to organize the upcoming arts festival.

In the past, Lily had always been off-limits to him, but that was then, and this was now… However, he quickly learns she’s still a rulebreaker. And worse yet, his heart wants to follow her lead, but his mind warns of the dangers of not following the rules. Will these two hearts find a safe middle ground?

Titles in The Adams Family of Bluestar Island series include:  The Art of Seashells ~ The Beachside Rental ~

A connection to the Bluestar Island universe through another island family.  The entire world includes (so far): Love Blooms ~ Harvest Dance ~ A Lighthouse Café Christmas ~ Rising Star ~ Summer by the Beach ~ Brass Anchor Inn ~ Summer Refresh ~ A Seaside Bookshop Christmas ~ A Lighthouse Snapshot ~ Inheriting Her Island House ~ A Brass Anchor Inn Christmas ~ Race to the Beach ~ The Art of Seashells ~ The Beachside Rental ~

This is a no-spice romance, perhaps with closed-door or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved.

Title:  The Art of Seashells
Series:  The Adams Family of Bluestar Island (connection to Bluestar Island series)
Author:  Jennifer Faye
Published:  May 4, 2026
Publisher: Lazy Dazy Press
My Rating:  4.5 stars

The Art of Seashells opens up another family’s experiences on Bluestar Island, this time in The Adams Family of Bluestar Island.  Tony left the island, determined to make his mark on the world.  He’s a rule follower, an ability that he’s honed into quite an impressive lifestyle.  He returned home and became the mayor of Bluestar Island because he wanted to give back and help this island shine, as he feels he has the talent to do so quite easily.  He’s a man who has a mindset made up of rules, and then some more rules.  He’s about to dive into a relationship with a woman he sees as off-limits (that bro code)… professionally, reluctantly at first, but fate had other plans.

Lily once had dreams of showing her art in the grand galleries of New York and beyond.  Once.  Her father’s insistence that she pursue a practical career to fuel that “hobby” led her to open The Lily Pad, an island crafting shop where she lets her artistic talents flow in a different direction.  Now her father is deceased, and any promises she once made are (not unkindly) buried with him.  She’s about to step out of that safe zone her dad made her live in… and the results are going to be quite unexpected, especially when she and Tony are forced to work together rather closely.

I had such fun back in this new branch of the Bluestar Island universe.  Tony and Lily, oh my, talk about opposites attract or… implode.  Each is stubborn; each has their reasons for their personality being as it is, and each is in over their head when it comes to acknowledging the simmering attraction between them.  Watching them figure it out, make some mistakes, learn from them, and forge ahead into their own happy ending was a wonderful, emotional experience.  The Art of Seashells is well-written, funny, witty, emotional, and brings us back into “island life” in a fun, comfortable way.  If you’ve read the earlier books, you might see some familiar faces; if not, you’re in for a treat as you discover all this story and series have to offer.  I’m definitely looking forward to more of this series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

If you enjoy this author’s work, please visit our Jennifer Faye page, where I’ve listed books that I’ve read, reviewed, or have on my TBR.  There is a link to her official website on that page, with a whole lot more of her work showcasing her excellent storytelling.

This title is available at Amazon