Camino Island (Camino Island, #1)

Bruce invites Mercer out to dinner with a visiting writer and another local writer, Andy. After dinner, the visiting writer leaves with Bruce, and Mercer and Andy have coffee. He tells her that the writer will stay with Bruce that night. Mercer’s sister’s family are staying in Tessa’s cottage for their vacation, so Mercer stays at a local bed and breakfast, called the Lighthouse Inn, while they are there. She hopes to get some writing done.

Denny has arrived on Camino Island, and visited Bay Books several times over the past few days. He and Rooker are considering their strategy while staying at a local hotel.

After the Fourth of July celebrations, most of the crowds leave the island. Mercer is reading The Paris Wife when she gets an email from Bruce, asking her to stop by the store. When she does, he gives her an autographed first edition of The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. He then tells her the real story of how he started his rare book collection with his father’s books.

They go to lunch, and she asks Bruce more about his ex-girlfriend’s novel idea that features Fitzgerald and Hemingway. She is reading books on the topic, and they both think that she could write and sell it.