It seems the word is out. Jojo Moyes, whose breakout novel in the U.S. was 2012's ME BEFORE YOU, has since had successes on this side of the pond with THE GIRL YOU LEFT BEHIND and, most recently, ONE PLUS ONE. Capitalizing on new demand for this talented young author whose novels have been bestsellers in the UK for some time now, Penguin is currently reissuing some of Moyes's backlist in the U.S. for the first time. First up is SILVER BAY, originally published in 2007; later this year, they'll be releasing THE SHIP OF BRIDES as well.

Most readers, upon sinking into SILVER BAY, will ask themselves, "What took them so long?" Hardly the work of a rank amateur, it demonstrates that Moyes's skills at writing smart, emotionally rich, romantic fiction have been in play for a long time.

"It's easy for readers to become attached to this sleepy seaside town and to the people and animals who call its environment home."

The Silver Bay of the novel's title is in Australia, a few hours down the coast from Sydney. The bay, and the town that borders it, is sleepy and serene. Most of the townspeople have lived in the area all their lives; many have seen the town's fortunes rise and fall, but love the place anyway. At present, the area survives primarily through a modest but steady tourist trade, particularly since the bay has become known as a good whale-watching spot. Among the most passionate (about the whales) and ambivalent (about the tourists) tour guides is Liza McCullen, a thirty-something woman who moved to the area to live with her aunt Kathleen after a series of personal tragedies in her native England.

Liza keeps to herself, for the most part, and is fiercely protective of her daughter, Hannah, as well. But when fellow Englishman Mike Dormer comes to stay at Kathleen's B&B, Liza finds herself letting down her guard a bit in the face of his kindness, thoughtfulness and slightly awkward good looks. Little does she know Mike's real reason for coming to visit Silver Bay: he's a developer whose firm intends to build a seaside resort on the bay, a major development that will negatively affect not only Liza's livelihood but also the ecology of the bay and the well-being of the whales about whom she cares so passionately.

Told in alternating chapters from the points of view of several different characters, SILVER BAY is in many ways a portrait of a place as much as it is a love story (or, rather, two parallel love stories). It's easy for readers to become attached to this sleepy seaside town and to the people and animals who call its environment home. At times, the plot can seem just slightly dated (as when a fancy new camera with video capability plays a key role in the story), and the coincidences that drive some plot elements can seem just slightly contrived. But here for sure are the seeds of Moyes's later success: her attention to detail, her clear fondness for outsiders and individuals, and her ability to make readers care deeply about these unusual and endearing characters.