REVIEW: WATERCOLORS by Evelyn Letrice is my first read by this author, and I must say I was not disappointed. This story is a tender, slow-burn romance about what happens when grief, memory, and love begin to loosen their hold on a life lived in muted tones. At the center of the story is Luminous “Lumi” Brooks, an out-of-work social worker whose world has narrowed into routines, disappointments, and emotional caution. When she inherits her grandmother’s house in the Gulf town of Lynn Beach, Lumi is forced into a place filled with beauty, silence, and old wounds she has spent years trying not to face.
Lumi is a compelling lead because her growth does not happen all at once. She begins the novel guarded and gray, a woman who has learned to survive by asking for little and feeling even less. Ashlee “Wave” Reeves, the Olympic champion, and hometown boy made good, returns to Lynn Beach after retirement carrying his own quiet uncertainty. Privately, he is learning how to live after the accolades and applause, and how to parent his daughter, Ashley, of whom he had no knowledge.
The slow-burn romance between Lumi and Wave is one of the story’s strongest elements. Their connection develops through small, intimate moments rather than dramatic declarations. Ashley, Wave’s daughter, also plays an influential role in softening the emotional landscape of the book. Her presence deepens Wave’s character and gives Lumi another reason to consider what family, trust, and belonging might look like. I love how Wave’s family rallies around Lumi and Ashley as they both harbor secrets that stand in the way of them living “out loud.” Vari, Ashley’s love interest brings a certain light to the story by displaying the courage it takes to be seen.
What makes WATERCOLORS especially moving is the way the author uses art and water as emotional language. Lumi’s gray paintings reflect the life she has been living, while the water surrounding the house becomes a path toward release. Lumi’s art does not erase the pain, but it gives the pain, color and expression. Together water and art create a healing process connected to the characters’ hearts.
I recommend WATERCOLORS for readers who enjoy slow-burn romance, emotional healing arcs, sound family dynamics. WATERCOLORS is a resonant and beautifully textured read. I recommend it for your reading pleasure.
18th July 2026 | romcol@caribsurf.com | romcol1962@gmail.com
Lumi is a compelling lead because her growth does not happen all at once. She begins the novel guarded and gray, a woman who has learned to survive by asking for little and feeling even less. Ashlee “Wave” Reeves, the Olympic champion, and hometown boy made good, returns to Lynn Beach after retirement carrying his own quiet uncertainty. Privately, he is learning how to live after the accolades and applause, and how to parent his daughter, Ashley, of whom he had no knowledge.
The slow-burn romance between Lumi and Wave is one of the story’s strongest elements. Their connection develops through small, intimate moments rather than dramatic declarations. Ashley, Wave’s daughter, also plays an influential role in softening the emotional landscape of the book. Her presence deepens Wave’s character and gives Lumi another reason to consider what family, trust, and belonging might look like. I love how Wave’s family rallies around Lumi and Ashley as they both harbor secrets that stand in the way of them living “out loud.” Vari, Ashley’s love interest brings a certain light to the story by displaying the courage it takes to be seen.
What makes WATERCOLORS especially moving is the way the author uses art and water as emotional language. Lumi’s gray paintings reflect the life she has been living, while the water surrounding the house becomes a path toward release. Lumi’s art does not erase the pain, but it gives the pain, color and expression. Together water and art create a healing process connected to the characters’ hearts.
I recommend WATERCOLORS for readers who enjoy slow-burn romance, emotional healing arcs, sound family dynamics. WATERCOLORS is a resonant and beautifully textured read. I recommend it for your reading pleasure.
18th July 2026 | romcol@caribsurf.com | romcol1962@gmail.com
