3.5 Stars
(rounded up)

It took me way too long (years, actually!) to finally read this 3rd and final book of the Britannia Beach series. Especially, since I really enjoyed the first two books. Maybe because the swoon-worthy will they/won't they romance (amidst a love triangle) came to a HFN conclusion in the previous book that was satisfying for me.

This book amps up the suspense with a great deal of action when Derian and Sophie travel to Acapulco on a school break and run into Derian's old love interest, Mason. While this doesn't complicate her solid relationship with Trevor, it does bring with it some complications of it's own in the Mexican jungle when Mason invites the two ladies to visit the site of a school he's helping build.

Like the first two books, I really wanted more of Trevor. He's a fabulous book hero in the amount of time spent with him, but I've always wanted more of him and Derian. In this book and the last, more time was spent on developing Mason and his "friendship" with Derian, while the reader needed to accept the solidity of Trevor in Derian's life as a given. I've liked the stories, so I'm not really complaining, but more Trevor time would have been nice, too.

Thematically, this third story started off a bit slow and I wasn't sure of it's necessity and how it tied into the first two books. Ultimately, I enjoyed where it went and had fun with the action and suspense, even if occasionally over the top. While maybe not a necessary book in the series, I enjoyed seeing Trevor and Derian in a solid relationship and was moved by the heartwarming conclusion.

I haven't been a big fan of the first two books but now that Derian and Trevor finally found together to the end of the second book, I was looking forward to their romance.

Guess I expected too much because once the book is starting, Derian is setting off to a Mexico vacation...alone, with her best friend Sophie. Once they arrive in Mexico every single guy is starting to hit on Derian or trying to flirt with her or whatever. She has been all shy and innocent throughtout all the books but every single seems to be interested in her. This is such an annoying clishée.

So again most of the book is without the actual relationship of Derian and Trevor and once they are together there are misunderstandings and stupid fights.

The story itself felt totally unnecessary and way over the top. The story in the jungle felt totally ridiculous to me. This was a very disappointing ending to an already average series.