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Sanibel Lighthouse #1
Island Girl
After losing her mother and walking away from everything she knew, Merritt Ryan is finally ready to start living for herself.
Returning to the islands that once offered her refuge, Merritt takes a job at Shorebird's, a beloved Sanibel bar owned by a retiring potter named Crocker and now run by his grandson Justin. With a small apartment upstairs and her guitar in hand, she begins building a life on her own terms—playing music, making friends, and discovering who she is when she's not taking care of everyone else.
When her friend Paula asks for help reaching her brother Ray—a veteran battling PTSD who's pushed everyone away—Merritt agrees, drawn by the hope that music might do what words cannot. But Ray wants nothing to do with her, and Merritt must learn the difference between offering help and losing herself in someone else's pain.
As she navigates Ray's resistance, her deepening friendship with Justin, and the gentle wisdom of the Captiva friends who believed in her from the start, Merritt discovers that building a new life means embracing both the joy and the risk of truly belonging somewhere.
Sometimes finding home means learning to stay.
Returning to the islands that once offered her refuge, Merritt takes a job at Shorebird's, a beloved Sanibel bar owned by a retiring potter named Crocker and now run by his grandson Justin. With a small apartment upstairs and her guitar in hand, she begins building a life on her own terms—playing music, making friends, and discovering who she is when she's not taking care of everyone else.
When her friend Paula asks for help reaching her brother Ray—a veteran battling PTSD who's pushed everyone away—Merritt agrees, drawn by the hope that music might do what words cannot. But Ray wants nothing to do with her, and Merritt must learn the difference between offering help and losing herself in someone else's pain.
As she navigates Ray's resistance, her deepening friendship with Justin, and the gentle wisdom of the Captiva friends who believed in her from the start, Merritt discovers that building a new life means embracing both the joy and the risk of truly belonging somewhere.
Sometimes finding home means learning to stay.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2026
About the author
Annie Cabot
47 books139 followersAnnie Cabot is the author of contemporary women's fiction and family sagas. Annie writes about friendships and family relationships, that bring inspiration and hope to others.
With a focus on women's fiction, Annie feels that she writes best when she writes from experience. “Every woman's journey is a relatable story. I want to capture those stories, let others know they are not alone, and bring a bit of joy to my readers.”
Annie Cabot is the pen name for the writer Patricia Pauletti. A lover of all things happily ever after, it was only a matter of time before she began to write what was in her heart, and so, the pen name Annie Cabot was born.
When she's not writing, Annie and her husband like to travel. Winters always involve time away on Captiva Island, Florida where she continues to get inspiration for her novels.
Annie lives in Massachusetts with her husband.
With a focus on women's fiction, Annie feels that she writes best when she writes from experience. “Every woman's journey is a relatable story. I want to capture those stories, let others know they are not alone, and bring a bit of joy to my readers.”
Annie Cabot is the pen name for the writer Patricia Pauletti. A lover of all things happily ever after, it was only a matter of time before she began to write what was in her heart, and so, the pen name Annie Cabot was born.
When she's not writing, Annie and her husband like to travel. Winters always involve time away on Captiva Island, Florida where she continues to get inspiration for her novels.
Annie lives in Massachusetts with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 17, 2026
Another great book from Annie Cabot.
I really loved the new series, Sanibel Lighthouse, Book 1. I have to admit I cried a number of times. A story of lost members of Merritt’s family. She moved to Sanibel to build herself back up, she got a job at a bar and also played her music there. A man who had left his family when he came back from years of war and in the end found that he was recovering from trauma from those years and in the end his daughter who was 4 years old when he left, came to Sanibel and found her father.
I really loved the new series, Sanibel Lighthouse, Book 1. I have to admit I cried a number of times. A story of lost members of Merritt’s family. She moved to Sanibel to build herself back up, she got a job at a bar and also played her music there. A man who had left his family when he came back from years of war and in the end found that he was recovering from trauma from those years and in the end his daughter who was 4 years old when he left, came to Sanibel and found her father.
September 1, 2026
Emotional
Love the way she writes. This one grabs you and leaves you with tears streaming down your face. Looking forward to the next one.
Love the way she writes. This one grabs you and leaves you with tears streaming down your face. Looking forward to the next one.
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September 22, 2026Loved this book!! I hated for it to end!! I have already ordered the next two books in the series!
October 22, 2026
Love any book that takes place in this area of Florida. I especially liked the way Merritt interacted with The Key Lime Garden Inn, and the hosts.
November 7, 2026
Island Gir!
Wonderful and well written story another part of the authors characters This one about Merritt and her move to the island a must reas
Wonderful and well written story another part of the authors characters This one about Merritt and her move to the island a must reas
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews