A Seal Named Kevin

Published on August 05, 2025

And Other Components of a Perfect Vacation

By Kara V.

This past summer, my spouse and I took a vacation to celebrate a milestone anniversary. We rented a small cabin on the water on an island off the coast of Vancouver, Canada. I chose the location based on the opening credits of the Netflix hit show Virgin River (based on the book series by Robin Carr). The scenery when the opening music begins is gorgeous, and that's where I wanted to spend a week alone with my person.

When we finally arrived at the island, we unloaded and proceeded to the back of the house, where the ocean spread out before us. It was beautiful. I looked out into the blue water and saw this little face peeking at me from the depths. My first thought was, "Oh my goodness, mermaids are real!" It took me a minute to come to my senses and see that it was a seal. Every day after that, this seal (we think it was the same seal) visited us. We named it Kevin.

 

When we weren't watching Kevin swim across the water, my spouse and I were reading. I had planned ahead and loaded up my Kindle with Libby downloads. We sat in the Adirondack chairs with our feet up and books in our hands, enjoying the perfect weather. It has to be the most tranquil vacation either of us has ever taken.  Honestly, it was my dream vacation: I just want to spend time with my loved ones and read a book outside.  

What is it about vacations that makes books so much better? They always seem to be the best book you read that year. Likewise, no matter where you are—at a beach, in the mountains, or on an island in Canada—reading always makes vacations better.   

Combined, we read four books. Here they are! 

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan 

This is the first of Ryan's Skyland series, a gut-wrenching second-chance romance that will bring you to tears more than once. After a devastating loss and divorce, Yasmin and Josiah are trying to raise their children together. Old feelings start to come back, but first, they have to work through their heartbreak.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren 

This is my favorite book by Christina Lauren. It's a "he falls first," "hate to love" story about Olive and Ethan. Olive’s sister and Ethan’s brother, newly married, can’t go on their honeymoon due to food poisoning, so Olive and Ethan go to Hawaii in their place. Shenanigans ensue, and love blooms on this beautiful island adventure.   

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent 

This fantasy novel is like The Hunger Games meets Twilight. When the human daughter of the vampire king enters the Kejari, a tournament held by the goddess of death, she has to ally with her fiercest competition, Raihn. More than physical battles take place on the field; some of them take place in the heart.   

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson 

Learn about Ernest’s family as they reunite at a ski resort following the release of his oldest brother from prison. All is great until a murder is discovered—the family is snowed in, so one of them has to be the killer. This book is a wonderful whodunit and will keep you guessing page after page.   

I had an ambitious TBR pile for this weeklong vacation. Here are the other two books I didn't get to:

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young 

I love Young's magical realism books for adults, so I am excited to visit this Norse-inspired teen fantasy novel. Historical fiction, romance, and betrayal are combined to make this an excellent book for a summer vacation.   

Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen 

This is the first book in the Curvy series. I heard it's like Bridget Jones's Diary meets Survival of the Thickest. This rom-com tackles the perils of online dating, and I am here for it.