Breakfast at the Beach House Hotel: sometimes a second chance comes in the most unlikely places

Breakfast at the Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim is the first book in the Beach House Hotel series. It is a story of two unlikely friends who go into business together and find the chance to start over. After Ann Rutherford’s husband dumps her for his much-younger receptionist, she finds herself without a home and a job. The usually quiet and reserved Ann is no match for Rhonda DelMonte, her polar opposite. Rhonda is flashy and bossy. Together, they go into business together, renovating the Beach House Hotel. As they struggle to get their business off the ground, they face each challenge with confidence and a little bit of luck. Their luck certainly changes when they have the chance to host The Sins of the Children soap opera cast and crew as they film a few episodes there. For Ann, the boon becomes complicated when she falls for Vaughn Sanders, the sexy star of the show. While still dealing with her ex-husband, her daughter and a man out to destroy her business, can Ann take a chance on love too? 

I picked up Breakfast at the Beach House Hotel after hearing Judith Keim in an interview. I like discovering new authors and series. Unfortunately, this story fell flat for me. I couldn’t relate to any of the characters. It is a story of women in their 40s but act like teenagers in a high school drama with the constant rumors and false rumors circling around them. Ann’s daughter is supposed to be a sophomore in college and yet acts like a child. Also the story occurs in about a year and they go from struggling to get the hotel up and running to being THE spot for VIPs. It just seems a bit unrealistic. Plus the language used during the love scenes was a bit cringey. At one point, I laughed like no one talks like that! Overall, this book was not the story for me and I doubt I will continue the series. However, if the story does sound appealing to you, I recommend you give it a try. Even though it didn’t relate to me, it might relate to someone else. 

Breakfast at the Beach House Hotel is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.