Newport Harbor House: restoring a family home

Newport Harbor House by Cindy Nichols is the first book in the Newport Beach series. Jen Watson is looking forward to a blissful summer at the family beach house for the first time in years. Widowed when her children were young, Jen focused on raising them but now that they are grown and on their own, she needs this time. She learns that her dad and brother want to sell it especially when there is more profit in selling than doing the necessary repairs. It has become her mission to show them that keeping and repairing the house is worthwhile. Along with her longtime friends, Faith and Carrie, Jen is determined to show the family that selling would be a mistake and worth keeping. 

Newport Harbor House sounded intriguing and I like stories in which old houses are brought back to life; however, much doesn’t happen in this story. While the focus is on saving the house, not much is done in terms of repairs and the most of the events center around caring for dogs, food and cooking. While I enjoyed the friendship with Jen, Carrie and Faith, the rest of the story was just okay. The drama between Jen and her father and brother was lacking. I expected more of a fight and just drama especially when dealing with family. It was a lot of avoidance and phone tag by all three. Newport Harbor House was a quick read with not much going on. 

Newport Harbor House is available in paperback and eBook