Lakehouse Promises: a woman starts over and discovers true friendship and love

Lakehouse Promises is the first book in the Laurel Cove series by Jodi Allen Brice. At forty years old, Carolina Johnson had a life that everyone wanted. A solid marriage of twenty years, a gorgeous house in a beautiful neighborhood, country club friends and yet she feels something is off. It wasn’t until a party with friends when she got the surprise of her life. She discovers that her husband has been having an affair with a girl half his age and she is pregnant. Now divorced with literally her clothes, a paltry alimony and a house on a lake. When she arrives at the house, she realizes that the house is in desperate need of repairs, adding a neighbor who doesn’t like her, no friends and her ex-mother-in-law who suddenly appears on her doorstep. Carolina learns what true friendship and love looks like while finding the strength to stand up for herself and confront her past. 

Lakehouse Promises is a clean women’s fiction story with mild romance. From the very beginning, I was rooting for Carolina. I knew something was up with the husband from the minute he appeared on the page; however, my jaw dropped when his affair was revealed. Carolina takes her life after her life and is determined to find a way to rebuild her life. She meets each challenge and setbacks with a few tears but determination to find a solution. I loved the residents she met including the nasty neighbor and the grumpy repairman. The story was so fast paced that I could not put it down. I also loved how Carolina turns to the Bible for inspiration as well as guidance. Bible verses were used in a way that it wasn’t browbeating the readers. It felt natural and not overwhelming. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to the rest of the series. I highly, highly recommend Lakehouse Promises. 

Lakehouse Promises is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Starting Over: the Gray family and the citizens of Hart's Ridge must find hope and strength in the darkness

Starting Over is the eighth book in the Hart’s Ridge series by Kay Bratt. In the aftermath of the events of Hello Goodbye, the Gray family bands together in unwavering strength and resilience as a crisis appears to threaten to tear them apart once again. As a new case hits the small town of Hart’s Ridge a little too close to home, the Gray family and the rest of Hart’s Ridge must come together and find the courage and hope to keep going and start fresh. A local woman is taken while shopping and it becomes a race against time to find her and bring her home safe and sound. With every picture and facade being questioned and bonds tested by secrets, they can ever feel secure again. Will the Gray family and the citizens of Hart’s Ridge find strength and hope in the darkness of tragedy? Can they move forward as a family with love and forgiveness? 

When Kay Bratt first announced her new series, she originally planned for eight books. The overwhelming support and response for the Gray family and this series, she announced that she is continuing the series. And I am so happy! I can see how Starting Over was supposed to be a send off for the Gray family; but, there are still so many stories to be told in this tiny little hamlet. The main case of the story took my breath away as I awaited their resolution with every twist and turn. I wish I could talk about my reaction to the resolution but no spoilers! I will definitely be waiting for book nine and future books in this heart pounding series. If you have not started the Hart’s Ridge series, I highly, highly recommend starting with book one, Hart’s Ridge, which is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. If you have read the Hart’s Ridge series, you will not be disappointed with Starting Over! 

Starting Over is available in eBook

Seabreeze Inn: an unexpected chance to start over

Seabreeze Inn is the first book in the Summer Beach series by Jan Moran. After discovering her late husband drained their life savings on a beach house in California, Ivy Marin’s life seems to implode. Desperately needing cash, she decides to sell the house. Only after arriving, she realizes that the historical home would be a hard sell. Along with her sister, Shelly, Ivy decides to renovate the house and open an inn. The only problem is her late husband left a sour taste in the mouths of the residents of Summer Beach. Bennett Dylan is the mayor of the tiny town and he, along with the resident, led a campaign to block Jeremy Marin’s original plans for a high-rise resort. He’s determined to fight Ivy as well. Butting heads is the least of their troubles when a cache of stolen artwork is found hidden deep in the house. Ivy must now deal with the FBI, the media and the residents that haven’t yet accepted her. She’s determined to make the house a successful business and build a new life in the community she has come to love. 

Seabreeze Inn is a fun, dramatic story with a dash of romance. The book is set up for a series. I could tell as I read that certain plotlines would be carried over into future books. As well as the introduction of a large cast of characters, some that are only introduced and then never seen again. Most likely to be brought back for future books. Ivy is a woman scorned, betrayed and left reeling after her husband’s sudden death. While I understand Ivy’s harshness, I found her to be rude and often jumped to conclusions even after learning the ugly truth about her husband’s activities in the town. I would think she would have treaded lightly with the town as she learned her husband’s original plans. My favorite character was Bennett, an honorable man who tries to do right by the community he loves. He seems gruff with Ivy; however, my defenses would be up too if the widow of the man who wanted to ruin their small town showed up. Overall, I enjoyed Seabreeze Inn and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I recommend Seabreeze Inn. 

Seabreeze Inn is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

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. 

Digging In: the unexpected chances of starting over

Digging In by Loretta Nyhan is a story of the unexpected chances to start over after a devastating loss. Paige Moresco had the perfect life with her husband, Jesse, and their teenage loss, Trey. It all came tumbling down two years ago when Jesse died in a tragic car accident. Since then, she has been sleepwalking through life, only holding it together for the sake of her son. At least she thought she was holding it together. Her house is a disaster, the yard is overgrown and she soon learns she is in risk of losing her job. As she stares at her neglected lawn, she realizes that she has hit rock bottom. Suddenly, she finds herself digging. As the hole gets bigger, Paige decides to turn her yard into a vegetable and herb garden. She knows nothing about gardening, it is only with the help of her new friends, a charming local cop and the healing power of the soil, Paige begins to see the potential in the chaos, a new life growing from the upturned soil of her former life. 

Digging In takes a realistic yet warm and witty look at death and grief. “When death is sudden, the parting is actually a ragged tear, not a clean separation. It leaves all the ends unfinished, and they just unravel and unravel and . . .” describes Paige’s life as she deals with the loss of her husband. Jesse and Paige had been best friends since the eighth grade that bloomed into love and a happy marriage that his loss was more than just her husband. He was her rock, her stability. I enjoyed Paige as she still struggles with her husband’s loss, especially when many people think she should have “moved on” by now. At one point, Paige says, “Death was final, but grief wasn’t; it was a dirty street fighter who rose again and again even when I thought I had successfully knocked it to the ground. King of the sucker punches.” With a cast of colorful and interesting characters, Paige learns that moving on doesn’t mean that her life with her husband had no meaning or didn’t exist. It means that she needs to find herself without him, something she has never had to do before. I highly recommend Digging In. 

Digging In is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

The Restarting Point: friendships, adventures and starting over

The Restarting Point by Marci Bolden is the first book in her new Chammont Point series. Jade Kelly is an accomplished woman. As a wife, mother of 2 and successful marketing executive, she can now add cancer survivor to her life. While everything seems great in appearances, she realizes that she and her family need to reconnect after the stress of her treatments left Jade and her husband, Nick, basically housemates and her children are almost strangers. Jade is determined to start over, to start fresh with her new chance at life. She schedules a family vacation at a lakefront carbon. When her kids bail and Nick stays home to handle a work crisis, Jade heads to Chammont Point alone. Her vacation turns into a life-altering moment as secrets, lies and old wounds open new adventures and new relationships for Jade. With the help of family and her new found friends, Jade learns that starting over isn’t always what you thought it would be. 

The Restarting Point is my first Marci Bolden book, although I have two of her books from the Life Without Water series on my To-Be-Read list. It is a great story with plenty of drama and humor. Jade was a hard character to care for as she is very blunt and rough, almost that there is no softness to her. I felt for her as she faced certain death and survived, only to be dealt a devastating blow. However, she is surrounded by a wonderful cast of colorful characters that start to soften her rough edges, especially the flashy and outgoing Darby and the flirty Liam Cunningham. She begins to see where she sacrificed too much and the price she paid for those sacrifices. Overall, I enjoyed The Restarting Point and I am looking forward to reading more in the Chammont Point series to find out what new adventures the residents of Chammont Point can get into. I recommend The Restarting Point. 

The Restarting Point is available in paperback and eBook. 

Traded Brody and Kara: a sweet, heartwarming romance

Traded: Brody and Kara is the first book in the Cliffside Bay series by Tess Thompson. Switching perspectives between Brody and Kara, the reader is taken on a journey of secrets, new beginnings, and love. Kara is starting over in the Witness Protection Program after she testifies against her father who was involved in organized crime. Fearing for her life, she heads west to a hidden gem north of San Francisco. The residents of Cliffside Bay do not like newcomers and the pretty young woman in town is immediately noticed. She quickly finds a job as a live-in nurse for Brody Mullen, the famous football quarterback, who needs someone to care for his injured mother and ailing housekeeper/surrogate mother. As the two are now in proximity, there is no denying the sparks that fly between them, that is to everyone around them except Kara and Brody. Kara is determined to stay hidden and a relationship with Brody would out of the question. Will their defenses fall? Will Kara open up, and tell Brody her dark secret?

Traded: Brody and Kara is a sweet and heartwarming secret. I laughed. I cried. I quickly fell in in love with Brody and Kara and their circle of friends. My heart warmed at the romantic moments. I love the camaraderie and banter between Brody and his friends known as the Dogs. The women who become Kara’s friends are interesting with their own secrets of love lost, lessons learned and paths that led them to the sleepy small town. I stayed up late into the night to finish this book, something I have not done in a long, long time. I just had to find out how their story ended. I knew they would end up together, but how, when and other questions. Overall, I really enjoyed Traded: Brody and Kara and I look forward to continue the series, which has 12 books. If you love sweet, small town romances, I recommend Traded: Brody and Kara. Maybe you too will be drawn into this wonderful story.

Traded: Brody and Kara

is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook