About Whisper Beach
• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (June 16, 2015)
When a group of friends reunite in the idyllic beach town where they grew up, they must reevaluate their loyalty to one another or lose their friendship forever
Twelve years ago, Vanessa "Van" Moran fell in love and lost her virginity—but not to the same boy. She fled Whisper Beach desperate and pregnant, never telling a soul about her secret. Now a professional Manhattan organizer, she must return home for the first time to attend the funeral of her best friend's husband. Van intends to only stay for a weekend, but her plans fall by the wayside as the troubles of this coastal town draw her in.
Dorie, the owner of the pier's infamous Blue Crab Restaurant where Van and her friends worked as teenagers, enlists Van's help to save the nearly bankrupt eatery. While Van throws herself into this new task, the man she once loved reenters her life, willing to pick up where they left off.
As the restaurant begins to thrive and Van reconnects with old friends, trouble comes from an unexpected source and she realizes she must face the decisions of her past or sacrifice this new life she has so carefully built.
For Van, this summer will test the meaning of friendship and trust—and how far love can bend before it breaks.
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Review: Two words for you, beach read, and that's not just because the title of the book has "beach" in it. What qualifies this as a great beach read is the fact that you can get lost in the story for a few hours. I loved the characters, though, I think I liked the secondary characters more so than Vanessa, "Van" who I had a hard time connecting with, though she's the character that grows the most through this book.
I loved that for once the characters were "real" and not overly wealthy, well except for Suze. It was nice to see a story that could have been about people that you know.
What sets this apart from your usual beach reads, is that it isn't about romance or breaking up. It is about life, and coming home and maybe a few second chances.
Vanessa left home pregnant 12 years prior, thinking the guy she loved betrayed her. Oh and the baby didn't belong to him. So there's a lot of drama involved with her relationship with Joe. Then there's her dad who wasn't quite the father of the year, but as she comes to learn, things aren't always the way they seem.
Van connects with her friends, Suze and Gigi and gives her nemesis, Dana (who isn't as bad as you might think she is) a second chance. She learns that sometimes you can come home and that you don't always know everything about some of your friends. Oh and she starts to help Dorie, who owns a local restaurant and is the mother hen of the locals. I absolutely loved her.
There were a lot of secrets revealed and one of the characters wasn't what she seemed. There's a point in the story where you know which woman isn't quite as nice as you think and you just want to choke her and smack Van for not seeing it sooner.
The ending leaves things open. There's unfinished business with all of them, but also hope for the future. This was really an enjoyable read, and I hope the author revisits these characters in the future.
Rating: 4 flowers
About Shelley Noble
Shelley Noble is a former professional dancer and choreographer and has worked on a number of films. She lives at the Jersey shore where she loves to visit lighthouses and vintage carousels. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America.
Find out more about Shelley at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
2 comments:
its always fun to have good characters, and secondary characters can really make the story seem deeper.
I hope I can find some time to get to the beach and do some reading this summer - it is one of my favorite things to do.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
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