Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsJenny Hale gets Better & Better
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2015
One of the best things to happen to readers with the explosion of the Internet is the increase in little known authors and self published authors we might never have had the privilege to read before, now are given much needed breaks. Thank goodness for the $2.99 deals, I've discovered some fantastic gems in this surprising price range.
I suppose it's been over a year since I first read a Jenny Hale book, and was an instant fan. However, she seems to be perfecting her craft with each book she turns out. Summer by the Sea is definitely a book that is on par with some of her more popular contemporaries, like Carole Matthews, Ruth Saberton and other fab authors. And the best thing, she's an American with the writing style of a quaint Brit (I'm obsessed with Brit chick lit).
In Summer by the Sea we meet Faith as she is about to go and spend the summer at her families old summer spot (the previous cottage was destroyed and now has been rebuilt). Faith while happy to be reconnecting with her family, is also quite distraught at the thought if being around her sister Cassie after an event years ago left the two sisters at odds.
Her first stop is to visit the old cottage site (at this point it's unknown that she will be spending her summer at her old family home), where she encounters a handsome handyman in Jake Buchanon. Jake and Faith hit it off from the start and begin conversing about deeper subjects than two strangers would normally start discussing.
When Faith and her family realize that they are to spend their summer at their old family home, they are all thrilled beyond words. Faith and Cassie try to make amends, Faith is especially thrown off guard when she discovers that Cassie and Scott are headed for turbulent times and what seems to be an eventual divorce. Unsure of how this news makes her feel, Faith does so,e soul searching.
Jake it seems is popping up everywhere and Faith is drawn to this handsome handyman, but she fears that Cassie has her eyes set on him too.
This was such a delicious book that kept me hanging on to every word. Jenny Hale weaves a beautiful story and creates vibrant characters in which her readers feel an emotional connection to almost immediately.
