I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Beach House by Jenny Hale Also by this author: Coming Home For Christmas, Summer by the Sea, A Christmas to Remember, The Summer House
Published by Bookouture on 9th June 2021
Pages: 300
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“Oh, my goodness,” she whispered. At the bottom of the box was a stack of letters. Tied with a ribbon, the pages were faded with age. “These are all addressed from here,” she said, “but they’ve never been sent.”
When her gram passes away, Melanie Simpson feels utterly lost. She has no idea what to do with her life after she has devoted years to looking after her beloved grandmother.
But Gram’s will may hold the answer, instructing Melanie to use her inheritance to buy a crumbling house in Rosemary Bay. They used to visit the village every summer, sit by the sparkling gulf on a beach the color of a fresh pearl, and daydream about turning the place on the corner into a bed and breakfast.
Fulfilling her grandmother’s legacy, Melanie decides to restore the beach house to its original glory. She sets out on renovations of the wrap-around porch weathered by the coastal breeze, and the peeling white paint faded by the sun.
When Melanie runs into local carpenter, Josh Claiborne, whose eyes match the dazzling sea, she jumps at the chance to ask him for help. But that’s the last thing he wants. He’s off to New York soon, leaving his troubled past behind. Over a game of darts Melanie gets her wish, even if Josh isn’t happy about it.
As they work together, Melanie tries to ignore their undeniable chemistry and how Josh’s rare smiles take her breath away––because soon they’ll be thousands of miles apart. But hiding in a closet is a yellowing stack of letters that could change everything. The looping handwriting reveals the mystery of the rickety house––a buried history that touches everyone in Rosemary Bay. Will its secrets bring Melanie and Josh together or tear them apart?
An absolutely gorgeous and heartwarming read about never-ending love, new beginnings, and how family is always with you, no matter where you are. Fans of Pamela Kelley, Mary Alice Monroe and Susan Mallery will adore this romantic page-turner.
Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I have been a big fan of Jenny’s writing and was looking forward to my escape to the seaside.
Melanie isn’t quite sure what to do with herself now her Gram has passed and she’s no longer her carer. I felt like Melanie really discovered herself in this story. She was lost and without purpose at the beginning. Melanie is such a likeable character. She has a good heart and you rooted for her instantly.
Josh, Josh, Josh. This man has so many layers. He was so hurt from his ex but underneath that hurt is a man who just wants to be loved for who he is. I felt so much pain and anger for what his ex had done.
The letters were so sad, I found them so heartbreaking to read. The only thing I would have liked would have been a little more flicking back to the past, maybe some bits from before the prologue.
Jenny’s writing is a pleasure to read. It was very easy for me to sit down and read for hours at a time and not want for anything.
This book is a sweet romantic story with a little mystery thrown in. It’s a great book to pick up on these sunny days and be instantly transported to the beach.
About Jenny Hale
When I graduated college, one of my friends said, “Look out for this one; she’s going to be an author one day.” Despite being an avid reader and a natural storyteller, it wasn’t until that very moment that the idea of writing novels occurred to me.
Sometimes our friends can see the things that we can’t.
While I didn’t start straight away, that comment sowed a seed and several years, two children, and hundreds of thousands of words later, I completed a novel that I felt was worthy of publication. The result is Coming Home for Christmas, a heart-warming story about friends, family, and the magic of love at Christmas.
I released my second book, Love Me for Me, this past summer, and my next novel, A Christmas to Remember is out now.
When I’m not writing, I’m a District Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages, a mother of two boys, and a wife to a very supportive husband.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
@jhaleauthor Thanks so much!
@bookouture Thanks, Emma! So happy to have you on the blog tour!