Beach House Summer

I noticed this book on bookstagram and thought it would be a good, summery pick. I liked the idea of a story with multiple female POVs and a focus on intergenerational friendship between women. But this book didn't take advantage of its premise, the issues raised could have been explored with a lot more complexity and the female characters all seemed frustratingly immature.

The story was fine ... but soon got bogged down with redundant dialogue and while I appreciate how Morgan tried for some mystery, I guessed Ashley's secret when she was still in the car, for goodness sake. The bond between Ashley and Joanna was supportive and sweet and the descriptions of the beautiful beach home were my favourite part of the book. That's great news if this is an AirBnB ad, but not for a novel. 

Unfortunately, the plot lacked energy and a firm direction. Nothing much happened, the characters weren't developed and many of Joanna's ridiculously immature behaviours grated on me. Your ex-husband was a chef but that doesn't mean you can't learn how to cook a grilled cheese in 20 years of marriage. Lawwd! This book suffers from too much telling and not enough showing and is so inundated with repetitive, long-winded and superfluous dialogue that 100 pages could have easily been culled. 

This is a very light, escapist and predictable read which will appeal to readers who want a story that they can dip in and out of easily while enjoying a sunny locale, but don't expect exploration of the issues in any depth.

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Author: Sarah Morgan

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Publisher: HQN Books

First Published: May 17, 2022

Book Description from GoodReads: USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan returns with the ultimate beach read, as one woman forges the most unlikely friendship of all, and embarks on a summer of confronting her past in order to build the future she wants...

When Joanna Whitman's famous ex-husband dies in a car accident, she doesn't know what to feel. Their dysfunctional marriage held more painful secrets than she cares to remember. But when she discovers that the young woman with him in the crash is pregnant, Joanna feels compelled to act, knowing exactly how brutal the media spotlight will be on celebrity chef Cliff Whitman's ex-wife and his mysterious female friend.

Ashley Blake can't believe it when Joanna shows up in her hospital room and suggests they hide away at her beach house on a sleepy stretch of California coast. Joanna should be hating her, not helping her. But alone and pregnant, Ashley can't turn down Joanna's offer. Yet she knows that if Joanna ever found out the real reason Ashley was in that car, their tentative bond would shatter instantly.

Joanna's only goal for the summer is privacy, but her return causes major waves in the local community, especially for the man she left behind years ago. All Ashley wants is space to plan for her and her baby's future, and to avoid causing any trouble for Joanna. But as secrets spill out under the hot summer sun, this unlikely friendship is about to be put to the test.