Gayle Roper

As someone who doesn’t usually read mystery stories, I’ve got to say, I enjoyed this thoroughly! It has just the right mix of mystery, romance, tragedy and recovery. The Christian characteristics are powerful, yet meld into the story very nicely. I’ve no doubt non-Christians could enjoy this book as much as I did.

I enjoyed getting to know the primary characters, and the secondary characters were introduced just enough to keep things rolling smoothly. I cared about what happened and was show more satisfied with how the story closed.

At a very young age, Carrie Carter had seen enough abuse, neglect, and ugliness in the world to last a lifetime. She finally gains the courage (and means) to escape, taking her little sister, Lindsay, in tow. They start a new life in Seaside, New Jersey, working at, and eventually owning, a successful café.

The regular café patrons are both charming and flawed, many of them reminding me of people I know. Whether willing participants or not – their lives become entangled by mystery, murder, loss, and love.

I can’t really say if the romance or the mystery played the biggest part of this story, but they were both equally developed and kept me interested to the very last page. If there was a sequel to this book I’d certainly read it. I’d label this book as an easy read, a compelling storyline, and a satisfying end! show less

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Gayle Roper has a way of dealing with real issues, sometimes tough issues, in a very well done and realistic way. She also keeps it upbeat, and lively. In this story I found myself laughing and smiling as well as nodding my head in agreement at how the two main characters in this story handled some tough issues in their lives.

Abby Patterson has endured a terrible car acccident where she barely survived, but where her husband and small child did not. show more She is now well on the road to recovery and trying to break free from her parents who are smothering her with their care. She finds an upstairs apartment right on the beach and begins to experience some freedom. But she wasn't planning on such an annoying landlord who lives right below her; Marsh Winslow, who just wants to enjoy his beach house and write his stories. Someone is out to do Abby harm and Marsh finds himself as her source of strength and someone she can lean on.

This story had alot going on and it never left you with a dull moment. There was enjoyment in watching Abby and Marsh and their "way with words" around each other. Abby was a magnet at drawing people to her place and alls Marsh wanted was peace and quiet. There was mystery, heartache, suspense, secrets and lots of understanding and love. I just had a hard time putting this story down until I was done. Looking forward to reading more in this Seaside Series. show less

The plot was excellent but the style of writing didn't match it - I read about these horrible things that had happened to the main characters but I didn't feel anything for them. This is the first book by Roper I've read and judging from this one, I won't seek out anymore.

I didn't like the fact that the author used her characters to speak disparagingly about social network sites, especially Twitter. I couldn't find her on Twitter, so if she is not using the site, how can she pass judgement show more on it like that?

I think Christian authors can get lazy in their writing - as long as they have a plot that includes crazy cults, they will continue to have readers that share their point of view. I wish they would work harder to write something that's emotionally satisfying.

**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for writing this review. show less

Carrie Carter runs Carrie's Cafe with her sister, Lindsey, in Seaside, New Jersey. Greg Barnes is an ex-cop, now property manager, who comes into the cafe everyday to eat. He pretty much keeps to himself, still hurting from the loss of his wife and children three years ago. Carrie is very drawn to Greg but he doesn't seem to notice she exists. Then her dishwasher is found dead and her waitress disappears. Greg finds himself wanting to help her and in the process also notices how very show more attracted he is to her. Carrie has some real trust issues and Greg doesn't know if he can ever love again. Will they be able to confront their fears and find love or will it be too late?

This was a story that caught me by surprise. The cover and title led me to think this was a cozy-type mystery. But it was oh-so-much-more than that. It's written in a first person POV which I must admit is not my favorite viewpoint. However, I found myself really drawn into the story and caring about the characters. The main characters have moments of reflection which tell their background story. I felt like all the characters, villains included, were very well drawn and realistic. This author tackled the subjects of love, loss, child abuse, cults, murder, alcoholism, PTSD and second chances. The seriousness of the subjects was not at all what I expected when I began reading the book but it had a depth to it that really surprised me. The theme running throughout the story was 'there is a time for every purpose under heaven' and I think the author did a wonderful job playing that out. The story starts out at a somewhat slow pace but continues to build and culminates to an nail-biting conclusion. I have to add that though the story dealt with serious subjects there were plenty of humorous moments to break the tension. I thoroughly enjoyed Shadows on the Sand and would definitely recommend it to those who like a good romantic suspense. A thank you goes to the publisher and Librarything for providing this complimentary copy for my review. show less