Sherryl Woods

Oh, barf.

I've read the reviews for this book and I can't see why people were so bothered with Caitlyn. She has plans/dreams of being a doctor and going to help poor people in Africa, so naturally she is upset about a surprise pregnancy... especially when her family is trying to push her into it! She is selfish??? Maybe if she was a irresponsible party animal who didn't want to be responsible for a baby. But this was a woman with a noble dream and goal, and it doesn't help that her show more grandfather is a meddling asshole who even went so far as to try to pit Caitlyn against her twin sister in an attempt to get her to the altar faster.

Honestly, part of me wanted Caitlyn to get an abortion, but I have the feeling that Mick would raise holy hell over a woman daring to exercise her right to choose.

Mick is an asshole, pure and simple. He is repeatedly told to leave shit alone, and he won't. He's an narcissist who loves to stir the pot and manipulate his family into following his wishes. Sure, they might try to fight back a little... but he steamrolls over them, ignoring explicitly expressed wishes for space and privacy. It's no wonder Caitlyn was so reluctant to have Noah meet her family... she's a smart girl who had legit reason to feel nervous.

Especially with an narcissistic asshole of a grandfather who just won't stop meddling in the affairs of his whole damn family (and even his workers!) show less

Oh, barf.

I've read the reviews for this book and I can't see why people were so bothered with Catelyn. She has plans/dreams of being a doctor and going to help poor people in Africa, so naturally she is upset about a surprise pregnancy... especially when her family is trying to push her into it! She is selfish??? Maybe if she was a irresponsible party animal who didn't want to be responsible for a baby. But this was a woman with a noble dream and goal, and it doesn't help that her show more grandfather is a meddling asshole who even went so far as to try to pit Catelyn against her twin sister in an attempt to get her to the altar faster.

Mick is an asshole, pure and simple. He is repeatedly told to leave shit alone, and he won't. He's an narcissist who loves to stir the pot and manipulate his family into following his wishes. Sure, they might try to fight back a little... but he steamrolls over them, ignoring explicitly expressed wishes for space and privacy. It's no wonder Catelyn was so reluctant to have Noah meet her family... she's a smart girl who had legit reason to feel nervous.

Mick is an asshole again in the novella Bayside Retreat. He bullies his employee, Jamie, into taking his convalescence in Chesapeake Shores after the man injures himself on the job. Jamie is bored out of his mind... and the asshole Mick refuses to let him do anything work-related even when it's clear Jamie wants to, to the point where the asshole Mick (yes, he really is an asshole) hides his laptop from him, and forbids staff at their company to keep Jamie in the loop of things.

I mean, what a fucking asshole. An entitled, controlling, narcissistic asshole. I feel sorry for his family. At least Jamie's romance didn't drag out and though it was cliched, it was admittedly a bit sweet. But that doesn't make Mick any less of an asshole. show less

Very good conclusion to the series. Samantha is an actress who lives in New York and is headed home for her sister Emily's wedding. In the previous book, Wind Chime Point, her career was slowing down, so her sister Gabi, a PR specialist, helped give it a boost. That boost didn't last, and now Samantha realizes that she's lost the passion that drove her early career. Going home will give her the chance to look at her options and come up with a plan. Getting involved with her teenage crush was show more not in the plan.

Ethan came home from the war after losing part of his leg and opened a clinic in his hometown. After being dumped by his fiancée because he wasn't "whole," Ethan became jaded and cynical about love. As the best man for Emily and Boone's wedding, he's surrounded by people that do believe. This puts him at a disadvantage when the bride's family seems determined to push him into Samantha's arms.

I liked both Samantha and Ethan. Samantha is independent and focused, even when she's having a career crisis. Her family means everything to her, which shows in her determination to do whatever her sister needs. She is also very observant, a side effect of her work as an actress. Ethan is a good man whose heart was stomped on by his ex. It did a number on his confidence in his appeal to women, and as a result, he built up some pretty solid walls around his heart. The only ones who get through them are the kids he works with. I loved seeing him use his experiences to help children adapt to injuries like his.

I loved watching the development of the relationship between Samantha and Ethan. As maid of honor and best man, they need to be able to work together. Because her family is well aware of that teenage crush, they are determined to push Samantha and Ethan together whenever possible. Though the sparks fly whenever they are together, Ethan is particularly resistant. It doesn't take long for Samantha to be ready to see where those sparks take them. She knows that she is risking heartbreak, but if she can break through his walls, it will be worth it. I loved seeing how well she understood Ethan and his fears and knew when to push and when to back off. Ethan knew he was fighting a losing battle, but his fears went very deep. Just when things looked very promising, they found themselves in the middle of a minor scandal. I wanted to shake Ethan because he used what happened as an excuse to push Samantha away, convincing himself that she would leave anyway. I was also mad at him for failing to support her when she needed him. He did finally redeem himself in a very satisfying manner, but he still let his pride hold him back. I loved Samantha's strength as she stood up for herself and her needs. I liked his big moment at the end as he finally let go of his fears and his pride. The epilogue was a great wrap-up for the book.

A good part of the story was spent on Samantha's career crisis and what she was going to do about it. I loved watching her at the high school and how the drama kids inspired her. I especially liked her connection with Cass. I ached for Samantha when she had to deal with Ethan's attitude and lack of belief in her plans. It was hard to see Samantha's insecurities over her chances to make those plans work, especially when she hit that bump in the road. It was great to see the support she got from her family. When they talked about bringing in guest actors, etc., I immediately thought of Bree from Flowerson Main. It would have been fun to see her provide some advice to Samantha. show less

I loved this book just as much as I loved the first one in the series, Sand Castle Bay. Here we have Gabi, the driven one in the family, who is facing the total upending of her life. Instead of looking at a possible vice-presidency in her company and a successful relationship with her boyfriend, she is pregnant, her boyfriend has rejected her and the baby, and her conservative company doesn't want anything to do with an unwed mother. Uncertain of what to do, Gabi goes home to Sand Castle Bay show more and the loving support of her grandmother and sisters.

One of the first people she sees is Wade, the carpenter who had helped with storm repairs in the previous book. There had been some sparks between them that Gabi ignored because she was content with her life. Wade didn't push because he could see that she wasn't interested. But Wade is completely smitten by Gabi and had spent a lot of time just watching her and paying attention. Now he sees his chance and quickly talks her into dinner and a movie as friends - at least for now.

I loved the development of their relationship. Wade is incredibly patient, apparently content to be Gabi's friend for as long as it takes for her to return his feelings. He is an awesome friend, willing to listen without judging, helping her move through her doubts and uncertainty. While he makes it clear that he is her friend, he also lets her know that friendship isn't the only thing on his mind. I loved seeing how well he understood her and offered support without trying to tell her what she should do. Gabi is wary of Wade at the beginning. She has enough on her plate without trying to add a new relationship into the mix. I loved seeing how quickly she became comfortable with him, willing to share thoughts and fears that she doesn't tell anyone else. She isn't quite sure what to do about the attraction between them. She's not sure that she trusts her own feelings, with everything that is going on with her. And she also isn't sure if she can trust that what he feels is real and not just his need to care for the people around him. I enjoyed the slow buildup of her feelings until she finally realized the truth. Her "ah-ha" moment was pretty funny. The ending was sweet and romantic.

I also enjoyed the other assorted relationships. We get more of Emily and Boone as they plan their wedding. The relationships among the three sisters aren't perfect, as each has their own quirks and foibles that sometimes create stress. But the love and support for each other are unmistakable. I also liked the growing relationship between the sisters and their father. He had been distant and hard to please for most of their lives and is now making an effort to be more involved. I loved the scene between him and Wade at the end. I also loved Cora Jane, the girls' meddling grandmother. She is determined to see them all happily married and interferes any way she sees fit. I enjoyed the growing relationship between her and Jerry and laughed at his attempts to keep her from going too far. Wade's relationship with his sister was great. She is older and protective of Wade, which caused a little strain between them when she was less than supportive about his relationship with Gabi. I loved his relationship with his nieces and nephews, which showed his dad-like potential. show less