Return to Sullivans Island

I love southern fiction, but this book was terrible. The main character was very whiny for a 23 year old, and mostly acted like a brat. I felt like the writing in this book was ordinary and, while there were plenty of words, they didn't paint a good picture of the scenes. From what I understand, this book is unlike the rest of Dorothea Benton Frank's books, so perhaps I will try a different one. I don't recommend this one at all.

I've read and enjoyed Dorothea Benton Frank books in the past. And I was hoping to like 'Return to Sullivan's Island.' And I really didn't.

I've been asking myself why. First and foremost, there are no interesting characters. The 'heroine' is bland: poorly developed, not especially sympathetic, all too predictable, and shallow as a tide pool. (If this was attempt to reach a younger audience, I don't think Beth is what they're looking for.) 'Predictable' seems to be the best word for the plot line too. But it was the lackluster dialogue that did me in. Have you ever been stuck listening to a banal conversation between two strangers? That's the feeling that I got. The characters have little to say to each other and what they do say they show more say very slowly. In fact, the entire novel moved v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.

I try to rate books on a 'five to one' scale:
5 is outstanding.
4 is good enough to re-read.
3 means that I finished it and enjoyed it.
2 is thank goodness that's over.
1 is omg, I spent $ on that?

I don't mean to sound like a grouch but we're talking hardbound prices here, so look before you buy. Perhaps you'll find more to like than I did. But do take a good long look. show less

I don't normally like to read the sequel to a novel unless I have read the first book, because sometimes feel that I've missed too much of the back story to truly enjoy the second book. When I saw that TLC Book Tours was hosting a Dorothea Benton Frank Hit the Beach tour, I enthusiastically joined in, even though I have yet to read one of her books.

Last year my husband and I visited Charleston, South Carolina, Frank's home and the setting for her Sullivan Island books. We loved our time there and I vowed to read some good fiction set there in time for our return visit.

Return to Sullivans Island returns to the story begun in Sullivans Island. Beth Hayes is now a college graduate and reluctantly returning to the family home on Sullivans show more Island to be the caretaker while her mother Susan lives her dream of spending a year in Paris teaching.

We meet (or catch-up) with the members of the Hayes and Hamilton family and coming from a large extended family myself, I so enjoyed this. Susan has several siblings- sister Maggie, the true matriarch (and stylist/decorator) of the family, brothers Henry (the financial guardian) and Timmy, and youngest twin sisters Sophie and Allison, who became famous fitness gurus. They all bring their families back to Sullivans Island for a bon voyage party for Susan.

After the party, Beth realizes she had to find a job. She signs on to hostess at a popular restaurant, and as someone who ran two restaurants with my husband years ago, I related to the sections of the story set there. The organized chaos, the adrenaline rush of feeding all those people, it brought a smile of recognition to my face. (Not to mention I got some great names of restaurants and dishes I want to try on our next visit.)

Beth also got a job at the local newspaper as a features writer. In her pursuit of her first story, she meets the handsome and charismatic Max Mitchell, a real estate developer who wants to built a large retail property on the island. She falls hard for Max, and can't believe that he is interested in her.

Although I was shocked at how fast Beth fell for Max, I remembered that Beth is just 23 years old, and reflected on how things were at that stage of life. Frank accurately captures those feelings of falling head-over-heels, and losing all perspective.

The family home is not only on the beach, it is also haunted. The ghost of Livvie, the woman who cared for the young Hamilton children, frequently comments and warns the family of things she feels they should know. And Livvie doesn't seem to like Max too well. What does she know that Beth doesn't?

There were some great lines in the novel, including a description of the studious Beth as "the first one chosen as a lab partner and the last one invited on the conga line." I also liked a line from Beth at the end of the book who said that "Your family shapes you when you're really young and then holds you together when trouble comes along." If you are lucky, you feel the same way.

Beth makes a bad decision on whom she trusts, but redeems herself when a family member is in trouble and she comes to her aid. Luckily she has good friends in Cecily (Livvie's granddaughter) and Woody, whom she turns to for help and advice.

I loved the setting of Return to Sullivans Island, and at times felt like I could hear the pounding surf and feel the warmth of the sand under my feet as I was reading. You don't have to have read Sullivans Island to feel like you know what's going on, but I am definitely going to read it because I adore this family so much. show less

Generally I love this author's books. She's pretty much a no fail read for me. But I just didn't like the lead character in this book. The premise for the story sounded cute but the lead character Beth seemed so childish. I know she is only a twenty something, and that she made some bad decisions in part because she was so young. And maybe she was kind of flaky because of her age. But she was a recent college graduate that felt greatly inconvenienced because her family asked her to stay in their beach house for free for the year.

Also, since Cecily seems like the most mature character in the book, I got to the end and wondered why they didn't just pay her to house sit.

Return to Sullivan's Island is the sequel to Frank's 2004 Sullivan's Island. While I was waiting for RTSI from the library, I decided to read Sullivan's Island first, though that isn't necessary to read the sequel. I did not like it. I thought the characters were too colorful, over the top, and the main plot boring. Spoiler- Married women with teenage daughter discovers husband having an affair, he leaves her, she loses weight, gets make-over, new job, perfect relationship with teenage daughter, ex-husband gets prostate cancer, her first love proposes to her the first time they see each other in 20 years. Cue happy ending music.
I decided to still read Return to Sullivan's Island and try to keep an open mind. Beth, the teenage daughter show more from Sullivan's Island, now a college graduate, returns to her family home to house-sit for a year while her mother is teaching in Paris. Beth is less mature as an adult, than she was as a 14 year old in the first novel. She makes bad decision after bad decision and the characters are too black and white. I felt the author was trying too hard to make me care about the characters, but I just could not. The dialogue did not ring true to me. I made it 3/4 of the way through the book and then just could not take it anymore. I am sure though that it has a happy ending, with everything tied up neatly.
I know Dot Frank has a loyal following, but I discovered that even they are not happy with this book. It sounds that while this book was not for me, it also is not for her fans. show less

This book is a sequel to the author's earlier book, Sullivan's Island. The central character in this installment is Beth, Susan's daughter, who has graduated from Boston College and is returning to the family home on Sullivan's Island to keep a watchful eye on it while her mother is working in France for a year. She quickly finds employment as a hostess at a restaurant and as a special reporter for the local paper. Her first reporting assignment will change her life in ways in which she never imagined. This is a typical story where the reader wonders how long it will take the girl to realize she has fallen for the wrong man. We see Beth's character develop throughout the story, especially as the climax is approaching and afterwards. In show more spite of the plot's predictability, it's a great escape to one of my favorite regions to visit. I even discovered a restaurant or two that I want to try out on a trip that is coming up in about a week. show less

I've read all of Dottie Frank's previous books and loved them. I actually live in the Lowcountry so it's fun to read about local places. However, I was very disappointed in Return to Sullivan's Island. In fact, I got half way through it and am so disgusted I can't finish it. The main character Beth is very unlikeable, shallow and not nearly so smart as she likes to think she is. Maybe being 40, I find it hard to relate to a 20-something now. However, given how wonderful and smart her mother is, it's just too painful to read on about all the stupid and selfish things Beth does and continues to do throughout the book. Unfortuntely, this book was a waste of money.