Cover Image: The Beach House

The Beach House

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

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The Beach House is a story of loss, love, and discovery. When Melanie Simpson's grandmother passes, she leaves an inheritance meant to purchase a dilapidated house in Rosemary Bay, where they used to vacation. It's more than just a little restoration project, however. Melanie is quickly in over her head.

Local contractor Josh Claiborne steps in to help her, despite his reservations about restoring the house, which was formerly owned by the town recluse. Just as he's beginning to warm up to Melanie and the house, they discover letters hidden in a closet that complicates things for both Melanie and Josh.

A heartwarming summer romance, you'll fall in love with Melanie, Josh and the house!

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This was a cute beach read, but nothing special. While I did think it had some great writing and the characters were fun, I found it hard to get through. Overall, a nice beach read that is perfect for vacation.

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Jenny Hale is an amazing author and I loved The Beach House. It wrapped by heart up from the beginning and didn't let go until long after I'd finished. Letters that were written and never sent and new-found love. It's an addictive story and so special.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It had all the elements of a wonderful story that drew me in from the very beginning.

Melanie felt lost after her gram's passing. She had set her life aside as she cared for her gram for three years before her death. Her inheritance was to be used to buy a broken down, crumbling beach house in Rosemary Beach, Florida. She remembered vacationing there with her gram during her youth but the home was in such disrepair that it would take a miracle to bring it back to its former glory so it could be used for a B&B, as she had planned.

Her first day in town, Melanie met Josh, a local contractor/carpenter and through a bet was able to nab his services until he left town for New York. As they began to spend time together, they formed a type of friendship and maybe something more. If only Melanie could find the secrets that had been trapped for decades and shed light on the truth.

Melanie found a stack of yellowed letters from the original owner addressed to the women he had loved his whole life. As more and more of that story came to light, the connections between Melanie and Josh became stronger and stronger. Was it possible to create something beautiful from tragedy and heartbreak? Only if one is willing to let go and believe in the power of a forever love.

I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.

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Fun read with the location of Rosemary Bay, Florida.
To honor her grandmothers legacy, main character, Melanie, sets out to restore her beach house.
A heartwarming and uplifting story that will have you falling in love with the characters and scenery.
A beautiful second chance love story.
I always enjoy books written by Jenny Hale. She is my go to author♥️

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Another gorgeous coastal stunner from Jenny Hale! Her stories are always emotional, touching and beautifully written and this is no exception. Perfect sunlounger read!

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The Beach House by Jenny Hale

I loved this story. This book brought me all the feels, I laughed, I got teary eyed, annoyed at some of the characters, and all of the warm and fuzzies, just like a good contemporary romance should give you.

The story starts off with Melanie trying to start over after her Grandma passed by buying a house her Grandma wanted her to have at the beach.

A mystery winds through the budding relationship of Melanie and a local guy named Josh while Melanie unravels the secrets that no one thinks should come to light.

This book grabbed me from the beginning and kept my interest the whole way through. My new favorite book by this author.

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This was a lovely feel good romance. The characters were well drawn out. At times the plot could have moved more quickly but overall I liked it.

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I really liked the mixture of characters in the book and the story line was entertaining. I would have liked a longer ending, it seemed a bit rushed.

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A very sweet beachside romance, with some twists and turns that did make it a little less believable.

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Great story!
Description
“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?

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After the loss of her grandmother, Melanie moves to a tiny little beach town in Florida to - to renovate a home that her grandmother loved. While Melanie didn't know yet - WHY - her grandmother owned it, she quickly got caught up in the mystery and secrets of the home and the previous owner.. Melanie began her search for contractors and comes across Josh - who has zero interest or intent in helping her because he will be shortly leaving town. After losing a bet, helping Melanie through her first natural disaster and eventually (begrudgingly at first) - helping her rehab her home - well, we're finally treated to the fireworks that had been building up the entire novel. This is a precious HEA read sprinkled with colorful characters, a touch of mystery and a loving conclusion. This is an honest review of The Beach House by Jenny Hale given in exchange for a digital copy of the novel by Netgalley.

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This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

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I loved The Beach House by Jenny Hale, a great book that hooked me in straight away. This is a story about two love stories, 60 plus years apart with great twists and turns. Another great book by Jenny.

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The beach house was a sweet story that semi intertwined the past and present. “Ghosts are whispers of the past. They only stick around when they want to tell us something that we need to know.”

This was a cute quick read and I think it’s be perfect for the beach! One that just allows you enjoy the story! I love how it tied into the past and some of the quotes in this book were perfect.
I did want a little more out of the Melanie and Josh relationship and wanted a little more character development. I will be reading more Jenny Hale especially on the beach!

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After years of caring for her beloved grandmother, Melanie fulfills her grandmothers wish of using her inheritance to buy a Florida beach house they used to visit every summer. It's run down and delapidated but she convinces Josh, a carpenter to stay in town long enough to fix up the cottage. As the attraction between them grows his desire to leave gets less. When they find a stack of old letters it may end the romance quickly. A nice read. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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Jenny Hale is one of my favorite authors. She writes the sweetest books, and they’re always great to read during the summer. This book is a romance story, but it has a little mystery to it, which I loved. The relationship progressed naturally, which was so nice. I didn’t want to put this one down. I recommend checking it out!

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My thoughts 


Narrative and Plot 



Melanie is our main character, who moves into the Beach House in Rosemary Bay. She is an engaging narrator who keeps the momentum going and makes you want to read more even if the pacing is too uneven. The story takes place within the span of a few weeks. However, there's a flashback which plays a significant role in the story.

The idea and the concept is terrific and heartwarming. However, the execution of the same is not as perfect as one would expect to be. The story spends a lot of time on the technicalities of renovation. And the readers are robbed out of the opportunity to peer into Melanie's own goals and pursuit of them.













Characters and Conflicts



Melanie carries the entire weight of the story on her shoulders and she is a fleshed out character who has the strength to do that. However, the reluctance of the main character and the constant self doubt about the mission that she is carrying on wears the reader down at some point. It feels like the main character is stuck in a job that she doesn't want and is going on anyway because the story said so.

The romance felt a bit forced in the beginning but the main characters  - Melanie and Josh - sure had the chemistry to keep things interesting. However, the problem with Josh is similar to what I had with the author's other book Christmas at Fireside Cabins. He is too emotionally unavailable and while men like that are real, I am not exactly onboard with romanticizing that aspect of a person. Other than that, the ensemble characters were all great and a pleasure to read too.










Conclusion




The Beach House was a one time read for me. It takes the idea of love that goes beyond generations and lives in through the people who come after us. The book has a wonderful philosophy and concept. The execution however, was a bit lackluster.

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Full review to come on Instagram and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

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