Cover Image: The Beach House

The Beach House

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Member Reviews

A heartwarming story spanning the generations, Melanie in carrying out the wishes of her grandmother's will finds out all sorts of family secrets with the help of the unwilling builder Josh, but will they bring them close together or push them apart? A great setting and plenty of secrets and intrigue to keep your interest makes a perfect beach read

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The Beach House by Jenny Hale

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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Story Notes

The request of her beloved grandmother brings Melanie to the beach town of Rosemary Bay to fix up an old house filled with memories and mystery and just might bring her the chance at love.

I love stories that refer back to the past and show us how the future might be different than we imagine if we have the courage to face our fears. Melanie has cared for her grandmother for the past three years, walking her journey of cancer to the end and cherishing every moment. Upon the reading of the will, Melanie finds herself with a request she is unsure she wants to fulfill - return to Rosemary Bay and fix up a house on the beach. Her grandmother left her with plenty of money to do so but it can only be used to redo the house and create a bed-and-breakfast, just like they talked of in years past. But there are plenty of secrets surrounding the house in question - the Ellis House - a seemingly too-large house build by the town's eccentric bachelor. How they are connected to her Gram and others in the town is for Melanie to figure out along the way. But first, she needs to take on this renovation. Her sister wrangles the town carpenter into helping Melanie through a bet and while he is constantly reiterating that he is leaving in a week for NYC, he grudgingly agrees to help until then. One hurricane, lots of storm damage, plenty of hard work and one sweet little foster boy all thrown into the mix make for a story that readers will not want to miss out on. Can Melanie solve the mysteries surrounding the Ellis house and its former occupants or will what she finds cause more harm than good? And what's with Josh and his insistence that he go to New York to work when he has plenty of work waiting for him in Rosemary Bay if he wants it. And, if he is willing to take a chance on Melanie, he could find the love and home he's been searching for all his life.
Don't you just love stories that have a little mystery thrown in to keep you guessing about how things will turn out? Its a nice break to read a story that has all the good elements of a romance and drama but with a hint of suspense to give it a deeper feel and stronger plot. Jenny knows just how to draw you in and keep you engaged from first word to last. I love how she weaves her stories carefully to reveal everything at just the right moment so that even if you may guess some of how it will turn out, you are still a bit surprised by the ending. I also liked how she included a foster child in this story and reminds us to keep our eyes open for ways to invest in others that might not have the close family that we have been blessed with. You will definitely want to add this story to your TBR list so you don't miss out on this wonderful story of hope, forgiveness, redemption and love in a delightful seaside town. I certainly recommend it and all the books that Jenny has written - they are always a good choice!

I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Bookouture via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

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Sweet uplifting book with a bit of mystery to it. It touches on foster children. Melanie buys a house her late Grandmother wanted her to buy. It needs lots of renovations and she meets Josh at a local bar. He is leaving town in a week to find his fortune in NYC. His friends make a bet between him and Melanie about who will win a game of darts. And so it goes on from here. It is a good beach read. I recommend this.

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The Beach House by Jenny Hale is a heartwarming summer romance. This was a quick read, but would be perfect for tucking into your beach bag. Bonus points for a beautiful cover. I didn't love every single element of the book, but in a general sense, it was exactly what I was looking for - cute, warm, with romance and challenges.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

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This book was definitely cozy up at the beach or your backyard and find some time to spend with Melanie. Melanie is lost after the grandmother she look after passed. Melanie finds letters left behind that send her in a direction she didn’t expect.
The journey you go on with her will touch your heart!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

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A wonderful romantic read that spans across generations. When Melanie buys the beach house after her grandmother dies with the inheritance money she left her, secrets from her grandmother's life soon surface. The house is in a state of disrepair and Melainie wins a bet that the local handy man Josh helps her before he sets off for a new life in New York. An emotional read that is funny, heart warming and poignant all at once. One to read.

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This book was so sweet and heartfelt! This is my first Jenny Hale book and I will definitely be reading more from her after this.

The main character Melanie's life got turn-upside down after her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. Melanie changer her whole life to take care of her. After her grandmother's death, Melanie is given an inheritance with specific instructions. Not totally understanding the instructions, Melanie buys an old house in town and starts renovations on it. During the renovations, Melanie discovers some letters that her neighbors would prefer to remain secret. She meets a Josh Claiborne, a local contractor, she convinces to help her turn the house into a B&B.

I enjoyed the pacing of this book and the build of this relationship. The story and characters were rich and I was invested throughout.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc of this book! I highly recommend it!

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Melanie has spent the last few years caring for her beloved grandmother and now that she’s passed away Melanie is feeling lost. She decides to fulfil her Grandmother’s legacy by restoring an old Beach House that her grandmother loved.

Restoring this house will take a lot of time and effort but along the way Melanie finds her purpose, an old story she didn’t know to look for, and maybe even love.

I adored this sweet and heartwarming book and now desperately want to read everything this author has written. It was just the book I needed and such a beautiful summer read.

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Adorable story about how life is full of second chances and sometimes the things that didn't work out, worked out exactly as they were supposed to. Melanie and Josh were destined to be together, even though they didn't want to admit it in the beginning. Melanie is carefree, kind, and able to sand the rough edges on Josh that were left behind by a prior relationship. An easy read that would be perfect for the beach.

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I've read quite a few Jenny Hale books before, so I knew that I was gonna like The Beach House. I do have to say: I didn't end up falling in love with it as much as I did with most of her winter/christmas stories, but I did enjoy it. Melanie and Josh have great chemistry and are both very likeable characters. I wasn't a big fan of the mystery aspect, as I'm more of a general contemporary romance lover, but it did add an extra layer and made the story stand out in a sea of so many other contemporary romance books. It's a 3-star read for me!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for gifting me an eARC, in return for an honest review.

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Melanie spent the last few years caring for her beloved Grandmother as she battle disease. When she is layed to rest Melanie finds herself a little lost. Her inheritance seems to be the funds so by a house in ruins that her grandmother wants her to fix up and create a B&B. With the reluctant help of a contractor that really does not want to be around her or her house she slowly rebuilds the house and her life. A surprise find of love letters written by the recluse that owned the house set her life and the contractors on a new path that could either bring them together or tear them all apart...

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If you are looking for a nice, easy summer read with likeable characters and a beachy setting, this is definitely the book for you.
Melanie’s grandmother has recently passed away, and Melanie took care of her in her last years. As the grandmother’s will is read, Melanie is surprised to find that there is a beach house that her grandmother wants her to use her inheritance to buy.
But why? And to what purpose? Is Melanie at loose ends and Grandma knows exactly what she needs to move forward, or does Grandma have ulterior motives? Why a dilapidated old beach house?
What follows is a story about family secrets, learning how to trust people, and never giving up faith that things will somehow work out.
I thoroughly enjoyed the “mystery” part of this book. I’m a sucker for old letters and what they do (or don’t) mean. Aside from the obvious “how does it connect” storyline, there is something comforting about how important writing used to be.
I know that sounds weird, but there’s a sense of nostalgia to it. And that’s important to me these days.
I liked Melanie and could relate to her a little bit. I understand what it means to be given a task that you’re unsure of due to motivations or personal roadblocks. I felt for her.
I don’t know that the entire romance between her and Josh was believable. There were parts that seemed too incredible (nobody builds that fast) and required a bit of suspended disbelief.
Can anyone really trust a stranger that quickly? Are the rules for kids that much different in a smaller beach town?
Those things didn’t bother me too much, but they did take me out of the story a bit.
Ultimately, it seemed formulaic – which makes sense because the author has consistently released similar books, which has created quite a following.
Regardless, it was a harmless, ultimately enjoyable read. And really, who could ask for anything more in book on a summer reading list?

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When Melanie decides to renovate the house she and her Gran always looked at when they went to the beach together as a tribute to her Gran, she never expected to find the letters detailing the owner’s love to a long lost love. As Melanie and her sister talk Josh Claiborne into helping her with the renovations, they could never have predicted how it would affect all of them. This is my first book by this first author, but it definitely won’t be my last!

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I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I loved this newest Jenny Hale book, The Beach House. I fell in love with the story and the characters and read in in one sitting.

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Lovely romantic book. Some lovely characters with Melanie and Josh. And as for Cole, he is a little dote. An easy book to read if you want something that doesn’t stress you out. A great rad for your holidays.

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~~~ I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~~

This is the first book I've read by Jenny Hale and I just adore her writing! I was hooked on The Beach House right from the beginning. This is a perfect beachy, summer read! It follows the story of Melanie and Josh as their lives become intertwined after Melanie's grandmother's death. This book is filled with mystery, family secrets, heartbreak, and romance. If you're looking for a few fun 2021 summer reads- this should be on the list! I highly recommend The Beach House and am looking forward to reading more by Jenny Hale in the near future.

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Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. My gran left me this house now what to do. This is a lovely romace mystery. Josh he a very well written character with alot of depth. Melanie is fouscing in this loss after spending years caring for her grandmother. It is very fun story about trying to run from the past only to find the one thing needed is in the most unexpected place. Its a lovely clean Romance and a nice light read.

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This novel fits very nicely into the contemporary romance genre with a mystery to solve and also a reluctant romance. This was a fun, easy and satisfying read. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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A grandmother's dying wish will bring Melanie to Rosemary Bay to buy the house she and her Grandmother always day dreamed about on their vacations. When Lou dies after a three year battle of cancer, Melanie with her sister's periodic help will get Melanie moved in to the house of her Grandmother's dreams. The house is in worse shape than it looked and will need many repairs. After a night out and a game of darts Josh will get roped in to help her make some repairs before he relocates to NY for a new chapter in life. A hurricane will bring them together and create more work for Josh and delay his move. It will seem that a box of letters, a key, the love for a little boy and ghosts of the past will be forces to bring these two wounded people together.

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Melanie Simpson's grandmother passed away and her will instructs Melanie to use her inheritance to buy a crumbling house in Rosemary Bay. Melanie and her grandmother visited this town in the summers. They would 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.
When Melanie runs into local carpenter, Josh Claiborne, whose eyes match the dazzling sea, she jumps at the chance to ask him for help. As they work together, Melanie tries to ignore their undeniable chemistry and how Josh’s rare smiles take her breath away––
Josh has made it clear that he is moving to New York and wants to become something and make more money. He is carrying baggage from a divorce and sounds like his ex was a cruel bitch.
Hiding in a closet is a yellowing stack of letters that Melanie finds. They are from the owner of the house to the love of his life. Which opens up questions and a whole can of worms.
I loved the chemistry between Melanie and Josh. He has mixed emotions because of his divorce and just when you think he is warming up to Melanie he turns cold again.
Will the letters secrets bring Melanie and Josh together or tear them apart?
This book was well written and even though we didn't get to meet Melanie's grandmother you could feel the love between the 2 and the special bond that they had.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the book to review.

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