This is the journey of Liddy Bryant following the unexplained suicide of her daughter and the abandonment of her husband. With determination to make some positive changes in her life, she decides to take on rundown book store in her hometown. With the help of her friends she is on her way.
Tuck Shelby long time friend and contractor has stepped up to help her a great deal. But now Tuck is hoping to get out of the friend zone. Just when Liddy is starting to open her heart to Tuck, her ex husband shows up with an apology. Will Liddy be willing to forgive her ex for leaving her when she needed him most? Will she be willing to forgive him and give him another chance? Will Tuck remain in the friend zone?
This was a great book about friendship and pulling together after a large loss.
Thank you Netgalley for complimentary copy.

I reviewed the first book in this series for NetGalley in 2020, and was SO EXCITED to see the next book in the series available. A little mystery, a little romance, and some small-town life? Count me in! This did not disappoint.
I love the characters- they're all well-developed, honest, and relatable. Throughout the book, I felt as if I had known these women forever. The power of female friendships came shining through, especially the new adult friendship between Grace and Liddy. I cannot wait for the next installment in the series!
I would not hesitate to recommend this to others. If you're a fan of Elin Hilderbrand, Mary Alice Monroe, or Kristy Woodson Harvey, put Mariah Stewart on your list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Libby is experiencing many changes in her life. Her daughter passed away several years ago who she misses every day. She leans on her child hood friends for support after her husband left her. She is growing closer to Tuck who she has known since grade school. I enjoyed this book.

Liddy Bryant is struggling to move forward after her daughters suicide and her husbands abandonment.
She purchases the town bookstore and plans to remodel and get her life back on track. She hires her friend Tuck Shelby to do the remodeling. They begin to have feelings for each other but Liddy’s husband wants them to get back together. Who will she choose? Also share the lives of Liddy’s friends. Loved the book!


Thanks to Mariah Stewart and Montlake

This the second book in the Wyndham Beach series. I did not read the first (An Invincible Summer) and I felt I was missing a lot of context. The story does well as a stand-alone novel, but I think my experience would have been enhanced by reading these in order.

Liddy Bryant’s life fell apart when her budding artist daughter, Jessica, committed suicide. Her grief is accentuated by the fact that there seemed to be no reason for this tragedy – no overt warning signals. Then a year to the date of this loss, Liddy’s husband, Jim, packs up and walks out of her life with no communication and a subsequent divorce.

The storyline begins as Liddy is reconstructing her life by purchasing a run-down, shuttered bookstore. Just as she is rejuvenating her life, she pours her passion for books into rejuvenating the town’s only bookstore. Slowly, Liddy begins to rediscover her sense of self with the support of her two longtime best friends and a host of other characters that provide opportunities for her to explore new possibilities, including a new love interest.

The issue of suicide is addressed with sensitivity and compassion as the author demonstrates the ripple effect such a death has on the lives of family and friends. It was gratifying that an explanation was forthcoming, painful though it was. Liddy is a character that is both believable and relatable.

My only criticism is the pacing started off a bit too slowly, but the second half of the book definitely picked up and kept me engaged.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

A pleasant second Wyndham Beach story. Liddy is starting over after her daughter's suicide and husband's desertion. She has bought the town's failing bookstore and is sprucing it up to reopen. With help from her best friends and the town handyman, a former classmate, she moves forward into the future, even as she is caught in the past by her grief and disbelief at her daughter's death.

Not enthralling, but not bad.

This is a review for Net Galley. I didn't realize when I chose this to read to review that it is the second book in the Wyndham Beach series until I saw it on Goodreads. However, it was a very easy read. I enjoyed it so much I plan on reading the first book in the series and re-reading this book.

We follow Liddy a divorced woman whom purchases a building to make into a bookshop. With the help of some friends she is able to accomplish owning a bookshop. Grace, an ex Attorney, ends up working with Liddy. Liddy used to have a daughter named Jessie, whom committed suicide. Liddy didn't know what lead up to Jessie's decision to. One day when Grace was reading an article in the newspaper about a bunch of girls coming forward about being assaulted by a basketball coach that was once Jessie's coach, a lightbulb formed. Could this be the reason that led up to Jessie taking her life?

In the mean time Liddy's ex husband tries to enter back into Liddy's life. However, a man named Tuck whom helped Liddy with the bookshop has been spending quite a lot of time with Liddy to the point to where Liddy knows she has to make a decision soon. Who will she chose?

Honestly, this is a very cute well written story. It does not have anything about how Jessie took her life in it. There is more romance than that in the story. I enjoyed learning about each of the characters. It didn't take me long to figure out why each character was brought up in the story. If a third book were to come out in the series I would say you wouldn't have to read the books in order to figure out what is going on. It is that good. I highly recommend.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinions. This is book #2 in the series and I had not read book #1 prior to this and didn't feel like I absolutely had too to understand the story line. Overall, I found this to be a really enjoyable read. Not too heavy but with just enough real like situations to make it feel believable and relatable.

Well written with a great set of characters. I really enjoyed the first in the series and have been waiting for this second in the series. It draws you in and makes you feel like you live at Wyndham Beach! I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review…this is a story of family dynamics…starting over…brief and loss…friendship…so many themes in this one book…aging…divorce…children…new homes…a bookstore…the characters are realistic and I did not want to put the book down…waiting to see what they might do next. Regrets…so many regrets…decisions made on haste…at the center of this novel is the bookstore…almost a character itself…this is a quick read…enjoy…

This book continues the story of 3 best friends redefining themselves. After the death of her daughter and the disintegration of her marriage, Liddy must find her way back to happiness. She buys the town’s dying bookstore and forms a new community and family around it. She develops a new romance and finds answers and closure for some of her deepest wounds. Inspired by her best friend Maggie’s newfound love and happiness, Liddy embraces the surprising path her life has taken and feels grateful for it.

Great, well rounded, likeable characters and an overall wholesome read. It’s nice to see a storyline involving older women, who often appear to be invisible in literature, especially in romantic settings. The character development is wonderful. Overall, it was a really enjoyable read. Not too heavy but with just enough tackling of real like issues to make it believable and relatable.

This is the 2nd book in a great series. Nothing too heavy to think about - just an enjoyable book. The characters feel as if they are your friends and you can relate to what is happening to them. Can't wait for the 3rd book.

The second book in the Wyndham Beach series- wow! I loved reading about this group of friends again, this time focusing on Libby. This book balances tough issues such as suicide and loss while also showing the importance of friends, home, and starting over. A delight to read!

Thank you Montlake for this eARC!

I really enjoyed Wyndham Beach #1 An Invincible Summer by Mariah Stewart!
Stewart writes amazing contemporary romance, mysteries, romantic suspense, and women's fiction!

Liddy Bryant our main character I honestly hurt for her!
I couldn't even begin to imagine the pain she felt. But this book broke my heart and put it back together!
This impeccable storytelling sets the scene.
It was so easy to picture the town and the characters.
The story is well-plotted which had me flipping through my Kindle and hoping I wasn't near the end yet!
Great cast of characters.
Very well written that it draws you into the story.
Makes you feel like you live at Wyndham Beach!

I had so much fun reading the second book!
I hope there is more to come from Wyndham Beach!
I'll be waiting patiently!