Summer's Road ***4.5 ⭐️***

This is a story about a lonely girl and the boy next door, who grew up into the woman with baggage and the man who loved her regardless.
Summer's mother left her when she was young, her father has recently passed, and her friends are all she has. Battling all the "what ifs," she finally realizes what has been in front of her forever.
Ian has protected Summer since they were children. They shared all the hurt and joy together. And Ian has loved Summer for the better part of his life. He wants to know that she'll choose him, not as her protector in adulthood but as a partner to grow old with.
This book is written in dual POV, alternating in each chapter. The history of these two characters was beautifully constructed by having a dual timeline within each chapter as well, so the reader could see how each character's POV evolved from past to present.


Winter's Path ***4 ⭐️***

Matt and Jenny have been friends for 12 years.... can getting together make their friendship better or worse?
I think, because this was a combo book, the setup for Matt's moving on and finding his own happy ending from his relationship with Summer was built in the previous book (Summer's Road), which made it a little less interesting to follow his growth because the character work was half completed already. Jenny's character development was above and beyond, as she already knew how she felt about Matt, and yet her hobbies and interests were constructed to portray her as a well-rounded person. Through trauma, heartbreak, death, and mourning, this was a darker book with a satisfying conclusion. Now that I think about it, Winter's Path is almost like a Hallmark movie.... but steamier.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I really do want to like Kelly Moran's books.

But this one, like the other one I read, is great at first, but then something happens, and I lose interest... The plot suddenly feels off and I have a hard time connecting with the characters.

Sorry - it just doesn't work for me.
But please - give it a go...
Hopefully you will like it better than me...

This is a good book. This has two stories in the book. The two stories are similar.. they each have the main characters having known each other all their lives. One has realized that they love the other but the other main character has not realized it. They each have issues but together they work it out and both fall in love.

I really enjoyed both of these stories, and am looking forward to reading more from this author. I can recommend Seasmoke friends.

Seasmoke Friends brings you two full length previously published novels from Kelly Moran. Summer’s Road features Summer Quinn whose lifelong best friends with her neighbor Ian Quinn. She is left a little broken from her mother leaving when she was an infant and her dad passing from cancer. Ian’s always been her rock but she’s kept him in the friend zone until her current boyfriend proposes. It is time to sort out her feelings.

In Winter’s Path, Matt Holcomb transfers for work to Myrtle Beach where his parents have a beach house. Long time friend Jenny Winter lives there and runs her grandfather’s bar. Both have had feelings for each other for years but have never acted upon them. Now fresh from his break up with Summer it might be time for the two of them.

Both stories are angsty and I felt overly dramatic. You get mostly alternating chapters of angst filled thoughts with only some communication happening between the love interests. Ian in particular is a bed hopping alpha male which holds zero appeal to me but others may like. The stories should be read in order as the second starts with the ending of the first book. Essentially there are six friends that have been meeting for a week once a year at parental beach houses. They have become friends and more. One set is married, leaving the other two couples to date and figure out who they should be with. These people are in their older twenties but the characters seem younger to me with their actions.

A trigger warning for a date rape experience, drug use, drug overdose and depression. I didn’t mark down for it but the first book contains an unsafe sex scene. She is on the pill but he was sleeping with someone else the previous week so that doesn’t protect her from disease. I do like the author but I’ve enjoyed other series more. If this sounds appealing to you give it a try. Thank you to NetGalley and Kelly Moran for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.