Beach House Summer is my first time reading a book by Sarah Morgan – and it proved to be the perfect feel-good summer read, the ideal mix of friendship, romance and drama.

When Joanna Whitman’s ex-husband and celebrity chef Cliff dies in a car accident, in an effort to avoid media attention she returns to the California seaside town that she grew up in but that she left abruptly over twenty years earlier. As someone who hated the media scrutiny life with her ex-husband brought, she feels compelled to help Ashley, a teenage girl who was in the car with Cliff but survived and offers to take her with her. For Joanna, returning to her home town stirs up difficult memories and brings her face to face with people she hasn’t seen for a long time, including Nate, the boyfriend she left behind, and his twin sister Mel who was her best friend growing up.

As old friendships are rebuilt and an unlikely new one formed between Joanna and Ashley, I loved the fact that the story is told from the perspective of three strong women, Joanna, Ashley and Mel, all of whom have their own issues to deal with. I loved the characters and the community spirit that pervaded the town, and Silver Point sounds like a place I’d like to visit! With a “will they, won’t they” romance as Joanna and Nate reconnect, and an element of mystery as long-held secrets are revealed, this is a book that had a bit of everything and is the ideal escapist read, one of those books that that leaves you with a warm glow.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this ebook!
It’s starting to become a tradition that I read Sarah Morgan at Christmas and in the Summer, and I’m here for it!
Sarah Morgan has a wonderful way of bringing characters to life with a strong emphasis on female relationships between friends and family.
I loved the relationship between Joanna and Ashley, they had never met previously but they unknowingly needed each other more than anyone else and develop a sincere relationship. I liked that the story is more focused on Joanna finding herself again and forming friendships (both old and new).
Great summer read!

Sarah Morgan is one of my go-to authors when I'm looking for a heartwarming, feel-good read and she doesn't disappoint with her latest book Beach House Summer which features two women, Joanna and Ashley, who were complete strangers but soon their lives become entwined. Their paths might not have crossed in the most conventional of manners but in their times of need, they are both there to support and encourage one another to take the steps necessary to move on with their lives.

From the outset I was asking myself what would I have done in Joanna's shoes and I'd like to think that I'd have been as welcoming, especially once the full details are revealed, but until you are in the same situation I don't think anyone really knows how they'd react. It also took guts for Ashley to take matters into her own hands even if the outcome ended in the most devastating of circumstances and left her feeling even more alone.

I loved the whole concept of escaping from the spotlight to a remote beach side house to come to terms with the way your life has been turned upside down. For Joanna it's a chance to re-evaluate her life after putting up with so much from her philandering ex-husband who she still worked with running the business side of things. What's in store for her now? Whereas for Ashley, it's a chance to come to terms with everything and decide what she wants to do next.

As for the setting, the Californian beach town of Silver Point sounded like the perfect place to run to for them to recuperate although for Joanna she also had some ghosts to lay to rest and friendships to repair having left the town so suddenly 20 years ago. But with the beach on your doorstep, and a vibrant community welcoming you with open arms, how could you not cast your demons and fears aside and make new plans for the future?

Friendships, old and new, are at the heart of this novel and it was great to see both Joanna and Ashley blossom as the story progressed. Both women had suffered greatly in the past and it's only over time that they can heal and move on.

I hope that this not the last that we see of Joanna, Ashley and the rest of the community of Silver Point even if it was just a catch-up novella at some point in the future.

Another lovely read from Sarah Morgan; another book that did not disappoint. I was quickly immersed in this story following three women and loved the summery setting, making it a relaxing drama that became full of hope and optimism for the future.

One element that Morgan always brings to her books is the way that the plot follows central female figures. For me, this has yet to grow stale and I liked how contrasting the women were in this story. Initially seeming very disparate, Ashley, Joanna and Mel gradually come together. I enjoyed seeing the connections revealed and established between the three characters, with them eventually being brought together at Silver Point on the Californian coastline. Over the story it becomes clear how the women know each other in the past and this merges effortlessly with the developing plot in the present. Aided by the chapters being told from each character’s perspective, I felt invested in each of the women and were keen for them all to find their happy ever after.

Ashley, Joanna and Mel are all contrasting in background and personalities. However, I liked the way that they come to need each other to enable them to start afresh. Even Mel, who seems to be a flawless mother that seems to be simply worrying about what is best for her daughter, Eden, has plenty to learn, and I appreciated how Ashley’s character was more world-wisely than her peers. It made a change to see a young character being able to impart advice to others around her as usually it is the older characters who traditionally are offering guidance.

Cooking is a theme throughout the book because of Joanna’s ex-husband, Ashley’s role, and even the significance of the Surf Cafe. It creates a synergy in the story and is another device that Morgan uses to bring the different characters together. Coupled with the supportive community of Silver Point, this location is definitely one of my literary favourites and one that I yearned to visit!

This was such a well-written story that I felt a bit saddened when it had finished. I do wonder if Morgan has enough material to write a follow-up novel because I would be so keen to see what happens next with Ashley, Joanna and Mel. I don’t think the story is completely over yet and I would not be sorry to return to such an amazing location, perhaps featuring more of the community and even Mel’s daughter as a more prominent character.

If you have yet to sample any of Morgan’s writing, I think you will find it hard to find a clanger! This is a perfect summer read and, with ‘Beach’ in the title, what more could you want for your holiday novel?!

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Sarah Morgan book is a real treat. This was a lovely read. Joanna Whitman was married to notorious womaniser and celebrity chef, Cliff Whitman for two decades before divorcing him, and is used to life in the spotlight - although she keeps quiet and doesn't like it. When her ex-husband is killed suddenly, she's pushed back into the spotlight. Joanna feels the need to do the right thing and as a result we see relationships and friendships blossom. We see Joanna return to her roots and realise real friendship outlasts separation. A joy of a read. #netgalley #beachhousesummer

’ve read and enjoyed a few of Sarah’s books in the past, and I’m pleased to confirm that this is another I can add to the list.

My copy of the book arrived on Friday, I started it on Saturday and finished it on Sunday – the sign of a good book that I didn’t want to put down

Joanna has had a tough life, losing her mum as a baby, had an uncaring stepmother, lost her dad in her teens and married a famous chef, who was repeatedly unfaithful. She may have lived in luxury but missed out on friendship and love.

When her ex husband dies in a car crash and a young pregnant woman, Ashley, survives, Joanna decides to reach out and help Ashley, because she has realised who the young woman is.

As the title of the book suggests, Joanna and Ashley move to a beach house, Otter’s Nest, built on the grounds of Joanna’s old family home.Joanna left the area suddenly one day, will her old friends welcome her back?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, it was well written and thought provoking. How many women would do what Joanna did for Ashley? I also loved the fact the a bookshop features in this story.

A lovely book for enjoying during the summer – friendship, new beginnings, forgiveness, fabulous food, romance and a bookshop, all wrapped up in a pretty cover. Add a glass of Pimm’s or orange juice and a sunny day, and enjoy your virtual trip to Silver Point.

A book on second chances.
Joanna`s famous ex husband dies in a car crash with Ashley his younger passenger who is pregnant and is being stalked by the press.
Joanna visits the hospital and likes her straight away so ends up taking her to her beach house in the town she was brought up in till she recovers, but Hannah hadn`t returned to since being ditched by her old boyfriend Nate so was not looking forward to meeting old friends.
An enjoyable story with a lovely setting and love all the friendly town.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review
Posted to Goodreads

I loved this book! Having only recently found Sarah Morgan. I have loved reading her Christmas books and now her summer reads over the past few months. I loved the feel of this book, not focussing on relationship love but family love first. Would recommend! Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Sarah Morgan delights again in this epic book. Joanna's life is turned into turmoil when her ex husband dies in a car crash. She decides to help the pregnant girl who survived the crash. She returns to her childhood home to hide from the press. Whilst there both Joanna and Ashley need to face unresolved things from the past in order to move on. The town rallies round them both to protect them. Friendships are fixed and true community spirit shines through. An absolutely delightful read.

- When Joanna Whitman's famous ex-husband dies in a car accident, she doesn't know what to feel. Their dysfunctional marriage held more painful secrets than she cares to remember. But when she discovers that the young woman with him in the crash is pregnant, Joanna feels compelled to act knowing exactly how brutal the media spotlight will be on celebrity chef Cliff Whitman's ex-wife and his mysterious female friend —

I enjoyed reading how Joanna rebuilt the trust of people by rediscovering old friendships. This enabled her to gain confidence to rejoin society, without the constant worry of the invasive intrusion of the media and paparazzi, that was still following her around a year after her high profile divorce. I thought Ashley was a fantastic character and the contrast between her and Joanna was refreshing and the ideal person to help Joanna with her insecurities. Tied in with a characteristic ‘will they, won’t they’ romance, “Beach House Summer” contained everything this genre demands and was executed flawlessly.

An excellent feel good story and the ideal summer read. I devoured this book in one weekend and it was the perfect pick me up and escapism read to while the time away, reading in the sun.

Sarah Morgan is a Sunday Times bestselling author who writes romance and contemporary women's fiction and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans from across the globe.

One thing I love about Sarah Morgan’s books is that they have such a clear focus on female characters. Her books always feature strong women and usually with a supportive community too. Beach House Summer is about three such women in a small Californian coastal town called Silver Point. In this book Sarah Morgan uncovers secrets and scandal, introduces lovely friendships, and gives a glimpse of what it’s like to be the focus of the media circus.

There’s teenage Ashley who is pregnant and has been in car crash with Cliff Whitman, a celebrity chef known to be a philanderer. Joanna is Cliff’s ex-wife and business partner. Somewhat surprisingly she takes Ashley in and helps her avoid the media speculation. This rather unexpected friendship was lovely to read about. These two women were good for each other. Despite her young years, Ashley was actually quite wise and taught Joanna quite a lot – and not just how to cook. Mel was Joanna’s childhood best friend. Joanna used to go out with her twin Nate but when they split up she left town and Mel was devastated. This was so intriguing, what had happened?

I’m lucky that I live by the sea and can walk along the beach anytime I choose. If you don’t, this book will have you longing for blue skies, the sound of the waves and warm sand between your toes. As its name suggests, Beach House Summer would make a perfect beach read. Sarah Morgan writes engaging fiction and showcases her strong storytelling in this book about fresh starts and new opportunities arising from difficult situations, with a lovely second chance romance thrown in. Beach House Summer is fabulous, escapist summer read.

I am a huge huge fan of Sarah Morgan and was delighted to be asked to be part of the tour
One sunny morning, I picked up the book and lost myself in the world Sarah created
At first I did struggle with this book to actually get involved with the characters. But around chapter 8 I was completely sold and the characters were turning out to be far from the snobs I thought!
The book is definitely not what I thought it was going to be from the blurb. It was so much better than I expected
The book examines second chances, close friendships, siblings and so much more
The book, like all Sarah Morgan books I’ve read, is warm, comforting and pure escapism
Although the books set at Christmas are preferred, Sarah Morgan’s books are always highly recommended and the same can be said of her latest

I loved this and I think I will be buying more of Morgan's books. This reminded me of some of my other favourite easy reads (Jill Shalvis). The characters are troubled, there is developing/rekindling of friendships and falling in love.

There's a slight mystery at first followed by a strange turn of events and then a heartwarming relationship.

I loved Joanna and Ashley. They're both really strong women! Joanna thinks she's supporting/looking out for Ashley when Ashley is doing the same thing for Joanna and bringing her out of her shell. I loved it. Such an easy, summer read.

Sarah has done it again, another great read. The characters are all on their own journeys but the past revisits them. There’s lots of different emotions as they all work out their way ahead. This is a perfect summertime read. You won’t want to put it down. A well deserved five star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Joanna’s famous ex husband dies in a car crash. The press find out the woman who was with him was pregnant. Joanna finds herself in the press’s spotlight and decides to return to her home town. Ashley the woman who was in car when it crashed is stunned when Joanna gives he4 a place to stay after finding out she is his daughter.

They both help each other deal with their problems as find a way to move on with their lives.

Another brilliant book from Sarah.

BEACH HOUSE SUMMER
BY
SARAH MORGAN.

Joanna is stunned by the sudden death of her famous ex-husband in a fatal car crash.
Having always hated the press attention that came from being involved with her celebrity chef ex, Joanna is horrified by the media interest now being aimed at the pregnant passenger who was also in the car.
Ashley- the passenger in question, is stunned when Joanna offers her an unexpected escape from the media spotlight. Together the women head off to Joanna’s hometown. A place where there are ghosts and old friends for Joanna to face, but also the time and space for both women to heal.

This is a wonderful summer read. It overflows with warmth, friendships, love, romance and sunshine.

An unputdownable read with some unexpected twists and turns and a neatly tied up ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to Netgalley and HQ for a digital arc of this title.

What a truly stunning read this book is and Sarah never fails to disappoint. Heart warming and beautifully written.

Sarah Morgan is one of my favourite authors. I love her stories of romance, friendship and family life, and Beach House Summer did not disappoint!

When Joanna switches on the TV one morning the headline news is that her ex-husband Cliff, a famous chef, has been killed in a car accident. She doesn't know whether to feel elated or cheated - there were times when she'd like to have killed him herself! She'd married him on the rebound and he'd cheated on her throughout their marriage. Typically, there had been another young woman with him when his car had crashed and it's not long before the press are camped outside Joanna's door in pursuit of a juicy story.

Ashley was the girl in Cliff's car when it crashed and now she's lying in a hospital bed, worried she's about to lose her baby, and also being stalked by the press. The one person she doesn't expect to come to her rescue is also the one person who knows how she feels - Joanna. Joanna has a proposition - that they head to the sleepy Californian town of Sandy Point and hide out at Joanna's beach house until the fuss goes down. Ashley, who is penniless and terrified, readily agrees. Spend summer at a beach house? What's not to like? But to Joanna it means returning to her home town, to the life she had before she married Cliff, meeting the friends she abandoned, confronting the woman who made her life hell, and facing the man she left behind...

Beach House Summer is a deliciously summery read about facing up to the past - and the future, connecting with old friends and making new ones, learning from mistakes and to forgive - and that maintaining a dignified silence is not always the best option! I loved the setting of Sandy Point and wish I could spend my summer there. Watching Joanna regain her old confidence and discover a new life was lovely and I adored Ashley's no-nonsense feistiness. Joanna's assistant, Nessa, was a fabulous supporting character but I'm not sure I would have forgiven Nate so easily!

One of my favourite reads this year, Beach House Summer would suit fans of feel-good romantic comedy and authors such as Jill Shalvis. The perfect holiday read!


Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Story about Joanna who has separated from her famous chef husband, Cliff. When Cliff gets killed in a car accident Joanna is hounded by the press trying to find out her reaction and also to discover more about the young woman who was in the car with him when he died. Joanna hides herself away at home but then decides to escape to the beach house in the town where she grew up. Strangely she also offers to take Ashley with her. Ashley is the young pregnant girl who was in the car with Cliff when he is killed.
There are a lot of positives in this book. I loved hearing about Otter’s Nest which is the beach house which has been recently renovated and sounds totally idyllic. I also liked hearing about how the relationship between Ashley and Joanna develops over time. Both have complete respect for the other and this helps both of them recover from their past, mainly unhappy lives. There is some romance in the book for both Ashley and Joanna but mainly it is about their relationship. I also liked the way that the community of Silver Point pull together and protect both Joanna and Ashley. This is a good book for a summer read showing the value of friends no matter how much time has passed.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC of this book

This is the best kind of summer read, keeps you gripped with all the twists and turns, just as you think you’ve got it all worked out it takes another turn leaving you reading on to find out more. It’s the perfect formula for curling up on your own and luxuriating in some “me time” (you’ll be annoyed if interrupted!)
Sarah Morgan at her very best, real characters, some you like.. some you find you’d really not like! Beautiful setting and a lovely ending. Just perfect.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review