Cover Image: Beach House Summer

Beach House Summer

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Member Reviews

I really fell for all the wonderful descriptions of the gorgeous Silver Point, otters nest and the surf cafe. I had really clear images of all these places and longed to be on holiday eating pancakes & reading books overlooking the ocean. I thought the women in this book were great and well thought out, however I found most of the questions were answered very early and so I was waiting for the inevitable for most of the book. I also found it slightly repetitive at times as Joanna explained her situation to several of the characters.
A very pleasant summer holiday read and I thought the first half threw up some interesting twists and turns.

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A cleverly thought out plot containing a few unexpected twists.

Written from the POV of three different women.

Joanna: after 20 years of being married to her cheating, celebratory chef husband Cliff Whitman, Joanna finally divorces him.

Ashley: a year after the divorce Cliff drives his car off the road, he dies but his passenger, a young woman survives the crash.
News of Cliff's death is announced and his passenger is identified as Ashley Blake who's rumoured to be pregnant with Cliff's child.
In an attempt to avoid the relentless attention from the media that both will inevitably face, to Ashley's astonishment, Joanna suggests they escape together to her beach house in the small home town that she left so many years ago. In the peace of Joanna's secluded beach house an unlikely friendship develops between the two women. This peaceful existence is broken when Melanie appears at Joanna's front door.

Melanie: Joanna's childhood friend. Melanie, who Joanna hasn't seen for 20 years and is the twin sister to Nate, her first love.

A comfort read set in a small town where friendship and the community know and care about each other.

Thank you ​​​​HQ and NetGalley for the ARC, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

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This story is told from the perspective of Joanna, the ex wife of a famous chef Cliff, Ashleigh who was there when Cliff had a car accident and Melanie an old friend of Joanna’s.

Hiding from the press Joanna goes back to Silver Point to hide in her luxurious beach house full of memories she would rather forget. The reader will think they know who Ashleigh is but there is a twist. Possibly two if you start thinking what I did!

This is a story of loneliness to community and love. The characters are likeable and I would like a sequel to see where every one is now.

The first half seemed to have longer chapters which was a slight down side but once I got to about 57% I felt they were shorter and easier to fit in a chapter between doing other things.

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Joanna learns that her ex husband and celebrity chef has been killed in a car accident . She knows the press will soon be hounding her especially after finding that his passenger is a young pregnant girl. When Joanna sees the girls face on TV she knows she has to help her and goes to the hospital to visit her. She tells Ashley the have to leave to avoid questions from the press. She intends to go back to a house she had built in her old home town she left years ago.
Ashley can't understand why Joanna is helping her but the both seem to hit it off and comfort each other.
Another great story by Sarah Morgan. A story of love and second chances. A story of forgiveness and acceptance. And one which you won't want to put down once you have started.
Great authentic characters a lovely setting for the story.

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Divorcee Joanna Whitman is stunned when she hears about her ex-husband Cliff’s death in an accident on Mulholland Drive. She divorced him over a year ago, mainly because of his behaviour, womanising being his chief delight. He expected her to forgive and forget every time. He had saved her once two decades ago and for that she had been grateful, but now she owed him nothing. He was always in the limelight, a flamboyant celebrity chef and Joanna had certainly had enough of paparazzi news hounds plaguing her. She wanted anonymity and to live her life out of the public eye. They had once been happy but that seemed to be so long ago. Truth be told, she was more intrigued by the fact that a young woman had been in his car when it veered off the road resulting in a fatal crash. His beau had been taken to hospital where the doctors found out she was pregnant.
She is shocked it is true, but she feels sorry for the press invasion that is going to be forced upon this young lady and herself as well. She wants to help her. She visits the hospital where she discovers Ashley Blake, who is bemused by her visit. They talk, hatching out a plan for when she is discharged from hospital. Joanna and Ashley will disappear into the night, leaving New York and heading for Joanna’s beach house in her Californian home town, Silver Point. Ashley is only too happy to have someone to help her, and Joanna is certain that this will garner the best results.
When they arrive Ashley is amazed to learn that Joanna has never used the beach house herself. It is spectacular with views of the sea that are both totally private and stunningly beautiful. It is luxurious and well hidden from prying eyes. The two ladies build a relationship of mutual trust, respect and kinship. Gradually Joanna learns what actually happened when Ashley stepped into Cliff’s car, and she is more determined than ever to support Ashley and eventually her child. This is the story of what happened next.
I loved reading this novel full of intrigue, friendship and support. Sarah Morgan is a fantastic storyteller with a truly comprehensive back catalogue. She is a very experienced and well-loved author. Her romance stories are spellbinding. Sarah creates irresistible characters for her novels, eclectic, detailed and lovable. Her storyboards are engaging and very well handled. I loved both Joanna’s and Ashley’s threads equally. I loved the back stories and couldn’t wait to find out how the story would conclude. When the last few paragraphs were finished I felt once again that I had read an excellent story. I particularly enjoyed the romance stories that came within the main story threads. I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher HQ through my membership of NetGalley. These are my own honest and well considered opinions that are not influenced by any other reviews or publicity. It’s a 9/10 from me because I was both absorbed by and loved the story.

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Another fantastic read by Sarah Morgan where we get to experience the press intrusion of the rich and famous. Something Joanna is still experiencing after the death of her celebrity ex husband. To escape the press she goes back to her home town intent to hide away from everyone. Watching Joanna gradually reconnect with old friends and gain the confidence to be herself is beautifully written. How I would love to see the beach house with its magical views, eat pancakes at Nate’s place and visit the book store.

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Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have not read any of this authors books before and really enjoyed this feel good read. Made me long for summer days. Would recommend.

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Having read a lot of Sarah Morgan’s books in the past I was looking forward with anticipation to Beach House Summer and once again she did not disappoint! I cannot recommend enough that you add this to your summer reading list, you won’t be disappointed

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What a delightful read this book was. Sarah Morgan has written a really lovely story and I quickly became engrossed in it. The story flowed really well, with great characters and a really good storyline, I found it hard to put down.

Joanna Whitman's ex-husband dies in a car crash, in the car was a young woman who is pregnant and the press go crazy for the story. Joanna goes to the hospital to see the girl and then seeing how alone and vulnerable she is decides to get her away from the publicity frenzy. She takes her to her beach house; a home which she hasn't been back to for twenty years. I liked Joanna's character, the world had worn her down and she was shy, scared and reclusive but still had the remnants of steel in her. Ashley, the young, pregnant woman was great and I really loved her. She is so upbeat and determined and just what Joanna needs in her life. There is a host of great characters in this story and I warmed to them all.

Set by the sea, in a small town, I really got the feel of the kindness, warmth and protectiveness of the community for its own. The story is well developed as are the characters, which all added to make a really good read.

I didn't want this book to end. Even though this is a standalone story with a conclusive ending, I still wanted to know what happened next in the characters lives; the sign of a good story, in my opinion. I can highly recommend this lovely book.

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Free Courtesy of Netgalley

I think a good book, is a book you don't want to end and sometimes it becomes a place you want to live.

Joanna Whitman was married to The world famous Chef, Cliff Whitman, who has spend the majority of their marriage cheating on her until she finally after 20 years leave him and get a divorce.

A year later he is dead and the press are back on her doorstep, he was in a car accident, bit there was a pretty young girl with him, that Joanna recognises. Nobody knows better than her, what is coming for this young girl, Ashley, who has been reported to be pregnant. Is it with Joanna's ex husband.

She steps in to help Ashley, and they outrun the press and head to Joanna's childhood home in Silver Point, a secluded beach house, set away from prying eyes. But is it a good move for Joanna, as she hasn't been back since she left with Cliff the night she broke up with her childhood sweetheart, walking away from him and his twin sister, who was her best friend. Will it be too hard for Joanna to bare.

An unlikely friendship between Joanna and Ashley means life could change for both of them

This is the first time I've read any of Sarah Morgan's books but it won't be the last

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Another great Sarah Morgan book - love this author! Joanna Whitman has spent years hiding from the press because of her celebrity chef husband but when she decides to help young Ashley Blake both sides get huge benefits. Great characters and an interesting story. Read this fantastic summer read in a day!

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A delightful book that focuses on friendship and community, with a side helping of romance.

Strong female characters that you like and root for, my only issue was the slightly out of character decisions of both the main characters to run away (justifying it was for everyone's best interest) however it wasn't drawn out and was easily forgivable..

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I have always loved this author and this book was definitely escapism for me. Her books have it all, love, family and friendship! Enjoyable read.

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I’m such a Sarah Morgan fan and this absolutely didn’t disappoint. Like most of the population in the story I assumed Ashley was after something entirely different when she got in the car with Cliff. How wrong I was. The book had it all, the glitz and horror of Hollywood, female friendship, awful family, supportive family- and Jo who had almost lost herself completely in her bid to blend in. I was hooked right from the beginning and found myself wondering about the characters after I’d finished, and what might have happened next… always a sign of a brilliant book!

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Nice easy read, written by a competent and experienced writer. It is an uplifting story with a happy ending which leaves the reader feeling a warm fuzzy glow, maybe sometimes things do work out happily ever after! Interesting characters and a moral within the story about saying how one really feels and not making assumptions....which can often be mistaken. Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for ARC.

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I absolutely loved this book. The story mainly focuses on two characters - Joanna and Ashley. They are connected without even being aware of each other and little does Ashley know, that when she gets into Cliff Whitman's car, a course of events will unfold which not only changes her life forever but, that of several other people, including Joanna.
After years of coping with the fame being married to a celebrity chef generates, Joanna just wants some privacy and to help Ashley who was with him when he died. She decides to return to Otters nest in her beautiful coastal home town. A place she has not visited in over twenty years. A beautiful hideaway but, full of secrets and memories - some of which she would like to forget forever. As the story unfolds an unlikely friendship develops between Joanna and Ashley. They help each other come to terms with the past and start to make plans for the future.
The town come together to protect the two women and surprise Joanna with their acts of kindness. A really heart-warming read of hope, love and friendship.

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Absolutely loved this quick perfect summer read I flew through it. Loved all the characters and descriptive writing style. I would highly recommend this book

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This is a lovely book about relationships and second chances. The descriptions of food and the beach settings are delightful. When celebrity chef Cliff drives his car off a ravine with a young woman as his passenger, people draw the inevitable, wrong conclusions. The story of his passenger unfolds, and her future develops with Cliff’s ex wife, into a very interesting tale.

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Joanna's high profile life with her ex husband comes to a head when she finds out he's got a daughter from one of his many affairs. She decides to go back to the place where she grew up although she hadn't been back for 20 years

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I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I normally adore this author’s books but I’m afraid this one disappointed me . It is still an excellent read. Sarah Morgan couldn’t write a bad book if she tried. This story of divorced Joanna coping with her ex husband’s death by returning to her home town after 20 years and struggling with all the adjustments to folk in her past was well done.
The idea that Joanna took Ashley on board was harder to believe but I was able to suspend disbelief.

However……. there were definitely a couple of things about the story that I did not like and found difficult to believe. The idea that Nate had never told his twin sister the truth about his and Joanna’s breakup just did not ring true to me. The way Mel then behaved when she encountered Joanna after twenty years - also didn’t ring true. What 40 year old woman behaves like that?

Also I don’t like it when the author misleads the reader by holding back information as is done with Ashley. So that we are led up a blind alley, only to have things turned upside down later in the book.

However, this is still a great read and an absolute must for all Sarah Morgan fans. .

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