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judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
Newport Dreams featured Geordie (a photographer) who comes to work on a restoration project called The Gilbert House. There she meets Bruce, Doug, and the two girls featured in Breakwater Bay –Carlyn and main character, Meri.
BREAKWATER BAY opens with Meri’s thirtieth birthday, a preservationist restoring this mansion back to its glory, uncovers hidden gems (both in the building as well as her life). She enjoys spending time with her Gram at Candler Farm and her neighbor, Alden who has been a friend since she was a child. Little does she know his deep connection to this family.
However after her surprise birthday party, she drives out to her Gram’s house to continue the celebration, and gets the shock of her life. She finds out she was adopted and her Gram and her step-dad gives her letters from her mom, who died several years ago.
Everything changes for Meri. She now has to figure out her past, and her real family and her own identity. In addition, the current boyfriend, Peter is going off to law school and she is not sure she even wants a future with him.
However, there is more about her past as she begins to uncover dark family secrets. At the same time, she finds her relationship with her Gram’s next door neighbor, may be more than just friendship.
BREAKWATER BAY is a thought provoking novel about choices. One woman who found herself pregnant from a rich family –she is not allowed to be with the father of her baby, one teenage boy who helped this pregnant woman and saved her life and kept his promise, and another mother who lost her own baby, and a mother and daughter who make a choice which will forever affect another life.
A multi-generational story of three generations of woman, each with tough choices and each with a different perspective. I loved the character, Gram, as she was definitely the foundation of this family and opened her heart and home to Meri and her friends, and can only image the secret she has kept, as she protected her daughter and her granddaughter.
This is my fifth book by Noble, and she does not disappoint, as she is the queen of restoration—with transformations, of old to new, from places, things, to lives of her rich characters.
If readers enjoy the Newport’s Gilded Age, you may want to read A Sense of Entitlement by Anna Loan-Wilsey (a mystery), where you will learn more about this era.
Fans of Mary Alice Monroe, Patti Callahan Henry, Joanne DeMaio, Karen White and Wendy Wax will appreciate Noble’s subject matter and writing style, for a relaxing summer beach read!
judithdcollins.booklikes.com/post/922051/breakwater-bay
shannonpryor's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
readinggrrl's review against another edition
3.0
This book takes readers to the coastal area of Rhode Island, Newport's forgotten Gilded Age Mansions, and a spot I found myself wanting to imagine myself on the beach with a drink in my hand. I found this book to be really enjoyable and a quick read. I would put this book in the chick lit category for the romantic subplot and hunky supporting characters which is not normally my genre but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Meri's is turning 30 and nothing is going as she planned. Her boyfriend who she thought was going to propose marriage to her tells her he took an internship in California and her grandmother reveals a secret that she has been carrying for Meri's whole life. When Meri finds out that she was illegally adopted and the circumstances surrounding it she starts to question everything in her life.
Shelley Noble's novel is a thought provoking story about choices. One woman who found herself pregnant from a rich family by a boy they didn't deem worthy - one teenage boy who helped this pregnant woman and saved her life, but is plagued by the loss of his own mother which effects his judgement when it comes to his own children, another mother who lost her own baby, and a mother and daughter who make a choice which will forever affect another life.
Each character is faced with tough choices and each with a different perspective. I loved the character, Gram, as she was definitely the foundation of this family Ultimately this book is also about love and family and knowing that family doesn't necessarily mean blood relations. Its about who is in your heart.
Meri's is turning 30 and nothing is going as she planned. Her boyfriend who she thought was going to propose marriage to her tells her he took an internship in California and her grandmother reveals a secret that she has been carrying for Meri's whole life. When Meri finds out that she was illegally adopted and the circumstances surrounding it she starts to question everything in her life.
Shelley Noble's novel is a thought provoking story about choices. One woman who found herself pregnant from a rich family by a boy they didn't deem worthy - one teenage boy who helped this pregnant woman and saved her life, but is plagued by the loss of his own mother which effects his judgement when it comes to his own children, another mother who lost her own baby, and a mother and daughter who make a choice which will forever affect another life.
Each character is faced with tough choices and each with a different perspective. I loved the character, Gram, as she was definitely the foundation of this family Ultimately this book is also about love and family and knowing that family doesn't necessarily mean blood relations. Its about who is in your heart.
karak's review against another edition
4.0
I hope this turns into a series, because there are a lot of characters that I want to see more of!
saffronso's review against another edition
1.0
The things I liked about this book:
-The setting. Rhode Island will always have a special place in my heart.
-The main character's job was relatively unique.
So. I listened to this audiobook and I am so frustrated writing this right now. The book starts with a very dramatic opening scene, and then flatlines for the rest of the book. Then it turns to the exact beginning of Legally Blonde, where the lead believes her boyfriend is going to propose, but then decides to leave her for law. For some strange reason Mary (even though she shows no emotional reaction to this and talks to him maybe twice throughout the whole novel) still thinks she might marry him.
Mary has no personality and is dreadfully bland.
The romance is actually kind of uncomfortable if you think about it, because Alden raised Mary. She was 13 when he first got married. It just feels strange to me. He still plays the role of caretaker for her for most of the book. I was hoping for some sort of romance pay off at the end, but it was SO anticlimactic.
There was no complexity to this book. The 'bad' characters were 100% bad, with no redeeming qualities or depth. The whole book was boring and mundane, the dialogue was flat, and the relationships between characters were dreadfully cliched/uninteresting.
This was a bit of a scathing review but I'm disappointed I spent so much time on this book, even listening to it at 1.6x speed audiobook.
-The setting. Rhode Island will always have a special place in my heart.
-The main character's job was relatively unique.
So. I listened to this audiobook and I am so frustrated writing this right now. The book starts with a very dramatic opening scene, and then flatlines for the rest of the book. Then it turns to the exact beginning of Legally Blonde, where the lead believes her boyfriend is going to propose, but then decides to leave her for law. For some strange reason Mary (even though she shows no emotional reaction to this and talks to him maybe twice throughout the whole novel) still thinks she might marry him.
Mary has no personality and is dreadfully bland.
The romance is actually kind of uncomfortable if you think about it, because Alden raised Mary. She was 13 when he first got married. It just feels strange to me. He still plays the role of caretaker for her for most of the book. I was hoping for some sort of romance pay off at the end, but it was SO anticlimactic.
There was no complexity to this book. The 'bad' characters were 100% bad, with no redeeming qualities or depth. The whole book was boring and mundane, the dialogue was flat, and the relationships between characters were dreadfully cliched/uninteresting.
This was a bit of a scathing review but I'm disappointed I spent so much time on this book, even listening to it at 1.6x speed audiobook.
cinnabunsun's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning was a bit blunt, short, and boring. It took me a couple days to even want to finish reading. Overall, it was a unique plot and very creative.
jennyhostettler's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
abbyreads12's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0