Cover Image: Beach House Summer

Beach House Summer

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Member Reviews

~~~ I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~~

Sarah Morgan's Beach House Summer is just as the title implies- it's a great beachy, summery read! I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed reading about the characters as they grew and developed their relationships throughout the story. This book follows two women (Joanne and Ashley) who find their lives intertwined unexpectedly when Joanne's famous ex-husband dies. The plot follows the women as they learn to live again, find themselves, and their loves. This is a book about grief, healing, family, love, and friendship. Great read to add to your beach bag this summer!

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I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. At times I could not stand the main characters in this book, and it had a lot to do with excessive dialog. I did stick with the book and, in the end, really liked it. If you can get through the annoying dialog in the beginning, the book is worth reading.

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Joanne is surprised when her ex-husband is killed in a car accident but even more surprised to find there was a young woman in the car with him. She goes to the hospital and talks Ashley into going to hide with her at the beach. The press won't leave them alone and with the help of old school friends, Joanne and Ashley learn to become friends, despite the difference in their age. A few twist that I didn't see coming. I liked both Ashley and Joanne, and learned an author can make any situation into a good story. Would be perfect for reading on the beach on a hot summer day.

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Due to its tragic beginning, it was harder for me to get into right away (my mom recently passed away and any book involving tragedy/hospitals is hard right now), I was nervous to read this one. However, I really like this author so I kept going and ended up really liking the story and the characters!

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This was my second book by this author, and while not my favorite, it was still enjoyable. The pros: unique story, great beach read, easily read. The cons: the pacing/timeline seemed a bit off and some oof the characters did not read well for me. But for any reader who enjoys light romance, this would be a good pick.

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Heartbreaking and heartwarming story of how the beach is a balm to the soul. I couldn’t really relate to the characters but enjoyed the story.

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I really enjoyed this book by Sarah Morgan. The storyline was unique, as well as the characters. It was hard to put it down!

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Omg I devoured this book!!!! So good. Haha to the publisher for the ARC.
I highly recommend this book!

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📖 Book review 📖
Beach House Summer - Sarah Morgan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A delightful read for the summer. Joanna's ex husband, a celebrity chef, is dead and the paparazzi quickly hone in on her.  She soon finds out that her husband wasn't alone when he died, and that a young woman by the name of Ashley was in a car with him.  To make matters worse, Ashley is pregnant but Joanna surprises her and everyone, with what she does next.

As the story unfolds, we get to know these two women and watch their relationship evolve.  It is a story of friendship, family and love in a small town setting.

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Sarah Morgan is one of my all time favourite authors so you could imagine how excited I was to read this! Unfortunately this one fell a little short for me. I think I’m just so used to an epic romance in her books that this was a really slow romance but a lot of great plot. I still enjoyed the book because I was curious to see how all the characters were going to weave together after the tragedy.

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When Joanna's famous ex-husband, a celebrity chef, dies in a car accident, the media reports that he was accompanied by a teenage girl -- who might or might not be pregnant. Joanna's character and kind heart lead her on an interesting journey after this event, and we cheer for her all the way. This story is a great romance, set in the picture-perfect beach town, and there's even a bookstore! Really enjoyed this and look forward to recommending it to readers who enjoy a thoughtful romance that isn't too steamy -- think Susan Mallery, Mary Alice Monroe, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

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A quaint setting, lovable characters, friendships and romance. A wonderful Summer beach read. I loved reading about Joanna's character's growth and development. Such a great setting too.

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Joanna thought she was free from living her life in the public eye when she divorced her celebrity chef ex-husband, but when he is killed in a car accident she finds herself back in the headlines. Why do they think she knows who the pregnant women in the car with him is? She does know that she must protect her. Before she knows it, they are headed to a sleepy beach town along the California coast to hide out together. Ashley doesn’t understand how Joanna can be so kind when she should hate her, but pregnant and alone…how could she refuse? Once the two return to Joanna’s hometown, it is only a matter of time until the past surfaces and brings secrets with it.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It really is the perfect beach read. I would love to visit this quaint little town (though I’d likely never leave). Plus I am a sucker for fully finished endings, where everything it tied up in a neat little bow. The characters are all so lovable (except Cliff, obviously) and impeccably described, it’s almost as though you can see it playing out behind your eyes. Which is why someone needs to call up Sarah Rafferty and have it play out in front of our eyes. I’m telling you — she’s Joanna.

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I’m usually the person reading the murder mysteries or suspense novels. I do like a good women’s fiction and romance novel though and I had good feelings about Beach House Summer when I read the description. Sarah Morgan did not disappoint.

The story follows Joanna, ex-wife to celebrity chef whose past indiscretions come back to cause chaos in her life. I liked Joanna, but I definitely was silently screaming at her to grow a backbone in the beginning. She was very resigned to her life and hiding and not wanting to be seen or do anything. She had no relationship. I wanted to shake her. I think Morgan wanted us to feel like that though, because this story was really a story about fresh starts and taking back control of your life. I loved that storyline. There were also lessons about going for your dreams, not letting setbacks because permanent in your life and embracing the things coming at you instead of trying to always fix things.

The other characters in this story; Ashley, Mel, Nate, Greg I just adored. I have a very strong urge to go live in this small beach town with these people. A bookstore? Yes, please. A beautiful view of the ocean. Sign me up. Great people who will protect you no matter what? Yup! The scenery that was set by Morgan really drew me into this story. It gave you good feelings while you read it and really had you cheering for everyone involve to get some form of a happily ever after, even if it wasn’t what they had originally planned.

My one drawback to a five star rating was that Joanna sometimes was too flip-floppy to me. Someone who spent two decades in the spotlight would usually be a little bit more… tough. I think that is a good word for it. She obviously can withstand just about anything because she made it this far, but she seemed so broken and almost weak, and I don’t think those two things make sense in the same individual. I would have felt it was more realistic if she was simply resigned, but not weak or scared like she was portrayed.

Otherwise I really enjoyed this story and the lessons about life built into it. This book has everything you could want in a great summer read; family, growth, friendship, romance and a quaint seaside town. This is perfect for all ages.

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Joanna's is reeling from the death of her celebrity chef ex husband, when she finds out a pregnant women was in the car with him. Ashely is pregnant and unsure what to do especially since she was in an accident and the ex-wife of that person is offering help and protection from the paparazzi. Joanna takes Ashely her to her hometown to where they can finally have a bit of privacy until everything hopefully dies down. Both are at a low point of lives and while things are settlings down decisions must be made and some secrets come out.

I really enjoyed this book. Usually when it comes to reading the romance the hooks me to it, but this time it was the friendship between Joanna and Ashley. I loved seeing them open up to one another it was heartwarming to see the healing process as well as Joanna opening up to those around her hometown. It was interesting seeing these two people from totally different worlds come together and just be there for one another as support. Joanna jetted from her hometown and pretty much never looked back. She didn't communicate with her best friend and there was a lot of misunderstandings happening and it was interesting seeing it come out little by little of what happened and how she handled it. Then there's the ever-present paparazzi still on the lookout leaving readers to wonder when something just might happen as they keep digging into Ashely and Joanna's lives. There was a rekindling of romance which was nice to see I do love a second chance at love type of book.

Overall this was a fantastic read and would highly recommend you lovely readers to check it out.

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This would make for perfect summer reading. Definitely a classic chick lit, feel good read.
There is so much going on within the story. Each of the characters are endearing in their own way. The bond between Joanna and Ashley is heartwarming. When you know how the relationship began it makes it even more heartwarming.
Beach House Summer will take you on a emotional journey of old and new friendships and romance.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.

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I loved this book! Honestly, the beginning was a little bit too much of a downer for me but I thought the story picked up quickly. I really liked the characters and was really invested in what was going to happen next. Definitely recommended!

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This is a perfect book for summer! The setting is wonderful and the characters are compelling. Joanna leaves her hometown abruptly and mysteriously after her high school graduation. Now after all these years she is back. Her ex husband, a famous chef, has died in a car accident and she wants to hide from the press. She brings along a teenage girl that was also in the accident. What is the mystery behind her? Joanna slowly reconnects with her old life and friends and the secrets from her previous time in her hometown emerge. This is a feel good story that I really enjoyed.

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Once again, Sarah Morgan delivers a story absolutely loaded with feels. The title sounds like a more lighthearted read than it actually is, which is pretty obvious just from reading the blurb. So, expect an emotional journey as new friendships are formed, past friendships are renewed, and romance blooms. Sometimes, when the dust settles on tragedy, blessings are found, and Morgan gives us all that and more in the wonderfully written beach read. Fair warning though - If you're one of those that always has a book in progress, and if you're taking this one with you for a week-long vacation, pack a backup because once you meet these characters, you'll want to power straight through. I know I sure did.

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I like Sarah Morgan's writing. This was a good novel.. The characters were likeable and human. I hope for more from this author

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