A go-to author with a touching new novel about two cousins making big personal life altering changes after loss, divorce and disappointment. Ellie Mae and Tabby are taking over for Aunt Charlotte at a generationally owned B & B. It’s late fall and they hardly have time to unpack before a hurricane heads right towards them on the south Texas coast. Sand and surf is my happy place, it was idyllic.
The cousins are as close as sisters which will prove a blessing when they end up sequestered with total strangers until the storm passes over. Aunt Charlotte has retired in Colorado but calls her former handymen to assist with plywood and the generator. Then Aunt Charlotte volunteers them as a temporary refuge when the local assisted living center can’t relocate all the residents. Four of the most interesting elderly characters you could ever meet arrive just before the storm.
The majority of my career was spent around the elderly and the author did a bang up job describing them. They have personalities, humor, history, stories to tell, secrets to keep or reveal, lives worth living. I laughed and cried over their bickering, the banter, the memories and the future they were still planning.
Both Ellie Mae and Tabby have bruised, empty hearts. Some new acquaintances bring them each exciting possibilities for the future. Their losses, grief, failed relationships and family drama were sentiments we’ve all felt or lived. This story was admittedly a personally challenging subject for me to read. Having faced similar losses in the recent past, I confess to bawling through some passages with understanding and grief. It left me a bit melancholy, I’ll be remembering the grains of sand on the beach.
Thank you to NetGalley, Carolyn Brown and to Montlake for the digital advance reader copy of “The Sandcastle Hurricane”. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

I loved it! Such a great read. It had a little bit of everything. Sad at times, but uplifting other times. Texas, a storm coming, and old memories....what more could you ask for. I highly suggest this book to everyone. I've read other books from this same author and have pretty much enjoyed them all. She just has a knack for keeping the reader engaged with her loveable characters and intriguing plots.

I loved this multi-layered, heartwarming romance.

Tabby and Ellie Mae, cousins and lifelong friends, are taking over their aunt's B and B just in time for the arrival of a devastating hurricane. Add the handyman, his best friend, a quartet of senior refugees from the assisted living center, and all the assorted family secrets that every southerner can identify with, and you've got an adventure that will make you laugh, sigh, rant, and cheer. Once the dust settles we're treated to two HEAs, one for each of the focused couples, as well as a celebration of new friendships.

This charming story was truly unputdownable. Once I started I couldn't stop and finished it in one sitting. I've never thought of visiting the Texas Gulf Coast, but now I'm thinking a trip to Galveston is in order. I highly recommend this story. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Sweet, wholesome, down-home country story!

When Tabby and her cousin Ellie Mae are put in charge of running their Aunt's Texas B&B, they had no experience with hurricanes. But shortly after they move in, a whopper of a storm is heading their way, straight to Sandcastle! They manage to get the B&B storm-ready with guidance from their aunt who is safely living happily in Colorado, and lucky they did, because they were asked to house a few residents of a nearby assisted living that is in danger of storm damage.

When the assisted living residents show up, Tabby and Ellie Mae don't know what they've gotten into. As luck also has it, a friend of their aunt's, Alex, also shows up and is ready to stay and help. He later brings his business partner Ricky to help with storm cleanup, and the cousins might just have found new harbors in life's storms!

This was a fun, easy read with country goodness throughout.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

I have read many books by this author and, like always, the characters are strong. I enjoyed this story, which had 3 mini stories running simultaneously. The thing that tied everything together was a hurricane and its aftermath.

Cousins Tabby and Ellie Mae are busy preparing for the hurricane at the bed and breakfast that has been in their family for generations. They have recently taken over for their Aunt Charlotte who moved away. Aunt Charlotte has asked them to house several elderly residents of a nearby home that is being evacuated. These residents have no family to take them in. Also, Aunt Charlotte's friend Alex always stays at the bed and breakfast during hurricanes to help keep the generator and well pump running. Alex and Tabby have a romantic history from when they were teenagers. Tabby still feels the attraction, but she has too much going on to delve into those feelings.

As the residents of Sandcastle B&B deal with the aftermath of the hurricane, however, there are many decisions to make and many lives will be affected...

Life hasn't been going good for cousins, Tabby and Ellie Mae. Their aunt turns her B&B over to them and two weeks later there is a hurricane that strikes. Alex has always helped their Aunt Charlotte when a hurricane was coming, so she called him and asked if he would go to the B&B and help her nieces. Their Aunt Charlotte told them that there were 4 people from the assisted living center that didn't have any family and needed a place to stay because the center had closed for the hurricane that was coming. They all end up at the B&B.
Alex said to them, have you ever stopped to think that maybe the universe is working something out in your life? After I read that, things seemed to change. The people in the story, have had quite a life, and as they come together at the B&B, they start to share their stories, and the dynamics of the people is inspiring. There is growth and learning, positives and negatives, past and the present, surprises, laughter, lessons to learn.
I liked that as they were doing something, that there were messages that popped into their heads, from loved ones that weren't with them at the time. It was comforting. As I turned each page, there were surprises, and it made me wonder about fate, omens, and watching them evolve into who they were to become.
I received an ARC from Montlake through NetGalley.

My Thoughts
39-year-old Tabitha June Landry-Tabby and 29-year-old Eleanor Mason Landry-Ellie Mae are our two main female leads.

Cousins born on the same day 10 years apart and as different in looks as night is from day.

Tabby was a tall brunette with dark brown eyes, compliments of her Hispanic mother, Gloria. Ellie Mae was a short curvy woman with strawberry blonde hair and mossy green eyes, just like her Irish mother.

The pair are new owners/caretakers of the Southern Texas Coast beachfront Sandcastle B and B in Sandcastle Texas.

All thanks to a family legacy clause that their Aunt Charlotte uses as a way to help the pair start over after each of them finds their lives gone astray.

Hurricane season however proves to be right on point and a doozy named Hurricane Delilah brings them new guests, both 2 and four footed, that have nowhere else to go.

Turns out these prove more challenging than the weather but over time a camaraderie takes over on all sides which turns what could have been a disaster into something much deeper and more meaningful as well.

I am not sure who I enjoyed more the four old folks, the cousins, their respective suitors, Aunt Charlotte or the unexpected animals whose presence came about as last minute additions to the B&B household when Hurricane Delilah hit.

It was a true pleasure getting to spend time with all of them.
[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

This novel is set in Sandcastle on the Southern Coast of Texas. Two cousins, Tabby and Ellie Mae Landry are taking over the family business, a beachfront bed and breakfast when their Aunt Charlotte decides to move out. Tabby and Ellie Mae are just moved into the Bed and Breakfast when Hurricane Delilah comes into town. Aunt Charlotte sends reinforcements to help the cousins prepare for the storm. Alex LaSale arrives along with four residents from the Assisted Living Center in town. Fortunately, they survive the hurricane. While they are repairing the damage from the hurricane, bonds are formed and past wounds are healed. Romance is also in the air. This novel was well-written and a thoughtful narrative on overcoming loss and starting again.

I've read and enjoyed many of this author's books. Unfortunately, I found that I was unable to move past the first 50 or so pages, even after several tries.

The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown is a sweet romance about sisters, a bed and breakfast, and a hurricane. Told with Carolyn Brown’s trademark humor and heart, The Sandcastle Hurricane is a story about love, forgiveness, and second chances.

Story Recap:
Tabbie and Ellie Mae are cousins who have come back to Sandcastle, Texas to run their Aunt’s bed and breakfast after her passing. They visited Sandcastle in the summers but have never lived there full-time.

When a Cat 4 hurricane threatens Sandcastle, Tabbie and Ellie Mae agree to take in a few residents from the local assisted living center, as their B&B has survived many hurricanes before. They take in two sisters who do nothing but bicker with each other and a couple of veterans. They have local handyman Alex and his business partner, Ricky helping out at the house and trapped with them during the hurricane.

My Thoughts:
The Sandcastle Hurricane is exactly what I expect from a Carolyn Brown book. It’s heartwarming, funny, and full of southern charm. I enjoyed Tabbie and Ellie Mae and loved their generous spirits as they took in the residents of the assisted living home.

I especially loved the way all these characters worked together against the hurricane and the aftermath of the storm. The older characters were a hoot, and I loved the way they all worked together on the hurricane aftermath as well as helped each other with their various issues.

The backstory of Ellie Mae and Tabby is heartbreaking. Each of them has suffered loss and is in various stages of grief. But, together, this house full of people forms a family bond and they start to help each other heal.

Recommendation:
I recommend The Sandcastle Hurricane to anyone who enjoys romance and fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Cousins Tabby Landry and Ellie Mae Landry both have their reasons for up and moving to Sandcastle, Texas to take over running Aunt Charlotte's Sandcastle Bed and Breakfast when Aunt Charlotte moves to Colorado to be with friends. Not that they are running away from their problems, Well, maybe a little bit. Tabby and Ellie Mae are busy renovating when there's a hurricane warning. Hurricane Delilah is on her way! Turns out the cousins end up riding out Delilah with four senior citizens from a local assisted living facility who have no family to evacuate to. Also showing up is Aunt Charlotte' hurricane helper, Alex LaSalle. This is quite an interesting group. Frank and Homer are life-long friends and survived serving in the Vietnam war together. Then there's Cleo and Maude. What a pair! The arguing and sniping that goes on between these two is a constant. So all-in-all a very interesting group to ride out a hurricane with. As the story unfolds secrets are revealed, surprises pop up and the disparate group becomes a family. A true family. Tabby and Ellie Mae have blood relatives but not a real loving relationship with them. Ricky enters the story after the hurricane blows over. Ricky is Alex's friend who helps with building. There are happy ending all around, especially for Tabby and Alex and Ellie Mae and Ricky.

This storyline consists of heartache, drama, happiness and tears, and, most of all, love. The main characters are all very likable. The dialogue is quite entertaining. The Sandcastle Festival right after Thanksgiving is fun. I'd love to see pictures of the sandcastles although this author's description of the group's creation was almost as good as an actual photograph. I was thrilled to see Mz. Brown include some Christmas time fun. Once again Mz. Brown has taken me away on a wondrous journey that has left me with a happy heart.

The Sandcastle Hurricane is about two cousins, Tabby and Ellie Mae Landry, who've inherited the Sandcastle Bed & Breakfast, from their beloved Aunt Charlotte. It's on a sandbar along the southern coast of Texas, They are planning to do some renovations before they officially open in the spring, but not long after arriving, Hurricane Delilah is about to make landfall there, and while most of the residents have evacuated, the Sandcastle is made of stone, and has ridden out many hurricanes in its long history. At nearly the last hour, they are asked to take in 4 senior citizen residents at an assisted living facility who have nowhere else to go, and since there's plenty of room, that's exactly what Tabby and Ellie Mae do--and what follows is one of the sweetest, saddest, funniest, quirkiest, and most heartwarming novels Ms. Brown has written, and I'd give it more than 5 stars if I could.

Each character in this novel is so well drawn and has so much depth. Tabby is almost 40, 10 years older than Ellie Mae, and two years ago she lost her 16-year-old daughter, Natalie, to a drunk driver. It was also what led to her divorcing her controlling husband, James, and she's still trying to deal with both her anger and her grief. Ellie Mae left high school and immediately moved in with her best friend, Sam, and the two stayed together despite her family's disapproval because Sam was black. Sam died suddenly, only 3 weeks earlier, and Ellie Mae is still trying to deal with that loss. Having the 4 senior citizens in residence, which they initially thought would be a nuisance, turns out to be the best thing that could possibly have happened to the two women.

The seniors are true gems. Cleo, who ran away from home to join a carnival and never returned. Her wisdom, her rebel spirit, and her antics are priceless. Maude, her nemesis, and Cleo's older sister, who never stops arguing with Cleo, and Homer and Frank, lifelong friends who served in Vietnam together. Additionally, two men are added to the mix, first is Alex, who ran a fishing boat charter before the hurricane destroyed it, Homer, is black, and Ricky, who is of mixed race. Both Ellie Mae's and Tabby's families are racist, and although racism is addressed in this novel, it's not the central issue. Instead, the central issue of this novel is that family is what you make it--it's those people you choose to be with, who add value to your life, who you come to love, and it has absolutely nothing to do with DNA. It's a message that's as important today as it ever was.

This cast of characters, who start out as strangers--their antics, their issues, their history, and their wisdom, are among the things that make this novel so special and so memorable. They made me laugh out loud, made me cry, and made me long to be part of the family they eventually become. This is a novel you don't want to miss. I feel richer for having read it, and I think you will too. Kudos to Ms. Brown for writing this absolutely wonderful, perfectly plotted novel.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions stated are my own.

Tabby and Ellie Mae are set to inherit the B & B Sandcastle in Sandcastle, Texas. So when the hurricane hits the small town, their B&B becomes a haven for people--for Cleo and Maude. Most of the town was destroyed, the businesses as well due to hurricane and this story talks about how the folks in the small town get together to bring the town back to its feet.

Though I have read Carolyn Brown's books before, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did with her previous ones. Nevertheless, I do like the Thanksgiving scene, the southern accent and I learned a lot about the south while reading the book. I do like the romance blossoming between Tabby and Alex and Ricky and Ellie Mae. Some of the descriptions of the places will make the reader feel like they are also in the small town with the characters as well. I also like the relationship between the two cousins, Tabby and Ellie Mae.

If you like women's fiction with a bit of family drama and a bit of romance, then you would love this book. Worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

two cousins decide to run their aunt's bed and breakfast. Carolyn Brown is one of my favorite authors, love her stories

When I read a Carolyn Brown book, I know I am getting a sweet story of love, regrets, healing, family, and happy endings. The Sandcastle Hurricane is just that and more.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC. #Netgalley #TheSancastleHurricane.

I don’t live in an area where we’ve experienced hurricanes nor where natural disaster evacuations have been necessary, so I was wrapped up in the preparations the folks in Sandcastle were taking to avoid complete disaster. I can understand how in the panic and race against time, the most vulnerable among us can be overlooked because one of the most affected groups of the pandemic has been the elderly. It was nice to see an author focus on a section of society not often the focus of popular novels.

Author Carolyn Brown invites us to Sandcastle, Texas where cousins, Tabby and Ellie May, are running their aunt’s beachfront B & B when Hurricane Delilah forces the evacuation of an assisted-living facility and four residents take shelter at the cousins’ establishment.

I loved the spunk and breath of fresh air that Cleo, Maude, Homer and Frank brought to the seaside B & B! After the hurricane passes and the damage is assessed, the broken relationships are mended and the buildings in Sandcastle are repaired. It was a good reminder that we all need each other, kindness is King, and that sometimes adversity is a necessary teacher. I loved the message about working through grief, burying past hurts and working together.

A heartwarming book about fixable damage and the true meaning of family needs to be on your reading list.

I was gifted this copy by Montlake and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

A well written storyline, that draws you in from the beginning. The writing had so much heart to it. I enjoyed this book quite a bit

This is another good book from Carolyn Brown. It is one you will not want to put down. Carolyn Brown’s books are about families. Families can be made by choice, they are the best ones. Aunt Carolyn runs a bed and breakfast, she gives it up to move to Colorado and gives the Bed and breakfast to her two nieces, Tabby and Ellie Mae. There is a hurricane coming and this book is the members of Tabby and Ellie Mae family that they bring together. They learn to love.

Carolyn Brown’s books got me through Covid and lockdowns and so I’m always over the moon when she has a new story. And sandcastle hurricane was no exception. A great story following Ellie mae and Tabby as they take over their aunts bed and breakfast. Great story, animals, old folk and romance

Doesn’t matter what book I’m reading or what project I’m planning. When I get a new Carolyn Brown book everything else gets pushed to the side. Same happened when I received THE SANDCASTLE HURRICANE. Immediately you see the imprint Carolyn Brown has on her books with the characters she creates. Sassy, funny, touching, caring, warm-hearted and scene stealer each one.

On many plains I think THE SANDCASTLE HURRICANE is a coming to grips with life, past and present, story - perhaps with an eye toward the future. All the fabulous characters in this story have a past somewhat filled with grief, angst and perhaps a little regret mixed in as well. Short point is you can’t change your past. But what you do now in the present just might make a huge difference in your future. And all those held up at the Sandcastle riding out the hurricane need some clarification of what they would like for the days and years ahead.

Think of life like a year’s long voyage. At some point taking a swift unexpected unplanned turn. That’s what these folk could really use. And this storm could provide that turn.

I love anything written by Carolyn Brown. Her characters are beyond the pale. She sets the scenes with some of the best quick-witted dialog. Laugh out loud funny. Sweet and sigh worthy as well. Always come out of one of her books feeling like I have evolved into a better more patient person.

So in short Tabby and Ellie Mae have taken over the Sandcastle from their aunt Charlotte who has retired to Colorado, picking snow instead of heat. Before they actually get down to the serious overhaul work this horrible hurricane hits. Most folk have evacuated but the girls feel pretty safe where they are. In fact they wind up with four unexpected visitors. Four elderly people who needed a safe harbor when their assisted care center closed for the storm. They had no family. And that’s how Cleo, Maude, Frank, and Homer wound up at Sandcastle. The group is rounded off with Charlotte’s friend Alex who answered her call to help her nieces during their first foray with a hurricane. Add a few unexpected four-legged visitors and you have practically created an odd family. But Carolyn Brown once again shows her reverence for family.

From start to finish THE SANDCASTLE HURRICANE is a testament to the talent and creative genius of Carolyn Brown. It’s no wonder her list of fans grows exponentially book by book, story by story. So sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and relish this latest tale by Carolyn Brown. THE SANDCASTLE HURRICANE is fated to become one of your favorites.