A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life—and love—often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector.

Thanks to Netgalley and Waterbrook publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Another sweet love story by a wonderful author.

Rosemary a widow has come to Whelks Island to visit an old high school classmate. Hurricane Edwina is approaching the island. She’ a lost soul trying to find “home.” Tug has been through a lot in the last year. They both have fun together and realize that home is with each other.

Love, love, love this story! Nancy Naigle is a new-to-me writer and I’m so glad to have discovered her. The characters in this book were on a rough patch in their personal life journeys and they needed light to shine on their paths and show them where to take their next step. I liked that even the oldest characters in the book were still growing and learning and being surprised by what was around the corner. I loved the way the characters from different generations enjoyed, comforted, loved and helped one another. I think everyone needs a loving and supportive community like the one portrayed in the book and it made me want to move to Whelk Island and join the group. Finally, one other character deserves a mention: A parrot named “The Wife” was hilarious and provided some timely light-hearted humor that was a delight. A few references to places and a beloved character who had passed away clued me in that this book was not the first in the series but it did not hinder me from understanding and enjoying this book so it can definitely be read as a standalone but why not start at the beginning if you can? I loved the book enough to go back and purchase Book One for my library so I will be reading them in reverse. Highly recommend! I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are totally my own.

I enjoyed this very satisfying novel. It is a good, wholesome one with well developed and engaging characters and a touching plot. Themes explored include recovering from grief or tragedy, reconciliation in damaged relationships and touching romance. People in this community are so helpful, so supportive. It made me want to live there.

This is a good novel about finding a path for life when it takes an unexpected turn. It has a good faith message and gives one hope for how people treat each other. It is quite an uplifting novel. It is the second in a series but can be read on its own. Reading The Shell Collector will help readers appreciate the characters even more, however.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

To Light the Way Forward, by Nancy Naigle, is an interesting tale set in a small town on Whelk’s island, North Carolina. Tug Basnight owns a simple oceanfront diner on these sandy shores. He is lonely after the loss of his best friend, Maeve; however, when a hurricane shows up, Tug’s life is definitely affected!

When Rosemary leaves for a trip to Whelk’s island to visit her friend Kathleen, she hopes the storm will not arrive while she is there. Unfortunately, her wish is not fulfilled!

The final storyline involves Paul and Amanda. They each have active lives on Whelk’s island. Paul had been best friend’s with Amanda’s late husband. You see a potential relationship forming between these two; however, first they must survive the storm barreling down on them!

It is interesting to see how these four not only survive the storm, but also to see what direction each takes as they find their way in the world left behind!

Even though this is the second installment in this series, I read it as a stand alone and loved it. Nancy Naigle does a spectacular job writing about middle age/older folks and couples. I loved visiting Whelks island during a storm, finding out how the community stands behind each other and the beautiful strengths of friendship. The characters in the story are very well thought out, the setting descriptions made me feel sand under my toes and the story in general flowed perfectly. This was my first book by Nancy Naigle and I will definitely be reading more by her. I also have to add that I'm a foodie that loves sweet tea and those two things were a huge part of this story!

Thank you to NetGalley, Nancy Naigle and Waterbrook Publishing for allowing me this arc in exchange for my opinion.

To Light the Way Forward by Nancy Naigle was excellent. This story had me from the first word to the last. It was a perfect story to grab and get lost in the pages.
Rosemary was a bit lost in her life. She needs a change after so many events happenings and when her friend invites her to Whelks Island on the Outer Banks.
This is the second book in The Shell Collector series. I have not read the first book but had no trouble getting to know the characters from the first book that are in the second.
The characters in this series are people that I would truly love to meet. By the end of this book, I felt the connections with them all.
Thank you NetGalley, Nancy Naigle and WaterBrook & Multnomah for the copy of To Light the Way Forward. This is my personal review.

I loved The Shell Collector and recommend reading it before To Light the Way Forward. That said, Nancy Naigle provides enough context so that references to people and events in the first book make sense. This second book is about moving forward after life has served up challenges. I loved the lessons learned by a young widow, a later-in-life widow and all the people who are important to them. Just a lovely story of never losing faith. I'm hoping for more books about the people who live on (the fictional) Whelk's Island, NC.

A wonderful read that kept me turning the pages. Loved the Shell Collector, and this story is about Tug. While a hurricane reeks havoc on the lovely beach town of Whelk's Island, a newcomer has arrived, Rosemary. She brightens the day to so many people and finds new found happiness in this small town. My favorite line from the book, "Life takes you to unexpected places. Trust the light to lead you home". I highly recommend this book!!

To Light the Way Forward by Nancy Naigle
The Shell Collector series #2. Christian contemporary romance. Best read after the first book.
A hurricane threatens Whelk’s Island in North Carolina and the residents must prepare for the disruption. Stay or go? Will it pass by or will it hit causing untold damage or somewhere in between.
Amanda takes the children to visit family during the storm while Paul stays behind to help.
Tug has always stayed to run the diner and keep others fed. But he’s missing Maeve and feeling his age. He doesn’t have a good feeling about the incoming storm.
Rosemary moved into her daughter’s home after her husband died, but the transition is not going smoothly. She decides to visit an old friend on the island even though the storm is approaching. She meets Tug and is soon helping to feed people on the island and helping support the community.
A storm can be disruptive but it can also be renewing and that’s the case for many of the people on Whelk’s island.

A thoughtful story of change, resilience, and love.
Especially lovely for anyone that already knows these characters and easily followed if not. It’s a community that comes together with respect, love and a bit of faith. It’s a late-in-life new love. It’s family growing together.
Beautiful. Ultimately peaceful. Content and happy.
Strongly recommended to read The Shell Collector first to fully appreciate the community, the shells and the people.
4.5
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I purchased a copy to keep.

To Light the Way Forward by Nancy Naigle was a good story with great characters. If anything, it was a little too righteous. I love Christian books but this was more than that. These characters were unrealistically perfect. That said, I enjoyed it and them. There was to be a hurricane, not an unusual scenario for Whelk’s Island on the Outer Banks. But Paul did’t want to take chances with those he cared about so he sent Amanda and the kids to Ohio to visit her parents and he rented them a bright green Hummer limo in which to make the journey. Then, he set about making sure everyone on the island was as safe as he could make them. He went and got Tug and The Wife (Tug’s parrot) and brought them back to his place, a huge establishment similar to a shopping center. On her trip north, Amanda met a lovely older woman named Rosemary on her way to Whelk’s Island. They exchanged phone numbers and were to become best friends.

Wonderful characters with human problems. Some of them were far from ordinary as was Whelk’s Island where seashells inscribed with messages turned up just as a person needed one. It was eery. Hurricanes cannot be predicted and this one certainly not. It totally destroyed Tug’s cafe and buried his pickup in sand. In fact, there was sand everywhere. And cell towers were down. The island came together to help and mostly they did. Tug emptied his walk-in to feed everyone for days. Rosemary eventually met Tug and they became fast friends, something he had missed since Maeve died. It was a wonderful story of love and resilience. And fear which no one let paralyze them. And rebuilding, bigger, better. Good read.

I was invited to read To Light the Way Forward by Waterbrook & Multnomah. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #WaterbrookAndMultnomah #NancyNaigle #ToLightTheWayForward

I adore Nancy Naigle books and her wonderful writing. Her stories always brings a smile to this readers face. This story is heartwarming and
with unique, wonderful characters and a fabulous story line about second chances and the healing power of friendship and unexpected love. With every page turn you can feel the emotion, inspiration and charm of the characters and story. This was so well-written, a joy to read and has a bit of everything I love about life and romance in it. I loved it!

This was such a wonderful story. Several couples that had lost their spouses or significant others and were starting over. Some of the road was rocky and one was relatively easy. When a hurricane destroyed part of the coast and their livelyhood, there were decisions to make that were not easy. When you are young, it isn't as hard, but in your 70s and older, you have a bigger decision to make.
All the characters were wonderfully described and you could easily want to know them. The 2 children were darling and made me laugh several times.
I highly recommend this book. You won't be sorry

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

What a lovely story that Nancy Naigle has penned. I had not read the first book in the series, however I still really enjoyed this book. It is heartwarming, emotional and romantic. I love that it doesn't focus on young love and centres around people being able to find happiness at any time in their lives. This is the kind of story that you pick up and just immerse yourself into.

Even though there is a potential for a hurricane at Whelk’s Island, Widow Rosemary is ready to visit her friend. Rosemary is tired of the conflict that she has with her divorced daughter and housemate Nina. She soon finds connections on the island, especially with Amanda and her family and Tug. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love how Rosemary is open to new experiences and relationships. It's refreshing to see a relationship develop in an older couple, which grows from their friendship. It's also nice to see how people work through different difficulties in their relationship and their lives. This is the first book that I have read in this series and it's definitely enjoyable as a standalone. I'm adding the first book in the series 'The Shell Collector' to my TBR list.

Smalltown, heartwarming romance and more at it's very best! With an enchanting follow up to The Shell Collector, Nancy Naigle brought emotion to the forefront quickly as it felt like going home again for the reader to revisit Whelks Island, NC and reconnect with Paul, Amanda, Tug and the kids with memories of Maeve around every corner. New to town visitor Rosemary is quick to connect with the town and it's core team as a storm rolls through just as she's beginning her visit. New friendships develop, family dynamics are tested and healing is abound. Great characters, heartfelt drama and many happy endings.

I highly recommend this book as well as the first in the series to anyone who enjoys a smalltown women's fiction strong on friendships and family along with hints of romance and tidbits of drama to round it all out.

This sequel to The Shell Collector is just as delightful as its predecessor. What a pleasure to be on Whelk's Island visiting with Amanda, her children, Paul, Tug; and their new friend, Rosemary. Their story is beautiful, poignant, and romantic, but not without disappointment, grief, and uncertainty. The theme of having a grateful heart open to love and light that will, eventually, overcome our disappointment and worries if properly placed in God and supported by those He sends us, is an important one. Finding pleasure in the moment not out of self-indulgence, but out of accepting God's blessings is the key. Readers may be reminded of Isaiah 43:18-19.

While To Light the Way Forward can be read as a stand-alone read, it will be best enjoyed after reading The Shell Collector. If these are your first Nancy Naigle books, they will have you searching for more. Fans of Grace Greene will delight in discovering Nancy Naigle and vice versa. Both authors are skilled in crafting stories of difficult realities made easier through love and grace, stories that warm the hearts of readers. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Naigle's latest release from WaterBrook and Multnomah via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Such an amazing read!
I read The Shell Collector, which is the prequel to this book, and knew that I just had to get my hands on this latest installment of life on Whelk’s Island.

Rosemary is a widow who doesn’t know where life is taking her, but she is feeling pulled to visit an old school acquaintance in North Carolina even though those on the island are bracing for a major hurricane. Tug is still reeling from losing his life long love, Maeve. When the hurricane hits him and his diner hard, he just doesn’t have it in him to rebuild.

Paul and Amanda are major characters in this sequel and of course the kids will make you laugh out loud with their antics!

The second book this series, and just as good as the first. Tug is struggling after losing Maeve and when a storm destroys the diner, he really doesn't know what to do. He does know that he is too old to start over and doesn't have it in him to rebuild and run the diner. Rosemary lost her husband a few years ago and thought living with her daughter and granddaughter would help everyone; unfortunately, things didn't work out and now she is visiting a friend.

I loved the fact that the characters in this book were all older and trying to find a new way in life. Rosemary helps Tug, even though he didn't realize how bad he had gotten. Everyone in town also helps Rosemary realize that she doesn't have to live by anyone else's rules. While rebuilding the town, everyone learns important life lessons and things about themselves that they might not have realized.

It was nice seeing Amanda, Paul, and Amanda's kids again. Even though this is the second book, you do not need to read the first book to understand this book. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more books from this author. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.