Seaside Harmony & Sunflower Summer

(Click on the picture to order) 

 

Seaside Harmony

by Evangeline Kelley

ISBN: 978-0824932466

$10.38 (paperback)

$7.69 (kindle)

 

About the book:

Three sisters, a charming inn, hints of mystery and romance, and a gorgeous seaside setting. Summer reading at its finest!

When Caroline Marris joins her sisters, Gracie Gold and Sam Carter for a Nantucket Island getaway, she has no idea how it will change her life. The sisters stumble upon Misty Harbor Inn, the place their late mother loved so much, and Caroline talks her sisters into buying the beautiful but dilapidated inn. But can free-spirited Caroline stay focused enough to make opening the inn a reality? Hand-drawn old postcards draw the sisters into the mystery of Hannah Montague, the young widow of the original owner. Can the sisters uncover the fate of this woman who disappeared in 1880? As Caroline and her sisters work together to make their mom's dream a reality, they bond in ways they never expected.

My thoughts:
This series reminds me a lot of sillouette books in the type of writing it is. There is a romance of course with a great storyline that is not just limited to the take over of the inn. Our heroines in this series though are in the prime of their lives. They are not young with hourglass figures, perfect jobs, drop dead handsome men ~ no, they are actually my parents ages (in their 60's).

Caroline has never married. She isn't sure where she stands with God but he is definitely not her best friend. She is a restless soul and has spent her life traveling the globe and writing travel articles for others. Having never married she has no children waiting for her ~ BUT she has a man patiently waiting in the wings who cares for her and is always there when she stops for a spell in her dream cottage in England.  I REALLY like this guy (wonder if he has a younger brother?) he is a great fit for Caroline.

Gracie has married her soulmate but unfortunately he passed away a few years ago. Since then she cares for her grandchildren and lives to take care of the family she has left ~ her son and his family. Part of these two books focuses on her fury with Caroline for not being in their lives over the years - she's bitter and angry and it shows! She sees her as flighty and unable to commit to anything. This tension is a huge part of this series so far.

Sam is easily my favorite character in this series and I'm really looking forward to reading her story... She is the quiet sister. She has a daughter she has raised on her own after leaving her husband of just a few months. She is the strong one of the sisters, the one that holds Gracie & Caroline together and the one I have a feeling will be the greatest romance of the series.

Seaside Summer

by Evangeline Kelley

ISBN: 978-0824932473

$10.38 (paperback)

$7.69 (kindle)

 

About the book:

Misty Harbor Inn officially opens, and Gracie Gold, the middle Marris sister, wrestles with an overwhelming decision. As the sisters learn the day-to-day workings of running an inn, Gracie counsels its first guests, newlyweds whose honeymoon seems to be ending before it begins. Meanwhile, Sam's discovery of a clue in a secret room sheds unflattering light on Hannah Montague, who vanished from the house more than one hundred years ago. And as Gracie and Caroline welcome guests to the inn, they are delighted to see how God uses it --- and them --- to deepen relationships and transform lives.

 

My thoughts:

This book continues on with the Gracie's story and her frustrations and not knowing what she is going to do now that she is part owner of the inn. She is struggling with not helping with her grandchildren but also wants to pull her weight and help out especially when it seems like her sisters have their own routine and she isn't necessarily needed. I will say I LOVED the ending of this book!

This is a series that draws you in. I will say: it's slow... I would of liked to know more about the carriage shed and perhaps that will come in the future books. I'd like to know more about the antiques, the history (what made the original owners like they were) and yes, there is a.... (no, I won't tell you! LOL)

If you are one who enjoys series books - one where you get to know the characters and like to know what happens "after" this is a series you will enjoy. I loved it features older characters (that are still older than me!) It would make a great series to give as a gift and is perfect for a rainy day or blizzard when you don't have anything else to do, no kids pulling on you and no don't feel like dealing with the endless piles of laundry.

About the author:
Evangeline Kelley is the pen name for the writing team of Patti Berg, Pam Andrews & Barbara Hanson, and Camy Tang, the four authors who collaborated to create Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn. Each of them has published novels individually, but this is their first series together. (I had NO CLUE this was a group effort! Wow)

Disclaimer: I was offered both books to read and review on GivingNSharing through the Litfuse Blogger Program. I was not required to have a positive review and no $$ exchanged hands. Thanks for reading GivingNSharing!