Genre: Historical / Contemporary / Romance
Book Type: Audio
Author: Mary Ellen Taylor
Narrator: Megan Tusing
Pages / Length: 363 pages / 10 hours and 43 minutes
Publisher: Montlake (July 1, 2022) / Brilliance Audio
Book Description:
From the bestselling author of Honeysuckle Season comes an evocative dual-timeline novel detailing one woman’s journey to discover the hidden stories of her family’s seaside resort.
When a shipwreck surfaces, old secrets are sure to follow.
Or so goes the lore in Ivy Neale’s hometown of Nags Head, North Carolina. When Ivy inherits her family’s beachfront cottage upon her grandmother’s death, she knows returning to Nags Head means facing the best friend and the boyfriend who betrayed her years ago.
But then a winter gale uncovers the shipwreck of local legend―and Ivy soon begins to stumble across more skeletons in the closet than just her own. Amid the cottage’s clutter are clues from her grandmother’s past at the enchanting seaside resort her family once owned. One fateful summer in 1950, the arrival of a dazzling singer shook the staff and guests alike―and not everyone made it to fall.
As Ivy contends with broken relationships and a burgeoning romance in the present, the past threatens to sweep her away. But as she uncovers the strength of her grandmother and the women who came before her, she realizes she is like the legendary shipwreck: the sands may shift around her, but she has found her home here by the sea.
Thoughts: While this is "classified" as Historical Fiction, I'd argue it was more contemporary than historical. I liked the characters and how the women worked to make something for themselves. Some parts of the book were a far-fetched and harder to grasp, and while I love a book that ties up with all questions answered, the ending was slightly rushed and complicated. I enjoyed the setting and the shipwreck storyline as it added a fun element of suspense. This was a nice read, but know going in it isn't very historically based, as I found that a bit misleading.
Favorite Quotes:
⚓️ Few woke up in the morning deciding today would be the day to hide the truth. Beth Ann would wake up this morning, see her darkening bruises, dab makeup on on them, and cover her arms with a beach jacket. She would do it, she'd say to herself, because she didn't want to upset her children, shame her husband, or shatter the illusion of her happy life. Her secret wouldn't hurt anyone but herself.
Edna would slop on her apron and begin her chores as if she could work her way clear of the past. And Carlotta would push away the insecure little girl who'd grown up on the outside, don her makeup, and take control of an audience surrounding her stage.
"Edna's right. Secrets are a burden." (page 276)
⚓️ "Children don't always see their parents as people. Bella's guilty of it. I'm guilty of it. We seem to think their world didn't really begin until we arrived." (page 299)
⚓️ Peeling back the layers wasn't as easy as it seemed. Some stuck, others tore, and instead of ending up with neat, even layers, all that was left was shredded pieces. (page 315)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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