The summer is winding down and, sadly, so are the amount of beach reads in my pile. I do love a good audiobook that takes place at a gorgeous beach location and both of these books fit the bill. Both would be great to end the summer with.
Goodreads says, "It's a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamt of coming for years―she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she's here without him. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe―which makes it that much more surprising when the women can’t stop confiding in each other.In turns uproariously, absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach's The Wedding People is a look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined―and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us."
Phoebe is a character you immediately want to root for in The Wedding People. I really didn't want her to end her life, but through flashbacks, readers learn how hard it has been for her. Her marriage was difficult, fertility issues took their toll, and her career wasn't easy, unlike her husband's as they teach at the same university. Once she meets Lila things change. At first I really didn't enjoy Lila; she is very privileged and she irritated me, but once the women spent more time together, she grew on me. Lila has had her issues, namely, the death of her father and her complex relationship with her mother, so as she shared more of her story, I grew to like her. The setting of a luxurious Newport hotel made feel more like a beach read and as the story progresses, things start looking up for Phoebe as well.
Goodreads says,"Three generations of Schmidts have run their family’s beachfront restaurant, and Jack has been at the helm since his father's death. He puts the demands of the restaurant above all else, with a string of failed relationships, no hobbies, and no days off as proof of his commitment to the place. He can’t remember the last time he sat on the beach or enjoyed a moment to himself.
Meanwhile, the DelDine group has been snapping up beloved eateries along this stretch of coast, and it is pursuing Jack with a very generous offer to take Schmidt’s off his hands. Jack craves companionship and maybe even a family. He wonders whether closing the door on the restaurant might open a window for him—but who would he be without Schmidt’s, and can he trust DelDine’s claims that it will continue to employ his staff and honor his family’s legacy?"
Jack Schmidt's family has owned a historic restaurant in Rehoboth Beach for years and now he is the owner. As the years go by, it has taken its toll though. When DelDine Corporation wants to buy it, he is actually considering it. He is exhausted and needs a break; however, he can't help but feel loyalty to his workers. That's the thing though. Things aren't as good as though should be with his workers, which only adds to the exhaustion. Someone is stealing from him and one of his workers has a son who is a drug addict and he often comes around causing problems. To complicate matters further, Kitty, his old girlfriend is back in town to take care of her mother. She comes with her own share of secrets that will impact Jack's life. Jack has some big decisions coming in The Same Bright Stars, which is a heartwarming beach read and a delightful audiobook.
I love small beach towns and Joella captures Rehoboth Beach, Delaware so very well. He includes excerpts from a Rehoboth guidebook, which further illustrates the charm of the town. Rehoboth Beach literally popped off the page and I loved it. Joella also has a way of building characters and making a small-town vibe work so well. I really enjoyed that aspect of the novel and all the different eccentric characters in The Same Bright Stars.
Also, Jack is a good guy. Finally! A good guy in a novel! I appreciated that so much and was rooting for him and his restaurant. This leads me to the coastal restaurant details, which I also enjoyed. There's tons of drama at a restaurant as well as family issues depicted in The Same Bright Stars, but it never weighed down this lighthearted tale.
I've been wanting to read The Wedding People for so long - I love the Newport setting!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your thoughts on it! Did you hear it's being made into a movie? I think it will definitely work on the big screen. Thanks for visiting!
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