by Dorothea Benton Frank
Why I chose this book? I’ve enjoyed other books by this author
When I read this book? April 2018
Who should read this book? Fans of light women’s fiction
Source: TLC Book Tours
My Rating: ✰✰✰½ 3½ Stars
New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank returns to her magical Lowcountry of South Carolina in this bewitching story of marriage, love, family, and friendship that is infused with her warm and engaging earthy humor and generous heart.
One enchanted summer, two couples begin a friendship that will last more than twenty years and transform their lives.
A chance meeting on the Isle of Palms, one of Charleston’s most stunning barrier islands, brings former sweethearts, Adam Stanley and Eve Landers together again. Their respective spouses, Eliza and Carl, fight sparks of jealousy flaring from their imagined rekindling of old flames. As Adam and Eve get caught up on their lives, their partners strike up a deep friendship—and flirt with an unexpected attraction—of their own.
Year after year, Adam, Eliza, Eve, and Carl eagerly await their reunion at Wild Dunes, a condominium complex at the island’s tip end, where they grow closer with each passing day, building a friendship that will withstand financial catastrophe, family tragedy, and devastating heartbreak. The devotion and love they share will help them weather the vagaries of time and enrich their lives as circumstances change, their children grow up and leave home, and their twilight years approach.
Bursting with the intoxicating richness of Dorothea Benton Frank’s beloved Lowcountry—the sultry sunshine, cool ocean breezes, icy cocktails, and starry velvet skies—Same Beach, Next Year is a dazzling celebration of the infrangible power of friendship, the enduring promise of summer, and the indelible bonds of love.
My Review
Same Beach, Next Year is a fun read and a very quick read. I’ve read several other books by this author and enjoyed them, so I was excited to be offered the chance to read and review this one. I’d been reading several nonfiction books including a very thick biography of Ulysses S Grant, so this was a wonderful change of pace for me!
I really enjoyed this book and breezed through it. It was one of those that I promised myself I’d read ‘just one more chapter’ and then stayed up until the wee hours of the morning. I felt like I got to know the characters, warts and all, and I really cared what happened to them. This is a story of friendship. Adam and Eliza are a couple with twin boys who vacation on the beach each summer with friends Eve and Carl and their daughter. The twist? Adam and Eve were high school sweethearts, and the connection is still there! The book traces these years of friendship, including the challenges and the fun, and because it is a good summer read, everything is resolved happily. Along the way, we get to know members of the extended families, complete with their strengths and flaws. Though at times any of these characters could be frustrating, they were also In short, this is a wonderful read to take to the beach for a warm spring weekend!
I’d recommend this to fans of Dorothea Benton Frank and women’s fiction, or anyone looking for a quick summer read. This would make a particularly good summer selection for book clubs, as it is a quick, light read, but still offers much to discuss. There is a reader’s guide with discussion questions in the back of the book, but books clubs will find plenty to discuss even without referring to the guide.
Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank was born and raised on Sullivans Island, South Carolina. She resides in the New York area with her husband.
This book review is included in a tour by TLC Book Tours. I was provided a copy for review purposes.
Dorothea’s Tour Stops
Instagram Stops
Sunday, April 22nd: Instagram: @girlsinbooks
Tuesday, April 24th: Instagram: @prose_and_palate
Wednesday, April 25th: Instagram: @booenetics
Thursday, April 26th: Instagram: @jackiereadsbooks
Friday, April 27th: Instagram: @the_need_to_read
Review Stops
Tuesday, April 24th: A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog
Wednesday, April 25th: The Book Date
Thursday, April 26th: The Geeky Bibliophile
Friday, April 27th: Books and Bindings
Monday, April 30th: Instagram: @prose_and_palate
Tuesday, May 1st: Instagram: @booenetics
Wednesday, May 2nd: Staircase Wit
Thursday, May 3rd: Time 2 Read
Monday, May 7th: Wining Wife
Tuesday, May 8: Jessicamap Reviews
Wednesday, May 9th: Bibliotica
Thursday, May 10th: A Bookish Affair
Monday, May 14th: bookchickdi
Tuesday, May 15th: Instagram: @Novelmombooks
Wednesday, May 16th: Broken Teepee
Thursday, May 17th: Always With a Book
This sounds like a great way to kick of the start of summer. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour!
A good beach read can be such a comfort read when we need a break from others right? I haven't read anything by this author but I like the sound of this one!
ReplyDeleteI've read a few by this author. They've always been a nice break, with characters you can root for, and a plot that pulls you in!
Delete