Review: Whisper Beach

Whisper Beach

by Shelley Noble

Why did you choose this book? a ‘friends’ story set at the beach

When did you read this book? June 2015

Who should read this book? readers looking for a good summer beach read

Source: TLC Book Tours

Here is a synopsis of Whisper Beach from TLC Book Tours

When a group of friends reunite in the idyllic beach town where they grew up, they must reevaluate their loyalty to one another or lose their friendship forever

Twelve years ago, Vanessa “Van” Moran fell in love and lost her virginity—but not to the same boy. She fled Whisper Beach desperate and pregnant, never telling a soul about her secret. Now a professional Manhattan organizer, she must return home for the first time to attend the funeral of her best friend’s husband. Van intends to only stay for a weekend, but her plans fall by the wayside as the troubles of this coastal town draw her in.

Dorie, the owner of the pier’s infamous Blue Crab Restaurant where Van and her friends worked as teenagers, enlists Van’s help to save the nearly bankrupt eatery. While Van throws herself into this new task, the man she once loved reenters her life, willing to pick up where they left off.

As the restaurant begins to thrive and Van reconnects with old friends, trouble comes from an unexpected source and she realizes she must face the decisions of her past or sacrifice this new life she has so carefully built.

For Van, this summer will test the meaning of friendship and trust—and how far love can bend before it breaks.

My Review

Take a look at the beautiful cover on this book! Doesn’t it make you want to just pick it up and start reading? It did me. And when I saw the author is Shelley Noble, who also authored Stargazey Point, I knew I would read this one. It was just a bonus that I was invited to participate in the blog tour hosted by TLC Book Tours!

I loved Stargazey Point (you can read my review here). Unfortunately, this one...not so much. Don’t get me wrong — it isn’t a bad read — I just didn’t love it as much as I did Stargazey Point.

Whisper Beach is a good summer read for those lazy days when you want to lay in the hammock and get lost in a good book. The story moves along quickly and I was finished in only 2-3 sessions (and could have finished in one if I could have just convinced the animals and family to let me alone to read!)

There were good characters and bad. I really enjoyed the character of Dorie; the motherly restaurant owner who took teens under her wing when they needed a little TLC. And I really did not like the character of Gigi, the whiny attention-seeking cousin of the main character, Van. That said, her behavior was enabled by those around her. I have mixed feelings about the main character, Van. She seemed to be a slow learner, not really learning that talking things out instead of running away can solve a lot of problems.

But what really made this a less than stellar read for me was that there were a lot of loose ends I would have like to have had tied up. I would like to know a little more about Van and her father, and how their relationship proceeds. I also would like to know a bit more about Bud, the cop. And I really, really would like to know why Harold was even in the story, as there didn’t seem to be much point to his character.

This could make an interesting pick for book clubs looking for a summer book that is a quick, relatively light read, but still has plenty of fodder for discussion. There are discussion questions available at Reading Group Guides, or you can just make up your own. Whether you are looking for a summer book club selection, or just looking for a good summer read for yourself, this one is worth taking a look at!

About Shelly Noble

Shelley Noble is a former professional dancer and choreographer and has worked on a number of films. She lives at the Jersey shore where she loves to visit lighthouses and vintage carousels. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America.

Find out more about Shelley at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

My Rating:  ★★★1/2    3-1/2 Stars

This book review is included in a tour by TLC Book Tours. I was provided a copy for review purposes and have written an honest review which appears above.

Shelley’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, June 16th: Book by Book

Wednesday, June 17th: BookNAround

Thursday, June 18th: Book Nerd

Friday, June 19th: bookchickdi

Tuesday, June 23rd: Becca Rowan

Wednesday, June 24th: Wall-to-Wall Books

Thursday, June 25th: Lesa’s Book Critiques

Thursday, June 25th: Hot Guys in Books

Friday, June 26th: A Chick Who Reads

Monday, June 29th: Under a Gray Sky

Tuesday, June 30th: Time 2 Read

Wednesday, July 1st: 5 Minutes For Books

Thursday, July 2nd: Peeking Between the Pages

Thursday, July 9th: Kritters Ramblings

Tuesday Memes: Whisper Beach

Every Tuesday Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where you can share the first paragraph, or a few, of a book you are reading or thinking about reading soon.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along!

Today I am spotlighting Whisper Beach by Shelley Noble.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Colors and Breakwater Bay comes this unforgettable story—reminiscent of Kristin Hannah’s beloved novels—of friends, loyalty, and love as three women who are reunited in the idyllic beach town where they grew up are forced to re-evaluate their bonds

Fifteen years ago, seventeen-year-old Vanessa Moran fell in love and lost her virginity but not to the same boy. Pregnant, desperate, and humiliated, she fled friends and family and Whisper Beach, New Jersey, never breathing a word about her secret to anyone. She hasn’t been back since. Now a professional Manhattan organizer, she returns to the funeral of her best friend’s husband. She intends on just paying her respects and leaving—though she can’t deny she also wants the town to see how far she’s come as a successful business woman. But her plans to make this a short visit fall by the wayside when her girlfriends have other ideas.

Dorie, the owner of the pier’s Blue Crab Restaurant where Van and her friends worked as teenagers, needs help. Dorie’s roving husband spends every penny they make and now their restaurant is failing.

Joe, the boy Van left behind without an explanation, has never stopped loving her. While he’s wary of getting hurt again, he also can’t help wondering what would happen if they took up where they left off.

As the summer progresses and the restaurant takes on a new look, trouble comes from unexpected sources. For Van, this summer will test the meaning of friendship and trust—and how far love can bend before it breaks.

Opening Paragraph

Chapter 1

    Vanessa Moran was wearing black. Of course she always wore black; she was a New Yorker . . . and it was a funeral. She’s dressed meticulously (she always did), fashionable but respectful, chic but not different enough to call attention to herself.

    Still, for a betraying instant, standing beneath the sweltering August sun, the gulls wheeling overhead and promising cool salt water nearly within reach, she longed for a pair of faded cutoffs and a T-shirt with some tacky slogan printed across the front.

    She shifted her weight, and her heels sank a little lower in the soil. The sweat began to trickle down her back. She could feel her hair beginning to curl. She should have left after Mass, sneaked out of the church before anyone recognized her.

My Teaser

    As they walked toward the front door, it opened and Suze stepped out. She zeroed in on Gigi and then her hand. “Is that the mail?”

page 113

So...what do you think? Is this one you would pick up? Leave a comment below!

(These quotes are from uncorrected advance proofs. Please refer to the final printed book for corrected quotes!)

Review: Stargazey Point

Stargazey Point

by Shelley Noble

Why did you choose this book? the cover grabbed my attention and it looked like a good summer read

When did you read this book? June 2013

Who should read this book? readers of historical fiction and suspense

Source: TLC Book Tours

Here is a synopsis of Stargazey Point from IndieBound.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Colors, a stunning new novel of sun, sand, love, and family set against the beautiful backdrop of the South Carolina coast

Devastated by tragedy during her last project, documentarian Abbie Sinclair thinks she has nothing left to give by the time she arrives in Stargazey Point. Once a popular South Carolina family destination, the town's beaches have eroded, local businesses are closing, and skyrocketing taxes are driving residents away. Stargazey Point, like Abbie, is fighting to survive.

But Abbie is drawn slowly into the lives of the people around her: the Crispin siblings, three octogenarians sharing a looming plantation house; Cab Reynolds, who left his work as an industrial architect to refurbish his uncle's antique carousel, a childhood sanctuary; Ervina, an old Gullah wisewoman with the power to guide Abbie to a new life, if only she'd let her; and a motley crew of children whom Abbie can't ignore.

Abbie came seeking a safe haven, but what she finds is so much more. For Stargazey Point is a magical place . . . a place for dreamers . . . a place that can lead you home.

My Review 

This was a really good book; much better than I expected, and I expected to like it!I When I was offered the opportunity to review this book by Trish at TLC Book Tours, the first thing that drew me to the book was the cover, but the synopsis also captured my interest.

Abbie Sinclair has had her life devasted by tragedy, and is trying to recover and figure out where she goes from here. Her best friend, Celeste, suggests she take a ‘vacation’ by visiting her elderly relatives in a run down beach town in South Carolina. And so, Abbie heads to South Carolina and the hospitality of Celeste’s relatives, three siblings in their 80s. Stargazey Point was a favorite of beach goers in earlier times, but has fallen into disrepair following several hurricanes, and doesn’t look likely to come back. But there are some who still are working to revive the town, including Cab, an architect who has given up his successful architectural career in order to restore his uncle’s carousel.

From the first page, I loved this book. It is a slow paced, relaxing read. Often in my reviews, I comment that a book moved slowly, and this is not meant as a compliment, but in this case, slow-paced is good. I felt the calm and peace of the ocean community, and loved Beau, Marnie and Millie, the three elderly siblings. They are so filled with southern hospitatlity. The writing is wonderful and filled with descriptive language, so that you feel like you are right in the story.

At times, the book is a little predictable, but not in a way that damages the story. WIth the magical feel of the book, you expect a happy ending! There is a bit of a twist near the end involving the siblings and there are a few hints of what may come. There are also some things left unsaid and I really would have liked to have been given a little more detail at the end. This is one book that really could have used an epilogue updating us on what happened to the characters down the road. I would have particularly liked to have known more of Beau’s story. But all in all, this is a fantastic summer read!

You can visit the Shelly Noble's website here, where you can access excerpts and read her bio. You can also read about the prequel to Stargazey point, Stargazey Nights, available from Amazon!

My Rating:  ★★★★1/2   4-1/2 Stars

This book review is included in a tour by TLC Book Tours. I received a copy of the book in return for an honest review, which you can read above.

STARGAZEY POINT TOUR SCHEDULE

Tuesday, July 9th: BookNAround

Wednesday, July 10th: Time 2 Read

Thursday, July 11th: BoundByWords

Monday, July 15th: The House of the Seven Tails

Wednesday, July 17th: 2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews

Thursday, July 18th: Broken Teepee

Wednesday, July 19th: Kritters Ramblings

Tuesday, July 23rd: A Patchwork of Books

Thursday, July 25th: A Chick Who Reads

Monday, July 29th: Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, July 31st: Becca’s Byline