Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Helpful Score: 1
Terrific story of family, loss, and love. Told from alternating points of view, I loved seeing how each character processed what was going on around them. The people are realistically portrayed, their feelings and actions believable.
When oldest daughter, Cami, was fourteen, her parents divorced. She stayed in LA with her lawyer father, eventually becoming a lawyer herself. Her twin sisters, Violet and Lily, went to Cape Sanctuary with their free-spirited mother, Rosemary. Cami always felt like the odd one out when she visited. Twenty years later, Lily drowned while saving the lives of two little girls in Cape Sanctuary. Rosemary begs Cami to help untangle some complicated issues involving Lily's dream of a glampground on neighboring property.
I ached for Cami. She's still trying to process her grief over Lily's death while working long hours at her father's law firm. Though she doesn't know how much help she'll be, getting away to the peace of the beach sounds like exactly what she needs to recharge. As she nears her destination, she stops to help a man wearing a sling with a flat tire. Sparks fly between them, but Cami doesn't expect to see him again.
The man is Jon, an archaeologist who has been called home to deal with his estranged father. They haven't spoken in several years, but he gets word that Franklin is behaving oddly. He arrives home to discover his father in the early stages of dementia, tents set up on property that should be vacant, and the suspicion that the neighbors are trying to pull a fast one on his father.
Cami's sister Violet, Lily's twin, is a special education teacher in Sacramento. She comes to Cape Sanctuary for the summer to help Rosemary with the glampground. She struggles with the loss of her sister and best friend. She also feels guilty over an argument with Lily that they hadn't made up before Lily died. Complicating matters, she can't avoid running into Alex, her first love, whose daughter Ariana is one of the girls Lily died while rescuing.
I loved the intertwining of the various storylines. While Cami would like nothing more than to fix the glampground leasing issue, Jon's first thought is protecting his father. Cami is sympathetic to his problems and finds herself stepping in to help Jon with his dad. At the same time, the sparks between Cami and Jon continue to grow. There were some sweet scenes of the two of them together, with and without Franklin. It's easy to see their growing feelings, but there are also obstacles to a future together.
Franklin's medical issues are heartbreaking to watch, but on his good days, he is a delight. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him interact with Rosemary and the glampground guests. I was thrilled to see him and Jon repair their relationship with each other.
I ached for Violet and her tortured feelings. She loved Lily, but she also frequently felt like the pale imitation of her vivacious sister. Without Lily, though, she feels as if a piece of herself is missing. I liked seeing Violet and Cami begin to strengthen their bond in their shared grief. The night-time scene on the beach with them and a bottle of wine was emotional, funny, and eye-opening for them. It was also a great start to a new closeness.
Violet also must deal with her unresolved feelings for Alex. He makes it clear that he still cares about her and would like a second chance, but Violet is wary of trusting him with her heart again. There are several great scenes where Alex is there when she needs him and helps her work through her grief. I especially enjoyed the scene on the boat when she helped him with the whale-watching trip for the glampers. The question is whether she can let go of the past enough to move forward into the future with him and Ariana.
There's a heartwarming scene where the town holds a ceremony to honor Lily and her sacrifice. The kind words of the mayor and the heartfelt speech by Ariana make a world of difference to Lily's family. Cami's dad, Ted, was also there, and he wasn't what I expected. I enjoyed seeing him and Rosemary together. There are some intense moments near the end when Franklin wanders off, and Jon feels overwhelmed by what lies ahead. I loved his surprise at how people came together to help find him and Jon's realization that he's not alone. A moment of clarity in a discussion between Franklin and Jon reveals an unexpected twist in the leasing issue. I loved seeing Jon and Cami look at exploring their feelings for each other.
The epilogue was a terrific look at their lives a few years down the road. There's happiness and heartbreak, love and loss, but above all, the importance of family.
#netgalley
When oldest daughter, Cami, was fourteen, her parents divorced. She stayed in LA with her lawyer father, eventually becoming a lawyer herself. Her twin sisters, Violet and Lily, went to Cape Sanctuary with their free-spirited mother, Rosemary. Cami always felt like the odd one out when she visited. Twenty years later, Lily drowned while saving the lives of two little girls in Cape Sanctuary. Rosemary begs Cami to help untangle some complicated issues involving Lily's dream of a glampground on neighboring property.
I ached for Cami. She's still trying to process her grief over Lily's death while working long hours at her father's law firm. Though she doesn't know how much help she'll be, getting away to the peace of the beach sounds like exactly what she needs to recharge. As she nears her destination, she stops to help a man wearing a sling with a flat tire. Sparks fly between them, but Cami doesn't expect to see him again.
The man is Jon, an archaeologist who has been called home to deal with his estranged father. They haven't spoken in several years, but he gets word that Franklin is behaving oddly. He arrives home to discover his father in the early stages of dementia, tents set up on property that should be vacant, and the suspicion that the neighbors are trying to pull a fast one on his father.
Cami's sister Violet, Lily's twin, is a special education teacher in Sacramento. She comes to Cape Sanctuary for the summer to help Rosemary with the glampground. She struggles with the loss of her sister and best friend. She also feels guilty over an argument with Lily that they hadn't made up before Lily died. Complicating matters, she can't avoid running into Alex, her first love, whose daughter Ariana is one of the girls Lily died while rescuing.
I loved the intertwining of the various storylines. While Cami would like nothing more than to fix the glampground leasing issue, Jon's first thought is protecting his father. Cami is sympathetic to his problems and finds herself stepping in to help Jon with his dad. At the same time, the sparks between Cami and Jon continue to grow. There were some sweet scenes of the two of them together, with and without Franklin. It's easy to see their growing feelings, but there are also obstacles to a future together.
Franklin's medical issues are heartbreaking to watch, but on his good days, he is a delight. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him interact with Rosemary and the glampground guests. I was thrilled to see him and Jon repair their relationship with each other.
I ached for Violet and her tortured feelings. She loved Lily, but she also frequently felt like the pale imitation of her vivacious sister. Without Lily, though, she feels as if a piece of herself is missing. I liked seeing Violet and Cami begin to strengthen their bond in their shared grief. The night-time scene on the beach with them and a bottle of wine was emotional, funny, and eye-opening for them. It was also a great start to a new closeness.
Violet also must deal with her unresolved feelings for Alex. He makes it clear that he still cares about her and would like a second chance, but Violet is wary of trusting him with her heart again. There are several great scenes where Alex is there when she needs him and helps her work through her grief. I especially enjoyed the scene on the boat when she helped him with the whale-watching trip for the glampers. The question is whether she can let go of the past enough to move forward into the future with him and Ariana.
There's a heartwarming scene where the town holds a ceremony to honor Lily and her sacrifice. The kind words of the mayor and the heartfelt speech by Ariana make a world of difference to Lily's family. Cami's dad, Ted, was also there, and he wasn't what I expected. I enjoyed seeing him and Rosemary together. There are some intense moments near the end when Franklin wanders off, and Jon feels overwhelmed by what lies ahead. I loved his surprise at how people came together to help find him and Jon's realization that he's not alone. A moment of clarity in a discussion between Franklin and Jon reveals an unexpected twist in the leasing issue. I loved seeing Jon and Cami look at exploring their feelings for each other.
The epilogue was a terrific look at their lives a few years down the road. There's happiness and heartbreak, love and loss, but above all, the importance of family.
#netgalley
