AUTHOR: Debbie Macomber
NARRATOR: Karissa Vacker
PUBLISHER: Random House Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: July 17, 2018
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 10 hrs and 58 mins
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780525491774
A seaside town helps one young woman reclaim the light after darkness in a brand-new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.
Annie Marlow has been through the worst. Rocked by tragedy, she heads to the one place that makes her happy: Oceanside in the Pacific Northwest, the destination of many family vacations when Annie was a teenager.
Once there, Annie begins to restore her broken spirit, thanks in part to the folks she meets: a local painter, Keaton, whose large frame is equal to his big heart--and who helps Annie fix up her rental cottage by the sea; Mellie, the reclusive, prickly landlord Annie is determined to befriend; and Britt, a teenager with a terrible secret. But it is Keaton to whom Annie feels most drawn. His quiet, peaceful nature offers her both comfort and reprieve from her grief, and the two begin to grow closer.
Then events threaten to undo the idyll Annie has come to enjoy. And when the opportunity of a lifetime lands in her lap, she is torn between the excitement of a new journey toward success and the safe and secure arms of the haven--and the man--she's come to call home.
In this heartwarming tale, Annie finds that the surest way to fix what is damaged within is to help others rise above their pain and find a way to heal.
MY REVIEW:
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for voluntary review consideration.
I have read and loved a number of Macomber's Christmas books including Starry Night, Merry and Bright, Dashing Through the Snow, and Twelve Days of Christmas. I'm not normally one for reading contemporary romances, but I thought I'd give it a whirl seeing as how much I enjoy Macomber's holiday romances. She may just turn me into a romance reader!
I made the mistake of starting this audiobook while I was getting ready for work, and it is impossible to put mascara onto wet eyelashes! Oh, my heart! Macomber totally hooked me from the beginning.
A devastating disaster affecting her family leaves Annie reeling. Seeking comfort and solace, she returns to a favourite vacation spot that her family frequented while she was growing up. Fortuitously, she is hired on at the local clinic as a Physician Assistant and is able to rent the small cottage that her family used to stay in. The familiar surroundings bring back happy memories for Annie, and she feels at peace in Oceanside. She meets a man named Keaton, who remembers Annie as a teenager but she doesn't remember him. He remembers her because she was kind to him when others would bully him for his size.
Annie quickly becomes enmeshed in Oceanside. While she went there for restoration, she has a huge impact on those around her and helps them as much as they help her. Keaton is not normally one for small talk, but he begins to open up to her. The young woman who owns her cottage never leaves the house because she is agoraphobic, but she also has a kind soul who takes in any abused or wounded animal and nurses them back to health. Annie also tries to intervene when a young girl who works at a coffee shop shows signs of being abused.
This was both a heartbreaking and a heartwarming story, and I can see why Macomber's books are such a hit. I see the goodness in her characters, and it definitely is a feel-good story. Oceanside is an idyllic setting and makes me yearn to find my own cottage at the beach! Add to that the sweet romance between two couples in the book, and this makes it a perfect summer escape. I'll definitely read more of Macomber's romances!
Karissa Vacker is a new-to-me narrator, and I found her voice just as calm and soothing as the beach itself. I thought that she was ideally suited to the characters, and she was very pleasant to listen to. Here is a sample of the narration:
MY RATING:
4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR if you enjoy contemporary romances.
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