rosetyper9's review
1.0
Sadly, I couldn't finish this book. It came to me via my Harlequin monthly subscription and the blurb looked promising. Well, I find Ms Ridgeway's writing to be like Steven King's, there is just too much of everything. Too much description and just too much. The words were tightly packed on the page and it took like a paragraph just to find out what color hair this person had or what that person was wearing. I was weary from trying to read it.
I think the plot looks promising and if you like overly descriptive writing this will probably be a great book for you! This one just wasn't for me.
I think the plot looks promising and if you like overly descriptive writing this will probably be a great book for you! This one just wasn't for me.
alwaysreadingreview's review against another edition
5.0
Caleb McCall is back in Crescent Cove to see if the woman from that one summer is still there. Meg is only there because her sister wanted to go to a wedding. Once again, this was a great read. Short. Do you believe in second chance at love? Caleb has to have Meg believe in that if there is any chance for them to be together.
☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!
Happy Reading!
Melissa
mommasaystoread's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first read by Christie Ridgeway and I was surprised at how much emotion was packed into this very quick read. Caleb is such a lovable character and his patience with Meg makes this romance oh, so sweet. They do fall very quickly, which is a bit of drawback for me, but I liked the writing style and enjoyed the story enough that I will check out other books by this author. Overall, the book is well-written and compelling, and I can easily recommend this sweet, steamy romance.
island_reader's review against another edition
3.0
Hero: 5/10
Heroine: 5/10
Sizzle: 8/10
Romance: 6/10
Humor: 1/10
Secondary Characters: 0/10
End: 8/10
Pace: 8/10
This wasn't a bad book, but I struggled getting into it at first. I blame a book-hangover for that though. The characters aren't anything special, but I did manage to become emotionally invested in the heroine (definitely some tears here, folks), despite the redundancy of her hang-ups that began to get on my nerves at time. The hero… I can't say much about him. I wasn't in his head long enough to form any solid opinions. Together, there's good chemistry and tension between the two, so I was happy. The end was really good, but I'm going to be nitpicky about the "end" happening at the 77% mark. It's a pet-peeve so I knocked off a half star for it. Ultimately, for me, it was a good book for a short/novella prequel. I plan to read the next one to see if it's a series I plan to continue on with.
Heroine: 5/10
Sizzle: 8/10
Romance: 6/10
Humor: 1/10
Secondary Characters: 0/10
End: 8/10
Pace: 8/10
This wasn't a bad book, but I struggled getting into it at first. I blame a book-hangover for that though. The characters aren't anything special, but I did manage to become emotionally invested in the heroine (definitely some tears here, folks), despite the redundancy of her hang-ups that began to get on my nerves at time. The hero… I can't say much about him. I wasn't in his head long enough to form any solid opinions. Together, there's good chemistry and tension between the two, so I was happy. The end was really good, but I'm going to be nitpicky about the "end" happening at the 77% mark. It's a pet-peeve so I knocked off a half star for it. Ultimately, for me, it was a good book for a short/novella prequel. I plan to read the next one to see if it's a series I plan to continue on with.
jemifraser's review against another edition
Fun story! Jane & Griffin are great characters with lots of layers. I enjoyed their banter and the growing closeness neither was too sure they wanted :)
sheamaryfitz's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was cute and I liked the characters. There are a lot of books out there lately about soldiers coming back from war, but this is the first I’ve read about an embedded reporter, so it gave a different perspective to the war and the men and women coming home from it. It’s definitely apparent by the literature of our time that war has definitely influenced our generation.
I loved how Jane lives her life with no regrets and says what she means and does what she wants, because she never knows if it’s the last time she’ll be able to do/say it. Griffin acts like that’s how he is, but he does it with such a guard up that he’s not really living. Can’t wait to continue Ridgway’s new triology.
I loved how Jane lives her life with no regrets and says what she means and does what she wants, because she never knows if it’s the last time she’ll be able to do/say it. Griffin acts like that’s how he is, but he does it with such a guard up that he’s not really living. Can’t wait to continue Ridgway’s new triology.
shobeteener's review against another edition
Meg Alexander returns home to run her family business in Crescent Cove, California. She left 10 years ago after the love of her life died. In that time period she has built some pretty high walls to keep herself from being hurt.
Caleb McCall returns to Crescent Cove and reconnects with Meg when he rents a bungalow from Meg. He doesn't stop trying to break through her walls.
This is a fast enjoyable read and that has quite a bit of content. My emotions were up and down while reading this. I ached for Meg. There was also times I laughed.
Caleb McCall returns to Crescent Cove and reconnects with Meg when he rents a bungalow from Meg. He doesn't stop trying to break through her walls.
This is a fast enjoyable read and that has quite a bit of content. My emotions were up and down while reading this. I ached for Meg. There was also times I laughed.
bookly68's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this novella! Of course, I'm not surprised. I really have fallen in love with Christie Ridgway's writing since I read "The Secret" *sigh* This woman can really write romance.
Almost wonderful starts out with a very sad, hardened woman...Meg. Ten years before the love of her life died and she ran away from the life she knew, changed her name from Starr to Meg and built walls around her heart, never to be hurt again. So now, ten years later, because her family needs her, she returns home to Crescent Cove. This is where she meets Caleb. Watching him try to help her heal, no matter how much she turned away was so moving. The belief in fate is questioned. Caleb truly believes they were meant to be together, that it is what brought him there. I'm trying not to say too much. But Caleb is a true romantic at heart. Plus he is sexy as hell. Oh! Then there is Bitzer, I can't forget Bitzer!!! Caleb's dog, who plays a very big role in this story. I loved Bitzer.
There is quite a lot to this little 97 page novella. It was beautiful, touching and at times had me laughing out loud. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of this series!!
Almost wonderful starts out with a very sad, hardened woman...Meg. Ten years before the love of her life died and she ran away from the life she knew, changed her name from Starr to Meg and built walls around her heart, never to be hurt again. So now, ten years later, because her family needs her, she returns home to Crescent Cove. This is where she meets Caleb. Watching him try to help her heal, no matter how much she turned away was so moving. The belief in fate is questioned. Caleb truly believes they were meant to be together, that it is what brought him there. I'm trying not to say too much. But Caleb is a true romantic at heart. Plus he is sexy as hell. Oh! Then there is Bitzer, I can't forget Bitzer!!! Caleb's dog, who plays a very big role in this story. I loved Bitzer.
There is quite a lot to this little 97 page novella. It was beautiful, touching and at times had me laughing out loud. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of this series!!
bookishlyfab's review against another edition
4.0
Ridgway was a new author to me that I tried based on a Goodreads recommendation. I was really impressed with the character development in this novel. Both the primary and secondary storylines were well developed. One star is docked because "librarian" is continuously used throughout as a putdown for Jane. Not cool! The not so subtle jabs at Nicholas Sparks (fictionalized as Ian Stone in this novel) were pretty funny though. I look forward to reading the others in the Beach House No. 9 series.
beckymmoe's review against another edition
4.0
On the whole, I enjoyed this book (and the prequel novella Beach House Beginnings) and am really looking forward to the rest of the series. I absolutely adored Jane and every single pair of her shoes. (At first I didn't get why we were suddenly given a detailed description of her shoes as she walked towards Griffin's beach house. But soon it all. became. clear. The shoes. An awesome part of the story all on their own, thanks to Griffin.) I loved Griffin's sister and all four of her "minions". Cantankerous Rex from next door was a riot, and I enjoyed his back-and-forth banter with Griffin as well as his more serious side. Skye, the manager of the properties, is a bit harder to get a real handle on since we don't see all that much of her, but I am definitely looking forward to reading her story in book three. I liked the idea of a non-combatant suffering from PTSD, as Griffin does. His character was absolutely wonderful, and I was pulling for him the entire book to realize what he needed to do to get his life back.
But...there were some parts that didn't quite do it for me. First, Griffin's brother-in-law's midlife crisis that caused the minions to move next door to their uncle for the summer? Yeah, it was a head scratcher. Even once it was explained it seemed like an extreme overreaction. That side story ended up being resolved nicely, but the reasons behind it in the first place just seemed bizarre. Secondly--and for the HEA of the story more importantly--I'm not sure I buy into Griffin's turnaround at the end. It's not that I don't think he and Jane should be together--I totally do--but after everything he'd been going through it felt like it was all "fixed" much too easily. In my mind he obviously still has a whole lot of work to do to make it to a place where he can be with Jane. For him, the book ended too soon.
However, I still ended up giving this book four stars. In spite of those two issues, I really enjoyed the story and can't wait to read the next two. Now, how can I sign up for my own bungalow?
But...there were some parts that didn't quite do it for me. First, Griffin's brother-in-law's midlife crisis that caused the minions to move next door to their uncle for the summer? Yeah, it was a head scratcher. Even once it was explained it seemed like an extreme overreaction. That side story ended up being resolved nicely, but the reasons behind it in the first place just seemed bizarre. Secondly--and for the HEA of the story more importantly--I'm not sure I buy into Griffin's turnaround at the end. It's not that I don't think he and Jane should be together--I totally do--but after everything he'd been going through it felt like it was all "fixed" much too easily. In my mind he obviously still has a whole lot of work to do to make it to a place where he can be with Jane. For him, the book ended too soon.
However, I still ended up giving this book four stars. In spite of those two issues, I really enjoyed the story and can't wait to read the next two. Now, how can I sign up for my own bungalow?