This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Jillian Hunter treasures her independence. She’s raised two sons by herself, launched a small business
, and restored a tumbledown beach cottage in Connecticut. But when a trip to London reunites her with Colin an old flame she hasn t seen in thirty-five years Jill falls for him all over again. Love makes Jill reckless. This could be her chance for a new beginning. But Colin isn t quite the boy she remembers and she ends up risking everything she s worked for her business, her home, and her two closest friends to make a life with him. And when she s faced with the risk of losing Colin as well, Jill is forced to take an uncomfortably close look at the woman she s allowed herself to become. Funny, sophisticated, and wise, Beachcombing is a coming-of-middle-age story about girlfriends when you re no longer a girl, about growing up when you re already grown up, and the price you re willing to pay for the love of your life.
I loved this book.
It was completely different to what I expected and in the very best way. For a start the protaganist of Jill was older than the heroines I’m used to reading about. But Maggie Dana did a wonderful job of transcending generational differences to show that – regardless of our age – we feel love and grief and life (and horniness!) in much the same ways.
The settings were beautiful and stunningly represented on the page. Subtle writing of sounds, smells, people had me visualising myself right there on Jill’s beach in Connecticut – bliss!
I loved the character of Colin – he was complex, and very real and the anticipation between him and Jill was VERY sexy!
The narrative of the novel was excellently paced, and kept me right in there, locked into the pages, waiting to see what happened next. I found myself grinning at such wonderfully written passages.
My favourite parts within the book were the flashbacks to Jill’s days of a young girl falling in love. Dana captured the feeling of first love beautifully, as well as a very realistic account of what it felt like to be a girl on the verge of womanhood.
Do buy this book. It’s a wonderfully written, involving story which will have you yearning for whatever Maggie Dana writes next.
Rating 5/5